Ive had to rent quite a few cars over the last year, in Britain, so heres a review of some of them, all "brand new" cars:
1. Green Ford Fiesta, 1.2 - sluggish, underpowered, flimsy and uncomfortable, worse it looks like the mark one fiesta with a few extra panels. The lowest point of having this car for a mere 5 days was the pain it gave me just under my left kneecap - the driving position was AWFUL.
2. SEAT Ibiza [ no idea engine size ] - pretty car, red, one of the latest shape models and drove smoothly and pretended to sound racous when pushed, sadly when you looked at the speedo it wasn't fast. The handling was precise, pleasant to drive. The only negative being the VERY HARD VW SEATS ( all VW seats are hard, why? ).
4. Fiat Punto 1.2 Active - OK so this was basic, it was nippy and about as good as the SEAT to drive, the interior was dissapointing compared to earlier FIATs ( e.g. Bravo/Brava/Marea ) but one big advantage over the SEAT, your bum didn't feel like it had a seat pattern moulded into it by the time you finished. Handling could be taughter but the car otherwise ok to drive. Exterior, my goodness, FIAT for GODS sake paint all wing mirrors same colour as the car, because then we don't have to see these ugly plastic extrusions that spoil the looks of an otherwise stylish car.
5. Fiat Stilo 1.6 - This was a bit more like it, the in built technology was good, it had 6 gears ( why? ) but the engine feels flat, especially compared to my Marea 1.6 which would have trounced it easily, without breaking into a sweat. Negative points are the CRUDE plastic that is used on the top of the fascia, FIAT it might cost more to make the interior of the Stilo but that plastic is just awful. It was a 5 door and didn't handle that well, to be honest this was a BIG dissapointment.
6. Nissan Almera 1.6 - Shocking car, dreadful, sluggish, uncomfortable, the gear stick vibrated and it was too easy to get into the wrong gear ( this car was picked up from Hertz with 50 miles on the clock ) and it is NOISY at motorway speeds, NOISY and HARSH on acceleration. This is not in the same league as its compatriots.
7. Ford Focus 1.6 - Comfortable, to a point, still same left knee pain problem as the Fiesta ( am I ergonomically unsound or something? ) and handled well, only problem is totally gutless. My ex-ex-ex Girlfriend had a 1.1 Fiesta that had more guts than this. Plus its fugly.
8. Ford Mondeo 1.6 - Worse than the Focus, slower, corners appallingly in town and does not like potholes. Rattles at speed. This has been poorly screwed together, the Skoda Octavia and Skoda Superb are both better cars.
More rental reviews as I think of them, later!
I think the SEAT Ibiza came out top tho, for shame FIAT.
1. Green Ford Fiesta, 1.2 - sluggish, underpowered, flimsy and uncomfortable, worse it looks like the mark one fiesta with a few extra panels. The lowest point of having this car for a mere 5 days was the pain it gave me just under my left kneecap - the driving position was AWFUL.
2. SEAT Ibiza [ no idea engine size ] - pretty car, red, one of the latest shape models and drove smoothly and pretended to sound racous when pushed, sadly when you looked at the speedo it wasn't fast. The handling was precise, pleasant to drive. The only negative being the VERY HARD VW SEATS ( all VW seats are hard, why? ).
4. Fiat Punto 1.2 Active - OK so this was basic, it was nippy and about as good as the SEAT to drive, the interior was dissapointing compared to earlier FIATs ( e.g. Bravo/Brava/Marea ) but one big advantage over the SEAT, your bum didn't feel like it had a seat pattern moulded into it by the time you finished. Handling could be taughter but the car otherwise ok to drive. Exterior, my goodness, FIAT for GODS sake paint all wing mirrors same colour as the car, because then we don't have to see these ugly plastic extrusions that spoil the looks of an otherwise stylish car.
5. Fiat Stilo 1.6 - This was a bit more like it, the in built technology was good, it had 6 gears ( why? ) but the engine feels flat, especially compared to my Marea 1.6 which would have trounced it easily, without breaking into a sweat. Negative points are the CRUDE plastic that is used on the top of the fascia, FIAT it might cost more to make the interior of the Stilo but that plastic is just awful. It was a 5 door and didn't handle that well, to be honest this was a BIG dissapointment.
6. Nissan Almera 1.6 - Shocking car, dreadful, sluggish, uncomfortable, the gear stick vibrated and it was too easy to get into the wrong gear ( this car was picked up from Hertz with 50 miles on the clock ) and it is NOISY at motorway speeds, NOISY and HARSH on acceleration. This is not in the same league as its compatriots.
7. Ford Focus 1.6 - Comfortable, to a point, still same left knee pain problem as the Fiesta ( am I ergonomically unsound or something? ) and handled well, only problem is totally gutless. My ex-ex-ex Girlfriend had a 1.1 Fiesta that had more guts than this. Plus its fugly.
8. Ford Mondeo 1.6 - Worse than the Focus, slower, corners appallingly in town and does not like potholes. Rattles at speed. This has been poorly screwed together, the Skoda Octavia and Skoda Superb are both better cars.
More rental reviews as I think of them, later!
I think the SEAT Ibiza came out top tho, for shame FIAT.
