The worst rental car I’ve ever had
While I don’t rent that many cars anymore, there was a time where it was incredibly common for me to have dozens of rental cars per year back when I had a travel-job where the company was paying for them. Normally I quite like rental cars because they tend to be the fastest cars in the world since you don’t really need to be concerned about what you do to the engine. *
That being said, I have had just about every sort of standard or mid-size car that you can imagine and I can’t believe that my least favorite happened today and the car itself was very new and looked really nice. I was actually quite excited about it because it looked like at least a 2017 model, it might have been from this year.
First off, and I understand this is for fuel economy and what not, but the car kept turning itself off any time it would idle, this would have been fine but it made all these sounds when it fired up, including letting me know that we needed to change the oil soon (I realize this is the car rental company’s fault.)
My Ford Escape was such a massive disappointment and perhaps these features exist in other modern cars and to be fair to this car I haven’t driven a modern vehicle in quite some time. To put it in perspective until today I have never driven a car that had one of those video screens that shows you what is behind you when you are backing up.
one of these things
It also had strangely tight steering similar to sports cars I have driven where something like that is necessary. Just the slightest touch of the wheel resulted in the car lurching uncomfortably to the side. My passengers thought I was “effing” with them and intentionally driving like a pissed off teenager but that I just how this thing operates. I literally (figuratively?) could not turn the wheel slow enough to not give everyone in the car mild whiplash. Also the brakes functioned in exactly the same fashion. I had to be extremely careful when touching the brakes or else everyone would lurch forward.
If you drive a Ford Escape, I hope that yours is not like this. Thankfully, we were only subjected to this P.O.S. for about 3 hours because we were headed to the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I normally like Ford cars, especially the pickup trucks so this was a real surprise to me. I will avoid renting this car in the future though. It was a real dissappointment.
*I don't really do this with rental cars. I'm actually a very careful driver.
Our one and only vehicle is a 2009 Ford Escape. It is pretty much just as you describe! Everyone who drives it just about sends the passengers through the windshield when stopping at lights. Ours is also the hybrid version with a POS 4 cylinder engine, so it is completely useless going uphill.
We bought this SUV since my wife is terrified of driving a car around LA because she thinks it will somehow protect her being higher up. Also she wanted to try out a hybrid. I call this vehicle an SUV only in appearance and storage space, but other than that there is no "sport" or "utility" to it.
I will say that once you get used to it, it is really great for nipping around town in and goes pretty far on fuel especially in LA traffic. Of course that may only apply to the hybrid model. I would like to add that once you drive another car after driving the Escape for a few years, you feel like everything is really mushy (breaks and steering).
That is a pic of me in the Escape in 2010. By the way, we purchased the car from a Ford dealer who had bought it from a car rental place. So I have to give it credit for still running in 2018!
whoops. complete accident calling you out on your car. swear i didn't know... haha. Yours is looking pretty good for 9 years old. Well done Ford I guess. Maybe if I had it under my command for more than 3 hours i could have gotten used to it. After being reprimanded by my passengers several times i actually offered to let "anyone else rive because I am not doing this on purpose!"
Hehe, well this photo was taken back in 2010, but to be perfectly honest it still looks the same after a good wash. It probably helps that it lives in a garage. But as you said, the breaks and steering are crazy responsive so it takes some getting used to.
yep, you got the joke. good job :)
I always say.. S-class or bust. 😀
I think you might be a little more fancy-pants than I am. but in a good way!
... Im just a dreamer. Haha
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Worst renal we ever had was a 1994 Chevy Geo Metro. Rented it if Florida. It was super hot..AC could barley keep up and we crammed 3 people and 3 suitcases in the dang thing somehow. It was ugly and had no get up and go. Not a choice car but what they had and we needed it. My cousin likes her ford escape..but its top of the line version.
I like my Jeep Wrangler ;-}
oh i had forgotten about GEO, i don't think any of those are still on the road are they?
I haven’t seen one in quite some time
"I had to be extremely careful when touching the brakes or else everyone would lurch forward."
This story is sad and funny at the same time.
Thanks for the info, no Ford Escape for me.