Reader Reviews
Test drive something recently? This is the place to post your impressions.
414 topics in this forum
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its comin DRIVEN 2015 Ford Explorer XLT 202 pkg 4wd, MSRP close or over 40k. HIGHS Grandiose feel of mass in the front of the vehicle. Vehicle is wide also, has hips. Panoramic view, ok, majestic view out the front. Comfortable and solid seating, each row. Excellent head room, hip room, shoulder room. Third row is more usable than you would think based upon sight. Nice dash and console layout........(this comment does not apply if MyFordTouch is installed) Feels quite solid. Stable and secure. Heavy, even. Moreso than most others in the segment. Gives an impression of quality. Decently quiet inside. Styling that has obviously been popular.…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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We'll make this 2 for 2 here, and just cut to the chase. The car was rather underwhelming. I might expand more on this one later, as I don't have a bunch of time right now. I've been wanting to drive a new gen WRX or STI pretty badly, as I was actually slightly considering one. No longer. I just don't see where Subaru gets off charging 35K base on these things. I'll summarize this one with a 'Highs' and 'Lows' break down. Highs- *Steering- Very nicely weighted, precise, lots of feel. It was VERY reminiscent of my E90's steering. *Sound- That trademark guttural Subaru growl and burble is present and accounted for. Love it. *Shifter- Very short, positive…
Last reply by Frisky Dingo, -
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getting there - edit TESTED 2014 Mazda CX-9 AWD Sport, MSRP around 33k, best price around 28 and change HIGHS Still among the sportiest looking 3 row crossovers. New beak makes it really stylish. Snappy powertrain, even without many gears. Throaty exhaust. Man, does she handle nice! for a crossover. Drives like a sedan that sits taller Feels a lot smaller than its competition, not at all intimidating to drive Nice cockpit and gauges Great value in this config, had power seats, heated seats and dual AC...for many thou less than others with these two items Sliding second row seats make most of every inch of leg room depending on your situation Ever…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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I was going somewhere and needed a rental car. Since it fell out of the Thurs.-Mon. time frame, the rates were a little high at the airport. I looked at neighborhood locations. I found a good rate at Enterprise, albeit in the suburbs. As it turns out, I could take rapid transit train service and then walk, yes walk, some 15 minutes from a rail station through an established neighborhood to get to Enterprise. Wheeled luggage is great! So I got up to Enterprise and saw nothing like the intermediate I selected. I saw few cars to begin with ... either much larger or much smaller. When I got up to the counter, they were super nice and the agent told me he would be …
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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I don’t know if this vehicle, a Toyota Prius Hybrid HEV, represented an upgrade. It’s just what I was assigned as a mid-size rented vehicle for 3 days. I had a general idea that this vehicle was recently refreshed and that it looked a lot better. As I got closer to it and got into it, I was able to get a better look. The new Prius looks a lot better than I recall a Prius ever looking. It looks sleek, sporty, and even sort of low-slung. Interesting exterior features show that they made this a priority. The front lights and fascia are thin and understated, working well with the more unified exterior. The rear fascia is definitely Prius’s own and it gives the c…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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I had a '16 Malibu LS in Ohio for a few days a couple of weeks ago. Black w/ black cloth interior. All in all, a pleasant drive. Seemed to have plenty enough power on Ohio freeways and around Columbus and some small towns Pros: Revised dash and center stack makes the cockpit seem more open, more spacious Looks like more rear leg room than the previous generation (longer wheelbase) Interior plastics are a mix of hard and soft touch, w/ some simulated stitching and fabric on the dash, which I thought was unusual. Ample trunk room Very quiet Start/stop feature was smooth and unobtrusive Good outward visibility even w/ fastback styling Cons: Couldn't figure…
Last reply by Robert Hall, -
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A swiss army knife in a really big box. Makes a great case for the modern 'mini'van. DRIVEN 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT (rental, amassed about 500 miles). No idea what the MSRP was, guessing close to 30k. HIGHS Pentastar is a Rock Star. Fabulous engine. Kicks down great, linear power. Cruises smooth. Pentastar is a Track Star. Vehicle chews up and spits out miles. If you need more room and space, then I don't know what to tell ya. Extended console creates a cockpit feel in a van, and the dash layout it great. Dash mounted shifter quickly becomes second nature, and functions quite well. SXT finally gives you the ability to customize your seatin…
Last reply by regfootball, -
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So, I've had a good week as far as fun vehicles and test drives go. A quick run-down on a few- Roush Supercharged Raptor with full ICON suspension (3" lift) and 35's- Wow, what a beast. The guy that traded it in said it had 700hp, but he's full of it. Their website says the Stage 1 setup is good for 525hp, and that sounds right. Either way, for a big truck, the thing moved out pretty good. It had no problem lighting up the back 35's and with the headers and full exhaust, it sounded absolutely monstrous. this thing would scare little kids. It was extremely loud, but still sounded really, really good. It was a total chore to drive, though. No way would I want to…
Last reply by A Horse With No Name, -
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I had the opportunity to rent a Chevy Cruze. This would have been the last gen model, prior to the arrival of the new one that is now in the showrooms. While the Cruze was definitely a step up in that niche from Chevy's previous Cavalier and Cobalt models, it was starting to get long in the tooth. It was never ungainly. It just seemed a little chunky. Though I haven't driven one, the current Cruze fixes all that. I got to select a car from the specified category at the rental car agency in SoCal. Take a pale gold one (a color that does NOT draw attention) with Florida plates (far away!) ... or take a red one (a color that DOES draw attention) with local plates?…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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chuggin
Last reply by regfootball, -
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Posts in this category are only visible to Admins and Editor/Reporter. This post is meant to be treated as a Wiki and Members of both groups can and should update this with new information as needed. Press Days: 01/12/2015 - 01/13/2015 Credentials: Arrived Drew's planned travel days: 01/11/2015 - 01/14/2015 Model Debut Spreadsheet: Google Docs (only Drew, Michael, and William can access) (3 truck debuts?) Press Release Schedule: Updated in the Google Docs above or the official press release schedule here. Banner Items: Completed by Dodgefan in mid November Accommodations: Reservation confirmed to rent a 4 bedroom home. It has enough room that William can crash ther…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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I remember when the Kia Soul hit the market, together with its jingle about a “little bit of soul.” I still think the name is clever. Yet, it has taken me this long to actually drive one. It was because of a situation where the rental agency had run out of compact sedans. The Kia Soul doesn’t look like anything else. It’s quirky and even an ugly sort of cute. When it was first released, its cartoon-like front grille “expressed” sadness. It has been minimally changed during its run and, currently, the front grille looks a little “angry” … and with an underbite. The side profile is largely unchanged. Now, the rear door and surface are vertical and its rear …
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
This vehicle, the VW Polo, deserves a shout out for being so competent in so many areas. I was once assigned one that was a slight upgrade within the automatic category overseas. Then, I was assigned one two more times, and it matched the icon I’d be renting. I should have written this up several months ago; however, the product remains largely unchanged. The Polo’s immediate strength is its taut road manners. Handling is addressed and so is smoothness. Sound control is good, too. The engine is a turbocharged 3-cylinder that is shared by the VW family of companies and also makes its way into Seat and Skoda products. One would never think this is the powerp…
Last reply by trinacriabob, -
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I was assigned a 2025 Nissan Versa from NY-LGA for the Labor Day weekend. About 10 years ago, I used to think that Versa was dowdy. As I got into it and drove around Long Island, Westchester County, and even a little bit of Manhattan (where I parked it on the street overnight for free!) with a friend I'd gone to school with, I came to like this little car. There's nothing overwhelming or remarkable about this last Versa It's just a straightforward economy car. It's nimble, slots into small spaces, and, on good pavement, rides smoothly enough for its size. The ergonomics of the interior make sense - an aesthetically balanced dashboard, simple controls, decent sea…
Last reply by trinacriabob,
