Good to be back in a real car

[Justin Bimmer]

So, I had to take my car to the body shop to get my bumper repaired after being rear-ended awhile back and I went to Enterprise to get my rental car and they had a shiny rental car white Dodge Stratus waiting for me.

I casually asked if there were any GM products available and the girl goes "isn't dodge a GM vehicle?" and I just left it at that so they gave me the keys and I took off in my little four-banger.

In a way, I'm kinda glad I didn't get a GM car because it would have made me want to trade in my 00 Grand Prix GT so driving the Stratus around made me hate every second of having a rental car.

It was weak, it got horrid mileage (I am partially to blame for that because my foot was longing for my V6 power so I was stomping on the little pepe of an engine) and it looked worse than a Neon on the inside. Oh, and the white gauges were not fooling me into thinking the car was sporty.

The best part of the journey with the rental was when I was returning it the same girl goes "so will you be renting from us again" and I go "not for another 2 years at least cause I'm not 25." then she goes "oh yeah, there is an extra charge for people under 25." Then I end the convo with "Yeah, my boss trusts me with hundreds of thousands of dollars in big rig trucking stuff all over the country, but I can't rent a car.

My Grand Prix is way tighter and more powerful than that econo box of junk!

Oh yeah, by the way... took this pic of my car today in the History Fulton Mall in Downtown Fresno. I was dropping off some stuff at the Security Bank Building because my mom is making a christmas tree there for the local museum. The reason why Fulton Mall is so "historic" is because it was the first ever open air closed road mall in America. So I HAD to take a shot with my cameraphone of a car on the mall where no cars are supposed to be.

Edited December 1, 2005 by CadillacKing3

[Drew Dowdell]

I had a Stratus I4 when my Cutlass was in for brake work that the dealer f-ed up the first time. I was so glad to get my Cutty back. The Stratus was a "Neon del Grande". Sadly, the one time I was renting a 300M I felt the same way. The interior looked quite similar.

[Croc]

I like the Stratus coupes. The sedans suck though...

[z28luvr01]

You sound like my experience with an Xterra in San Diego. The first thing I did when I got home was drape my arms across the hood of my Cobalt and say "I missed you so much!" No, I didn't really do that, because the neighbors were outside when the shuttle van pulled into my driveway. But after five days of being thrown around like a marble in a paint can and having to slow to a crawl at every turn, you'd want to hug your car too.

[mjdecker]

What's funny is when people you know who hate American cars get a rental of a car you normally think would be good car and could change their opinion on american cars (or at least lower their hatred) and they totally trash it after saying it's a nice car. :blink: [DETAILED STORY] One of my buddies had gotten a car from his uncle in high school (80s Ford Tempo) and the car had lasted him about a day if not less and then it died. He has this huge grudge that all american cars are like that even though he admits that what he had was not only a FORD but a Tempo (not sure how much lower that can get). Now he drives a 92 civic (Bone stock, no mods planned, hates ricers). He had his car in for some repairs and got a rental. He wanted one with a stick but they didn't have any. He called me up to go for a ride and told me the car was like mine. He pulled up in a 00-02 Red Alero coupe. I got in and he said the car had some pretty decent power (compared to his 130ish hp Civic) he had assumed it was a 4cyl. When we got on the highway I encouraged him to punch it be he was skeptical and all because he didn't want to risk breaking the car or something. When we got to the mall we poped the hood and it was the 3400 in the engine bay. I had asked him what did he think about the car and he said it wasn't too bad aside the fact that it was pretty bad on gas and it was AMERICAN :angry: . I'm not sure if he said that just to piss me off or he really ment it. I just shrugged it off and let it be. After he has been driving the car for a week and before he was going to drop it off and pick his car up I had asked him the same question again. He said he didn't mind the car, the ride was confortable and the power was nice, but he didn't like how it sucked gas soo much. I had mentioned to him that is IS a rental that are normally beaten on hard so that could be a good reason for the bad gas mileage and then he comes out with saying "No because it's American!" I just don't get what that has to do with anything with that... O well... I didn't let it get too me that much. [/DETAILED STORY]

[Sixty8panther]

CaddyRex: Cool.... nice looking GP you got there. Quite a bit nicer than any Stratus, esp. a 4-banger. Decka: *sigh* I hear you buddy... stupidity & Anti-Patriotism seem to both be dominant genes.

[Flybrian]

After spending about a total of a two months and a few thousand miles over the past year in a Grand Am, Malibu Classic, Corolla, Altima, DeVille, Elantra, Impala, 9-5, Monte Carlo, and Camry, I was never happier to toss those E-keys back to the clerk, hug the hood, kiss the steering wheel, and slip into the seats of my Olds.

[daves87rs]

What's funny is when people you know who hate American cars get a rental of a car you normally think would be good car and could change their opinion on american cars (or at least lower their hatred) and they totally trash it after saying it's a nice car. :blink:

[DETAILED STORY]
One of my buddies had gotten a car from his uncle in high school (80s Ford Tempo) and the car had lasted him about a day if not less and then it died. He has this huge grudge that all american cars are like that even though he admits that what he had was not only a FORD but a Tempo (not sure how much lower that can get). Now he drives a 92 civic (Bone stock, no mods planned, hates ricers). He had his car in for some repairs and got a rental. He wanted one with a stick but they didn't have any. He called me up to go for a ride and told me the car was like mine. He pulled up in a 00-02 Red Alero coupe. I got in and he said the car had some pretty decent power (compared to his 130ish hp Civic) he had assumed it was a 4cyl. When we got on the highway I encouraged him to punch it be he was skeptical and all because he didn't want to risk breaking the car or something. When we got to the mall we poped the hood and it was the 3400 in the engine bay. I had asked him what did he think about the car and he said it wasn't too bad aside the fact that it was pretty bad on gas and it was AMERICAN :angry: . I'm not sure if he said that just to piss me off or he really ment it. I just shrugged it off and let it be. After he has been driving the car for a week and before he was going to drop it off and pick his car up I had asked him the same question again. He said he didn't mind the car, the ride was confortable and the power was nice, but he didn't like how it sucked gas soo much. I had mentioned to him that is IS a rental that are normally beaten on hard so that could be a good reason for the bad gas mileage and then he comes out with saying "No because it's American!" I just don't get what that has to do with anything with that... O well... I didn't let it get too me that much.
[/DETAILED STORY]

[post="51565"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

yep, got a co-worker who thinks the same way. (he had a 95 Neon-head gasket
issues)
The part that annoys me though is that he hopes the car companies go out of business. And he tells everybody that too. :blink: <_<

He rips apart my beater Cav..and tries to get everyone else to do so....
and since its been in the shop a few times lately (replacing the fuel system)
But at 130k, it does a very good job..

You get tired of that "See, see?!! When will you learn?!?" :angry:

I swear when I get the EGR replaced (last part I have to do), and he says
something...he may come out to find his car on fire.... :angry: :rolleyes: :lol:

[Croc]

Alero really isn't that impressive of a car, no offense. I'm pleasantly surprised he only complained about the gas. My aunt had an Alero rental, and her family comes from a long line of pro-American drivers. She only requests domestic company cars and currently drives a Grand Marquis. She hated her Alero rental and called it a POS. After riding in it with her I would tend to agree: buzzy engine, rattly cabin and dash, harsh ride, noisy ride. Edited December 2, 2005 by Croc

[mjdecker]

Alero really isn't that impressive of a car, no offense.  I'm pleasantly surprised he only complained about the gas.

Also note that my daily driver is an Achieva and before that I was driving an 88 LeBarron. So compared the the lebarron, the Achieva is lightyears ahead of it. So I thought the Alero was a fine car compared to my Achieva.

[Drew Dowdell]

Now... it couldn't be that the Alero sucked gas compaired to his Civic because it was a V-6 rather then a weakling 4?

[Croc]

Also note that my daily driver is an Achieva and before that I was driving an 88 LeBarron. So compared the the lebarron, the Achieva is lightyears ahead of it. So I thought the Alero was a fine car compared to my Achieva.

[post="52107"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

When you have the right basis of comparison, any car can seem nice. GM for years only compared its new cars internally to the ones it replaced, not the entire market segment in which the new cars competed.