Go Back   Two Wheel Fix > General > Cage Hell

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-17-2008, 09:15 AM   #41
pauldun170
Serious Business
 
pauldun170's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York
Moto: 1993 ZX-11 2008 CBR1000rr
Posts: 9,723
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by byron12 View Post
actually the car has been succesful in showroom stock racing with minimal modiications beyond safety equipment. Of course having john hienricy behind the wheel helps. I am no chevy fanboi as an owner of mostly hondas and toyotas but the cobalt is alot better than the crapalier and is not really that bad of a car IMHO.

The base Cobalt is a craptastic straight to rental car company mobile that you can get for a really good price.
It offers decent enough pep (as long as you ignore the sound and feel coming from the vibration) and it is not the worst thing to drive.

The interior is pleasant from a distance until you make physical contact with the plastic.

The exterior design seems like they started off with a block of plastic and never quite finished.

The Cobalt SS is same plastic nonsense tossed on to an excellent drivetrain and suspension set-up.

Delete the spoiler option and it is king of the sleeper mobiles. Especially the painful to look at 4 dr.
__________________


Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave View Post
feed your dogs root beer it will make them grow large and then you can ride them and pet the motorcycle while drinking root beer
pauldun170 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-17-2008, 04:19 PM   #42
Homeslice
Elitist
 
Homeslice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Moto: Gix 750
Posts: 11,351
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by FT BSTRD View Post
No kidding. The shifter lever handle was like 9" wide and the size of a pork loin.


What hamfisted cromag is THAT designed for?
The bigger the better, so you can use it as a hand rest. I don't like pistol-grip or penis shaped shifters, I like T-shaped ones because they are good hand rests and you can pretend it's a jet throttle.

Last edited by Homeslice; 12-17-2008 at 04:22 PM..
Homeslice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-18-2008, 06:29 AM   #43
Lamnidae
CMDLINE
 
Lamnidae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Huntsville, AL
Moto: 2008 Black/Grey Hayabusa
Posts: 1,406
Default

Rented a Hummer H3 while in Vegas.


Unless you're completely going to take the damn thing off-roading... what a fucking waste. I personally would not buy one, I don't like the complete lack of POV around the vehicle, it's like driving a school bus with all the windows blacked out except for a tiny little strip.

Interior seemed quite cheap.

Had no get-up-n-go, but that's not why you really need this vehicle. I could see the usefulness if you took it off road, now, hopefully then that lil' 5 cyl. would have enough torque to get you up and over stuff.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhiSig1071 View Post
TLS' are more fun then a room full of hookers and a gallon zip-loc of X, but almost as likely to get you in trouble.
Lamnidae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2009, 02:08 PM   #44
Homeslice
Elitist
 
Homeslice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Moto: Gix 750
Posts: 11,351
Default


Pontiac Grand Prix (they still make these things??). It had the 3.8 which is smooth and very torquey, in fact too torquey for a FWD car imo. It didn't have the sport suspension, so the shock valving was very soft and allowed it to float and wander too much on the highway. Poor straight-line tracking. The visibility out the driver door is very good because of the low window sill, but at the rear of the car there is a big blind spot caused by the stylish C-pillar.




The dashboard is slanted towards the driver, which is the correct design principle, however the plastic is very hard and brittle feeling. Steering wheel is too big for my taste, and the spokes were too low.




Cool information display on top of the dash. Tranny temp ranged from ambient temp up to about 208 F. Also shows compass, tire pressure, oil life, voltage, odometer, trip distance, and MPG.




When the car is started, the letters "GP" flash on the screen, which personally I thought was kind of chintzy, but I suppose it appeals to Pontiac's target market (guidos).




The ignition is poorly placed, because it allows your keys to bang against the hard plastic.
Overall this is a good car for the price considering how low you can get them, but don't bother unless you get the sport model.

Last edited by Homeslice; 02-15-2009 at 02:15 PM..
Homeslice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2009, 05:59 PM   #45
PhiSig1071
Let go of my ears.
 
PhiSig1071's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Moto: '03 GSX-R600, '04 625SMC
Posts: 1,394
Default

Rented a Chevy Malibu and a Chevy Impala recently.

I have a disclaimer, I am a big dude.

The Malibu, I liked, it drove very well and was very responsive. Good acceleration, very good handling, and surprisingly good mileage too. Very well laid out interior, excellent storage, and excellent fit/finish quality and appearance on the gauges. My only gripes were the seat, which was nicely bolstered, was a bit too narrow for my wide american ass and the door area was a little small for me. It made ingress and egress a little annoying. Really liked the car overall, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a four-door grocery getter that's also fun to drive.

The Impala? Too big, too soft. Seats weren't very comfortable, no bolstering at all. Handled predictably, but boringly, with almost no feedback. Anemic motor, car struggled at highway passing. Interior was well laid out, and the car was roomy. Also got very good mileage (both cars got in the low 30's while rolling on the highway with an average around 27). Upside is it's larger than the Malibu, thus more roomy.
__________________


Entia non sunt multiplicanda necessitatem
PhiSig1071 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2009, 01:37 AM   #46
FT BSTRD
Tractor Driver
 
FT BSTRD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Franklin, TN
Moto: Buell XB12X Ulysses
Posts: 1,007
Default

Rented a Ford Taurus Limited.


Surprisingly strong motor. Transmission was fairly smooth although it felt as though it didn't have an overdrive grear. Cruised at an RPM higher than I would have expected.

Seat was comfortable but VERY firm. Interior was well crafted and layed out although the buttons were busy and not very intuitive. The radio didn't have a tune knob and it was VERY annoying to tune stations. There was NO volume control on the steering wheel. Dumb.

The exterior styling looked like a giant passat added to the chassis of an F150. Not very attractive.

Couple of things I thought were cool. First, when you turned the key off, the seat scooted back to make it easier to get out and get back in. When you got back in, the seat returned to your preset position. Second, you could raise and lower the brake pedal. I HATE cars where the pedal is too low or too high.
__________________
"I do get tired of reading,'my buddy is a racer and says the Buell will never work' I always want to say 'Who the F*CK is your buddy and is he faster than Shawn Higbee?"

--Erik Buell


FT BSTRD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-15-2009, 05:25 PM   #47
Homeslice
Elitist
 
Homeslice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Moto: Gix 750
Posts: 11,351
Default

So, I decided to give a Hyundai a try........Or rather, I was forced to, since I arrived late and was given a crap car instead of the one I requested.

Anyway it was an Elantra with the standard 2.0........The engine was shit, no power at all, and it was very boomy from as low as 3000 rpm. Brakes were powerful, but came on WAY too abruptly, making it difficult to drive smoothly.



Inside, the dash followed today's "pregnant" styling custom, where the center stack bulges out like a pregnant tummy in the middle and then recedes towards the bottom...........personally I think this styling tactic is ugly, I don't like rounded bulges.....I would rather have the center stack go in one straight plane towards the shifter.




Two thumbs up for the climate control knobs, they were very simple and easy to understand, unlike a lot of other cars.






Gauges were good, I like blue better than red or green. Steering wheel was a proper 3-spoke, but the spokes could have been higher because I like my thumbs to be up higher at 10 and 2.


Last edited by Homeslice; 03-16-2009 at 05:26 PM..
Homeslice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2009, 02:11 PM   #48
James
aka Reyn
 
James's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Moto: General Lee Bigwheel!
Posts: 50
Default

Rented a '08 Jeep Wrangler (4cyl, 4x4, soft-top) in Cozumel last week.

It's basically an Island turd. The clutch and brakes were sacked. The ride was typical Jeep Wrangler, but it was fun to drive around the island in it anyway. We had the top down, and the wind inside was fine.
James is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2009, 02:51 PM   #49
R6Chick
I haven't had that in yrs
 
R6Chick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Moto: 2004 R6
Posts: 439
Default

2009 Sebring- Gas hog, not much to speak for in acceleration, but looks good and the interior is nice.

2009 PT Cruiser- Crap. Enough said.

2009 Accent- Cheap- drove cheap, looked cheap, all-around cheap. Nice on gas.

2009 Yaris- Surprising acceleration and great gas milage, ugly as hell and the gauge cluster was in the middle of the car. I felt like I was practically asking the passenger how fast I was going each time I wanted to know. The acceleration was good, but the handling was a bit scary, so off-ramps have to be taken easily. The hood is short, so it was strange parking and driving (and I even own a compact).

2009 Mazda 3- Great car, interior is the better of the cheap cars, I actually would consider buying the car if it wasn't for the fact the wind shield slopes very far forward toward the hood and almost gives that minivan feeling.

2009 G6- For a cheap car, it's great. I like the looks and impressive gas milage for a GM, but my only issue is with the back window. It's so sloped that if you have dew or frost, it won't bead off with the wind. For 3 mornings, I couldn't see out my rear window trying to drive through Houston's rush hour, irritating.

2009 Cobalt- Not too bad for a cheap little GM car. Might not be everyone's favorite, but one of my favorites to rent. It's smaller, so easier to park, but yet my lanky butt fits in it, good on gas, and pretty comfortable inside.

I rent a car each week while I work in Houston, I'm sure I'll have more to update this thread.
R6Chick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2009, 05:17 PM   #50
Racerboy
The Other White Meat
 
Racerboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Moto: 1997 Cadillac Seville SLS
Posts: 608
Default

My newest rental was a complete surprise. I needed a car to go up to Orlando for the day with my mom and my Toyota got a check engine light....so we rented a car from Enterprise.

It was a 2009 Chevy Aveo, 4 door, auto, a/c and an AM/FM radio, no other bells or whistles. We drove that little car 95+ mph the entire way to Orlando and back and still got amazing gas mileage as well we were able to hold a conversation without shouting over the high revving engine.

I am not one to promote little rollerskate cars but if I was forced into a commuting situation, I would certainly think twice about buying this car for the drive. They are made in Korea but at high speeds, it felt like a car made in Germany.
__________________
Have you ever wondered if the earth was a mental asylum for people rejected from a planet more sophisticated than ours...

www.CheckeredFlagOils.com
954-975-BIKE (2453)
623-850-1OIL (1645)
Racerboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:29 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.