While I was in the greater Washington D.C. area in my last week back Stateside, I rented a Toyota Camry. As I posted on my rental Dodge Caliber last week, it is now the Camry's turn.
I can see why people buy the Camry in droves. It is functional, spacious, has clean and inoffensive styling, and gets decent fuel economy for a large-midsize sedan. However, it is utterly devoid of any character. It is a soulless automobile that could never be an Autobot nor Decepticon. Instead, in 30 years, it will be stacked with its ilk ready to be run over by the Grave Digger. Consider that a compliment because that would be 20 or fewer years for most cars.
Like the Caliber I rented earlier, this Camry felt like a typical base-engine rental model. In this case, the engine was more adequate, since it was probably a 2.4L instead of the Caliber's 2.0L. The exterior styling is bland and nothing says boring like the white paint job my rental possessed. (Not a fault of the Camry, but more Hertz's fault, the car was riddled with scratches along both the front and rear bumpers.) The interior was equally functional. I did wish for a second power port, but some dreams will always go unfulfilled. It had everything you needed in a car, but there was nothing memorable.
That is both what makes the Camry so successful and yet so painfully mundane. It represents many generations of manufacturing refinement, an iterative process that has helped drive quality up and prices down. The pragmatic engineer in me takes utter delight in those aspects of the car, but the it has a averaged-out appeal that makes it palatable to most, but delectable to none. This is perfectly acceptable since Toyota is running a business, and the fundamental purpose of business is to make money so that it can stay in business. Businesses that don't make money are something else, like hobbies or charities. Thus, Toyota will march on with its vanilla Camry and great sales record and never sell one to me. Well, they will never sell a new one to me. A used one may be an eminently functional car, but if I am ever to buy a new car again, it needs to have some zing. Something like the latest generation Chevrolety Camaro. Now that's a car that has not been focus-grouped into styling oblivion. Even the current generation Ford Fusion has quite a bit more visual character than the Camry.
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Showing posts with label car. Show all posts
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
rental car review: Dodge Caliber
It's been a good couple years since I posted a rental car review, but it's also been a couple years since I actually rented a car. Without further ado, let's tear into the Dodge Caliber I drove for a week in California.
I had the car for a week including a sojourn down to Los Angeles and back as well as plenty of running about in the Bay Area. The Caliber is adequate. That really feels like a suitable word for the vehicle. It is neither good nor bad. It's like the handrail on an escalator. It does it's job, but you would never actually buy one. The engine was terribly under-powered, though this is true of most rental vehicles. They are almost always base trim and base engine models since people who rent cars are short-term users who are not exactly investing in the long-term health of the vehicle. As a result, fuel economy in practical terms suffered due to a rash of peddle mashing. I am sure the car is capable of better fuel economy, but it should not have to be so carefully coaxed from the engine. At first, the steering felt stiff, but that was only in comparison to the rather soft minivan steering at home. I eventually came to decide that the steering felt properly stiff. To go with the suitably stiff steering was also very good engine braking. There seemed to be no easily findable light switch for dome light in the front. At the very least, it was not where it should have been, which is on the ceiling in the middle just aft of the top of the windshield. And the rear hatchback cover, to hide what you are keeping in the trunk does not actually cover the entire trunk. There are rather auspicious gaps on both edges that are a couple inches wide.
It was hardly all bad. There was only one DC power port, but they more than made up for it with an AC outlet (for prongs and everything) under the middle armrest. I could plug my normal phone charger straight into the car and it was glorious. The audio jack was also in plain sight instead of being squirreled away into some dank corner. Though once I realized the car came with Sirius satellite radio, the audio jack saw very little use. In terms of user functionality, it made for a good road-trip car for me. I had plenty of room, was able to almost get my seat perfect, no headroom issues, and only lacked some lumbar support. A second person would have also been fine as there was certainly plenty of trunk space for more bags. However, I am not sure if persons three and four would have been a good idea. It's not because of the rear seat leg room, which I never tested, but because the additional passenger/baggage weight would have only further bogged down the under-powered engine.
I had the car for a week including a sojourn down to Los Angeles and back as well as plenty of running about in the Bay Area. The Caliber is adequate. That really feels like a suitable word for the vehicle. It is neither good nor bad. It's like the handrail on an escalator. It does it's job, but you would never actually buy one. The engine was terribly under-powered, though this is true of most rental vehicles. They are almost always base trim and base engine models since people who rent cars are short-term users who are not exactly investing in the long-term health of the vehicle. As a result, fuel economy in practical terms suffered due to a rash of peddle mashing. I am sure the car is capable of better fuel economy, but it should not have to be so carefully coaxed from the engine. At first, the steering felt stiff, but that was only in comparison to the rather soft minivan steering at home. I eventually came to decide that the steering felt properly stiff. To go with the suitably stiff steering was also very good engine braking. There seemed to be no easily findable light switch for dome light in the front. At the very least, it was not where it should have been, which is on the ceiling in the middle just aft of the top of the windshield. And the rear hatchback cover, to hide what you are keeping in the trunk does not actually cover the entire trunk. There are rather auspicious gaps on both edges that are a couple inches wide.
It was hardly all bad. There was only one DC power port, but they more than made up for it with an AC outlet (for prongs and everything) under the middle armrest. I could plug my normal phone charger straight into the car and it was glorious. The audio jack was also in plain sight instead of being squirreled away into some dank corner. Though once I realized the car came with Sirius satellite radio, the audio jack saw very little use. In terms of user functionality, it made for a good road-trip car for me. I had plenty of room, was able to almost get my seat perfect, no headroom issues, and only lacked some lumbar support. A second person would have also been fine as there was certainly plenty of trunk space for more bags. However, I am not sure if persons three and four would have been a good idea. It's not because of the rear seat leg room, which I never tested, but because the additional passenger/baggage weight would have only further bogged down the under-powered engine.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
and that's why you don't drive in the first lane
I almost clipped a deer on my way home along I-280 this morning. Yes, I was actually up in the morning, but only because it was after midnight. Technicalities rock. And so do high performance minivans.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
cell phone driving ban
About time this gets real consideration. Look, you may all feel great talking on the phone while driving with the fancy pants hands-free systems you all have. But every study I have seen indicates it is no safer than holding a phone. You are still a mentally distracted driver. My own employer has had a no cell phone while driving policy from before I started.
On a semi-related note, I don't really peruse the San Jose Mercury website that often. Yes, I know about the gas explosion in San Bruno, but that's about all the local news I know about. That, and some less-than-stellar ex-CEOs are running for office.
On a semi-related note, I don't really peruse the San Jose Mercury website that often. Yes, I know about the gas explosion in San Bruno, but that's about all the local news I know about. That, and some less-than-stellar ex-CEOs are running for office.
Monday, July 05, 2010
3 months - driving, haircut
I have not driven a car (or similar vehicle) in 3+ months. I last drove when I was in the US and have not drivne since. I will soon be driving once again as my IDP finally showed up, but it has been a while. In theory, I should have been driving many weeks ago. I was set to go in Congo because my local license was finally ready about 1.5 months ago, but then I came to Gabon the first time. While here, I could not drive without an international driver's permit/license (which is really a ridiculous scam since it's just a translation of your existing license). Once here, I could do nothing because I had to get an IDP (as we cannot get a local license without a residence card which is not easily obtained) and needed my checkbook which was back in Congo so I had to wait to get back there and send in the paperwork. And then wait. Apparently, spending nearly $30 in postage enables an envelope (not even a package) to arrive from the US in two full weeks. Nice.
Up until last weekend, I had also not gotten a haircut since I left the States. It was starting to get a bit shaggy and unacceptable (or had been for quite some time). Now, I have faster, more efficient hair. Glorious.
Up until last weekend, I had also not gotten a haircut since I left the States. It was starting to get a bit shaggy and unacceptable (or had been for quite some time). Now, I have faster, more efficient hair. Glorious.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
ford kills mercury
Finally. Perhaps as a young-ish person, I never properly understood either the appeal or historical significance of the Mercury brand for Ford Motor Co. In my eyes, they were a homeless tweener brand that was stuck between Ford's increasingly high-end trim models and improved quality and Lincoln's lowest level of luxury offerings.
From the chart in the WSJ article, this is hardly some recent trend, not even induced by the last two recessions. This has been a long-term decline since the mid-80's with a sharp drop-off in sales starting in the late 90's. I don't understand the automotive business well enough to figure out why this decision took so long to make. Perhaps some bit of silliness called hope egged them on into believing that Mercury would become hip and popular with younger buyers. Or the dealerships and their byzantine relationship with the manufacturer. It was taking nearly 1800 dealerships to sell less than 100K cars a year. Even accounting for many of those dealerships selling other FoMoCo models, that's not enough sales volume for that many dealers.
Anyway, I like Ford, as much as I can like any large automaker. I have no doubt the decision to kill their Mercury brand was difficult, but it seems long overdue. For what it's worth, at least Mercury cars had reasonably normal names unlike the move towards increasingly silly letter combinations over at Lincoln.
Edit: I rephrased a horribly awkward sentence that I had previously thought was exceptionally well written. However, since I rarely proofread my work, it turns out it was quite poorly phrased.
From the chart in the WSJ article, this is hardly some recent trend, not even induced by the last two recessions. This has been a long-term decline since the mid-80's with a sharp drop-off in sales starting in the late 90's. I don't understand the automotive business well enough to figure out why this decision took so long to make. Perhaps some bit of silliness called hope egged them on into believing that Mercury would become hip and popular with younger buyers. Or the dealerships and their byzantine relationship with the manufacturer. It was taking nearly 1800 dealerships to sell less than 100K cars a year. Even accounting for many of those dealerships selling other FoMoCo models, that's not enough sales volume for that many dealers.
Anyway, I like Ford, as much as I can like any large automaker. I have no doubt the decision to kill their Mercury brand was difficult, but it seems long overdue. For what it's worth, at least Mercury cars had reasonably normal names unlike the move towards increasingly silly letter combinations over at Lincoln.
Edit: I rephrased a horribly awkward sentence that I had previously thought was exceptionally well written. However, since I rarely proofread my work, it turns out it was quite poorly phrased.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Indestructible corollas
Taxis here are blue and white. Well, they are mostly blue, with various white stripes and piping, but from what I can tell, no two paint jobs are alike. Apparently, the requirement is to just be mostly blue with some white stripes and make it look however you want. (For what it’s worth, the buses are 12-15 passenger vans that are mostly blue with some yellow. However I did see one with yellow as the dominant color. Blasphemy, the guy who drives it probably gets made fun of by the other bus drivers.)
The preeminent taxi vehicle is the Toyota Corolla, circa late 80’s or early 90’s. From the looks of them, it seems like most are sixth generation or possibly seventh generation Corollas. There are some Nissans and a few others thrown into the mix, but it is the almighty and indestructible Corolla that rules the roads here (since most vehicles appear to be taxis). And they are indestructible. Sure they may rattle and squeak and apparently the check engine light is defaulted to being on when they import them here, but they have taught me you can throw dreadfully awful roads at a car and it will survive, though the passengers and their Faberge eggs may not make it. An added bonus is that seatbelts are apparently dead weight and not to be found in many of them. Much like a taxi with more than half a tank of gas. As to whether or not I should tell some taxi drivers that the giant ‘Turbo’ sticker in the rear windshield will not actually make the car go faster seems a bit esoteric. (Note: Turbo is actually a common brand of beer here).
Truth be told, it seems like most taxi drivers take care of their vehicles as best they can. While I may not care for their choice of music, every car I have been in has been clean with seat covers and a reasonable attempt to personalize the vehicle a little bit. During various times of the day, you can usually see several parked near some water with the drivers washing them and wiping them down, keeping them as clean as possible given the roads, occasional mud, and constant dust. Mechanical maintenance is a bit less clear, though any 20-year old car is often in need of replacement bits and pieces like wiring, switches, fuses, and check engine lights.
There undoubtedly comes a time when these vehicles return to the great assembly line in the sky. Or an abandoned mine shaft. Rest assured that these vehicles have seen every bit of their useful life squeezed from them.
The preeminent taxi vehicle is the Toyota Corolla, circa late 80’s or early 90’s. From the looks of them, it seems like most are sixth generation or possibly seventh generation Corollas. There are some Nissans and a few others thrown into the mix, but it is the almighty and indestructible Corolla that rules the roads here (since most vehicles appear to be taxis). And they are indestructible. Sure they may rattle and squeak and apparently the check engine light is defaulted to being on when they import them here, but they have taught me you can throw dreadfully awful roads at a car and it will survive, though the passengers and their Faberge eggs may not make it. An added bonus is that seatbelts are apparently dead weight and not to be found in many of them. Much like a taxi with more than half a tank of gas. As to whether or not I should tell some taxi drivers that the giant ‘Turbo’ sticker in the rear windshield will not actually make the car go faster seems a bit esoteric. (Note: Turbo is actually a common brand of beer here).
Truth be told, it seems like most taxi drivers take care of their vehicles as best they can. While I may not care for their choice of music, every car I have been in has been clean with seat covers and a reasonable attempt to personalize the vehicle a little bit. During various times of the day, you can usually see several parked near some water with the drivers washing them and wiping them down, keeping them as clean as possible given the roads, occasional mud, and constant dust. Mechanical maintenance is a bit less clear, though any 20-year old car is often in need of replacement bits and pieces like wiring, switches, fuses, and check engine lights.
There undoubtedly comes a time when these vehicles return to the great assembly line in the sky. Or an abandoned mine shaft. Rest assured that these vehicles have seen every bit of their useful life squeezed from them.
Monday, December 28, 2009
top gear hilarity
I recently rediscovered the awesomeness that is Top Gear, a British television show that is ostensibly about car reviews, though the hosts manage to have almost too much fun for their own good. Frankly, I'm not really sure how I ever discovered the show in the first place, but it was 3-4 (maybe 5?) years ago. Anyway, I stumbled across a video of their "sensible" car review of the new Ford Fiesta. Of course, they did some not-so-sensible things with the Fiesta like escape from "baddies" at the mall. You'll just have to watch the video, but if you're impatient, skip to about the 3:40 mark. They generally do reviews of more, um, exotic vehicles like the Bugatti Veyron racing a Eurofighter Typhoon.
I also got a kick out of their USA muscle car road test which is a "factual" documentary, or lat least that's what they told the highway patrol officers when they were pulled over.
I also got a kick out of their USA muscle car road test which is a "factual" documentary, or lat least that's what they told the highway patrol officers when they were pulled over.
Monday, November 23, 2009
because the speed of sound isn't enough
The real question is, why shouldn't a 1000 mph car exist? Thrust is equivalent to 180 F1 cars. Epic success, assuming it stays on the ground.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
rental car history
For no particular reason, a breif recap of all the rental cars I can remember driving:
Ford Focus
Chrysler Sebring
Ford Fiesta
Chrysler PT Cruiser
E-series Ford - This was a U-Haul van that got an epic 8 mpg during my trip.
Toyota Prius
Sabaru Outback
Nissan Altima
Dodage Dakota
Chevy Cobalt
And some of the vehicles I have driven at work:
F-550/350/250/150
Ford Crown Victoria
Chevy 1500
VW Passat
Skoda Octavio
Nissan Pathfinder
Ford Focus
Chrysler Sebring
Ford Fiesta
Chrysler PT Cruiser
E-series Ford - This was a U-Haul van that got an epic 8 mpg during my trip.
Toyota Prius
Sabaru Outback
Nissan Altima
Dodage Dakota
Chevy Cobalt
And some of the vehicles I have driven at work:
F-550/350/250/150
Ford Crown Victoria
Chevy 1500
VW Passat
Skoda Octavio
Nissan Pathfinder
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
haw and excursions
I saw a Ford Excursion today. In Szeged. Not exactly the typical European car.
And this next bit is for the taller half of CC-squared: I found haw-based candy in the grocery store today! Not the round flakes, but some chewy pieces about the size of a postage stamp, but more rectangular. I had to buy some even though I was just there for bread. And juice. And noodles. And soy sauce.
And this next bit is for the taller half of CC-squared: I found haw-based candy in the grocery store today! Not the round flakes, but some chewy pieces about the size of a postage stamp, but more rectangular. I had to buy some even though I was just there for bread. And juice. And noodles. And soy sauce.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
driving up slopes
Still needs work. I had a moderately terrifying experience trying to get out of a parking garage in Budapest a couple days ago. From now on, only above-ground parking for me!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
implicit right turns and non-fat milk, or lack thereof
Evidently, I have been making some right turns that are not strictly legal. I haven't been turning on red lights or not yielding to traffic. I had a green light to go straight, so I assumed it was perfectly fine to also turn right. No, not true. There was no sign or marker that indicated a right turn was illegal. Apparently, the standard is that you can only turn right at an intersection with a stop light when you have a green signal light that points to the right. There are no implicit right turns allowed.
I have been slowly figuring out where everything is kept in the Tesco I shop at for my needed food stuffs. One thing I have not found is non-fat milk. Of course, the standard in the States is 2%, 1% and 0% and you can find all three in most grocery stores and even some convenience stores. Here, it seems to be a choice between 1.5%, 2.8% and the very enticing 3.5%. As someone who grew up drinking 0% and finds 1% to be distinctly creamy tasting, it is a little strange. I will keep looking for 0% but I do not expect to find any.
They also sell this milk that is good for six months and is not refrigerated. Now, I'm not sure if it needs to be refirgerated after you open it or it will still keep for six months after you open it, but the date on the carton is six months from now. Why someone needs milk like this and why it is the dominant form of milk sold is not clear to me. Perhaps milk drinking is less common here or refrigerators are just really small. I haven't gone into random peoples' homes to find out.
I have been slowly figuring out where everything is kept in the Tesco I shop at for my needed food stuffs. One thing I have not found is non-fat milk. Of course, the standard in the States is 2%, 1% and 0% and you can find all three in most grocery stores and even some convenience stores. Here, it seems to be a choice between 1.5%, 2.8% and the very enticing 3.5%. As someone who grew up drinking 0% and finds 1% to be distinctly creamy tasting, it is a little strange. I will keep looking for 0% but I do not expect to find any.
They also sell this milk that is good for six months and is not refrigerated. Now, I'm not sure if it needs to be refirgerated after you open it or it will still keep for six months after you open it, but the date on the carton is six months from now. Why someone needs milk like this and why it is the dominant form of milk sold is not clear to me. Perhaps milk drinking is less common here or refrigerators are just really small. I haven't gone into random peoples' homes to find out.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
manual/standard
I grew up driving an automatic transmission vehicle. In the States, every vehicle I ever drove for work was also an automatic. That included many different pick-ups along with the awesomeness that was the Ford Crown Victoria. Here, automatics are not so common. After some chagrinning practice in the yard, I have been driving around for the last couple weeks in a manual transmission vehicle. I kind of put it off since I was still living in the hotel and my predecessor was still here so I didn't have a regular vehicle anyway so I just sort of side-stepped the matter. But, now that it's just me, living by myself in this apartment, I need to drive. Last week, it was a Skoda Octavio. This week, and in the future, a VW Passat. (Both are diesel station wagons. It's very hip, especially the pale blue color.) I'm getting better, though I suppose I really couldn't get worse than my first day in the yard. Apparently the key is being smooth and steady off the clutch. Hollywood has lied to me once again. Dan you Transporter movies!
I'd say there are two basic metrics to concern myself with. The first is the first gear success percentage. Coming off of a dead stop, how often am I successfully getting into first gear without stalling the vehicle. The Skoda was very sensitive in this respect, more so than most vehicles according to my colleagues. This number is steadily rising, though every once in a while I lose focus. Hopefully, driving the Passat full time will allow me to smooth out my technique. The second metric is smooth shift percentage, meaning how often am I moving from gear to gear with little to no jerkiness, basically an indicator of two things: my smoothness coming off the clutch and my ability to match the RPMs with some reasonable accuracy.
Starting from a dead stop while facing uphill is still a work in progress. Thankfully, this half of the country is pretty flat.
I'd say there are two basic metrics to concern myself with. The first is the first gear success percentage. Coming off of a dead stop, how often am I successfully getting into first gear without stalling the vehicle. The Skoda was very sensitive in this respect, more so than most vehicles according to my colleagues. This number is steadily rising, though every once in a while I lose focus. Hopefully, driving the Passat full time will allow me to smooth out my technique. The second metric is smooth shift percentage, meaning how often am I moving from gear to gear with little to no jerkiness, basically an indicator of two things: my smoothness coming off the clutch and my ability to match the RPMs with some reasonable accuracy.
Starting from a dead stop while facing uphill is still a work in progress. Thankfully, this half of the country is pretty flat.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
thoughts from my drive
I sold my car yesterday. For the time being, that's only relevant in explaining why I was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt from Victoria to Houston. I can get into the sale of my vehicle some other time.
The car was red. Base model Cobalt's should not be allowed to come in the color red. It's arguably a borderline color even for the SS model. But it'd be way cooler if the Cobalt was actually cobalt blue with possibly a metallic shimmer.
Anyway, the information display features an instanteneous fuel economy reading amongst the usual suspects like trip mileage and overall fuel economy plus some gewgaw that shows remaining oil life and tire pressure. As the first 90 miles of the drive form Victoria to Houston are rather boring (while the final 50 are potentially very exicitng depending on the traffic) I amused myself with seeing what kind of mileage I would get at different speeds. At 75 mph, the tach was around 2600 and the instataneous fuel economy showed about 30-31 mpg with some dips down to 29. At 65 mph, the teach was around 2250 and the instantaneous fuel economy showed 36-37 mpg with some dips down to 35. Up and down overapasses, both speeds saw dramatic decreases in fuel economy on the way up and correspondingly higher numbers on the way down.
I have believed for some time that the best fuel economy can be achieved with a steady foot and close attention to the wavy hills and overpasses. Cruise control is good, but it's not great, especially in an underpowered vehicle with a suspect transmission. The Cobalt also produced a lot of wind noise. I got better fuel economy numbers in the Fusion by easing up slightly going up small hills and overpasses and then reclaiming the lost speed on the down slope. Cruise control locks you in to a certain speed, but steady RPMs rock the fuel economy ride.
I also saw a Motel 8 sign that had fallen over. It was one of those 50 ft poles with the big lit sign on top. The pole looked like it had snapped about 20 ft above the ground. Craziness.
The car was red. Base model Cobalt's should not be allowed to come in the color red. It's arguably a borderline color even for the SS model. But it'd be way cooler if the Cobalt was actually cobalt blue with possibly a metallic shimmer.
Anyway, the information display features an instanteneous fuel economy reading amongst the usual suspects like trip mileage and overall fuel economy plus some gewgaw that shows remaining oil life and tire pressure. As the first 90 miles of the drive form Victoria to Houston are rather boring (while the final 50 are potentially very exicitng depending on the traffic) I amused myself with seeing what kind of mileage I would get at different speeds. At 75 mph, the tach was around 2600 and the instataneous fuel economy showed about 30-31 mpg with some dips down to 29. At 65 mph, the teach was around 2250 and the instantaneous fuel economy showed 36-37 mpg with some dips down to 35. Up and down overapasses, both speeds saw dramatic decreases in fuel economy on the way up and correspondingly higher numbers on the way down.
I have believed for some time that the best fuel economy can be achieved with a steady foot and close attention to the wavy hills and overpasses. Cruise control is good, but it's not great, especially in an underpowered vehicle with a suspect transmission. The Cobalt also produced a lot of wind noise. I got better fuel economy numbers in the Fusion by easing up slightly going up small hills and overpasses and then reclaiming the lost speed on the down slope. Cruise control locks you in to a certain speed, but steady RPMs rock the fuel economy ride.
I also saw a Motel 8 sign that had fallen over. It was one of those 50 ft poles with the big lit sign on top. The pole looked like it had snapped about 20 ft above the ground. Craziness.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 04, 2009
rental car review: Toyota Prius (circa Sept '08)
Last year, while doting through parts of Switzerland and Germany (and a bit of Liechtenstein and an even tinier bit of Austria which seems counter intuitive), I had the chance to drive a Toyota Prius. It was dubbed Prius Power, which seemed to be an appropriate nickname to convey its surprising strength and obvious electric bonafides.
The current generation Prius is a distinctively mid-size sedan. Obviously, it possesses a distinct shape for both aerodynamic and packaging reasons. The entire rear end with the high trunk floor and subsequent hatchback design is all about getting the batteries to fit, maintaining very respectable storage space, and making sure other drivers know how smug you are about driving a hybrid.
I thought it was a blast to drive, what with the amusing graphics and battery meter and low-end torque (imagine that). With the meter and gauges there, it does indeed become a game to see how much regenerative braking you can do and what kind of total mpg you can achieve. On that front, my only real qualm is the programming that drives the car to attempt to maintain a charge around 70% much of the time (for longevity reasons). This made it very difficult to get the battery much below 50%, even on long uphill sections so when you're going back down the hill, the amount of regenerative braking that is limited because it wasn't possible to force-drain the battery. I believe it is an issue that is being addressed in the next generation which should come out later this year. Or is it early next year?
Interior materials were adequate, nothing flashy, classically and boringly competent. The two hatch glove box was sort of nifty though. I did not like that the radio controls were integrated into the monitor, which is something it looks like I'll have to get over one days since more and more vehicles are adding some sort of GPS/display system. The best manufacturers do seem to have figured out which physical buttons that they need to leave in place.
The Prius is the kind of car naysayers need to drive. It's not going to replace the heavy hauler or whatever a family needs to haul their cargo, trailer, gear, or members, but it's an enjoyable enough commuter vehicle.
The current generation Prius is a distinctively mid-size sedan. Obviously, it possesses a distinct shape for both aerodynamic and packaging reasons. The entire rear end with the high trunk floor and subsequent hatchback design is all about getting the batteries to fit, maintaining very respectable storage space, and making sure other drivers know how smug you are about driving a hybrid.
I thought it was a blast to drive, what with the amusing graphics and battery meter and low-end torque (imagine that). With the meter and gauges there, it does indeed become a game to see how much regenerative braking you can do and what kind of total mpg you can achieve. On that front, my only real qualm is the programming that drives the car to attempt to maintain a charge around 70% much of the time (for longevity reasons). This made it very difficult to get the battery much below 50%, even on long uphill sections so when you're going back down the hill, the amount of regenerative braking that is limited because it wasn't possible to force-drain the battery. I believe it is an issue that is being addressed in the next generation which should come out later this year. Or is it early next year?
Interior materials were adequate, nothing flashy, classically and boringly competent. The two hatch glove box was sort of nifty though. I did not like that the radio controls were integrated into the monitor, which is something it looks like I'll have to get over one days since more and more vehicles are adding some sort of GPS/display system. The best manufacturers do seem to have figured out which physical buttons that they need to leave in place.
The Prius is the kind of car naysayers need to drive. It's not going to replace the heavy hauler or whatever a family needs to haul their cargo, trailer, gear, or members, but it's an enjoyable enough commuter vehicle.
Friday, January 02, 2009
rental car review: Ford Fiesta (circa Sept '07)
Looking back on it, I never put in a review of either of the cars I drove on my last two vacations overseas. Looking to right that slight, we'll start with what I can remember about the Ford Fiesta I drove in Spain in September of 2007.
It was small and nimble, but felt a little shaky around 80 mph. Our luggage barely fit in the trunk and we travelled pretty light. We put a lot of miles on it and it was passable as a long distance cruiser, but the higher speeds definitely caused it to strain more than a more powerful car would. I had some trouble getting into a good seating position since the seat didn't go back quite as far as I wanted. Did I mention it was small? But it got solid gas mileage, even driven hard with a lot of semi-questionable U-turns. Fun enough, but definitely a budget sort of auto.
A redesigned Fiesta should launch in Europe this year and hopefully jump across the pond next year. Here's to hoping it can compete with the likes of the Honda Fit, something the Chevy Aveo is woefully in capable of doing.
It was small and nimble, but felt a little shaky around 80 mph. Our luggage barely fit in the trunk and we travelled pretty light. We put a lot of miles on it and it was passable as a long distance cruiser, but the higher speeds definitely caused it to strain more than a more powerful car would. I had some trouble getting into a good seating position since the seat didn't go back quite as far as I wanted. Did I mention it was small? But it got solid gas mileage, even driven hard with a lot of semi-questionable U-turns. Fun enough, but definitely a budget sort of auto.
A redesigned Fiesta should launch in Europe this year and hopefully jump across the pond next year. Here's to hoping it can compete with the likes of the Honda Fit, something the Chevy Aveo is woefully in capable of doing.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
hard driving and slow minivans
I'm back in the Bay Area and driving my mom's minivan for transportation as my own car is three states away. For about the last month, I've been driving my own car more aggressively than normal for about two basic reasons. The first is the tires. There's something about them that's less than satisfying and I've been trying to figure out how well they hold up, especially in cornering. As I have a front-wheel drive vehicle, the front tires are distinctly more worn than the rear tires, but the difference is more than I think should have developed. The second reasons is that for several weeks, I thought there was a strong chance that I would be selling my car so I might as well have some fun.
The minivan is functional and, um, functional. While there is a chance such a vehicle may grace some mythical driveway of my own, that day is a good ten years out. In the minivan, I find that I am almost always speeding in residential areas and in the slow lane on freeways. The surface street speeding is partly a function of generally higher speed limits in most of Victoria and the lack of familiarity with the minivan. The freeway slowness is mostly a lack of comfort with the van since my own car is much lower, smaller, and tighter handling but it's also because I'm on vacation and I'm just not in a rush right at the moment. And I can't seem to get far enough away from the steering wheel.
The minivan is functional and, um, functional. While there is a chance such a vehicle may grace some mythical driveway of my own, that day is a good ten years out. In the minivan, I find that I am almost always speeding in residential areas and in the slow lane on freeways. The surface street speeding is partly a function of generally higher speed limits in most of Victoria and the lack of familiarity with the minivan. The freeway slowness is mostly a lack of comfort with the van since my own car is much lower, smaller, and tighter handling but it's also because I'm on vacation and I'm just not in a rush right at the moment. And I can't seem to get far enough away from the steering wheel.
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