Whats the worst rental car you ever drove?
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Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 68
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From: Madison, Wisconsin
Vehicle: 1999 Tiburon FX
My sister got a rental because some lady backed into her. The insurance company gave her a Ford Focus but its the biggest piece of junk you can imagine. No cruise control, no power windows, no power door locks, handles like crap, performs like crap, and pretty much is crap.
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,185
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From: Atlanta, GA
Vehicle: MC + RD2 + AW11 + 944 = 4x Win
It's a tossup between a 99 Chrysler Sebring convertible (Had the weight distribution of the average Walmart shopper and all of the handing as well.) and a Dodge Caliber.
For the life of me I can't figure out how American manufacturers made it through the last pair of decades. I mean, now they just import Korean and Australian cars and succeed.
For the life of me I can't figure out how American manufacturers made it through the last pair of decades. I mean, now they just import Korean and Australian cars and succeed.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 10,795
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
If someone damages your car, and you raise a stink, their insurance will up your rental to the same class of car their insured damaged. If you drive a POS they're legit when they give you a POS rental. If you drive a BMW 7 series and come away from the rental place with anything less than a 5 series or a cadillac, refuse.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,837
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From: Floating around the AUDM
Vehicle: X3 Sprint, S-Coupe Turbo
It wasn't a rental, but I test drove a brand new Chery J3. It had twelve miles on the clock. I noted the following problems:
>two interior door handles didn't work
>reversing sensors didn't work
>steering wheel stitching coming undone
>rusting exhaust tip
>functionless displays. There was an LCD display present that did not function at all, despite lighting up on start up. Dunno what it was for.
>the leather on the seats was unintentionally creased and pinched and felt like polished sandpaper
>leather seat facings coming unstitched
>steering devoid of feel
>horrendously underpowered, the engine labours at low revs and sounds thrashy and strained at high revs... An undersquare 1.6 in a 3100 lb car is a bad idea.
>panel gaps that varied by 2-3 mm within the same panel
>different coloured plastics for no reason
>rough/unfinished edges on door trims, and exposed screw heads
>glovebox/centre console bin lid felt super flimsy
>super gay blue instrument lighting

Dat panel gap:
>two interior door handles didn't work
>reversing sensors didn't work
>steering wheel stitching coming undone
>rusting exhaust tip
>functionless displays. There was an LCD display present that did not function at all, despite lighting up on start up. Dunno what it was for.
>the leather on the seats was unintentionally creased and pinched and felt like polished sandpaper
>leather seat facings coming unstitched
>steering devoid of feel
>horrendously underpowered, the engine labours at low revs and sounds thrashy and strained at high revs... An undersquare 1.6 in a 3100 lb car is a bad idea.
>panel gaps that varied by 2-3 mm within the same panel
>different coloured plastics for no reason
>rough/unfinished edges on door trims, and exposed screw heads
>glovebox/centre console bin lid felt super flimsy
>super gay blue instrument lighting

Dat panel gap:
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11,992
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From: Washington D.C.
Vehicle: Hyundai Tiburon FX
^I loathe imperfections b/c they say everything about how the company works. I've never experienced them in any of our 8 Hyundais.

2006 Chevy Malibu. What a sh:tty car, possibly the sh:ttiest car I've ever experienced. Heavy. Ugly as sin. Impractical. Sharp doors you can stab yourself on. Nothing makes sense. Give me ONE reason why this I should spend thousands of dollars on this?
...yet millions of Americans bought this car. Why?

2006 Chevy Malibu. What a sh:tty car, possibly the sh:ttiest car I've ever experienced. Heavy. Ugly as sin. Impractical. Sharp doors you can stab yourself on. Nothing makes sense. Give me ONE reason why this I should spend thousands of dollars on this?
...yet millions of Americans bought this car. Why?
Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,837
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From: Floating around the AUDM
Vehicle: X3 Sprint, S-Coupe Turbo
It does puzzle me greatly. I would have to peg the malibu as the most least notable car, ever. I don't see how paying more than 2k for a vague malibu is ever a good idea. There are plenty of excellently vague competitors that are better at being nothing than the malibu could ever hope to be.
Same goes for the V6 mustang
and the sebring
and the caliber
Idk about the US, but every Chrysler that has ever been sold in Australia has been the most mediocre, unreliable and unrefined shitheap in its class. A brand new caravan/voyager caught fire at the '09 motor show, and the building had to be evacuated. It was just sitting there...
Same goes for the V6 mustang
and the sebring
and the caliber
Idk about the US, but every Chrysler that has ever been sold in Australia has been the most mediocre, unreliable and unrefined shitheap in its class. A brand new caravan/voyager caught fire at the '09 motor show, and the building had to be evacuated. It was just sitting there...
Senior Member

Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11,992
Likes: 0
From: Washington D.C.
Vehicle: Hyundai Tiburon FX
Yeah the Caliber has got to be one of the worst possible designs I've encountered. Their V6's carry all that weight and they're not even fast, yet any 4 cylinder could match it. It's one of the stupidest driving experiences. Maybe if fuel were abundant and environmentally-friendly then it would make more sense.
Hahaha!!! Lmao. That reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi17YLnZpg
You would think they'd do some extra inspecting in front of all those cameras. I have to admit, I did like the 90's Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Town&Country. But everything after that, especially the Durango went downhill.
A brand new caravan/voyager caught fire at the '09 motor show, and the building had to be evacuated. It was just sitting there...
Hahaha!!! Lmao. That reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi17YLnZpg
You would think they'd do some extra inspecting in front of all those cameras. I have to admit, I did like the 90's Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Town&Country. But everything after that, especially the Durango went downhill.


