But where there’s a challenge there is opportunity, and this was a great time to throw down my Super-Gold-Enterprise-Plus-Elite Platinum Card to rent some cars. I had different transportation needs at all of these locations, and drove a variety of new vehicles that each had their own personalities.
First, I don’t want to shill for the brand, but there’s a reason I usually go with Enterprise. They usually give me a choice of vehicles if they have them, and the lines are reasonable. Anyone who has sat at a Hertz counter in LAX knows exactly what I’m talking about. The other reason is the Chevy Tahoe. It’s one of my favorite go-anywhere, do anything trucks that I usually rent when I am doing event and location work, and they are the only rental house that always has them in stock.
Austin and the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder - SXSW was going strong, and the city of Austin was sold out of rental cars weeks in advance. There were no full size SUV’s, so I was told I would get a Traverse instead of my usual Tahoe. Not my first choice, but it probably could get the job done. The girl at the counter in Bergstrom airport asked me if I wanted to try one of the new Pathfinders. You already know I’m a Nissan junkie, and it was hard to pass up. So they threw me the keys to a brand new 2011 Pathfinder in white, which would be my companion for the next 7 days. From downtown gridlock, parking garages, sitting in traffic on I-35 to the backroads of round rock, this truck was a solid performer. The power was always adequate from the VQ 4.0 V6, yet it wasn’t enough to get me into any serious trouble. I logged about 600 miles on this car, and overall it was a great experience.
I got this truck for its utility abilities. I had to lug around at any given time both a large assortment of personnel and gear. Fitting everything from multiple large Pelican cases to eight foot long steadicam rails were no problem for this truck, and I could haul up to seven people with third row seating that folded down.
The ride height was confidently high, and steering felt a bit more refined than pathfinders of the past on the Frontier truck platform. Yet I still knew it was a truck, a dated body on frame monster, but it behaved with manners more like a Murano than a very off-road capable SUV. The controls were all where they should have been, and the backup camera as a standard feature was both a welcome and helpful feature. The only complaint I had with the truck was few squeaks that should never be present in a car with 1500 miles on the odo.
[caption id="attachment_341" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="At the pump in Round Rock with the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder"]
[/caption]Seattle and the Kia Soul - This rental was more out of curiosity than anything. The choices were a Cruze, Versa or a Soul. I must admit, the hamster-plagued advertising got to me, and I was intrigued to try one of these funny looking Korean “urban crossovers”. Its 2.0 liter four banger was good for 142 horsies, and it had some pep to it, probably because it weighed so little. While it won’t be seen on a track anytime soon because of its extreme body roll, it just seemed to be a little zippy and fun. Also curious is the exhaust note, which seems much larger than this car, and makes you feel liker it’s more of aggressive. I would even venture to guess that they took a page of Fords playbook and that it’s piped in the cabin.
The interior was what you might expect from a Kia Rio, with a hint of trim added for its youthful demographic target. One this I really did like about it though was the visibility. You feel like you can see everything on the road in this car and there are no real blind spots.
Atlanta and the Mazda 3 – I didn’t know they still made cars without keyless entry devices, but Mazda proved me wrong. While I didn’t look under the hood, I assume our model came with the most basic 2.0 liter motor. This car defines the essence of a sports car attitude stuck in an economy car body. The ride was firm, turn-in was eager. The suspension was tight and the steering gave you confidence. Every button and control was exactly where it should be to make for a positive driving experience. The best part about it was that the car came standard with a manu-matic shifter, which unlike everyone else, depressing down upshifts, and up downshifts. To most people this might be annoying, but to anyone that drives a standard transmission, it makes a world of difference. Also, as a by product of years of racing games, I for one enjoy the blue and red gauges and interior.
The only issue I had was the power –I wish it was there. It seemed rather inadequate, but I would love to give a Mazda 6, or a model with a bigger motor a spin.
from September to October it was more than 50 percent from 3,206 to 1,720 From there on it been going less and less
ReplyDelete