Recently, I went on the road. Again. My first stop was Seattle, which are typically wet roads and lots of hills. I landed and went to the rental car counter. I asked the guy what they had in stock - He said “you can have this nice Mazda 3, a Nissan Versa, a new Challenge-“
“Yes!” I exclaimed, without even letting him finish his sentence. I was excited to get behind the wheel of this neo-masculine piece of sheetmetal art. It’s got gorgeous lines, an aggressive demeanor, and I was looking forward to getting behind the wheel. Never mind the fact I forgot that we were going to have a passenger for the too-small backseat, and we could barely get into it in the rental lot because the doors were too wide. Rather as I signed the paperwork, I had daydreams of power sliding Bullitt-style through the slightly damp Seattle streets with a massive Hemi and a loose rear end.
Soon though, my grin subsided. This thing was a boat. Trying to maneuver out of the tight space proved difficult and required 4 gear changes to maintain safe clearance. This is where I ran into my sight line problem for the first time. I just could see anything above the massive, flaring hood and wide arches of the body. But those arches, oh those arches, and flares are what make this car so damn sexy. Every thing about this car from the headlights to taillights was built for appearance and to turn heads. The original Challenger never looked so good to me, but this one had me at ‘hello’.
The model we had was the base SXT model built for fleets. It came in a silver color, and had a 3.6 liter V6 Pentastar motor good for 305 ponies. Due to massive curb weight of this car, and adding in myself and my co-worker, the engine just wasn’t enough to have fun. At one point I had the opportunity to make a U-turn from the left turning lane on a wide, empty road. Having no fear, I waited for the green turn arrow, cut wheel and gunned it. Nothing. Not even a little slip of the rear, just a perfect U-turn. Between the obviously persistent and advanced traction control and weight, the cart stayed glued to the road.
Other than the lack of hoonage ability, the car drove like you would expect from a typical muscle car, nervous in the corners with body roll, but surgical in a straight line. Grip was overly exceptional likely due to the massive 18 inch tires, while acceleration was about adequate for a car of this size.
Of course there were some issues. The biggest complaint by far was the sight lines. This car should be called the “Challenging”, and that means to see out of. While going up a hill, literally 95% of your view of the road is blocked by the massive hood, leaving your progress to nothing short of a hail mary. Another issue we ran into was the intelligent key. Even though the car only had about 7K miles on it, the key fob was starting to die on me, and would unlock the car, and sometimes wouldn’t start the car. At the very end of the journey, I managed to get the car started, but then the car lost recognition of they key, and the dash told me the fob wasn’t in range. It was 4 am and we were on our way to the airport, so of course I was worried it would employ some sort of engine cut off as a theft deterrent. Luckily, we made it to the airport, and I left the car running at the returns desk and wanted the attendant that if he shut it off, he would not be able to start it again.
So after all my bitching, I still wouldn’t call it a negative experience. The car was fun to drive at times, and I felt cool getting out of it. Will I rent another one? Not likely. Would I buy one with 2 kids and a long commute? Not a chance. But if I wanted a weekend toy, had a short commute, in addition to a minivan, I would probably snatch one of these up. The styling, handling and minimalist interior signify a day that’s long forgotten of muscle car love. It signifies a time long past when all you needed was a steering wheel, a straight line and a lead foot to have a great time. This car is about turning heads, and it does so with a vengeance.
Next stop was my old friend Los Angeles. This time, I knew I need something small and practical to deal with LA’s tiny parking spots, little parking garages and insane traffic. I opted for a Ford Fusion. This particular fleet car had seen some better days, but had aged gracefully with about 25K on the odometer.
I liked this car. Not for what it was, but what it wasn’t. Nothing was over the top. The power and handling were adequate. The interior was nicely finished and felt very generic. Somehow I knew where everything was by tactile exploring. It felt solid, and reminded me much of the late 90’s Japanese sedans - you know, the golden age of accords and Camry, at a time when build quality and ergonomics took center stage to provide transportation that people just wanted to rely on.
It had a 4 cylinder, but it moved fine, and was never frustrating. It stopped on a dime. This car was one of many that really renews my faith in Ford as a solid competitor in a cut-throat market, and provides a car that is a notch above basic transportation.
The car also had a few pleasant surprises. The base Sync system had Aux inputs, and the gas mileage was insanely great. We didn’t even bother to fill the tank despite the fact we drove about 50 miles.
Other than the lack of hoonage ability, the car drove like you would expect from a typical muscle car, nervous in the corners with body roll, but surgical in a straight line. Grip was overly exceptional likely due to the massive 18 inch tires, while acceleration was about adequate for a car of this size.
Of course there were some issues. The biggest complaint by far was the sight lines. This car should be called the “Challenging”, and that means to see out of. While going up a hill, literally 95% of your view of the road is blocked by the massive hood, leaving your progress to nothing short of a hail mary. Another issue we ran into was the intelligent key. Even though the car only had about 7K miles on it, the key fob was starting to die on me, and would unlock the car, and sometimes wouldn’t start the car. At the very end of the journey, I managed to get the car started, but then the car lost recognition of they key, and the dash told me the fob wasn’t in range. It was 4 am and we were on our way to the airport, so of course I was worried it would employ some sort of engine cut off as a theft deterrent. Luckily, we made it to the airport, and I left the car running at the returns desk and wanted the attendant that if he shut it off, he would not be able to start it again.
So after all my bitching, I still wouldn’t call it a negative experience. The car was fun to drive at times, and I felt cool getting out of it. Will I rent another one? Not likely. Would I buy one with 2 kids and a long commute? Not a chance. But if I wanted a weekend toy, had a short commute, in addition to a minivan, I would probably snatch one of these up. The styling, handling and minimalist interior signify a day that’s long forgotten of muscle car love. It signifies a time long past when all you needed was a steering wheel, a straight line and a lead foot to have a great time. This car is about turning heads, and it does so with a vengeance.
Next stop was my old friend Los Angeles. This time, I knew I need something small and practical to deal with LA’s tiny parking spots, little parking garages and insane traffic. I opted for a Ford Fusion. This particular fleet car had seen some better days, but had aged gracefully with about 25K on the odometer.
I liked this car. Not for what it was, but what it wasn’t. Nothing was over the top. The power and handling were adequate. The interior was nicely finished and felt very generic. Somehow I knew where everything was by tactile exploring. It felt solid, and reminded me much of the late 90’s Japanese sedans - you know, the golden age of accords and Camry, at a time when build quality and ergonomics took center stage to provide transportation that people just wanted to rely on.
It had a 4 cylinder, but it moved fine, and was never frustrating. It stopped on a dime. This car was one of many that really renews my faith in Ford as a solid competitor in a cut-throat market, and provides a car that is a notch above basic transportation.
The car also had a few pleasant surprises. The base Sync system had Aux inputs, and the gas mileage was insanely great. We didn’t even bother to fill the tank despite the fact we drove about 50 miles.
