calherewecome

Just got back from out trip to Boston. As in the past, we rented a car. So I made a reservation with Avis/Budget Rent-a-Car for a Ford Escape. Why can’t Avis give me what I ask for? So this year they give us a Dodge Challenger. Not even close.

There once would have been a time that I would have loved to drive (or own) a car like a Dodge Challenger, but that shipped sailed a long time ago.

We are thinking about buying a new car pretty soon. Renting a car that is similar to what you  are looking for in a new car is a good way to get a good feel about the car. You get a better feel than a 10 minute test drive.

The first thing notices about the car is the sound of the exhaust. It has a deep throaty roar to it that makes you want to step on the gas and go fast. It has lots of power.

The only thing that bugs me is the controls for things like headlights, radio, AC, etc. Before I drive out of the rental car garage, I try to figure out all of the stuff I need to drive, like how to turn on headlights, how to turn on AC, etc.

Most of the new cars have a setup like this with app buttons and interface to one’s smart phone, which is great. But it takes me time to get used to is. I can connect to my phone and play music from my iPhone. I don’t have to find a suitable radio station. This car did have “CarPlay” which is the Apple interface. I believe that there is a similar system for Android phones.

The steering wheel has more buttons than you can shake a stick at for cruise control, audio functions, make a phone call which is great but it takes a bit of getting used to.

And another thing that takes a getting used to is the “Start” button. Apparently, the put the key into the lock and turning is long gone. Step on the brake  and push “Start”. It will start as long as the key fob is somewhere in the car. Leave the key in your pocket, that way you won’t forget it.

Maybe next time I will try Hertz to see if they can give me the car that I request. Sigh.

Oh and by the way, I filled it up before I turned it in on Monday. What a pleasant surprise to buy gas for under $3 a gallon again. Haven’t seen that in California for a long time.

This entry was posted on May 22, 2018 at 7:12 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: Avis, Budget, Challenget, Dodge, Rental Cars