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+--- Thread: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo (/showthread.php?tid=5304)
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - rherold9 - 05-17-2015
JPolen01 Wrote:I really don't get the plaid seats at all. They are so ugly.
I agree x100. That one thing is literally why I could never own a GTI....
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - Evan - 05-18-2015
JPolen01 Wrote:I really don't get the plaid seats at all. They are so ugly.so ugly.
even when plaid is in style (thankfully rarely) they are still butt ugly.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-18-2015
Is the GTI a '14 or '15?
The DSG wants you to use manual mode to have fun, if you expect a turbo-4 cylinder to be constantly ready for launch like your Jag you're gonna have a bad time. Peak torque on the '15s is at 2400rpms but if you're farting around town in "D" you're likely to be in 6th at 1100rpms most of the time.
If it's a '15 put it in "Sport" and it will reduce some of the power steering assistance. "Normal" steering mode to me feels like "not connected to anything," sport is still extremely light without a lot of feedback (welcome to the world of EPS), but the added resistance makes a big difference.
The back seats are small, the 2" in extra length apparently did not end up in the rear seat area, although the front seats are scalloped out, so 5'11ish?Jake was able to install himself somewhat comfortably behind the driver's seat set in my 6'4" position without too much difficulty.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - Jake - 05-18-2015
SlimKlim Wrote:the front seats are scalloped out, so 5'11ish?Jake was able to install himself somewhat comfortably behind the driver's seat set in my 6'4" position without too much difficulty.
I'm on the taller end of 6'1" bruh.
But yeah, I was comfortable back there. Given the car is a giant box, headroom is pretty great and that makes a lot of difference versus something with a more swoopy roofline. Would I want to do a 3-hour roadtrip in the backseat? Probably not. But an hour would be fine.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - WRXtranceformed - 05-18-2015
I THINK it's a '15. Sport mode definitely helped the steering but it was a lot like the sport mode in my car which basically just holds the revs a lot longer. I like the ability to create an individual setting, so I would probably add the steering enhancement and leave the engine mapping standard. The Jag has a nice feature called "Dynamic" mode which is a kind of in between setting from cushy mode and hardcore track mode.
A couple more thoughts since driving it over the weekend and taking it down to ATL on the highway
- I love that this thing has a gun box (or drug box for druggies) underneath the seat. I remember that being around for a while in VWs but I would definitely carry more if I had a nice convenient place to put my piece when I jump into the car.
- The seat was surprisingly comfortable for the drive, my back didn't hurt after 3.5 hours like it did in the Yukon.
- The bluetooth call quality is very very good, my wife commented on that while checking in on me on my drive. The music streaming was OK, had a few times when it would cut off for no reason
- What's the point of that triangle window in front of the mirrors? That would be a tint guy's nightmare
- Interesting that the touch screen senses when your fingers get close and change some visualizations on the screen. I still haven't figured out how to actually display the car's mileage though, since it doesn't populate on the gauge cluster by default for some reason
- It must be the ricer in me but I like the interior lighting accents and the lighted door sills. I would have added lighted door sills to my car except they are like $600. No that is not a typo. Also the back seat lights are on constantly by default at night? My wife looked up how to disable that and I did, not sure what the point of that is
- Had a super butt pucker moment on an off ramp that I thought would give me a good idea of the high speed turn in & handling of the car. Holy understeer!! Had to apply brakes mid turn for the first time in a long time. Not sure if because FWD car and I am so used to manageable RWD oversteer but that is a serious downside. How do you fix that? New sway bars to make it more neutral?
- Engine has more than enough power on the highway for passing, definitely one of the highlights of the car. I see why so many people tune these through APR or whoever, a tune would probably increase the smile factor significantly. Still having issues with the TCM programming though and I don't think it's because it is a rental. This thing hates to creep at low speeds, it like bounces off of the gears.
- Kind of an intangible but I notice it because I drive so much: this car doesn't get a lot of highway "respect". In other words, big trucks, SUVs and a lot of luxury cars seem to command a presence that causes people to move out of your way, drive more cautiously around you and generally cut you off noticeably less. This car not so much, I had more Civics and Altimas and trucks than I can count tailgate me at 75 on the highway than I have in a while. You do notice that on smaller cars in general so I'm not chalking it up to a fault of the car itself, it just is what it is.
Imo you would want to throw a couple of mods on it to make it "right" but I could see why people buy it!
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-18-2015
WRXtranceformed Wrote:I THINK it's a '15. Sport mode definitely helped the steering but it was a lot like the sport mode in my car which basically just holds the revs a lot longer. I like the ability to create an individual setting, so I would probably add the steering enhancement and leave the engine mapping standard. The Jag has a nice feature called "Dynamic" mode which is a kind of in between setting from cushy mode and hardcore track mode.
When you hit "sport" on the screen it also puts the trans into "sport" which is not the same as the engine mapping. Pull back on the stick and let it go back into D and it won't be so frantic. The trans sport mode is unusable unless you're canyon carving. I still recommend keeping it in manual for anything but cruising in traffic. I currently have my "individual" set up for sport steering and the normal engine sound so I can keep the steering how I like it but flip the fake engine noises on and off.
WRXtranceformed Wrote:What's the point of that triangle window in front of the mirrors? That would be a tint guy's nightmare
Yeah it's definitely a '15
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Interesting that the touch screen senses when your fingers get close and change some visualizations on the screen. I still haven't figured out how to actually display the car's mileage though, since it doesn't populate on the gauge cluster by default for some reason
Press the "Car" button and it'll bring it up on the main screen. Push the menu button on the wheel and go to "Driving Data" and then scroll up or down to get to the mileage in the instrument screen.
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Also the back seat lights are on constantly by default at night?
No.... I happened to turn around this morning and noticed the dog had turned one of the reading lights on back there with her nose/tongue, but they don't default on.
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Had a super butt pucker moment on an off ramp that I thought would give me a good idea of the high speed turn in & handling of the car. Holy understeer!! Had to apply brakes mid turn for the first time in a long time. Not sure if because FWD car and I am so used to manageable RWD oversteer but that is a serious downside. How do you fix that? New sway bars to make it more neutral?
Uhhh, did you turn off all the electronic assists before you did that? Maybe just don't huck a FWD car into a corner like its a Lotus? I don't think it needs a sway at all, it'd just reduce ride comfort when the rear went over bumps.
For what it's worth the PP GTI supposedly cancels out understeer, in the MT "hot hatch" shootout thing the PP GTI beat the WRX on a figure 8 course with 50-less horsepower and 2 fewer driven wheels. So I think if you wanted to improve the handling of the car you'd start by buying the PP one from the factory on good summer tires, and then just go from there. The tires and diff would make a whole world of difference compared to the plebe non-PP cars like mine and your rental.
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Still having issues with the TCM programming though and I don't think it's because it is a rental. This thing hates to creep at low speeds, it like bounces off of the gears.
Something sounds wrong. My MKV sort of chattered on the gear at low speeds but the MKVII creeps like a regular automatic. I thought you just meant the trans upshifted too early.
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Kind of an intangible but I notice it because I drive so much: this car doesn't get a lot of highway "respect". In other words, big trucks, SUVs and a lot of luxury cars seem to command a presence that causes people to move out of your way, drive more cautiously around you and generally cut you off noticeably less. This car not so much, I had more Civics and Altimas and trucks than I can count tailgate me at 75 on the highway than I have in a while. You do notice that on smaller cars in general so I'm not chalking it up to a fault of the car itself, it just is what it is.
Not an issue for me. :dunno: I don't give any people special treatment on the road no matter how big their vehicle is or what badge is on it, and I honestly haven't ever really noticed a difference of how people treat me when I've been driving higher end vehicles.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - Evan - 05-18-2015
SlimKlim Wrote:"Normal" steering mode to me feels like "not connected to anything," sport is still extremely light without a lot of feedback (welcome to the world of EPS)Nah, Mazda figured that shit out and its damn good (fanboy battle!) So did BMW. Sucks VW couldnt. (Ford couldnt either, if it makes you feel better :lol: ) :bootyshake:
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-18-2015
The ST feels like dog shit compared to the GTI. It's not adjustable and the steering feel was closer to what the "normal" mode in my car feels like.
My basis for comparison is a '95 with 3.5" of front camber. Switching from car to car you'd almost think the BMW didn't have power steering, so that's what I'm comparing it to when I said it doesn't have a lot of feedback. I wouldn't say the steering is bad based on my limited experience in other new cars, and most of the car reviews i read/watched seemed to like it, I think Chris Harris said he was impressed by it, but it wasn't quite as nice as BMW/Porsche's execution of it. Which seems logical given they're in another class.
BTW I think the 2015 STs got updates to the steering and suspension system, which were my two main complains that would've kept me from buying a 13 or 14. It'd be interesting to drive a '15 just to see if the manufacturer had the same issues with the earlier ones that I did.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - *insertusernamehere* - 05-18-2015
WRXtranceformed Wrote:- Had a super butt pucker moment on an off ramp that I thought would give me a good idea of the high speed turn in & handling of the car. Holy understeer!! Had to apply brakes mid turn for the first time in a long time. Not sure if because FWD car and I am so used to manageable RWD oversteer but that is a serious downside. How do you fix that? New sway bars to make it more neutral?
- Kind of an intangible but I notice it because I drive so much: this car doesn't get a lot of highway "respect". In other words, big trucks, SUVs and a lot of luxury cars seem to command a presence that causes people to move out of your way, drive more cautiously around you and generally cut you off noticeably less. This car not so much, I had more Civics and Altimas and trucks than I can count tailgate me at 75 on the highway than I have in a while. You do notice that on smaller cars in general so I'm not chalking it up to a fault of the car itself, it just is what it is.
How fast did you throw it into the turn?
And usually if people are tailgating that means you need to move, drive up buddy :wink: :lol:
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - WRXtranceformed - 05-18-2015
*insertusernamehere* Wrote:Probably entered at 50-55mph. And yeah I was passing at 75-80 and these people were all up on me. It is South Carolina so that could be part of it. Usually people drive painfully slow there, with the remainder driving flat out 100% of the time.WRXtranceformed Wrote:- Had a super butt pucker moment on an off ramp that I thought would give me a good idea of the high speed turn in & handling of the car. Holy understeer!! Had to apply brakes mid turn for the first time in a long time. Not sure if because FWD car and I am so used to manageable RWD oversteer but that is a serious downside. How do you fix that? New sway bars to make it more neutral?
- Kind of an intangible but I notice it because I drive so much: this car doesn't get a lot of highway "respect". In other words, big trucks, SUVs and a lot of luxury cars seem to command a presence that causes people to move out of your way, drive more cautiously around you and generally cut you off noticeably less. This car not so much, I had more Civics and Altimas and trucks than I can count tailgate me at 75 on the highway than I have in a while. You do notice that on smaller cars in general so I'm not chalking it up to a fault of the car itself, it just is what it is.
How fast did you throw it into the turn?
And usually if people are tailgating that means you need to move, drive up buddy :wink: :lol:
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - *insertusernamehere* - 05-18-2015
We rented a Malibu to go to Florida so i figured i'd write a little something since i've never done one. I forgot to take a picture but it looked just like this
![[Image: 70637478.jpg]](http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/70637478.jpg)
Engine & trans: 2.4(?) 4cyl and i think its a regular 6 speed auto
It was pretty good actually. It was appropriate for what it was considering how big of a car it was pulling plus all of our luggage weight. It wasn't fast but i also wasn't complaining. At high speeds it maintains itself really well. I spend more time keeping the speed down than trying to stay up. The transmission RUINS it tho. Its a 6 speed auto that kind of feels like it was trying to mimic the way a cvt works. I don't know how to describe it, but you would accelerate and it would rev up to like 4k rpms and stay there, while the car kept increasing speed, then it would make an obvious switch into the next gear. I googled it and it doesn't say cvt so i have no idea. It was different. It shifted like a 90's honda too. My grandmas corolla has smoother shifts. It only had 9000 miles when we got it so i can't imagine how that trans is going to hold up with even 70k on it.
Size:
Perfect. For 4 people plus a big ass cooler, 3 suitcases it held us all well. No complaints here at all. It didn't feel oversized and cumbersome behind the wheel either. It felt safe and manageable. The steering was super sensitive which was just kind of annoying for highway driving actually. If you have to multitask in the least and your hand makes the slightest movement the car is like "left? you wanna go left? by two degrees? LETS DO TWENTY DEGREES! HELLO MEDIAN, WHATS GOOD MAH DUDE?!" The seats absolutely sucked. No support anywhere in either the front or back. We were all uncomfortable it was bad. The seats were leather/cloth combo and the cloth was hard i'm still asking myself if it was plastic or nah. The back seats were benches with the flattest most overused pillows as cushions.
Suspension:
Good! It rode firm but soft, I was very pleased, handled bumps in the road well. Not an unnecessary amount of body roll either. It was very comfortable. Weird fact, when driving behind it you can clearly see the control arms in the rear at work.
Other things:
It had the touch screen and cluster controls like the fords, that was cool. Nothing to really report, if you've them before its exactly the same in this. Oh! Gas mileage. It sucks. I've never seen something blow through half a tank as fast as this. This one also had the auto stop feature. So when you come to a stop (with the AC off) it'll shut the car down, off the brake, and car the cuts on. It was unusual but i don't think bad. I wouldn't mind it if it they figured out how to make it a smoother transition. You can very obviously feel the car shake and shut off and same for turn on. If you take your foot off the brake and press it again it'll just leave the car on for you and if you turn the AC on it'll also cut the car back on, same if you move the shifter.
Overall i think this car just needs a v6, a better trans, better seats, improved auto stop and it would be a bomb family sedan. Its not a bad car, I liked it a little but not enough to spend my money on it...or do 12 consecutive hours in those seats again haha.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - *insertusernamehere* - 05-18-2015
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Probably entered at 50-55mph. And yeah I was passing at 75-80 and these people were all up on me. It is South Carolina so that could be part of it. Usually people drive painfully slow there, with the remainder driving flat out 100% of the time.Can confirm. North and South carolina don't play. I remember being in the left lane doing maybe 80-85 in our minivan. Next thing i know a mom in an odyssey, talking on the phone, one hand on the wheel, with four kids in the back watching a movie goes blazing by me in the right lane. To this day that still blows me away cause she was hauling ass she had to be doing like a 100
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - Sully - 05-18-2015
I don't really rent cars often but my dad flew down to FL and got a rental to drive around. Only thing I have to offer this thread is that he got a dodge dart and said it's a peppy little thing. Said every time he looked down, he was doing 80. He has that v6 camry which isn't exactly a slouch for a dd and his company car which is a base model 2014 or something focus which barely has enough power to get out of its own way. So I guess he has a little perspective. I've always thought the dart could be a cool little dd if you wanted to buy new, you know other than the fact that it's a Chrysler and is probably set to explode at 60,000 miles.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - WRXtranceformed - 05-21-2015
So i turned in the keys yesterday, I tried to find the mileage with Joey's method but for some reason was coming up empty on bringing it up on the instrument panel. I noticed when you first turn the car on it briefly flashes the mileage so I caught that I just ticked it over 5,000 when I dropped it off.
Final impressions with the GTI are that the engine is the absolute best part about this car, with everything else falling squarely in the "Meh" category (much like most German cars I've driven other than my brother's prestige package S4 which was one of the best all around cars I've ever driven). With a mix of 85% highway, 15% around town / traffic / heavy hooning that dang little thing managed 38mpg! That's the same as we get out of the turd of an engine in my wife's Elantra on Eco mode. With an aggressive tune and some water/meth injection that thing would be a little beast.
At low speeds it was continuing to make some sounds I can only describe as crunchy / grainy from the gearbox and the car really didn't like to creep through traffic. A lot of gear bouncing and jerkiness. I am going to chalk that up to a prior driver hooning it perhaps a little too hard because at 5k miles no transmission should be doing that. Of the many many cars I've rented this is one of the first ones that I actually questioned whether or not it would get me home. Still really impressed with the apparent call quality of the bluetooth system though, I had to take an important conference call on the way home and everyone thought I was sitting at my desk!
So yeah I do see why people would be drawn to this car, I would definitely rather have this than a little civic Si or something. It's not something I could personally live with especially for the long term but it was one of the more enjoyable cars I have rented in a while.
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-21-2015
That poor thing must've been nuetral dropped by a previous renter or something. Either that or my car's gonna go to shit in the next 4000 miles. My MKV was very clunky at low speeds but the new one has 95% the smoothness of a regular auto. Or maybe you're just hypersensitive to it coming from a big cushy Jag and I'm already conditioned to the foibles of a dual clutch? :dunno: Mine is pretty buttery so I'm leaning in the direction of that thing being abused.
I thought you were asking about the MPG readout not the odometer, I have no idea why it would only flash up temporarily, that car has some gremlins. Thank god for warranties, if it's an indication of my car's future behavior...
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - WRXtranceformed - 05-21-2015
SlimKlim Wrote:That poor thing must've been nuetral dropped by a previous renter or something. Either that or my car's gonna go to shit in the next 4000 miles. My MKV was very clunky at low speeds but the new one has 95% the smoothness of a regular auto. Or maybe you're just hypersensitive to it coming from a big cushy Jag and I'm already conditioned to the foibles of a dual clutch? :dunno: Mine is pretty buttery so I'm leaning in the direction of that thing being abused.No no I mean this thing had to have been beaten up by someone already or I am just really not used to a dual clutch...but that thing sounded like it had squirrels running around inside of it. I've grown pretty fond of the ZF6 because it's really smooth but shifts surprisingly fast. I'm sure your car will be fine :thumbup:
I thought you were asking about the MPG readout not the odometer, I have no idea why it would only flash up temporarily, that car has some gremlins. Thank god for warranties, if it's an indication of my car's future behavior...
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-21-2015
Yeh, even if the car eats a mechatronics unit (the hydraulic actuator that does the shifting) VW will put a new one in and possibly extend the warranty on the trans like my MKV had. Not terribly concerned.
I almost secretly kinda want something to break on the car, just so I feel like I'm getting my value out of the whole "purchasing a rapidly depreciating new car" thing. It is a first model year German car, built in Mexico, and brimming with fussy electronics, so I'm sure I won't have to wait too long...
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - Evan - 05-21-2015
oh my wife's focus, the dual clutch definitely got jerkier after it broke in. it was smooth as an automatic for the first couple thousand miles. now...... its not bad but it doesnt let you forget its a dual clutch.
btw, has anyone actually attempted a neutral drop lately? last one i tried, probably 10 years ago, the ECU fun police wouldnt let it rev above 3k while in neutral
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - WRXtranceformed - 05-21-2015
Evan Wrote:oh my wife's focus, the dual clutch definitely got jerkier after it broke in. it was smooth as an automatic for the first couple thousand miles. now...... its not bad but it doesnt let you forget its a dual clutch.Boof that is not something that I would not look forward to.
btw, has anyone actually attempted a neutral drop lately? last one i tried, probably 10 years ago, the ECU fun police wouldnt let it rev above 3k while in neutral
I haven't actually, maybe i'll try it in our next rental on Friday AFTER we bring it home from the beach :lol:
Re: Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo - SlimKlim - 05-21-2015
Evan Wrote:oh my wife's focus, the dual clutch definitely got jerkier after it broke in. it was smooth as an automatic for the first couple thousand miles. now...... its not bad but it doesnt let you forget its a dual clutch.
btw, has anyone actually attempted a neutral drop lately? last one i tried, probably 10 years ago, the ECU fun police wouldnt let it rev above 3k while in neutral
Jake has horror stories from regular Focus rentals about that transmission. He experienced issues in those things that my MKV which had 76k abusive miles on it never did, like it shuddering somewhat dramatically in gear revving over 4k. I dunno if they've had issues with them or if he just had a dud or what.
I do think they use a dry clutch vs the DSG wet setup so that might have some impact on NVH.