Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo

[SlimKlim]

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.