Rental Car Ruckus 2: Electric Boogaloo

[ViPER1313]

I was super impressed with the interior material quality of Volvo’s latest cars/SUVs when I went to the auto show. I think it’s a a nicer place to be than any comparable BMW/Mercedes/Audi at the moment.

[JPolen01]

I was super impressed with the interior material quality of Volvo’s latest cars/SUVs when I went to the auto show. I think it’s a a nicer place to be than any comparable BMW/Mercedes/Audi at the moment.

Haven't been in many new BMWs or Benz, but I agree on the quality of the volvo interior. Very nice plastics, supple leather, and elegant wood trim. Nice interior lighting as well and the LED head lights were on point.

[Jake]

Nice review Jon, I also like the XC90 quite a bit. Based on quick math, the XC90 is 13.9 lb/hp and my Range Rover SC is 11.6 lb/hp. So it's quicker but not that much so. A 3.0 Audi Q7 is 14.8 lb/hp so the Volvo is definitely no slouch, the RR is just the exception.

[Senor_Taylor]

I've been wondering why Matt likes XC90s so much. I think I saw a V8 one the other day?

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[Jake]

I've been wondering why Matt likes XC90s so much. I think I saw a V8 one the other day?

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The first-gen were available with a Yamaha-built V8, which is cool because... Yamaha V8.

The current ones are available as a "T6" - what Jon's folks-in-law have - and a "T8". The T6 is a turbocharged, supercharged, 2.0L I4. The T8 adds a hybrid system to it. Really.

My buddy's boyfriend picked up this Yamavolvo a few weeks ago, I dig the color combo:

[Senor_Taylor]

What. Man, cars are getting crazy.

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[Jake]

What. Man, cars are getting crazy.

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I can't wait to see how a new T8 is to own 20 years from now.

[ViPER1313]

The previous gen XC90 was so out of date when we looked at it. Tape deck in 2014 out of date.

[JPolen01]

Jake have you driven that XC90 yet? They are pretty awful. Very floaty on the road. And outdated as Adam said. I can't recall if the one I drove had a V8. If I had to guess it didn't because I remembered it being pretty gutless.

[WRXtranceformed]

I really really like the new XC90s. It took Volvo a long time to step into the modern world but when they did they did it right

[.RJ]

Jake have you driven that XC90 yet? They are pretty awful. Very floaty on the road. And outdated as Adam said. I can't recall if the one I drove had a V8. If I had to guess it didn't because I remembered it being pretty gutless.

That sucks.  They do look nice.

[Jake]

Never driven an old one or the current one, actually. They can't tow enough so when I was Yukon-shopping, they were crossed off the list early on.

[*insertusernamehere*]

LOVE <3

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[JPolen01]

Don't let your non car appreciating spouse book a rental car. Got to Phoenix and head to pick up the car...
"We have a Chevy Spark for you". 
Me "WTF"
Wife "It said Ford Fiesta!"
Me "That is no better."

Anyway we "upgraded" to a Nissan Rouge AWD for another $15 a day. I did not want to drive through the mountains from Phoenix to Sedona in anything like a Spark or Fiesta. Up and down mountains with tractor trailers and a 75mph speed limit in a Chevy Spark? Not something I wanted to try. 

It looked like this but with hubcaps and black fabric interior


Google says 170hp @ 5600rpm and who knows how much torque if any at all. It was almost difficult to keep this thing above 75mph. Going up 2-3k ft elevation changes with AC on was grueling. I passed a car or 3 on RT180 on our way to the Grand Canyon and boy it had been a while since I literally had the pedal on the floor of any car. I had to keep it pressed there for what felt like 2 minutes so we didn't die. 

The steering feel? I should say lack of feel. The best comparison I can think of is to equate the weight of the steering to a racing game at an arcade where the wheel just flings from one side o the other. ZERO feedback. 

The only somewhat redeeming quality of the Rouge was the gas mileage. Even with mountain driving, we averaged 31-32 MPGs with almost entirely highway driving. 

If you buy this crossover, you either have no idea what a car is supposed to be like or you hate yourself. These things go for about $23k for a base model AWD version and I see why. What a piece of shit.

[Jake]

I'd have preferred the Fiesta. Or an Impala. Or like anything else that wasn't a Nissan with their godawful drone-happy CVT.

[JPolen01]

 Nissan with their godawful drone-happy CVT.

Oh man I forgot about this. Going up mountains "Are you about to blow up the engine" - wife. 

It was a holiday weekend so I couldn't be too picky.

[Sijray21]

We had a beach trip this past week and with my sister-in-law and her husband flying in from Boston to join us we needed to rent a larger vehicle for the drive over. Cue the cruising boat.

Rented from enterprise for the week:

2017 or 2018 (?) Ford Expedition Limited Max (3.5L v6 turbo )

Initial impressions: it's big and feels big. Interior was pretty nice. Lots of nice interior features.

Cool features:
Electric Folding 3rd row
Remote power lift gate
Wireless phone charger
Lots of various buttons for folding 2nd row seats quickly
Tilting 2nd row (good for front facing car seats)

Nice Surprises:
Great turning radius. Felt very nimble considering its size, but still felt like driving a truck.
Also getting 22-24 actual mpg on the highway.

Dislikes:
The sync infotainment was a bit finicky at times.
The foot activated power lift gate was inconsistent and somewhat annoying (wouldn't open most of the time and closing when you didn't want it to).
Head light output left something to be desired. Overall not bad, but not great.

Overall I really liked the truck for the week. The size didn't bother me at all and felt about the same size as the Nissan Titan I used to own. It felt quick for its size as well; no issues with acceleration with a full payload. The cabin space was so nice for all rows. We only folded the small seat in the third row and was able to fit everything else (beach stuff, luggage, etc) in the cargo area and bikes on the hitch rack. The climate controls and versatile electronic features (USB ports & AC outlets) were really nice. I would never consider this for an actual purchase since I don't have a big family, have no need for consistent towing, and don't need the large covered cargo area, but even if I did I'd be hard-pressed to pay $66k+ for this thing new...

[JPolen01]

Those aren't as horrible looking as the new Navigators. I am with you on the price though. Ouch.

[BLINGMW]

Those aren't as horrible looking as the new Navigators. I am with you on the price though. Ouch.

2nd the "no thanks" on that. A fully optioned Metris is about $50k, smaller in every dimension but with more interior room and would get better fuel economy. The Expedition wins on being a second faster 0-60 and towing 1000lbs more.

[Jake]

I like the Navigator's nose far more than the Expedition here. Ford nailed the F150 but kinda whiffed it with this, I think.

They are stupid expensive regardless though, and Ford won't deal on them as much as the trucks. I looked at one briefly before buying the red truck, but incentives made it a non-starter.