- 2010 Ford Mustang GT
- 2010 Chevy HHR FlexFuel
- 2010 Toyota Camry
- 2010 Toyota Rav4
- 2010 Ford Fusion
- 2010 Nissan Versa
- 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
- 2009 Mazda 3 Sport
2010 Ford Mustang GT
Driven to Temecula, CA
Although it's pretty much a given, the Mustang boasts solid straight-away speed but suffers a bit on cornering. It's pretty much what is expected from American muscle cars. While the engine is a very responsive 210 horsepower outdated relic (as far as muscle cars go), the handling is still very nimble and the ride rather smooth. This car is a two-seater, even though there is technically a backseat (with very minimal leg room) and gets terrible gas mileage. The 150-mile trip to Temecula used up almost half the tank.
2010 Chevy HHR FlexFuel
Driven to Oxnard, CA
Surprisingly responsive and roomy, this cross-breed between old school Chevys and the modern re-designed PT Cruiser seats four or five comfortably. The leather seats are a nice touch, although the dashboard and the rest of the interior features are plastic. The best way I can describe the steering wheel is that it's fat. It fits your hand nicely. I didn't like the small windshield, the cramped front leg room, the elongated accelerator pedal or the rear view mirror that blocks part of the view looking toward the passenger side. The trunk space is very roomy. This is a mid-size car that feels like a full-size.
2010 Toyota Camry
Driven to Carlsbad, CA
Toyota gives you the basics with it's top two models, the Camry and Carolla. There was nothing really remarkable about this car. Good acceleration (although it did have a few moments where the transmission couldn't decide what gear it wanted to be in) decent leg room, deep trunk, automatic-lighting headlights. A plain ole car.
2010 Toyota Rav4
Driven to Pacific Palisades, CA
For some odd reason, Hertz classifies this car as a full-size vehicle, not a CBV (cross-breed vehicle) and as a result, you score a substantial discount on the rental price. The Rav4 is very roomy, very powerful (for its class) and a fun drive. The handling is very agile (didn't have to three-point turn where other cars would have required it) and the trunk is spacious.
2010 Ford Fusion
Driven to La Habra and Fullerton, CA
The best way I can describe the Ford Fusion is to think of the Toyota Carolla and then add a bunch of muscle and extra features to it. And a bulky key. I hate the new Ford keys! Ford must have stock in various plastic manufacturing companies cuz the interior of this car (and the Mustang) are heavy on plastic components. Even a portion of the steering wheel is made of plastic! But once you get past the plastic euphoria, the car drives really well. Good power, god handling. It almost feels like you're driving a cop car, minus the crazy horsepower. And shotgun.
2010 Nissan Versa
Driven to Phoenix, AZ
This car is one hell of a trooper. I'm not just saying that cuz it survived a one day out-and-back trip to Phoenix from L.A. but is pumps out a surprising amount of horsepower and handles really well. The ride is really smooth and the fuel economy is very impressive. The furthest I made it was almost 375 miles before having to fuel back up. Granted, that was all highway driving, but still a really cool compact car.
2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
Driven to Huntington Beach, CA
Really didn't like this car. It requires a three-step process just to start the car. Insert the magnetic key into a slot toward the bottom of the dash, then step on the brake, wait five seconds, then push the ON button to start. At first, I didn't really mind it, but after making multiple stops, it became really annoying. Being a hybrid, this version of the Altima isn't going to have the same amount of power as its gas combustion counterpart, but I wasn't expecting such a significant drop-off in performance. And maybe it was just my car, but I kept smelling an odd burnt plastic-type smell. And yes, I was driving a brand new car (800-ish miles on the odometer.)
2010 Mazda 3 Sport
Driven to Costa Mesa, CA
Really liked this car. Nice acceleration, great handling, good fuel economy. Roomy too for a mid-size. It took some time to get used to the T-style steering wheel as I'm used to the X-style steering wheel of the Civic, but nit-picking aside, a fun car to drive. Zoom, zoom indeed.
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