GM Rental Car

[RSKY]

We flew in to Ft Lauderdale yesterday. Had a tin-box cheapest Nissan reserved at the rental place. Talked (wife said flirted) with the lady and she 'upgraded' us to a full size Chevy Impala. I should have refused the upgrade! We hadn't driven ten minutes until my back was hurting. The most uncomfortable seats and driving position imaginable, completely numb steering, hard to park, and tiny mirrors. I cannot get in the stupid thing without banging my head and I'm only six foot tall. No wonder GM went bankrupt.

I guess after driving some of the other excellent GM products, SUVs, and pickups, I was expecting more. Their pickups, especially, are comfortable and drive very well. I cannot see anybody buying one of these after test driving something else.

Just my opinion.

 

[WilliamBos]

We flew in to Ft Lauderdale yesterday. Had a tin-box cheapest Nissan reserved at the rental place. Talked (wife said flirted) with the lady and she 'upgraded' us to a full size Chevy Impala. I should have refused the upgrade! We hadn't driven ten minutes until my back was hurting. The most uncomfortable seats and driving position imaginable, completely numb steering, hard to park, and tiny mirrors. I cannot get in the stupid thing without banging my head and I'm only six foot tall. No wonder GM went bankrupt.

I guess after driving some of the other excellent GM products, SUVs, and pickups, I was expecting more. Their pickups, especially, are comfortable and drive very well. I cannot see anybody buying one of these after test driving something else.

Just my opinion.

The ride quality of a front wheel drive car is equal to riding an empty haywagon through a plowed field! And it does not matter who makes it! Full frame rear wheel drive cannot be best for comfort of ride quality.

Which is why I will never own a fwd vehicle again.

My 2 cents.

 

[jmurray01]

I disagree Will, we have two FWD cars (Ford and Rover) and both are very comfortable.

It is all about the design of the seats and suspension that gives a car it's good or bad comfort.

 

[aczlan]

The ride quality of a front wheel drive car is equal to riding an empty haywagon through a plowed field! And it does not matter who makes it! Full frame rear wheel drive cannot be best for comfort of ride quality.

I have to disagree... Try a FWD Volvo (850 or post 1998 car). Its all in the seats and handling.
Personally, I prefer a RWD car for handling (I drive a 1997 Volvo V90), but an uncomfortable ride is due to the manufacturer cutting corners, not a problem with the FWD platform in general.

Aaron Z

 

[JDgreen227]

We flew in to Ft Lauderdale yesterday. Had a tin-box cheapest Nissan reserved at the rental place. Talked (wife said flirted) with the lady and she 'upgraded' us to a full size Chevy Impala. I should have refused the upgrade! We hadn't driven ten minutes until my back was hurting. The most uncomfortable seats and driving position imaginable, completely numb steering, hard to park, and tiny mirrors. I cannot get in the stupid thing without banging my head and I'm only six foot tall. No wonder GM went bankrupt.

I guess after driving some of the other excellent GM products, SUVs, and pickups, I was expecting more. Their pickups, especially, are comfortable and drive very well. I cannot see anybody buying one of these after test driving something else.

Just my opinion.

Not sure if GM has changed the Impala much since 2004, we drove one back then and really enjoyed it although we purchased a Lesabre instead. Our neighbors have an '05 Impala and are very happy with it. Same here with our Buick, I have no complaints at all about the seats or driving position, however your rental probably did not have power seats.

 

[RSKY]

The car is a 2012 and the seats are power except for the seat back, which is manual.

I guess I was expecting something great after all the gov't money poured into the company. Also I have driven a new Altima and a new Mazda 6 recently. Same size and price and the Impala is not half the vehicle.

They need to put the GM truck engineers in the car dept.

 

[JDgreen227]

The car is a 2012 and the seats are power except for the seat back, which is manual.

I guess I was expecting something great after all the gov't money poured into the company. Also I have driven a new Altima and a new Mazda 6 recently. Same size and price and the Impala is not half the vehicle.

They need to put the GM truck engineers in the car dept.

GM is coming out with a redesigned Impala in the next year or two. They have been building it on the current platform since about 2000, which is a VERY long time to build one basic model, especially in today's market. The platform is so old, that is probably why they can sell them so cheaply compared to the newer Malibu and Cruze models. If we were to replace our Buick, I would choose the Malibu over the current Impala.

 

[RSKY]

I know several people with the newer Buicks, comfortable, reliable, satisfying cars. An entire world of difference in the piece of junk I was rented.

 

[riptides]

We flew in to Ft Lauderdale yesterday. Had a tin-box cheapest Nissan reserved at the rental place. Talked (wife said flirted) with the lady and she 'upgraded' us to a full size Chevy Impala. I should have refused the upgrade! We hadn't driven ten minutes until my back was hurting. The most uncomfortable seats and driving position imaginable, completely numb steering, hard to park, and tiny mirrors. I cannot get in the stupid thing without banging my head and I'm only six foot tall. No wonder GM went bankrupt.

I guess after driving some of the other excellent GM products, SUVs, and pickups, I was expecting more. Their pickups, especially, are comfortable and drive very well. I cannot see anybody buying one of these after test driving something else.

Just my opinion.

Wow....

I had this experience moving from a model year to model year Ford Explorer. The ergonomics were horrible. I actually sent Ford feedback that the design changes were the worst user experience I have ever had.

One I was especially fond of was the driver side door arm rest, and the drivers right-side seat arm rest. They were positioned at two different levels. It would make me lean to the right if I wanted to take advantage of them.

Some feedback must have gotten to them, because the next year, they actually got it right.

 

[Jim in ICT]

I drive an '08 Impala for work (outside sales - 125K miles) with no real complaints. I'm most comfortable in a pickup.

Maybe you were'nt handsome enough for an upgrade to a Cadillac?

 

[RollingsFarms]

They are completely redoing the Impala for 2013 or 2014 I believe. GM is sinking a bunch of money I to it like they did to the Malibu which is one awesome car with the v6! I agree though the current Impala is very dated.

 

[JDgreen227]

They are completely redoing the Impala for 2013 or 2014 I believe. GM is sinking a bunch of money I to it like they did to the Malibu which is one awesome car with the v6! I agree though the current Impala is very dated.

My brother in law and his wife had one of the newer Malibu's a year and a half ago and they drove it very little, but recently traded down to a Cruze which to me made no sense at all. I personally think the Cruze is way overhyped for what it costs.

 

[murphy1244]

The ride quality of a front wheel drive car is equal to riding an empty haywagon through a plowed field! And it does not matter who makes it! Full frame rear wheel drive cannot be best for comfort of ride quality.

Which is why I will never own a fwd vehicle again.

My 2 cents.

My 73 Caddy Eldorado was FWD, that car was such a big smooth ride we called it the Enterprise.

 

[Oaktree]

Be glad they didn't "upgrade" you to a Camry. Most ^%# unpleasant car I've ever driven.

 

[JDgreen227]

Be glad they didn't "upgrade" you to a Camry. Most ^%# unpleasant car I've ever driven.

The Camry has been in production and development since about 1986, given the rapid advancement and improvements Toyota makes in their cars I am surprised you didn't like the one you drove. Will you tell us what you didn't like about it?

 

[300UGUY]

My 73 Caddy Eldorado was FWD, that car was such a big smooth ride we called it the Enterprise.

Those old caddies were great. Had seats that were like sitting on a living room sofa!!

 

[schoolsout]

The ride quality of a front wheel drive car is equal to riding an empty haywagon through a plowed field! And it does not matter who makes it! Full frame rear wheel drive cannot be best for comfort of ride quality.

Which is why I will never own a fwd vehicle again.

My 2 cents.

My VW Jetta TDI is FWD and great to drive...They've since decontented them to make them cheaper, though.

 

[grizzlydave]

My wife has had 2 impalas , a 2004 and a 2008. The 04 was a much nicer car ! She just got a new malibu and man what a nice car ! The handling and ergo's are great and i'm 6'4'' ! AS said already every time i got in the impala i would smack my head and it rode like the shocks were shot !

 

[jonyyuma]

We tryed both 2010 malibu and the Impala.. Liked malibu better, then the salesman became a pain, and would not order a 4 cyl with a 6 speed trans..Why so much extra for a six-speed,?? Insane.. What happened to the customer having rights..So no GM for us???

 

[dmccarty]

Those old caddies were great. Had seats that were like sitting on a living room sofa!!

They had seats the size of a living room sofa!

Later,
Dan