When my old F-150 was in the shop a couple of months ago I had four different rental vehicles and have another one currently because the Armada is at the dealer getting the differential replaced. I won't go into too much detail but here's the gist! I rented the Kia and Versa myself until Ford could get me a loaner.
2018 Kia Soul non turbo:
Highs:
- average mpg was a surprising 33.9
- easy to drive and relatively comfortable
- backup camera was good quality
Lows:
- overall kind of tinny
- didn't have a lot of power but to be expected
Overall pretty impressed with Soul and enjoyed driving it! If I was in the market for a commuter I would consider it.
2018 Nissan Versa
Highs:
- good mileage averaged 37mpg in mixed driving
- it's so small, easy to drive and park anywhere
- transmission was decent for being a CVT
Lows:
- had a pretty cheap feel overall
- terrible to drive on the highway. Not sure what it was but it seemed almost hard to control especially when there was high wind
Overall the car was very boring, definitely penalty box type of ride. Strange behavior on the highway was a real put off. Not sure if that is a common theme with these cars or not.
2018 Ford Escape 1.5 Eco AND 2.5. Ford had the truck for a long time so I went through two different rentals with them. The 2.5 was a base model and the EcoBoost was a mid-level trim.
Highs:
- good road manners and predictable
- liked the sync system seems very easy to use
- ecoboost engine is pretty fun even though it is small
Lows:
- a lot of the interior plastics seem very cheap
- more blind spots than I'm used to
I drove both of these for several hundred miles and the 2.5 returned 1 mpg better then the EcoBoost, 25.4 and 24.5 respectively. I don't have a baseline to compare it to but I drove both of these pretty conservatively to achieve those numbers. I preferred the drivability of the EcoBoost but was impressed with the 2.5! Overall I thought the packaging I was just okay and would probably buy a different car if I was looking in this class.
2018 Nissan Sentra, current loaner:
Highs:
- averaging 32mpg so far in all City driving
- I like the interior and the design of the car is nice
- sound system is pretty good for a base model
Lows:
- the CVT isn't terrible but reminds me of why I don't care for them. Odd operation at times and very sluggish off the line unless you really give it some gas
- engine emits noticeable vibration at idle
I think this car is pretty nice actually but I'm still not sold on CVT. Impressed with the mileage for sure!
Short and sweet I know but a small look into the rental car world . I spent the most time behind the wheels of the Escapes. Only a couple of days in the Versa and Soul.
2018 Kia Soul non turbo:
Highs:
- average mpg was a surprising 33.9
- easy to drive and relatively comfortable
- backup camera was good quality
Lows:
- overall kind of tinny
- didn't have a lot of power but to be expected
Overall pretty impressed with Soul and enjoyed driving it! If I was in the market for a commuter I would consider it.
2018 Nissan Versa
Highs:
- good mileage averaged 37mpg in mixed driving
- it's so small, easy to drive and park anywhere
- transmission was decent for being a CVT
Lows:
- had a pretty cheap feel overall
- terrible to drive on the highway. Not sure what it was but it seemed almost hard to control especially when there was high wind
Overall the car was very boring, definitely penalty box type of ride. Strange behavior on the highway was a real put off. Not sure if that is a common theme with these cars or not.
2018 Ford Escape 1.5 Eco AND 2.5. Ford had the truck for a long time so I went through two different rentals with them. The 2.5 was a base model and the EcoBoost was a mid-level trim.
Highs:
- good road manners and predictable
- liked the sync system seems very easy to use
- ecoboost engine is pretty fun even though it is small
Lows:
- a lot of the interior plastics seem very cheap
- more blind spots than I'm used to
I drove both of these for several hundred miles and the 2.5 returned 1 mpg better then the EcoBoost, 25.4 and 24.5 respectively. I don't have a baseline to compare it to but I drove both of these pretty conservatively to achieve those numbers. I preferred the drivability of the EcoBoost but was impressed with the 2.5! Overall I thought the packaging I was just okay and would probably buy a different car if I was looking in this class.
2018 Nissan Sentra, current loaner:
Highs:
- averaging 32mpg so far in all City driving
- I like the interior and the design of the car is nice
- sound system is pretty good for a base model
Lows:
- the CVT isn't terrible but reminds me of why I don't care for them. Odd operation at times and very sluggish off the line unless you really give it some gas
- engine emits noticeable vibration at idle
I think this car is pretty nice actually but I'm still not sold on CVT. Impressed with the mileage for sure!
Short and sweet I know but a small look into the rental car world . I spent the most time behind the wheels of the Escapes. Only a couple of days in the Versa and Soul.
