Observations from driving a rental car while my E90 is being repaired

JingChai · 10-26-2015, 12:58 AM

I got a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze from Enterprise while my car is being repaired at the body shop.

Here are some observations after driving for 3 days:

1. Steering is way lighter than the 328i. In fact I can steer with just my thumb and index finger holding the steering wheel.
2. Doesn't ride as smooth as the other car but that could be down to the Firestone tires and the fact that it's an economy car.
3. I can see why automatic transmission is so popular since I do miss it at times. It does make everyday driving much easier. However, it would be nice to have instant acceleration instead have a brief lag when I step on the gas pedal.
4. I like the instant fuel economy display vs. the average display.
5. Part of me will miss this car when I get my BMW back.

STRMTRPR · 10-26-2015, 07:13 AM

yeah the steering on the 3 series is very stiff, compared to other cars steering is much lighter.

Johnny Boost · 10-26-2015, 09:06 AM

These rental/loaner car reviews are getting out of hand....

ATLIEN · 10-26-2015, 10:01 AM

I am in a rental car at least monthly for my business travels and have had my eye on a new Chevy Tahoe to perhaps purchase. I think they are a great looking truck and Enterprise had one available so I took the opportunity to rent it. It had all the bells and whistles but for the life of me I was underwhelmed. It had a beautiful interior but the driving dynamics were very truckish. I thought that it would soak up bumps where you would not feel them but I felt every freeway expansion and just felt like i was lumbering down the road. I also thought i was going to be blown away by the engine and the V8 torque but there again you had to really push it to get some real grunt and it was quick to upshift. It was as if it were tuned for fuel economy and not performance. A chip and transmission map would work wonders. I will say it was an excellent people mover and had first class presence but I think I will leave it at the dealership for now.

PichaDis11 · 10-26-2015, 10:58 AM

3. A BMS Power Box will solve your accelerator problems.

4. You could always have your coded to have both Average and Instant gas mileage. Plus few other goodies

Then. Go enjoy Your ride.

'02onthebrain · 10-26-2015, 11:03 AM

This really made me laugh, I needed it, thanks.

John 070 · 10-26-2015, 11:06 AM

haha I had to go to Hotlanta and when I went to get my car a white GTI was staring right at me, one of the most fun rentals I had in a long time, and I had it 4 days. Yes, DSG/automatic (none of us like autos fer sure)...and steering actually lighter than E92, but very fun to drive.

The next trip was to Chicago and got a brand new Cadillac XTS. Being the flagship it had cool features. The rearview looked like it was out of a 1950's Caddy, yet it was electronic.

Other than that, those da** Camrys are so boring and dull to drive, even my 1998 Nissan has more road feel!

ATLIEN · 10-26-2015, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

haha I had to go to Hotlanta and when I went to get my car a white GTI was staring right at me, one of the most fun rentals I had in a long time, and I had it 4 days. Yes, DSG/automatic (none of us like autos fer sure)...and steering actually lighter than E92, but very fun to drive.

The next trip was to Chicago and got a brand new Cadillac XTS. Being the flagship it had cool features. The rearview looked like it was out of a 1950's Caddy, yet it was electronic.

Other than that, those da** Camrys are so boring and dull to drive, even my 1998 Nissan has more road feel!

Cool. I had a new Toyota Corolla in DC and easily drove 80-90 miles and the fuel gauge never dropped. It was the first time i rented a car without having to put more gas in on the return.

shenanigans01 · 10-26-2015, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

haha I had to go to Hotlanta and when I went to get my car a white GTI was staring right at me, one of the most fun rentals I had in a long time, and I had it 4 days. Yes, DSG/automatic (none of us like autos fer sure)...and steering actually lighter than E92, but very fun to drive.

The next trip was to Chicago and got a brand new Cadillac XTS. Being the flagship it had cool features. The rearview looked like it was out of a 1950's Caddy, yet it was electronic.

Other than that, those da** Camrys are so boring and dull to drive, even my 1998 Nissan has more road feel!

Please don't ever call it hotlanta again. Us from Atlanta hate that.

ikenjoku7 · 10-26-2015, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shenanigans01

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

haha I had to go to Hotlanta and when I went to get my car a white GTI was staring right at me, one of the most fun rentals I had in a long time, and I had it 4 days. Yes, DSG/automatic (none of us like autos fer sure)...and steering actually lighter than E92, but very fun to drive.

The next trip was to Chicago and got a brand new Cadillac XTS. Being the flagship it had cool features. The rearview looked like it was out of a 1950's Caddy, yet it was electronic.

Other than that, those da** Camrys are so boring and dull to drive, even my 1998 Nissan has more road feel!

Please don't ever call it hotlanta again. Us from Atlanta hate that.

+1

Miller335 · 10-26-2015, 10:21 PM

Why so serious?
I laugh when people call Portland portlandia.

JingChai · 10-27-2015, 12:26 AM

Glad I could be of service

!

Quote:

Originally Posted by '02onthebrain

This really made me laugh, I needed it, thanks.

NEFARIOUS · 10-27-2015, 12:34 AM

For me: A frickin' Kia Rio blows colder and stronger A/C than my E90. Even with taking apart the blower fan to clean and lube it, and also replacing the new microfilter, the Kia blew ice cold air and had me damn near shivering on a mid-day commute 10 minutes in when it was 105°F outside and I had to turn it down, but the E90 in 90°F almost seems like the damned thing isn't doing much of anything on MAX even if it's been on for almost an hour

.

John 070 · 10-27-2015, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shenanigans01

Please don't ever call it hotlanta again. Us from Atlanta hate that.

I call it that due to memories of Buckhead when I was younger. This is before getting married...100% total political correctness, who has time for that?

NGEE · 10-27-2015, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John 070

I call it that due to memories of Buckhead when I was younger. This is before getting married...100% total political correctness, who has time for that?

Us don't have time.

motoguy128 · 10-27-2015, 08:19 AM

When in Hawaii I had the choice between a Ford Escape and a Jeep Cherokee (3 of us with a bicycle, needed more cargo room). I choose wrong and got the Jeep thinking it was a lot bigger (didn't realize it was a small compact SUV). The Escape would have been a lot better overall, but barely fit out luggage.

Space inefficiency was really poor. My 2008 Honda CR-V was 400lbs lighter and had a LOT more room.... why is this so hard to get right...8 years later? Do companies not do any benchmarks? The engine was typical for a NA mid sized 4 cylinder. Sounded boring, but was mostly quiet and not too buzzy. the killer was the 9 speed ZF tranmission. OR more accurately the horrible programming. Sometimes it's was almsot as smooth as our Audi Q5's 8 speed. Other times, it was as bad as a 15 year old jeep cherokee with 150k miles... Yes, that bad. It would oftne hold 2nd or 3rd gear up a steep climb and would be losing speed, then suddenly downshift and your squeel the tires. I never, ever, ever saw 9th gear. I don't think it's possible. It's uselessly tall. There engine lacks the torque to use it. ON a downhill steep enough to use it, the car instead keeps it in 8th for more engine braking. The turbocharged Escape would probably use it.

The scariest thing is that the tranny would downshift really slow on long descents, and your suddenly speed up by 5-10mph while it shifted.

The 10 year old 6 speed ZF in my 325i has some quirks, but it's extremely predictable, progressive and ideal gear spacing to compromise performance and economy.

Bottom line, I was hoping Chrysler had really improved, but its' the same old overweight, overpriced POS I'm used to. It's just that all cars have improved, so a rising tide raises all ships, but they are still just as far behind as always. Only positive is that it's fairly quiet at highways speeds, ride is above average and despite dead steering feel (typical these days) it handled well overall.

We also had a loaner Chevy Equinox while our Q5 was getting it's pistons and rings replaced. It's a little bigger/fatter than the Cherokee, but overall driving dynamics and refinement is quite a bit better, except interior noise at highway speeds was really bad.

PichaDis11 · 10-27-2015, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEFARIOUS

For me: A frickin' Kia Rio blows colder and stronger A/C than my E90. Even with taking apart the blower fan to clean and lube it, and also replacing the new microfilter, the Kia blew ice cold air and had me damn near shivering on a mid-day commute 10 minutes in when it was 105°F outside and I had to turn it down, but the E90 in 90°F almost seems like the damned thing isn't doing much of anything on MAX even if it's been on for almost an hour

.

Though I agree that the AC in the E90 do suck. I doubt changing filters and oiling blower will make it colder. You may need to have your system checked out if it's anywhere near how bad you say it sucks. . (Not that it will be of the greatest effect)

hondarayblue · 10-27-2015, 01:51 PM

Just got back from Tampa where I had a Nissan Altima rental car. Absolutely shocking steering feel. Too much power assistance. It had a very smooth engine and annoyingly enough the stereo sounded better than my hifi system in my 06 E90.

JingChai · 10-28-2015, 04:44 PM

Just got my car back from the body shop. First thing I notice was how different the steering feels.

Wilt · 10-28-2015, 05:00 PM

Hyundai Elan rental while my car is in the body shop (the other driver ran red light!). Runs on Hankook Optimo tires, suspension seems as harsh as the E90, so I check the tires and they are NOT RFT, but harsh ride nevertheless. I check the trunk...NO SPARE! just a molded closed cell foam insert where the space for the spare is located. No spare, no RFT tires, no kit with foam and pump to fill a punture and get you going again!

Welcome to NBA Jam · 10-28-2015, 05:13 PM

Every time I drive a car that's not mine, I appreciate my car more.

Barefoot-335is · 10-28-2015, 07:42 PM

While I was having my Suspension done I got to drive 3 different rental cars:

Ford Focus: Meh...

Toyota Camry: Much Better than the Ford with Fit and Finish and overall performance.

Buick Regal GS: a friggin nice American Car, performance, fit and finish all top notch...
Can't believe it is a Buick.

But I still like my BMW

10-26-2015, 12:58 AM	#1
JingChai Lieutenant 157 Rep 424 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 328i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	Observations from driving a rental car while my E90 is being repaired I got a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze from Enterprise while my car is being repaired at the body shop. Here are some observations after driving for 3 days: 1. Steering is way lighter than the 328i. In fact I can steer with just my thumb and index finger holding the steering wheel. 2. Doesn't ride as smooth as the other car but that could be down to the Firestone tires and the fact that it's an economy car. 3. I can see why automatic transmission is so popular since I do miss it at times. It does make everyday driving much easier. However, it would be nice to have instant acceleration instead have a brief lag when I step on the gas pedal. 4. I like the instant fuel economy display vs. the average display. 5. Part of me will miss this car when I get my BMW back.
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10-26-2015, 07:13 AM	#2
STRMTRPR Second Lieutenant 74 Rep 295 Posts Drives: 13 E92 335i Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Death Star iTrader: (0)	yeah the steering on the 3 series is very stiff, compared to other cars steering is much lighter.
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10-26-2015, 09:06 AM	#3
Johnny Boost Colonel 324 Rep 2,014 Posts Drives: '21 M850i GC Join Date: May 2013 Location: TBD iTrader: (0)	These rental/loaner car reviews are getting out of hand.... __________________ WedgePerformance E40 MHD \| Performance Exhaust Mod \| BMS DP \| Vibrant 1790 \| BMS Intake \| VRSF CP \| xHP Stage 3 Michelin PSS \| M3 Control Arms LUX v4 LEDs \| Shadowline Grills \| Lip Spoiler
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10-26-2015, 10:01 AM	#4
ATLIEN Captain 549 Rep 791 Posts Drives: 08 335i & 11 M3 ZCP Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Greenville, SC iTrader: (0)	I am in a rental car at least monthly for my business travels and have had my eye on a new Chevy Tahoe to perhaps purchase. I think they are a great looking truck and Enterprise had one available so I took the opportunity to rent it. It had all the bells and whistles but for the life of me I was underwhelmed. It had a beautiful interior but the driving dynamics were very truckish. I thought that it would soak up bumps where you would not feel them but I felt every freeway expansion and just felt like i was lumbering down the road. I also thought i was going to be blown away by the engine and the V8 torque but there again you had to really push it to get some real grunt and it was quick to upshift. It was as if it were tuned for fuel economy and not performance. A chip and transmission map would work wonders. I will say it was an excellent people mover and had first class presence but I think I will leave it at the dealership for now.
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10-26-2015, 10:58 AM	#5
PichaDis11 Colonel 295 Rep 2,203 Posts Drives: E90 N52 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: NY iTrader: (3)	3. A BMS Power Box will solve your accelerator problems. 4. You could always have your coded to have both Average and Instant gas mileage. Plus few other goodies Then. Go enjoy Your ride. __________________ Retrofits: 322, 609, 6FL, 6NR, 6VC, 2TB.. Upgrades: Bilstein B8 Eibach Spring kit
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10-26-2015, 11:03 AM	#6
'02onthebrain Second Lieutenant 17 Rep 259 Posts Drives: '07 335xi; '00 911 C4 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Wayne, PA iTrader: (1)	This really made me laugh, I needed it, thanks.
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10-26-2015, 11:06 AM	#7
John 070 Lieutenant General 1707 Rep 14,829 Posts Drives: 335i cpe Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ZSP/ZPP/ZCW iTrader: (0)	haha I had to go to Hotlanta and when I went to get my car a white GTI was staring right at me, one of the most fun rentals I had in a long time, and I had it 4 days. Yes, DSG/automatic (none of us like autos fer sure)...and steering actually lighter than E92, but very fun to drive. The next trip was to Chicago and got a brand new Cadillac XTS. Being the flagship it had cool features. The rearview looked like it was out of a 1950's Caddy, yet it was electronic. Other than that, those da** Camrys are so boring and dull to drive, even my 1998 Nissan has more road feel!
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10-26-2015, 10:21 PM	#11
Miller335 Colonel 291 Rep 2,189 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (0)	Why so serious? I laugh when people call Portland portlandia. __________________ 2007 E92 335 6MT w/335is clutch FBO MHD E60 Wedge map 49k miles
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10-27-2015, 08:19 AM	#16
motoguy128 Second Lieutenant 38 Rep 254 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: SW Michigan iTrader: (0)	When in Hawaii I had the choice between a Ford Escape and a Jeep Cherokee (3 of us with a bicycle, needed more cargo room). I choose wrong and got the Jeep thinking it was a lot bigger (didn't realize it was a small compact SUV). The Escape would have been a lot better overall, but barely fit out luggage. Space inefficiency was really poor. My 2008 Honda CR-V was 400lbs lighter and had a LOT more room.... why is this so hard to get right...8 years later? Do companies not do any benchmarks? The engine was typical for a NA mid sized 4 cylinder. Sounded boring, but was mostly quiet and not too buzzy. the killer was the 9 speed ZF tranmission. OR more accurately the horrible programming. Sometimes it's was almsot as smooth as our Audi Q5's 8 speed. Other times, it was as bad as a 15 year old jeep cherokee with 150k miles... Yes, that bad. It would oftne hold 2nd or 3rd gear up a steep climb and would be losing speed, then suddenly downshift and your squeel the tires. I never, ever, ever saw 9th gear. I don't think it's possible. It's uselessly tall. There engine lacks the torque to use it. ON a downhill steep enough to use it, the car instead keeps it in 8th for more engine braking. The turbocharged Escape would probably use it. The scariest thing is that the tranny would downshift really slow on long descents, and your suddenly speed up by 5-10mph while it shifted. The 10 year old 6 speed ZF in my 325i has some quirks, but it's extremely predictable, progressive and ideal gear spacing to compromise performance and economy. Bottom line, I was hoping Chrysler had really improved, but its' the same old overweight, overpriced POS I'm used to. It's just that all cars have improved, so a rising tide raises all ships, but they are still just as far behind as always. Only positive is that it's fairly quiet at highways speeds, ride is above average and despite dead steering feel (typical these days) it handled well overall. We also had a loaner Chevy Equinox while our Q5 was getting it's pistons and rings replaced. It's a little bigger/fatter than the Cherokee, but overall driving dynamics and refinement is quite a bit better, except interior noise at highway speeds was really bad.
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10-27-2015, 01:51 PM	#18
hondarayblue Private 3 Rep 60 Posts Drives: E90 330i M Sport Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Greenford, England iTrader: (0)	Just got back from Tampa where I had a Nissan Altima rental car. Absolutely shocking steering feel. Too much power assistance. It had a very smooth engine and annoyingly enough the stereo sounded better than my hifi system in my 06 E90.
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10-28-2015, 04:44 PM	#19
JingChai Lieutenant 157 Rep 424 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 328i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	Just got my car back from the body shop. First thing I notice was how different the steering feels.
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10-28-2015, 05:00 PM	#20
Wilt Major 228 Rep 1,051 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: SF Bay area iTrader: (0)	Hyundai Elan rental while my car is in the body shop (the other driver ran red light!). Runs on Hankook Optimo tires, suspension seems as harsh as the E90, so I check the tires and they are NOT RFT, but harsh ride nevertheless. I check the trunk...NO SPARE! just a molded closed cell foam insert where the space for the spare is located. No spare, no RFT tires, no kit with foam and pump to fill a punture and get you going again!
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10-28-2015, 05:13 PM	#21
Welcome to NBA Jam Is it the shoes!? 3885 Rep 5,112 Posts Drives: (Sold) 2011 E92 335i ZMP 6MT Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: USA iTrader: (1)	Every time I drive a car that's not mine, I appreciate my car more.
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10-28-2015, 07:42 PM	#22
Barefoot-335is First Lieutenant 63 Rep 307 Posts Drives: 2012 335is Coupe Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Barefoot Beach iTrader: (0)	While I was having my Suspension done I got to drive 3 different rental cars: Ford Focus: Meh... Toyota Camry: Much Better than the Ford with Fit and Finish and overall performance. Buick Regal GS: a friggin nice American Car, performance, fit and finish all top notch... Can't believe it is a Buick. But I still like my BMW
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