What do you get for a $7-a-day Rental Car?
When you unlock the driver’s side door, the car begins to tick; it’s like a time bomb. It is a time bomb, actually — because if you don’t get the key in the ignition and crank it over within about 10 seconds, the horn starts blaring, lights start flashing, and you become that guy — the one who can’t get his #&@! car to shut up.
It took me a little while to figure out this routine. Unlock the door and TOUCH NOTHING until you start the car. It’s really annoying to have to start the car every time you want to grab something out of the back seat or trunk, and of course we still set that stupid alarm off at least once a day, but hey, I’m paying $7 a day for this thing; I’m not complaining. Much.
The 2010 Ford Focus that my husband and I rented from Alamo in south Florida is really not a bad car, and you can’t beat the price. But sometimes I do want to beat this car with a stick. This car is kind of an asshole.
The stereo automatically mutes itself until everyone is buckled up. This isn’t a problem, really, because of course everyone should buckle up all the time, but it gives the car a major air of self-righteousness. I was gonna buckle up before we got going! Stop assuming I’m so irresponsible! Yeesh.
The real issue with the stereo, though, is that it won’t let you turn up the volume very far. This thing is just loaded with parental controls. Look, I’m not some reckless hooligan, but I like to drive with the windows down and the radio up and this a-hole car won’t let me enjoy that. Screw you, cheap Focus.
Possibly the most obnoxious of the controls on this car is the speed governor. Now I wasn’t planning on driving over 80mph, so I don’t really mind that I can’t, but what I do mind is that the car won’t stop dinging to warn me that I’m close to my max speed when I’m driving 75mph. The speed limit is 70, and everyone knows that the real speed limit is whatever’s on the sign +10. I should be able to go 5 over without the car flipping out on me. And I’d like to be able to hear my music while I barely speed, please.
Lastly, our rental is black. I’m not car racist, but this just isn’t a good idea in south Florida in the summer — look what it did to my gummy bears!
Not all of Alamo’s rental cars are like this one, and next time I rent one, I’ll be sure to get one without so many controls. And honestly, for $7 a day, it could be a lot worse.
Want to know how we found a $7-a-day rental? Read my tip on Traveldudes.org.
April 28th, 2010 at 9:43 am
where’s the part where you tell us how to score a $7/day rental car?
April 28th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
See, all that crap makes sense in a rental car. If you get in an accident and you were hurt, maybe you’ll sue the rental car company.
The worst thing about the buckle detectors, for me, is that they go off if I have (e.g.) a backpack full of books on the passenger seat. It’s really annoying. No, Car, my textbooks are *not* a precious precious baby, so stop beeping at me.
The gummy bear picture is great though!