My car got whacked in a parking lot. After dealing with the insurance, mine and the other driver's, I deposited my vehicle with a body shop that has done superior work for me before. They estimated a week's work. I still need to get around, so the shop contacted their nearby rental agency which transported me to their office a few minutes south on the same road.
I've been driving since 1967, had my own car since 1975. My father had a massive suburban station wagon of that era, a car that he used for work. It had a manual transmission, which I tried to learn to operate without ever acquiring proficiency. Between the van's size and its transmission, I never drove it outside our own housing development. All my cars have been four door sedans, as were the family cars before I acquired my own. The brands varied. Chevy, Ford, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, now back to Toyota. All roughly the same size, except my Avalon which was slightly larger.
Rentals for vacations or while my car gets repaired always left me a bit skittish, as the car was never mine. For most, I opted for minimum expense, which usually got me a vehicle one size down from mine. I have had one minivan, obtained in San Juan on short notice when the original rental vehicle blew a tire on a pothole. And I've had a few SUVs as they became popular, but always the model that corresponded in size to my own sedan. I liked driving those as the higher seat placement offered a more expansive view of the road. They were also my introduction to rear cameras, a feature on my current sedan that did not save me from the parking lot collision I just experienced.
Standing at the desk at the rental office. It's a small operation, two or three employees at a built-in desk or counter with computers. Very unlike the airport centers which have long lines, multiple attendants, business travelers concerned about timely arrival at their appointments, or kids needing car seats. This site seemed more dependent on people like me whose personal car would be unavailable or needing to accommodate visiting family members. They served as a satellite for their large company, getting their rental inventory from a hub located a half hour away. At my arrival, they offered me a pick-up truck, with replacement to a more family type option when one became available. I had never driven a pickup truck. A drizzle fell intermittently. I was really in no hurry to have a car. They offered me a full-size Toyota Highlander. To me it looked more like something the military might buy. Too big. Certainly a size up from any SUV I had ever rented previously. I had their escort driver return me home a few miles away. Later in the afternoon, I called back to see what had come in. After being told of a more standard-sized SUV, my wife drove me back to the office to retrieve it.
Nissan Rogue. Either last year or this year's model. When I bought my current car three years ago, I considered mid-sized SUVs, and had a good experience with one I had rented on vacation. This wagon at the rental site looked like something the military might want. Too big for me, though the company offers an even larger one called a Pathfinder. Before I could even drive it home, the rental attendant had to show me how to compensate for the absence of a key, parking brake, and transmission lever. I just have to remember to keep the key fob in my pocket, never in the vehicle. Adjusting the side mirrors took some trial and error, the rear mirror adjustment more of what fifty years on the road has made automatic for me. I nudged it home with caution.
Then how to put more gas into it, something I will have to do. The refill occurs on the passenger side, with that little arrow next to the gas tank on the dashboard indicating that. I could not find a gas cap release anywhere. The internet has made everything searchable. The Google Auto Maven indicated that this model has no refill release. You just press the little metal circle and it pops open. And it has no gas cap, which is probably a good thing considering how many I have almost lost or forgot to screw back on. It shuts automatically when the refill hose is removed, then just close the metal plate over it.
I do not anticipate storing anything in the rear compartment but it would still be good to know how to open the tail door. No button apparent to me on the key fob or dash. Back to the Google Auto Maven. Apparently there are three ways to open this, one manual in case the battery fails. Fob open + release tab near license plate is what most owners of this SUV do.
Not touched the electronic audio panel. It seems hands-free phone is possible. Don't know how to use the radio, or even if it has a radio. AC I can figure out. There is a knob that suggests climate control. If I need it in the week or so I expecct to drive this, the Google Auto Maven will explain that knob.
Despite the car's size and unfamiliarity, there are things that register as an improvements over my sedan. Since the seat is much higher, the front windshield visibility seems far greater. I like the rear camera which displays automatically when the transmission goes in reverse. It tracks the backward motion direction of the car. The back mirror is less useful when driving backward.
My own rental needs arise only every few years. I try to get a sedan like mine, usually one size smaller, like my wife's sedan. Sometimes the rental inventory does not allow that. I avoid cars appreciably larger than mine. And with an unfavorable experience with fringe operators in Denver and Ft. Lauderdale with discounts but far off-site from the airport, I've learned to pay the extra fee for a few days and deal with a national company.
I tend to be very protective of borrowed cars, only driving them to destinations, rarely for leisure. The destinations can be quite distant, like an airport regional hub to a national park, but no joy riding or unintended roads. As I zip around near my home in this SUV, I will eventually get the feel for driving it. Not on my future purchase aspirations, though.
No comments:
Post a Comment