I haven't rented or driven a rental car yet (since I only got my license 3 months ago), but here's a list of cars I've traveled in, which my family has rented for different reasons:
- Renault Clio (2003, Gran Canaria - Spain, holiday, for one day)
- Volkswagen Jetta (2007, Vaasa - Finland, replacement car while our Chrysler was being repaired after an accident, about one week)
- Renault Scénic (2008, Málaga - Spain, holiday, for one week)
- Citroën Berlingo (2009, Alicante - Spain, holiday, for 10 days)
- Renault Mégane (2009, Pafos - Cyprus, holiday, for one week)
- Lancia Musa (2010, Rome - Italy, holiday, for one week)

Normally I rent boring things like a Dodge Neon, but the last time I was in Los Angeles I rented a Mini Cooper S 6-speed. Great fun, especially in parking garages However, it had such a firm suspension, and the wheelbase seemed to be just the wrong size for the distance between freeway expansion gaps, that the ride was absolutely horrible when cruising down certain concrete-paved highways. But the once I got on a twisty mountain road I quickly forgot about that issue

Rentals I've been in over the years (just a selection)

Peugeot 306
Peugeot 206 SW
Citroen Xsara Estate
Ford Ka
Fiat Punto
Renault Megane II
Renault Scenic II (Also Grand Scenic)
Vauxhall Zafira
Peugeot 307 (And also CC version)
Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Vectra
Vauxhall Signum
Alfa 156
BMW 118d
Ford Focus (At the time it was the then new MK2. It immediately had a bike smash into one of the rear doors... Also a MK1 version a few years before)
Ford Fiesta MKV (Truly, truly horrid underpowered diesel version)

The text is in German, sorry, but the main problem of the writer is understandable everywhere else: she felt annoyed and asahmed the whole time of the trip, due their rental car - a Ford Focus. The absolute wrong car for enjoying the legendary Highway No.1 along the Californian coast.

http://www.merian.de/kolumnen/mit-stil/a-728843.html

She tried several times to change the car, but for several reasons it was not possible. The car has destroyed the whole fun of the vacations.

We drove it in September for 5000 km:




Seems to be identical with the car on this show: http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_362661-Ford-Edge-2011.html

I haven't really rented too many cars as I usually drive anywhere that I travel and I always have a spare car to drive when I need but the cars I have rented are:

2009 Chevrolet Impala LS (when my wife wrecked her Astro)
2008 Ford F-150 SuperCab (when my Express was in a hit and run)
2004 Chevrolet Silverado Ext Cab (when my buddy wrecked my SC2)
2002 Ford E-350 Cargo (on a work trip to Alaska)
1999 Toyota 4Runner Limited (on my last visit to Guam)

On that trip I've seen, that my big, far away dream will not be possible - to drive with my K 70 acreoss the USA (from N.Y.to Chicago and then along the Historic Route 66 to San Diego and then the No.1 up to San Francisco.

Because the North american fuel is not good enough. My K 70 needs 96,5 octane, so I use the 98-octane "Super plus" (not this extreme overpriced "Optimax", "Ultimate" etc. with 100 octane). When you adjust the ignition a bit, I can take the 95-octane "Eurosuper" (the 91'-fuel, the former "Normal" disappeared in the EU a few years ago), but then the engine runs not that good any more.

In Canada and the USA you only can get fuel with 87, 89 or 91 octane, at some large stations in bigger towns their "Ultimate" - with lousy 94 octane.

Sorry, but I cannot remember, that in Western Europe after WWII we ever had fuel with less than 91 octane. I only remember some warnings for 87-octane-fuel in 1970ies guidebooks for travelling to the far countryside of Poland.

I have just payed the deposit for a rental that I will use on Cuba three weeks this winter

You know the US and Canada use a different octane rating than Europe, right? 87 here is equivalent to about 91 in Europe. Maybe your dream is still possible
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

Most of the gas stations around here have 87, 88, 89, 90 and 91 octane fuel with a few having 93 octane as well. You can also purchase 100 and 110 octane "racing fuel" at a couple of stations.

Not so very long ago we had 76.

2011 Ford Edge Sport (U387)

Only seen one such example here in southeastern NC (in blue, like the one pictured).



Most seen here are the standard Ford Edge models; SE, SEL, or Limited.

The Sport version boasts an upgraded 3.7 liter V-6 engine, 6-speed manumatic gearbox and sport-tuned suspension with sport alloy wheel & tire group. Also some cosmetic styling tweaks to set it apart from the lesser Edge models.

Edges are front-wheel drive with transversely mounted engine and transaxle with open front differential. AdvanceTrac electronic stability control (ESC) with roll stability control (RSC) and two-wheel electronic traction control is standard.

Ad about 2,000 USD to the list price and you can get torque fed to all four wheels, by way of automatic all-wheel drive which adds a one-speed single range transfer box with "torque biasing" center coupling-differential, rear axle with open rear differential and four-wheel electronic traction control*.

The all-wheel drive system is setup for on road performance and foul all-weather, all season on road conditions. Not for any sort of off road use.

*replaces two-wheel electronic traction control

I'm probably forgetting some, but;

A cheap, beaten-up Plymouth Sundance hatchback... twice. I forget what year it was.

A Brand new Ford Expedition. This was just after a snowstorm, so I thought I was going to need something like this.

A Chrysler PT Cruiser, after trying to rent a Ford Focus Station Wagon online. When it wasn't available, the dealer tried to push a Hyundai Sonata on me. This was back in the early-2000's when they were really ugly, and I let him know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't touching that ugly bug-faced POS.

A Chrysler Sebring Convertible for one day. I couldn't afford to do it for more.

There were several cars I have rented during the extended service of my car. I have rented Chevrolet Blazer, Geo Metro (it was automatic ), circa 2000 Chevrolet Malibu for the most recent ones. When I have my first car (the 1972 SAAB 99E) taken in for serviced, they have usually have older cars for me to rent such as another 1972 SAAB 99 (white one) with a kill switch on the dashboard that I tried to do and 1979 Subaru DL.

I just come back from 1500 km in Andalusia with a current-generation Opel Corsa.
I drove about half of the time I think.
For the part in small montain roads, it would have been much more fun with a gasoline car I think (instead of that diesel, which had moreover a problem at low rpm)

I liked the very-assisted steering (i.e. you can turn the wheel with one finger)
I didn't like the headlight commands on a button low on the dashboard rather than near the steering wheel like on most of the cars I know.
I didn't like either the fact that the commands near the steering wheel where "full electronic": I mean, when you put the turn indicator or the windscreen washers, the command does not stay in its place: the car just knows that you activated it.
(not easy to explain for me in English :D)

Yes, this is annoying. My Vectra has the same construction. I'm still not familar with that, as I've seen on a ride this afternoon again.

My last rental was a Nissan Altima coupe. I found the seats comfortable and the A/C sufficient for an Arizona summer, but the CVT felt very mushy and passing or accelerating into traffic incurred a noticeable delay before any serious thrust was delivered.

All Vauxhalls/Opels (maybe even all newer GM cars) have those dodgy indicators. This is in spite of the fact no one anywhere, ever has found it to be anything other than a counter-intuitive pain in the arse.

Rented a 2011 Chevy Suburban 1500 LT for a short roadtrip recently. Comfortable, lots of space for several people and camping equipment, smooth on the highway and offroad, but she was thirsty! Only about 17mpg for mostly highway driving.

I assume it had the automatic Autotrac four-wheel drive system with two-speed dual range transfer case? The Autotrac four-wheel drive system is available with a one-speed single range transfer case (no low range reduction gearing) for people who don’t do much offroading.

StabiliTrak electronic stability control (ESC) is standard and includes 4-wheel electronic traction control, but the traction control system is (or was) setup more for on road use rather than off road. GM may have reprogrammed the traction control system since its first introduction. The Tahoe and Suburban still rely mainly on the optional rear automatic differential lock (ADL) for enhanced off road traction.

Did yours have the ADL? Or you didn’t check?