Rental Car Reviews

[Bob]

So I just flew in to the smallest airport ever, JLN, Joplin, MO. Let me put it this way - the men's room near the gate had one toilet and a lock on the door. I rented from Hertz there because they don't have a National (too small). Anyway, I was mentally prepared to get something god awful because it's a small airport and Hertz never treats me that well. I could see the Hertz Gold folder with my name on it on the wall as I was waiting in line. It had what appeared to be an old style GM fob tucked inside. My mind was running through all the possibilities as I waited (2014 Malibu, Equinox, Craptiva...). The lady at the desk says, "You have the silver Impala." I was thinking, "oh sweet, an Impala, this won't be so bad." Then I realized this wasn't an Epsilon II Impala, this was a W-Body! Not only that, it's a 2014 LT with cloth interior and 53k miles, making it the highest mileage rental I have ever had. The powertrain alone makes this car exciting, mainly because it's entirely too much power for the chassis. This is an old school muscle car in all of its FWD glory.

Whoa, I just realized that the 3.6L has 2 more HP than the 5.3L that was used in the SS from the same generation! Maybe this thing can trap 100. It certainly feels fast.

[kevm14]

I like that it took a podunk airport to finally rent a 3.6 Impala.

How is the powertrain, chassis and interior holding up at 53k rental miles?

[Bob]

I like that it took a podunk airport to finally rent a 3.6 Impala.

How is the powertrain, chassis and interior holding up at 53k rental miles?

It feels like it is actually holding up fairly well. Interior smells bad, but that's not the car's fault. The transmission does feel a bit lumpy on some shifts, maybe from abuse. This is a 6A by the way. The steering actually isn't terrible. It has a pretty heavy feel to it which I don't mind.

I could see these being an incredible daily driver bargain in a few years for the discerning buyer. I am sure it will be possible to pick one up for next to nothing once they start being phased out of the fleets.

[kevm14]

Classic GM formula. The final gen/years are the best. No other automaker would have put such a modern engine /trans into that old platform. It probably helped that GM already had beefed up parts from the 5.3L models on the shelf.

[Bob]

Just picked up a 2016 Camaro at LAX. It's a V6 with not too many other options as far as I can tell. The chassis is certainly improved a lot over the previous generation and it has legitimate straight line performance.

Also, it should be noted that I passed on well optioned vehicles with Infiniti and Lincoln badges just so I could see what all the hype is about here.

[kevm14]

V6 base price: $28k

Edmunds road test quote:

With the resonators in the exhaust at full vibrato, the V6 Camaro is engaging in virtually every way. GM claims that the 3,435-pound Camaro V6 automatic will rip to 60 mph in only 5.1 seconds while slamming through the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 103 mph. Back in 1967, Cars magazine tested one of the first Camaro SS models powered by a 5.7-liter V8. It took 15.8 seconds to complete the quarter-mile at 89 mph. By any reasonable historic standard, the 2016 Camaro V6 is a very quick car.

But as good as the V6 is, the V8 is much better. The LT1 V8 used in the 2016 Camaro SS is the same engine Chevrolet installs in the Corvette and it feels just as strong in this application. With the variable exhaust tuned to produce a subdued roar, the Camaro SS is almost ludicrously entertaining. With the six-speed manual transmission's rev-matching feature working, every downshift makes the driver feel as if there's Andretti DNA in their veins.

This Camaro SS turns into corners more quickly, brakes more effectively and thunders out of corners in ways reminiscent of the 2015 Camaro Z/28. It sure doesn't have the ultimate adhesion of the track-oriented Z/28, and it rides much better, but that feeling of security and enthusiasm for the mission at hand runs right through the steering wheel and shifter into your hands.

And it's blistering, lightning, ravenously, super quick. GM claims the eight-speed automatic-equipped 2016 Camaro SS will slam to 60 mph in only 4.0 seconds flat, with the quarter-mile screaming by in 12.3 seconds at a thunderous 116 mph. That's astonishing, eye-flattening, Chuck Yeager speed.

The claims for the manual are 4.3 seconds to 60 and 12.5 seconds in the quarter at 115 mph. Those are also numbers Ferrari would have boasted about a decade ago.

[Bob]

Did you know the V6 has cylinder deactivation? I saw it switch from V6 to V4 a couple times (usually only under very specific circumstances).

[kevm14]

I may have forgotten that.

Other fun trivia: GM implemented cylinder deactivation on the new 3.0 V6 TT in the CT6, a first for the industry. Not sure how much it will help, since the whole point of using a small turbocharged engine in a large vehicle is decreased pumping losses during light cruise. In the Camaro, V4 can probably be used more frequently.

[Bob]

I didn't see the V4 light come on much while I was driving it, but that may have had something to do with my driving style.

[kevm14]

I didn't see the V4 light come on much while I was driving it, but that may have had something to do with my driving style.

Driest humor ever.