2009 VW "New" Beetle

I arrived in Memphis around 1 AM on Tuesday, and was glad to find National was actually waiting for my arrival. When they dropped me off at the lot the politely apologized for the small number of cars, and informed me they had just taken over 200 Toyotas off the lot. There were 2 cars, and 2 of us needing them. The VW Beetle and a Chevrolet Colbalt were running and waiting for us. I immediately walked over to the VW and boy, am I happy I did.

FUN does not even begin to describe this car. I fell in love as soon as I got in and closed the door. The dash and controls were typical VW- clean lines, no fuss and very user friendly. The color was pretty cool too, a blend of blue and red LED.

The other words that come to mind for this car are FAST and TORQUE. I am truly amazed I didn't get a ticket this week. You put a 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder (150 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque) engine on a little sporty chassis and it is hard not to push the limits to see what it can do. The 6-speed automatic was very responsive, and the "Sport" setting was fun on the highway. The manual shift mode was a lot of fun too when I wanted to be a little playful.

The only things I noticed about this car I'd have to learn to deal with:
1. The back seat is ridiculously small. I got in just to see what it was like, and I am not a tall person; I barely fit.
2. The stereo was a little weak, and I didn't find an AUX input. I think they should be standard in the age of the iPod. One is available as an option for $130.
3. The back tail was tricky to close. I had to open and reclose it a few times. A light on the dash indicated when it was open, even though I couldn't pull it up it was not latched 100%. I really had to slam it sometimes to get it to close all the way.

Aside from the speedy and fun factor, what impressed me most was I used less gas this week than ever. Granted I used the car one less day, but I didn't need to stop and get gas before I returned the car, even with my "aggressive" driving from Tuesday night to Thursday afternoon. That included the trip to and from the airport on the freeway. Granted it was not as "FULL" as it was when I picked it up, but the needle was still on F so I got to skip the fuel pump on the way home.

The price for a 2010 model with the same features as the one I drove is $20,542. I'd add a sunroof and maybe the larger wheels, but even the base model has all the featurs I'd want. I love VW and this one certainly did not disappoint!

2010 GMC Terrain SLT

Talk about impressed! I was really happy to see this vehicle available on Monday morning. I jumped in and immediately felt that this compact SUV was going to be a nice drive for the week. I was correct.

The SLT1 version I drove had more bells and whistles than I would ever need, and I was very surprised with how loaded this vehicle was for a rental. The interior was beautiful too, the seating was a 2-tone leather with a red stitching that looked very stylish and sporty. The instrument panel was clear and easy to use, despite the many controls for the stereo, climate control and vehicle information. I did find myself turning the wrong dial for the fan and stereo volume on occasion. There was a volume control on the steering wheel, but the controls were very small to be used easily. I am sure if I owned this car I'd grow accustom to it.

The Terrain has a 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder engine. It was adequately powered for my in-town driving, and did not seem to have problems getting onto the freeway or passing when I needed the extra power. The 6-speed automatic was OK as well, however I tried the "manual" shift mode and was disappointed with its responsiveness. It was not at all like the Borrego that shifted immediately when you pressed the button. Instead the Terrain seemed to just be suggested by your commands and shifted when it wanted to anyway. Also, when you are at speed and shift into Manual the transmission automatically shifts down to 4.

The one feature I could do without was the backup camera. Maybe I would get used to it over time, but I found it to be easier to turn and look especially since I couldn't judge the distance of something behind me just by looking in the camera. I suppose it would be good for safety purposes, but I prefer the parking assist "beeping" that other cars have to the camera.

The Terrain has Remote Start, like most other GM vehicles. This was wonderful on the cold and frosty Memphis mornings. I simply started the car from my hotel room and the windows were clear and the heat was warm by the time I got downstairs. I think every car should have this feature!

The car's computer stated that it was getting 22.4 MPG average, but I feel like it used more gas than other cars. My refill on Thursday was slightly higher this week than in the past. The Ford with the larger V6 used less fuel. The Terrain is also available in a V6 for $1500 more than the standard engine. I wonder if my more 'aggressive' driving put more demand on the 4 and therefore effected the fuel economy.

The Terrain SLT-1 stickers for $28,500- certainly a great price and there are very few options available to drive the price any higher.