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Vacation Rental and Families New Car review... (copy from Asian section)

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  rhallanger 
#1 ·
On Vacation and found my Father has left the reservation by purchasing a Lexus RX, and our rental ended up being a Chevy Captiva. What follows is my opinions of both:

Lexus RX:

I never have liked them from an outsiders perspective having never actually been in one. Now that that's changed nothing has changed, I just don't see the attraction outside of the nicer Toyota market. Yes the interior materials are pretty much all soft touch and it has real wood, but, the wood is so glossy you would never know that it wasn't plastic. It's odd that they make wood so glossy it looks like plastic while making glossy plastic look like wood. I much prefer the more natural finishes in new Lincolns. It is very refined insofar as noise, vibration, and harshness as there isn't really any.

The biggest, maybe only thing I can say in it's favor is it is a step up in material quality from you average mainstream car. Even so the design is atrocious, there is nothing about the design that says to me this was a well considered, classy, upmarket vehicle. One positive I do find is an odd one, but maybe speaks to Lexus's success, the handle above the driver and passenger doors actuates like butter! I'm serious, I find myself extending and retracting it over and over, it just flat out feels like a highly refined, maybe even perfect actuation.

Positives: Reliability and cheap lease
Negative: No soul, I want a vehicle that inspires me not puts me to sleep.

Scored 1-10
Design: 1 Yes, I hate the look outside and am no more impressed inside.
Refinement: 9
Material Quality: 7.5
Recommendation: Avoid unless you're one of those people who drone on in a monotone voice. This vehicle has no soul.

Chevy Captiva:

The only small CUV available when we rented so I was not excited but I have to say after a day with it this is a very nice car everything considered. Like the Lexus this is vanilla transportation, it is a soulless drive, but it is a smooth, comfortable and surprisingly roomy car. I'm one who never understood the small CUV craze but if the fleet only Captiva is this much better at basic transportation than the typical C-segment sedan/hatch maybe I've been wrong all along. Build quality is actually very good, yes the materials are cheap, hard plastics, but they're put together well with no squeaks or rattles that I hear with 54k on the odometer. The vehicle ride feels every bit as smooth as the RX, the handling is tight though not sporty. The engine is smooth at normal driving speeds though I've surprisingly not tried revving it out as it doesn't inspire such driving so I don't even think about it.

Positives: Cheap, comfortable, smooth, not hideous
Negatives: Cheap

Scored 1-10
Design: 3
Refinement: 7 Seriously, just driving around I don't feel a notably better experience than the RX
Material Quality: 4 Not special but who cares
Recommendation: In isolation from the rest of it's competition I would absolutely buy this for the wife. This is basic, unremarkable, utilitarian transportation and it does all that without any obvious segment specific lapses in refinement or build quality. That this vehicle is only deemed worthy of rental fleet sales makes me wonder just how far the small C-segment CUVs have come since I last drove one!

Final note, I really, really, really hate this Florida humidity! Given me Southern Nevada's extreme temperatures with no humidity 10 times out of 9!!
 
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#2 ·
Re: Vacation Rental and Families New Car review...

Welcome to the sunshine state! I am guessing you are no where near the Tampa Bay area since it's been fairly cool here in the mid 60s and foggy!
 
#4 ·
Re: Vacation Rental and Families New Car review...

Welcome to the sunshine state! I am guessing you are no where near the Tampa Bay area since it's been fairly cool here in the mid 60s and foggy!
We're in Estero which is down near Fort Myers, but I'm guessing you knew that last part.

humidity.. I have heard of that.. come on up to Minnesota.. we can give you plenty of ... COLD.. and snow.. I need a florida vacation.. make it a WARM vacation.. ho hum..

:banghead:
Lived 30 of my 48 years in Shoreview, just north of St.Paul so I know your pain!
 
#5 ·
Re: Vacation Rental and Families New Car review...

We're in Estero which is down near Fort Myers, but I'm guessing you knew that last part.
Gulf side is the best side!
 
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