Associate
- Joined
- 11 Dec 2009
- Posts
- 530
- Location
- Barnsley
Not sure if there is a thread on this already.
However recently I have been on holiday to the USA (best man at a friends wedding).
Evidently Texas is a very big place so I needed a car. £100 for the smallest crap box they had for 4 days or £120 for a full size. Being of sound mind and derelict body I opted for the full size.
Went to pick it up and was pleasantly surprised to recieve the keys to a Toyota Camry. Now I have driven a few Toyota's before in the UK so expected this to be somewhat better than the usual barge's I had seen running around Austin.
How wrong was I!
The ride was comfortable, but the handling was dire! Corners at any speed resulted in tremendous body roll. The Auto box seemed to have Alzhiemers which resulted in it changing up whilst driving up inclines at low rpm and when your toe nail grows a micron dropping two gears and screaming the thuppeny bits off of it! (I am used to auto boxes so the random changing is nothing to do with my driving style (or the missus))
You would also expect a 2.5l 170bhp 4 banger to have at least a respectable turn of pace. Well nope, it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding!
Do American versions of cars have revised suspension and steering geared towards feeling like it has just been popped out of a jelly mould?
On the flip side, I went to Vegas for a week after the wedding was done with and decided I fancied a go at a muscle car for a run out the Canyon etc. Opted for a 6.2l V8 2012 Camaro SS. Now the way this drove really surprised me.
I was expecting it to be lazy, low revving but a bit of V8 fun. How surprised was I when I found the ride and handling to be excellent and it extremely keen to bury the tacho in the redline, and a tendancy to go sideways
(not to mention the throaty V8 roar and it dumping fuel into the engine of overrun for some nice pops and bangs). On the whole I really enjoyed this car and was loath to give it back.
When I got back to the UK. I flagged a lift into work from a friend. (my company car has been off hired whilst on holiday and it's replacement isn't due until March!!!)
I was greeted by the fleet manager with a silly grin on his face and a set of Vauxhall keys. "Great!" I thought, "A bloody corsa!". The reality of the situation was much worse however. A metallic green Zafira 1.8 SRI!!!!!!!
It drives infinately better than the Camry I had in Austin. However much to my amusement there is a button on the dashboard with the word "Sport" on it.
So far I have resisted the urge to press it as I am wholly expecting the radio to start playing cricket/golf/snooker commentry to me.
Fortunately the guys at work have found me another car I can use until March. It's nothing flash (A 92k 2008 A3 with optional extra's such as a steering wheel) but I would prefer it over the loser cruiser I have been lumbered with at the minute!!!
However recently I have been on holiday to the USA (best man at a friends wedding).
Evidently Texas is a very big place so I needed a car. £100 for the smallest crap box they had for 4 days or £120 for a full size. Being of sound mind and derelict body I opted for the full size.
Went to pick it up and was pleasantly surprised to recieve the keys to a Toyota Camry. Now I have driven a few Toyota's before in the UK so expected this to be somewhat better than the usual barge's I had seen running around Austin.
How wrong was I!
The ride was comfortable, but the handling was dire! Corners at any speed resulted in tremendous body roll. The Auto box seemed to have Alzhiemers which resulted in it changing up whilst driving up inclines at low rpm and when your toe nail grows a micron dropping two gears and screaming the thuppeny bits off of it! (I am used to auto boxes so the random changing is nothing to do with my driving style (or the missus))
You would also expect a 2.5l 170bhp 4 banger to have at least a respectable turn of pace. Well nope, it couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding!
Do American versions of cars have revised suspension and steering geared towards feeling like it has just been popped out of a jelly mould?
On the flip side, I went to Vegas for a week after the wedding was done with and decided I fancied a go at a muscle car for a run out the Canyon etc. Opted for a 6.2l V8 2012 Camaro SS. Now the way this drove really surprised me.
I was expecting it to be lazy, low revving but a bit of V8 fun. How surprised was I when I found the ride and handling to be excellent and it extremely keen to bury the tacho in the redline, and a tendancy to go sideways

When I got back to the UK. I flagged a lift into work from a friend. (my company car has been off hired whilst on holiday and it's replacement isn't due until March!!!)
I was greeted by the fleet manager with a silly grin on his face and a set of Vauxhall keys. "Great!" I thought, "A bloody corsa!". The reality of the situation was much worse however. A metallic green Zafira 1.8 SRI!!!!!!!

It drives infinately better than the Camry I had in Austin. However much to my amusement there is a button on the dashboard with the word "Sport" on it.
So far I have resisted the urge to press it as I am wholly expecting the radio to start playing cricket/golf/snooker commentry to me.
Fortunately the guys at work have found me another car I can use until March. It's nothing flash (A 92k 2008 A3 with optional extra's such as a steering wheel) but I would prefer it over the loser cruiser I have been lumbered with at the minute!!!