Eh, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "lemon." The two real failures of the car were the stock tires, which were dangerously tractionless, and the parking brake which goes out of adjustment every couple months. Other than that, it's been eminently reliable - which is obnoxious, because I just wish it would fail in some spectacular manner so I could insist that it's time for a new car :(
It's one of those cars that's so reliable but you wish it wasn't - kind of an anti-Ferrari, if you will.
VERY few rental cars have telescoping steering wheels, and my guess-sumption is that very few models sold in North America have them anymore. They were ubiquitous back in the 70s, and I loved them. I would suspect that north-American standard airbags (still rather much too powerful) probably preclude telescoping steering wheels in most cars. Of the many rentals I've had in my travels in recent years, only a couple of GM models have had telescoping wheels, and even then they have pitifully limited travel so that they remain too far away for my liking.
Strange as it may seem, they're not UNcommon here. Ford in particular seems to put them on many of their large vehicles (both full-size cars and truck/SUVs) at moderate option levels and not just "fully loaded" cars. Hence the fact that you frequently get Ford rentals with adjustable pedals.
OK, it starts to look like it's different in North America and Europe. According to my observations, in Europe telescoping steering wheels started to appear in 90's and since have become matter of course in larger cars (here Chrysler Sebring and similar are large cars). Later, some time in 2000's, they started to appear in Corollas and similar (which are considered mid-size cars).
There's again difference: only vehicles I've seen here having adjusting pedals have been large vehicles ...that probably were primarily targeted at North American market. Maybe this telescoping steering wheel vs. adjusting pedals matter is because of different likings, or maybe simply because there wouldn't be extra legroom in average European car to be sacrificed for pedal-moving mechanism. Or maybe the reason is something else, I don't know...
By the way, the reason for smaller cars is mostly price: In Germany where car taxation is lighter, cars are almost as large as in US (based mostly on what I've seen on TV on German and American programs :) ). Instead some other European countries like Finland, Denmark and Norway have heavier taxation, so people can only afford smaller cars :(
Some examples on what kind of prices and configurations we have here in Finland:
- Toyota Corolla with 1.6-liter engine (largest available) and average option level: 22 500 euros (32 500 USD) (one of the most common cars here)
- Ford Focus 5-door hatchback 1.6: 21000 (30 500 USD) (also this is common)
- Chrysler Sebring 2.0 Touring: 23 000 (33 500 USD) (most sold version)
Almost entirely off topic, I left the office last night and almost immediately caught up to a really pretty black Ferrari 275. Sadly, the driver not only had the top up and was driving like my grandmother but he was also talking on a cell phone. It is sad (at least to me) that driving a vintage Ferrari is so commonplace to some people that they don't mind multitasking while doing so... I must be doing something wrong with my life.
Maybe it's because they aren't drivers, but rather have the cars as status symbols? Or maybe it's because in this society police officers can use selective enforcement to act out their desires to punish people who've done better than they have?
I've never seen a exotic driven properly. Have seen an MFFY you in a Bently on the dan-ryan expressway. And then there was that guy in the Aston Martin who had to race the torqueless wonder car. (although he's offset by the another Aston Martin driver I out accelerated with my bicycle and in another sighting out turned with my '73)
I've seen a Miura get all crossed up and smoky on a public street before. (that might not fit some people's definitions of "properly" but it certainly was likely "as intended by the manufacturer.") Of course I suspect that it was a mechanic giving it a post-tuneup test drive, as it was leaving the service bay of an exotic car dealership/ service center. I guess I just kind of expected that the kind of person that buys a NEW exotic might fit that mold, but someone who obviously went to the effort to purchase a rare, vintage example instead must actually be an enthusiast.
I'd personally be a little nervous about giving a thorough workout to a proper "crumpet catcher" on public roads because of a) the value of the thing approximating the purchase price of my house and b) the cop attracting factor, but one would assume that if you can afford to have one of your own that a) is not so much of a concern.
What is there, in your background, that would lead us to believe that 'you' know how a Ferrari should be driven. Do you frequently watch Magnum reruns, or something?
Years of posting to rec.autos.driving? I don't go there anymore, but seeing Brent here in a tech group makes me think it's dead, so he brings this OT crap here.
Best I've ever seen was when I was riding in a viper... although I don't put the viper in the same class. I did get to drive that car briefly.
I would too ;)
I've seen too many fine old cars abused (as in not being cared for) to think that would be the case.
I can see being careful with it, but driving like a old woman on the way to church is just not necesscary to keep it nice. Driving it like that probably makes it more likely to end up having someone plow into it.
I'll phrase it differently for you, I usually see exotics driven in a granny like manner that isn't even correct for stock taurus. For example, 55mph in the leftmost lane of an interstate in a 75mph traffic flow.
Sounds like the only Diablo I've ever seen on the street (while yours truly was in a stock Taurus, as it happens). He had a good reason, though: a motorcycle cop holding formation off his left rear corner like a remora on a shark (soon joined by another one who swooped in after merging from another freeway).
The Lamborghini driver kept steady on, 55 (the speed limit on that stretch) right on the nickel; and didn't do what I was afraid he would, which was see just one cop, merge right, and smack the other into oblivion. After several miles of laboriously not giving them the sorely desired excuse, they went their separate ways.
These words of wisdom dissuaded me from suggesting some DIY ways of fixing the wheel. It is a safety issue, maybe not that much for the adept and mechanically aware current driver, but definitely for whatever poor pilgrim ends up buying the car at auction. It should be fixed properly, and considering that it failed after a fairly short period of apparently normal use, I would opine that GM should swallow the cost of doing this, as either a random or systematic quality defect.
Declaring it to be a safety issue and getting your complaint on the record (with the company fleet manager as well as with GM) might also help counter any attempt to stick the company -- or the employee -- with a bill for damage when the aforementioned lease comes up.
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