| [My apologies - This is a long account, but maybe some of you will find it of interest...] So i thought "Well, why not take them both out" since i have the opportunity to, and it's Friday... the office isn't too busy. I have been driving an '05 Ford Taurus from Enterprise the last two days. Not such a bad car comfort wise, but definitely a cushy cruiser like grandma used to drive. It feels like the car rides on pillows, and takes a nose dive everytime you hit the brakes. Plus the previous driver left it smelling like cigarette smoke, so i was ready for something more fun. Went back to Enterprise and they gave me an '05 Maxima. Very very nice car... WOW. Everything has a state of refinement several leagues above the Taurus. Nice finish, nice interior, great driving position and comfort. Excellent telescoping steering wheel. I was surprised that the long slit of a moonroof is actually two separate small moonroofs on the inside - one for front, one for back. The cockpit controls are excellent as is the climate control - dual zone and all digital (i sound like i'm from the movie 'Encino Man' or 'Back to the Future', but seriously, going from a 1990 car to a nice 2005 model is like that. There are some major advancements in terms of finish quality and features, not to mention safety.) The soundstage of the stereo is excellent and blows my original BOSE system to shame. The audio controls are on the steering wheel and are very intuitive. The tiptronic (sp?) shifter is fun to play with. It won't let you shift from fifth gear down to a dangerous, say, second gear at highway speeds however. Idiot proof (although i tried). The Nissan Maxima is an excellent car - felt like 20 years ahead of my Z in terms of technology and refinement. The dash looks sort of futuristic, and like most better modern sedans, the interior feels very spacious and airy. If i had a family of four, this would be my pick. It is a bit large though, definitely not a sports car. I wouldn't call the car nimble either, but it has good balance. It doesn't feel encumbered or ponderous at all, unlike the Taurus. Man, those brakes are awesome and almost no nose dive. The rotors must be inches bigger than the Z and the calipers are tenacious cause they had BITE. I gunned it a few times on the way to the airport and was surprised at the acceleration when i could get the engine to really kick in. Pretty fast car. However, for most people i don't think they'll drive it that way - like it's headed for the track. It's too much a family car. So... 30 minutes later i arrived at the airport and went to the Hertz car rental pick-up. There was a bright yellow '05 Mustang sitting right in front of the main door. Yup - that was the one i'd seen in the magazines. Let me just say in person it is a very nice looking car - masculine, aggressive, and smooth - like it's ready to pounce. I like the looks. After wasting too much time doing the paperwork, a Hertz employee drove the Mustang a few doors down to the Enterprise counter while i followed in the Maxima. The employees at the Enterprise lot must have thought we took a wrong turn when the yellow Mustang pulled into the drop-off queue. I dropped off the keys and receipt, explained that the Mustang had just become available (in fact it was the only '05 that Hertz had that day and they called me after i had already reserved the Maxima.) The Enterprise employee shrugged his shoulders as if to say "why not", gave me my token, and i was outta there. First impressions. The cockpit is totally unlike the Maxima. It is dark, deep, and cavernous with a high silled dashboard similar to a Dodge Viper. You feel like you are getting ready to do something dirty just sitting in it. Everything is black w/ chrome trim. Everything looks very retro too. I don't think this car would feel out of place if you went back to 1960-70. The speedo has elongated numerals and looks like it was taken from the old classic Mustang before they became the wussy cars of the '80s. There is nothing refined about the Mustang at all. It is an American-made machine and looks and feels like it. (Actually they probably aren't really made here - are they?) Whereas the Nissan felt like it was dropped from a spaceship from outerspace (conceived by higher forms of life), the Mustang feels like it was built in a high school shop class. I love it! It is rubbery and visceral. It is the six cylinder model. "We don't rent the GT's. There's too much liability" I was told at the counter. Bogus. The drivetrain is okay - feels about the same power as my NA, but yet not as smooth or fun, because they only rent the automatics. I bet the manual gear version is better. The brakes feel like they are electronically assisted. Hard to get a direct feel from the pedal. I can't say much for the balance or handling, as i was in stop and go traffic on the interstate. The stereo is adequate with good bass, but not as nice as the Maxima and without the convenient steering wheel buttons. The cruise control buttons are mounted there instead. Still, to borrow from gamespot, it's definitely got a good 'tilt' factor. It's fun to drive. And the bright yellow color with black interior and black 'M-u-s-t-a-n-g' lettered below the doors is a nice touch too. It is a looker. If i were still in high school, on spring break cruising down the strip in Panama City Beach Florida, this would be the car to have. It has all the elegance of your high school prom (which is to say not much), but makes up for it with a fun 'down and dirty' appearance (like the girl i *wish* i took to prom). It speaks of backseat nookey much more than the Maxima, which is probably limited to SpongeBob Squarepants and Happy Meals. Yes, it does actually have a real backseat. Anyway, it will be a fun car to drive for a week... but like someone said in a reply above, i'll probably wish i had kept the Maxima. :-) (On a side note, on the way from the first Enterprise location i was stopped behind the new Corvette, bright yellow with the tops off. First one i've seen around here. It's a great looking car - nice lines and very sculptural. Two middle aged guys with baseball caps were cruising in it, and judging by the smiles they had it must be a fun car to drive.)
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CURRENTLY SOLD OUT. Poster available upon request.
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15:13:08 04/01/05
