cestmoi123

Agreed on the Challenger - it's a "big, bulky, but fast in a straight line" car that isn't actually fast in a straight line. That 6.5 seconds is notably slower than such legendary dragstrip monsters as the Accord Touring or Camry V-6, both of which are under six seconds.

COSPILOT

To add insult, the one I rented didn't have a backup camera or sensors which made backing out a royal pain with the limited visibility.

Qwkynuf

Someone should go to jail for the rearward visibility on the Challenger. Seriously.

The 2018 and later models have backup cameras, as required by law, but the display on the base models is about the size of an iPhone 4 - so it's of very little use.

COSPILOT

The Challenger is on my DNR list, period. I get that it's popular for some, heck, my good friend has the Hellcat Charger (very fun to drive), but the Challenger is an accident waiting to happen given the poor visibility.

strickerj

CMK10

I have mixed feelings on Infinitis. I used to love the 2007-2008 G35s and G37s. I thought they were sleek and fast and a lot of fun. The current crop of Q50s which replaced them are a Maxima with an Infiniti badge. Nothing about them feels special or luxurious in a way the Nissan isn't. That said, I do like the Q60 3.0T coupes. I think those are fun cars to drive and actually feel like something I wouldn't mind owning.

Drunkmuppet

This weekend I had a red hard top convertible BMW 430. It might be the most disappointing luxury car I've driven at National. Driving position was terrible, no matter how I adjusted the seat I felt like I was at a table where the seats are too low. No luggage space whatsoever and the fit and finish was marginal at best.

Qwkynuf

Thank you! I thought it was just me! I did a paid upgrade last winter to get one of these off of the Premium line, and while I can't say I hated it, I definitely would pick a convertible Mustang or Camaro over that one every time. The other thing I noticed was that despite relatively long doors, I always felt cramped and awkward getting in & out - even with the top down.

CMK10

Interesting. I had one of these at RNO this year and I actually really liked it. I agree on the luggage space issue but I enjoyed the car and the drive and the comfort. I think the Infiniti Q60 coupe with 3.0T is a better car but I had no qualms with the BMW.

xienon

All the coupes like the 430i, Q60, or MX-5 feel really low to the ground and you feel like your legs are on the floor if you're used to driving SUV's or Impalas. That's just the way the cars are designed in order to get the low swoopy roofline. The 430i does feel quite heavy in turns because of the weight of the hardtop mechanism. The Q60 feels a bit livelier but has the same low seating position.

ginmqi

Yup, sporty cars are designed to be low to the ground with the driver having a lower driving position for the style and for the performance aspect.

The Q60 hasn't had very good reviews and honestly I wasn't super impressed with the 430i either.

I did love the new Miata though, super fun to throw around.

Wiley

Infiniti seems to be hoping that people only notice how fast the car is and nothing else. The rattles are absolutely unacceptable for a "luxury" car. Also the design is just dumb. Three different dashboard brightness settings!? Really Infiniti? You needed to have three separate brightness settings and you can't just have just one of them control all the screens? Am I really expected to go through that many settings when I'm trying to adjust the screen brightness when I'm driving on a dark highway? Spending that much time with eyes off the road is not only unsafe, but also just idiotic design. Also, you'll see the fuel economy on three different screens but you can only reset it one of the screens (good luck figuring out which one as it's not the one you would expect). This is downright dangerous if you're figure out how to do this while you're driving. Something as simple as a trip odometer reset requires going through several unnecessary and complex hoops that no other car maker does. You guys keep your fast car. I'll find a better one from some other company.

MEABFlyer

Always avoid:
Nissan Rogue - I'm not particularly tall but I feel like my head is in the ceiling and I can't see out of it.

Chevy Malibu and Impala - nothing screams "rental car" quite like these cars.

Chevy Camaro - rented one for a drive from PHX to Flagstaff and thought it would be a fun car for that drive. The visibility is poor which I kind of expected. But the handling wasn't great either.

Favorite:
Nissan Maxima - nothing spectacular about this car other than it's comfortable and relatively quick.

Ford Flex - it looks like a mini hearse but it is surprisingly nice to drive.

Dodge Challenger - despite its poor visibility it is otherwise fun to drive.

m907

I recently got stuck with a Chevy Impala and it was not as bad as I remembered. It has decent power and it looks alright. But it misses the mark in so many areas. Front wheel drive only so there's lots of torque steer. Infotainment is clunky. Interior is subpar. It seems like such a missed opportunity.

if they made one RWD or AWD that would be a game changer. But it's just disappointing now.

iluvdoco

Drove a Nissan Maxima SV recently, and I realized how much better it is than the Q50 even though they're mechanical twins. The infotainment system on the Maxima is a lot better than the Q50's poorly implemented dual stack design.