Rentals Matter 2

Seat Leon                                              Fiat 500                                          Mini Cooper

One of the many, many things I enjoy about Europe are the variety of cars that are offered there.  Cars that we have with a few exceptions, absolutely no visibility to here in the USA.  As the Buick Lucerne continues to sell more of that particular model than all the BMW's sold in the US, I question why isn't good design and great economy more important to my fellow Americans?  We have never been a country that settles for mediocre, so why do many put "Made in the USA" over quality, safety, beauty and just plain fun to drive?

In Germany, we rented the SEAT Leon.  Spain's division of Volkswagen is putting out some great cars.  The Spanish have lots to be proud of these days, Rafael Nadal, Euro Champs 2008 and SEAT!

Nissan Micra                                   Peugeot 207CC                                                Lancia Ypsilon

Car-watching in Greece was a blast.  Greece doesn't manufacture any cars, no country loyalty comes into play.  The cars on the road were great fun, small, powerful, great colors and finishes.  We were constantly commenting that it's a pity we can't get that in the US. 

We did a lot of driving on our roadtrips in Greece, we put over 1,200 miles on our rental car.  So in hindsight we should have paid a bit more attention to what we drove away with from the Hertz lot at the Athens airport. 

It was a decent little car, a Hyundai Getz, the color was a bit odd, but in the shadow of the underpass which was the Hertz lot, it looked "interesting".  It had a couple of scratches and little dents, but nothing major.  It screamed "this is not you, or anything like you, or anything you would have driven ever", but it had AC, and it was what we were given.  They practically made it seem as though it was an upgrade, so who are we to question. 

We're "Car People", even rental cars matter.

Getz at Schinias                                   Getz overlooking Elatos                          Getz heading up the Κουρελεϊκα

Once in the bright Greek sunshine, the interesting color was a flat taxi cab yellow.  The number of people who tried to flag us down and get in our backseat was minimum, unless we were in a city.  We had no trouble finding our car in a parking lot. The car ran perfectly.  We didn't have a moment of trouble with it, but... it wasn't fun.  It wasn't us.  But it's family now.  It was part of all the wonderful memories.  With my sweet husband at the wheel, it got us everywhere we needed to go, and sure beat the donkey my Υιαγια rode around Elatos.

Comments

[Leisa Dreps]

There is a bit of national pride when it comes to buying your own products. But maybe the trend also reflects which companies Americans trust more when it comes to cars. But yes, there are amazing models out there that are being set aside.

[kalliope]

Cars are a very personal choice, and I hesitate to give advice...but here I go! Perhaps you should check out SEAT's, they have a wonderful selection, and the quality, exterior and interior is very good. And OK... if you really are committed to getting-a-Getz, the color choice is critical. Go for a metallic, subtle color. On this particular model, subtle color is key. Happy car shopping!

[maria v]

i have a silver hyundai accent - 9 years old. i'm hoping that my next one will be a getz