An ugly car weekend getaway...

[djb]

tomorrow(well, actually today) the whole family is heading off for a lightning road trip to go visit some friends of my wife's who live about 750 kliks away.

Not only the fact that I'm going to be doing alot of driving on the very boring 401 (a M-style motorway that goes a LONG way) with the kids in the backseat, but the real stinker is that my wife was at a fundraising thingee awhile back and got a car rental for this weekend--the bad part is that it is the 2000's equivelant to a AMC Pacer(a really goofy looking 70's car)--yes, a Buick Rendezvous or an Aztec. For you in the UK, don't know if these oddly shaped things are available, but they are really butt-ugly, to be rather coarse. My wife is all excited about it, but the enthusiasm just isn't there for me.

What have been some of your really ugly car experiences, and list the full names so I can try to find a photo of them. I'll try to find a link for this beauty.

djb

[djb]

try this: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/pont...a/compare.html (there is only the one picture I think, so you don't need to wait for the whole download if it's too long)

All the shots of it that I found are "flattering" 3/4 angles, but in real life, from the back, it really does looks strange.

Looks, schmooks, being a rental and with such long distances to go, I'll probably flog it along, just hope the mileage isn't too bad. Think it has a 3.4l six in it.

cheers

[AndyF]

uhh that looks horrible!

[Maxmil]

I read somewhere that GM was going to drop the Aztec at least. (The Buick version looks alot better, but look at the price difference.) The vehicle has to be the worst design to come out of Detroit since the Edsel. It is truly ugly, there is just no other word for it. I would be embarassed to be seen in one.

[paulzinho]

Originally posted by djb
who live about 750 kliks away.

What's a klik? I've heard it mentioned before but have no idea whatit is.

And poor you, that car looks...erm...I won't say, I might get banned!!!!

[Emfa]

Originally posted by paulzinho
What's a klik? I've heard it mentioned before but have no idea what it is.

A kilometre.

Originally posted by paulzinho
And poor you, that car looks...erm...I won't say, I might get banned!!!!

I will...
Oh, I guess I can't.

djb, did you get that nice yellow one?

[djb]

Well, we're back.

It ended up being a Buick Rendevous, not an Aztek thank god, and no, it was not yellow, but brown (relief again). Tall, wide, 4 wheel drive, not too, too ungainly despite it's considerable mass, but with side mirrors the size of tennis rackets (NOT much of an exaggeration, believe me) that if not there, would have allowed me to get it to 190 instead of 180(180 is a tad over 110mph, not that fast, but at least the speedo was pinned, as usually they are extremely optimistic of what a car can do).

Best mileage was about 25mpg (imperial) at around 120k (75) while the worst was a stint of nothing below 130 plus the obligatory top speed runs, that gave a terrible 19mpg. I just can't see why someone would want to own one of these types of cars-sure you can see all the way to where you are headed because you're seated so damn high, with bumper heights and gross weight enough to enable one to probably run over a Mini without even you noticing that you've done it, but for all the size, it only seats 5 and the ground clearance seems not much more than a regular car.

Around here in Montreal, there are hordes of people who drive these beautifully washed big-mutha SUV's to drop off the kids at school, to sit in ruxh hour traffic to go to work, to be higher up than the rest of everyone and probably safer in an accident (tough luck for all the sods in the econo boxes) Sure they are quiet inside, even at 90-100mph, have all kinds of admentaties like map lights, pockets here and there for anything, the usual upscale car sort of things, but it really seems to be a silly fashion thing with these SUV's-oh well, people can buy what they want, can't they? They certainly are not my cup of tea.

All said, there wasn't a snowstorm, the kids were great in the car, we had a very nice visit with our friends, their kids and ours got along, and so despite feeling very out of place at gas stations while I filled up the thing (I'm sure Buick aims these things at people 25 years older than me) it was a very enjoyable weekend.

Oh, by the way, at the start, I mentioned the AMC Pacer, here is a link with photos, including one yellow one that matches the Aztek.

http://www.javelinamx.com/Pacer/

Ahh, those 1970's memories....

[EERO]

Deej,
My sympathies. I think these ...vehicles... are the most hideous going and concrete proof that the General has lost the plot.

I have a friend who refers to SUV's as FUV's. I pick my son up at school every Friday and I drive VW Passat wagon which gets a reasonable 25-30 MPG. I often arrive quite early because I have a long commute and leave time for contingencies. I dutifully turn off my engine, even if its below freezing and am perpetually shocked by the drivers of FUV's who keep their beheamouths idling for half an hour. These were the same intellectuals who complained of high gas prices last spring when it was up around $2.00/gallon.

[djb]

FUV's--that's really good!, gonna remember that one. The only nice thing about the Rendevous for our trip was the REALLY tall gearing. At 90/140, it was only turning over at 2500!, no exageration, pretty amazing considering the barn-size of air being pushed aside.

[Emfa]

There was a fairly entertaining thread on SUV's here not long after the Road Car forum was opened. I think my favorite was SAV - suburban assault vehicle!