Where'd my pic go? It was there after I posted last night, I swear...
Funny thing is, I looked up the specs. It has that variable ratio transmission crap. Really? Then why can I still feel it shift? All that garbage is, is a really weak torque converter allowing it to spin to 6000 rpm at any throttle position during accelleration until the drivetrain catches up, then you feel it shift and it spools back up to 6000 rpm again. Complete garbage.
It's fly-by-wire throttle as well (I started a thread hoping for discussion a while back on FBW automotive applications in the future). Just as I predicted in that thread I started, it is complete garbage. You hit the throttle, and it's like the car thinks a little bit "hmm, Oh! You hit the throttle! Here, let me start to accelerate for you!" By then, your foot is 3/4ths of the way down on the throttle because it hasn't started to move yet, then it jerks and takes off like a bat outta hell. Now, you are in traffic, so you immediately have to lift off because you are taking off faster than the traffic around you. Now the car pauses, "Oh, you lifted. Here, I'll get off the throttle for you now." By then, it's too late. You're trying to explain to the guy in front of you who's bumper you just tagged how the car is a rental POS and it's not your fault. It's the fault of the design of the POS car manufacturer.
Indeed, I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic at a construction zone on the way home today. Cars moving about 3 mph, but not me! My car is "VROOOOM," jumps and takes off, then back on the brakes, takes off, back on the brakes. It was impossible to just creep along in bumper to bumper traffic jam.
Can't wait to get my 153,000 mile rust bucket back tomorrow!
[/rant]