Look
This car looks really good outside. I don't think my pictures do it justice really, but I can't be bothered going to take anymore. Good sporty look. Must look great when flying down the M6 (all within the speed limit, of course).

Feel Inside
Comfy enough, though possibly not as comfy as I'd expect from  top of the range model, which apparently the Zetec is. Some of the interior is also a bit plasticky, but I can live with that. Definitely spacious enough.

Sound System
This is very good. Has a very clear sound with lots of options to get the quality of sound you like. Not sure what it is like in the back, but I suspect it will be as good. Also a consistent radio reception all the way.

Drive
The drive is normally very good; smooth and with sufficient power for long motorway driving. However, there are times which it doesn't appear to have the power it normally does, which can be a bit frustrating. This MAY be down to my crappy driving though.

Other
I'm a little surprised that this car doesn't come with more features, considering it's supposed to be a top of the range model. I really noticed not having auto-windscreen wipers (which I'm used to) when it was pissing with rain on and off. Still, these things aren't necessary.
Space wise there are no complaints at all.

Summary
I really like this car, and would be very happy if I got one every time I got a hire car. There is pretty much nothing that REALLY annoyed me, and on the whole, is very good. I doubt I'd buy one, cause 17 grand seems kind of pricey, but a good hire car.

Now for part 2!

The drive down to Wakefield was much more comfy than I expected. After a little mucking about with the seat, the pedals were not as uncomfy as I thought at first.

This car has cruise control, which I have never used before. I decided to give it a go. It was a bit creepy to be honest - not changing speed and feet off the pedals. Was really useful for the few 50mph zones in road work areas. I wouldn't use this for anything else though.

The steering wheel was a bit annoying. Because the centre part of it doesn't move, the spokes of the steering wheel point away from you. This makes it really awkward to grip your hand round the spokes, which is normally how I like to drive on motorways.

As I thought, the radio reception got lost too often for my liking. This always happens at specific bits on the M74/M6, but with this car it happened more often than normal.

This is the heaviest feeling car I've driven. Certainly felt safe in it. The deisel injection thingymajig was great for overtaking.

I like this car more than I expected to when I first got it; particularly for long motorway journeys.

This is the first review in my series of reviews of the hire cars I get. I know absolutely nothing about cars, so the reviews won't be very technical or anything, but just how I feel about them.

Part 1 - Initial Drive
This part of the review will be about when it's first delivered, and the short drive I have to get used of it.

Look
It looks alright, really. I think they tried to make it look quite business like, but also decent for a family. It ends up looking a little silly, but when I'm driving it I don't see it, so this doesn't really matter.

Feel Inside
It seems really big to me, much bigger than the other hire cars they give me. This is quite good, though unnecessarily big feeling for one person. The seats look a bit odd, sort of like they were designed for elderly people, full of strange wee holes like old sofas I've seen.

It doesn't have a dashboard behind the steering wheel like other cars. Instead there is a computer thing that has all the information you need on it. This is ok, and doesn't interfere with your field of vision.

Sound System
This isn't too great. It has quite a tinny sound. Even more annoyingly, the radio seems to partially lose reception really easily, reducing the sound quality further. The version I have is also diesel, so background noise is louder than normal too.

Drive
It's smooth and easy to drive, as are all new cars really. The most annoying thing about the car is the layout of the pedals. They are at a funny angle, which makes getting a comfortable driving position quite difficult. I suspect that I have a really sore right foot when I get to Wakefield on Monday; I'll update that on the second part of this review then. Maybe I'll be able to find a more comfy driving position on the journey down.

Other
It looks as though there will more than enough space for my stuff, though I haven't actually checked the boot space yet. It is possible that the huge feeling inside means to boot will be smaller, but I doubt it. The bang of the doors sounds a bit cheap, and some of the interior feels that way too. It is full of tiny little drawers, which may sound like a good idea, but is dangerous when you only have the car for a short time. I won't be surprised if I end up forgetting stuff.


That's it for now! I'll send the second part of my review after my drive down to Wakefield.