I started my new job on Monday - very exciting, of course, and also requiring me to travel to head office in Silicon Valley for a week.

And so I have a rental car.

When I was here two weeks ago for my interview, I had a Ford Focus. Perfectly fine car, bit dull, but I really wasn't looking for excitement.

This time they had run out of Foci and I got a Dodge Caliber.

Gods, but it is rubbish.

On the plus side, it does move OK when you put your foot down. However, that is the only good thing - this is a basic model, granted, so there is no remote but it doesn't even have central locking: you have to unlock every door individually. There are plenty of cubbies in odd places around the cabin, but the door bins are the size of a large matchbox (which matters to me because that is where I put my driving glasses).

I just don't like it.

I can only assume that the crumminess of this car is part of the same ghastly malaise within GM that makes me hate Vauxhall Vectras with the passion that I do. Can these bozos not make a decent car?

Posted by Dunx at December 10, 2008 10:25 AM