I own a 2012 V6 premium coupe Auto. I'm pretty happy with its power and I think it lives up to the advertised performance numbers. I like it a lot.

During my recent trip I rented a 2013 V6 convertible base Auto. It had very few miles on it and was very clean and tidy. However, it felt too soft in terms of acceleration and cornering. A bit like mashed potatoes. I could not tell if the perceived softness compared to my own car was due to:
a) the added weight of a convertible
b) 2012 vs 2013 differences
c) base vs premium difference, if any
d) intentionally softer tune for rental purposes

I'd seriously doubt it's "d" because that would be nuts.
Maybe someone from Ford cust service can confirm this?
I was looking forward to test driving the new transmission shifter, with Sport mode and manual up/down but I was slightly disappointed as it didn't seem to make much of a difference. My 2012 doesn't have this feature but when I lock it into 3rd gear it becomes very snappy. This 2013 did not have the same bite in 3rd gear.
Let's just say that the 2013 base models in rental fleets do not help selling the car.

 

Possibly due to the rear end gearing.

 

.....[edit]...

 

They Mykeyed yo azz.

 

It's A. Plus some more. Obv the convertible weighs more so that will make it slower and handle worse, also the suspension is set differently to compensate for the added weight in ride quality but not handling. Lastly if you own a premium I am assuming you have 18s or 19s where the rental has 17s that bit less sidewall will help your car bite in the corners and ride just a bit more taut.

 

No one seems to know 'bout dat!

 

I had to have some repair work done to my 2012 V6 Mustang. I got a 2013 coupe as a rental while it was in the shop, and I had similar complaints. At the time I attributed most of the lack of power to the fact that it had an auto while I have a manual in mine, but it always felt sluggish, underpowered, and got noticably worse gas mileage than mine.

After reading your post though, I'm beginning to think the rentals are deliberately detuned. Fact is I couldn't even get a chirp out of the rear tires from a dead stop in the rental while my 2012 has no problem sending the rear tires up in smoke.

 

not a surprise really - however that is messed up. My mom rented a 6 a few months ago and wasn't impressed (she drove with me in my 8 so maybe I tore it up more than I should have...).... who did you guys rent from?

 

Mine came from Enterprise.

My 2012 has the stock 2.73 gears, and the rental felt significantly slower.

It also averaged 2mpg less fuel milage. I drove it a total of 10 days doing my normal to and from work trips in it. Didn't drive it any harder than I do mine, if anything I was more careful with it.

 

Interesting question to say the least. I have no idea but it would be crap if that's how it ended up being slow. Perception would be that you are getting something you aren't. I'm sure that would cause a lawsuit from someone who has way too much time and money.

 

Mine came from National. And you're right, I couldn't get a chirp from the rear tires either.
As I think about it more, maybe the transmission was the most different. Different shifting tune maybe?
(and MyKey wasn't set up, I checked)

 

Traction control left on?

 

I seriously doubt Ford or any rental company would detune their rental fleet. Some people buy a new car based on a past rental experience. Keep in mind within 12 months it will be sold to the general public with remaining warranty. Rentals take a lot of abuse from day 1 and even worse, many rental car parts are swapped out or stolen by the renter. As retired law enforcement I know this remains an issue even today, even in larger luxury vehicles. I've seen batteries, tires, rims, intakes, fuel injectors, computers, radios, bumpers, windows and window motors, transmissions and even entire engines swapped out. Smaller and electronic parts sometimes go unnoticed... Just some food for thought.

 

No, they're not.

Moving on...