Rental Car Experiences?

ab348

Well, Sonata looked overdone the day it was released.

I like the Optima but it would have to be an incredible deal to get me to buy one. Still a lot of questions unanswered about long-term quality of the products they make.

Sandman6472

We're on almost 5 years with my kids Accent and so far so good. The brake light switch needed to be replaced under warranty and they swapped out the original battery for some reason and that's been it besides oil changes, a rotation and new wiper blades at year 3...South Florida's heat is brutal on rubber and batteries. That's it and next week I'll have her vehicle to do it's oil change/rotation and change the air filter. She doesn't drive much, maybe 5k/year, so I do the maintenance once yearly. We're so pleased with it that within the year they'll be another Hyundai/Kia product in the garage and eventually when I replace the Civic down the line, I will look at their products first. A friend just got a new Mini and I was kinda wowed by it...if my spinal issues react positively, I would definitely consider that as a replacement vehicle as I'm tired of the boring, logical choices...time to push the envelope a bit come 2016 or so!

The Sandman

tjc78

I think the Mini can be had with different suspensions, so if you go that route, something to consider.

IMO there is nothing wrong with just about any Hyundai/ Kia product. They've shown to be on the better end of reliability and I think most of them are decent looking vehicles. In the end buy what you like.

Sandman6472

Agree with the Mini and different suspensions...that vehicle would be totally cool. I also loved the Jeep Wrangler I drove a month or so ago...fun, fun, fun with a capital F! Tired of boring and logical but don't want to throw practicality out the window either. At the rate I'm going, by 2016 I should have under 70k on the Civic so there should still be some good value in it. I've never been that kinda person to do something like this spur of the moment due to all the constraints but if the right vehicle and deal came along, I mean something that is just so unfrickinbelievable cool, I could see myself just throwing caution to the wind and going for it. The best part is that I will have the funds sitting there and the decision will be totally mine! And I know that whatever I do end up with, the wife will love it and want to take it as hers that's why I've encouraged her to get what she really wants this time around.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Had a double run to Ft. Myers both Saturday and Sunday which was great. Communication was a problem on Sunday so we didn't start at 8 like on Saturday but had to wait till 12:30 but all went well. I did fall out of the van though as my bad leg went numb again and as I was climbing down, bam, I was on the ground! Everyone came over and picked me up and now I'm a bit bruised and battered but all will be fine in a couple of days! We had a good laugh about it later back at base as I guess it looked pretty funny at the time!

Had an interesting day at Sixt in Miami on Friday with another co-worker. They had us taking and picking up vehicles in for service at local dealers and we ended up working 10 hours. It's a really good gig and I hope we get to do this weekly or at least twice a month. It would be nice to see our team working more days a month as we all want as many hours as possible. And this gig at Sixt is good because the boss doesn't have to be there...2 or 3 of us can do it on our own. The folks we have now on our team all seem to work well together so being on our own shouldn't be a problem as we all have each others backs. The drama is totally gone which I'm just loving!

The Sandman

fintail

Less than 3 weeks til I rent a Sixt E-class at MCO. I wonder if they actually have 2014 models

stickguy

I am going to South Carolina for a few days in 2 weeks. Can't wait to find out what junk box they have at a small airport down there. I think I reserved a mid-size? something maybe 3 levels up.

Maybe I get lucky and they run out of cheap cars, and have to give me something better than expected.

fintail

I predict...a 200. What company?

Avis/Budget this morning - Expedition, Cobalt, Avenger, I think a Journey, and nothing else but moving vans.

Sandman6472

We've been moving a mess of these Fiats lately and besides being a bit wonkey in the rain, they drive reasonably o k. Not sure I'd purchase one right now, but one never knows. Luckily I got to get jeep liberty's for 2 of my 4 runs this weekend...they cruise along pretty decently and when it did rain, I felt very secure. And the radio's have an aux input for my ipod so I had the tunes cranked as we drove the state. Last night, we did a small caravan of 5 of us and it worked out pretty well as I hate to be the last driver in since I tend to keep the odo at about 77 in the 70 zone but the others all tend to go over 80 the majority of the time. I did have to punch it a bit though to keep up with the group.

All in all, a great, easy weekend to drive and everyone was thrilled to get two double headers!

The Sandman

stickguy

Hertz. I'll take an escort.

michaellno

I'll take an escort.

Um, what? The Escort hasn't been produced for over a decade.

Did you mean Focus? Or Fiesta?

fintail

Drove past Avis - Budget. Slim pickins - Fiesta, Optima, Liberty, 200, Expedition, a large passenger van, and moving trucks/vans,

stickguy

yeah, Focus. I still do that from time to time.

If they try to give me an escort I will ask for a replacement. or a serious discount!

michaellno

No worries. We've had both an Escort and a Focus. I miss the Focus.

Sandman6472

After driving up that great Hyundai Tuscon yesterday, I had an Elantra today...we actually drove up 2 Accents and 11 Elantras to the Manheim auction. Great little vehicles and I can see why they are selling at a brisk rate...they just do everything right.

But the highlight was this morning but only for 10 minutes...I got a '13 MB C250 Class to drive up the road in Lauderdale for Sixt. All I can say is that I am in love with a rather large piece of metal and rubber. This vehicle is a far different one than I drove two years ago at the MB dealers...total luxury and seemless acceleration...it was almost "orgasmic" if I'm allowed to use that term here...no other word does this vehicle justice...simply amazing automobile that has forever changed my love for the automobile!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

Literally...absolutely love it!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Sandman6472

Finally, post 1000!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

I am amused you like the C250 so much, as it is the base model, and I assume the Sixt spec has few if any options. I had one as a loaner a couple months ago, and I'll say it wasn't a bad car. There was a time when Sixt would have them on sale for under $30/day - hard to pass up.

Local Budget/Avis - Dart, T&C, Liberty, Optima, 200, big Ford and Chevy vans, moving trucks.

tjc78

Even a base model C has a pretty nice interior and a refined driving experience. It also sounds like Sandy was driving Elantras all day. The Elantra is a heck of a vehicle, but when you step out of one of those to a Benz the difference is night and day.

Heck, although I love my Grand Marquis there is no doubt my (9 years newer) Lacrosse is a much more refined vehicle.

fintail

Good point. Especially in highway driving, some premium cars really do feel different. I hope Sandy gets some more Sixt work.

Sandman6472

Was supposed to work there again today in Miami but the wife's battery died and I was needed in the morning. When i was done about 11, they had canceled the Miami Sixt gig which pissed me off as I told them to give me a couple of hours to get her situated. Doing big trucks tomorrow up to Melbourne, haven't driven a truck like that since moving in 1977 so am a bit on the fence here...my boss is funny and he told me to "just do it" basically so, I will! Should be an interesting day tomorrow!!

Yes, the C250 drove so nice and the interior was reserved but I liked it...this is a vehicle I could actually love!! That's why I love working at Sixt...they decide which vehicle we get when they take our licenses, we have no say so ya never know what your gonna get! Yesterday, I lucked out...next time, maybe not!

The Sandman

fintail

Maybe you'll get an E or an E cabrio or an SLK or an SUV next. I am sure you will be fine in the truck, they make them so anyone can drive them.

Avis/Budget today - 300, 200, Optima, 2014 Forte, and moving trucks.

Sandman6472

The truck was a disaster and after about 120 miles, the temp crew chief and I switched vehicles...I took over the 12 pack which was so easy to drive. The truck couldn't go over 63 and then it shaked like crazy, the tires were crap and it kept drifting all over the road and then an "brake pressure light" came on and I was done. he had told me at the start that he's switch if i really felt like I couldn't do it. Felt I had to give it a shot but it was pushing my limits and I finally decided to swap out with him...felt really bad but he was real cool about it and said he just wanted me to be comfortable driving and wanted me and the others safe which I really appreciated.

Luckily they had no work for us today so I can rest...my back was in major spasm when I woke up this morning so have been lying on my ice most of the day so far. I've been pushing myself lately as we had work and I've worked 5 out of the last 7 days. I know once we get into season that I will be super busy since there will possibly be another crew chief...mine is out of town now so they used the guy who used to do it years ago. I think that they're gonna ask him to come up full time so they can pick up more contracts. Now that Hertz is consolidating their purchase of Dollar/Thrifty, our company could be inline for more work which would be great. All of us have been asking to work as much as possible so another crew chief would definitely help in this regard. Let's hope it all works out!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

obyone

last week as truck was in the shop. Can't say it was an enjoyable experience. Then again I'm not partial to ford products. Especially smaller ones. I've also noticed that Enterprise vehicles usually have a certain odor about them. Like the constant use of upholstery and carpet spot remover which eventually with leave a chemical odor. Yuck!

Sandman6472

Last week, I drove 7 new Explorer's to the dealer for warranty work and was pretty impressed about how nice it was...a nice truck and the new Escape is really super nice also. The Focus is just o k and the Fiesta is a bit low rent but in a pinch, they both work. For the right price, i would get the top of the line Focus hatch as I prefer the hatch over the sedan but given the choice of a Ford or a Hyundai/Kia product, the Ford would loose every time!

The Sandman

tjc78

A friend just got a fully loaded Focus, it's a really nice ride..

stever

"FlightCar.com is now executing 60 to 70 transactions a day where people pick up a stranger's car to rent or drop off the car they own to be used as a short term rental at the airport.

"Car sharing at the airport appeals to people because it offers free parking while you're away and you can potentially make money but because there's a limited group of people willing to share their car, Flightcar.com faces an uphill battle," said Edmunds.com Consumer Advice Editor Ron Montoya"

As Car Sales Drop, Owner Loaning Takes Flight (mainstreet.com)

fintail

I cringe at the thought of having strangers drive my car. No thanks.

Avis/Budget today - 2x Caravans, Escape, Taurus Limited, Sonata, Forte, maybe a couple others I forget. And in traffic I saw rental Fiesta, 300, Cadenza.

stever

I dunno - I've been loaning out my cars to my friends for years, especially when I lived up north. Lost a muffler one time but we drove back up the road and found it :-)

Just another appliance.

fintail

A few years ago I had a friend drive my E55 when I took both my cars to a show. I was sure he'd either veer off the road and hit a tree, crack open a bucket of chicken wings and eat them while driving, or take up cigar smoking in my car. Too many risks for me. Maybe if I had an appliance car or an old spare for backup duties.

Mr_Shiftright

I wish people would borrow my car more--then, when they brought it back I could point out all the defects from the last few years and say: "Hey, what did you DO to it? The brakes and tires are shot! "

fintail

And of course the empty gas tank and dirt

stever

I must have a higher class of friends. :-)

Since I keep close track of my gas, I get a bit miffed when friends fill up my cars and don't note the gallons they put in.

tifighter

Does he know you are friends?

fintail

I think the only time I have kept track of gas is when turning in a rental, keeping a receipt in case the rental company claims it wasn't full.

fintail

He drives a Prius, and has a previous reckless driving ticket (I think). Can't be too safe

stever

It's about the only way, other than weird noises, that I can tell that something may be off with the engine.

kyfdx

I check my mileage on every tankful. Sometimes, it can alert you to a problem that hasn't affected driveability, yet..

It's not like I work at it.... just reset the trip odometer each time I fill up, and do the division in my head. It's not like I keep a log, like the rest of you OCD Edmunds members....

tifighter

Fuelly + smartphone. Enter miles, gallons, and price. I add in a note on what the trip computer listed the tank mileage as for comparison. Whole thing takes less than 30 seconds.

fintail

I just use the trip computer, and kind of keep track how much it uses over time. With the new car's huge tank, I should easily be able to go 5-6 weeks on a tank, if I don't take any long trips.

stever

Well then, when you come to the UP, don't ask to borrow my cars. :-)

And good luck trying to find a rental, lol. Maybe in Marquette.

Like mine, the rentals up here are probably pre-dented for the deer strikes.

fintail

You'd probably get it back nicer than it was when you loaned it out. That's not bad, eh? I know lemko shares my affliction, I will do at least a mini detail on any rental car I am driving for more than a day or two. I both like a clean car, and I want to erase whatever abuse the car has suffered before me.

stever

Oh yeah, k, maybe I can pay you to drive my rides? I'm about to the stage where I want to epoxy fake gems or Barbie heads on mine.

tifighter

When that happens, take pictures...

fintail

I could see you doing that. Would work well on a Subaru :P

stever

Since I like textiles so much, I'm thinking of learning how to knit or maybe crocheting up something to encase the hood. Naturally it's already been done.

Hm, a flying carpet van may be a nice way to go.

suydam

My new Honda Accord keeps track of the fuel economy for me. Shows current trip plus 3 previous. No more notebooks!

lemko

I had my parents' car for a week in my driveway when they went away to Arziona. I gave it back to them washed, waxed, and detailed. It was a challenge because they let their dog ride in it. Nothing wrecks a car's interior like kids and dogs.

ohenryx

Nothing wrecks a car's interior like kids and dogs.

And it's a real toss-up which is worse!

Seriously, though, it depends on the kids and the dogs. If you have either (kids or dogs), then you need an interior that can take a little abuse. Cloth is generally not a good idea. I really like the vinyl / plastic /fake leather they use in Volkswagens, it feels soft to sit on, but seems to hold up very well.

It seems to me that leather used to be tougher / longer lasting than what we are getting in cars these days.

fintail

Ugh,dogs. One reason I don't have pets. No kids either, so clean cars and clean living spaces are nice.

Whenever I visit my mother and the weather is good, I will at least wipe down her car with a spray detailer or spray wax, and clean the wheels and door jams. When I visit around mothers day (happens to be around by birthday), I will wax and detail the car as her mothers day present.

Big lineup at Avis/Budget today - 2x Caravan, Yukon, Liberty, 2x Chevy passenger vans, Forte, Sonata, Impala, bright blue Mustang, 200, Taurus, and I think a few others.