Rental Car Experiences?

fintail

Seattle rental car prices can be insane. I spotted an Infiniti Q50 rental yesterday, got behind an inconsistently driven RAV4 rental today.

I'll be picking up a rental in Stuttgart in a little over 2 months. I prepaid, opting for a low rate (saved over 20% I think) in case the Euro regains some lost ground. Bought the insurance too, peace of mind when 5000 miles away from home in someone else's 60K+ car.

fintail

Spotted a rental X5 today, oddity, probably Sixt, CA plates.

Sandman6472

Speaking of Sixt, we lost our contract at BMW and they came in and took over. Heard they remodeled the service area nicely and will provide BMW's and Audi's as rentals though not sure how much more they will charge. One thing I did notice is how many of our vehicles were trashed by the BMW renters, garbage all over the vehicle with stains and other assorted crap left behind. Just don't understand why folks wouldn't treat a rental like it was their own? I know when I drive a rental, I am always super careful because I don't want to have to pay any overages at all. Also, it's the right thing to do!

The Sandman

Mr_Shiftright

Rented 2015 Hyundai Accent. Your basic transportation module. Handles like a hippo on ice skates (probably the tires) and lousy rearward visibility, (folding the back seats down helped) but has decent power and brakes for most driving situations. Very good on gas I must say. An affordable hatchback, competing with the Honda Fit I would guess but I don't think winning the competition. Nice car for a college kid.

fintail

I bet a 2015 Accent is like a Bentley compared to a 2005 Accent.

I wonder if rental BMWs are more likely to have the turn signal option package than others. I suspect the south Florida BMW customer isn't the most careful creature on the planet.

I generally return a rental cleaner than when I received it - as I give the steering wheel and dash area a quick detail, at the very least.

fintail

Saw a base model C class rental today. Lots of normal rentals out for the holiday weekend, too.

Sandman6472

Co-worker booked us a compact in New York for next month but wrote in that being an employee, to possibly upgrade us. Not expecting much but we'll see as a compact will work since it'll just be the two of us. Do expect to drive a bit around the tri-state area as we have relatives and friends to see. Rented for a week and got a pretty good deal and luckily, the hotel is very close to the Westchester airport and they have a shuttle if need be. They also have a shuttle to the local train station as I do not want to drive in, the train into Grand Central will be so much easier.

The Sandman

berri

Flying into Westchester - that ticket probably cost you . Ka-ching

Sandman6472

So far, prices similar to flying in The two major airports...honestly, just do not want to drive into the city if at all possible. Since most of our activities will be in Westchester plus the fact I spent the first 15 years of my life there, would love to just fly in there. Back in '06, we flew into Logan since we had graduation for the son in New Hampshire and I flew back out of Bradley in Hartford, another possibility actually. Going into the city a couple of times but plan to take the train from the No. White Plains station since the hotel has a shuttle which makes parking there unnecessary. Then, hopefully, a day into Connecticut. The bottom line here is it's going to cost more than I originally budgeted for but don't want to let budget not let me do all we want to do and really enjoy ourselves!
Due to my spinal issues, I don't usually travel alone and either take the wife or my oldest to help me manage. Since the wife can't take a week off next month, taking the oldest again. The stress I was going through with going alone left immediately after the wife came up with this idea...I was going to cancel as I just never know each day how I'm going to feel as with chronic pain, no one ever knows so just saying no like the last time 4 years ago just seemed the easiest route.
Now, totally stoked here about going and seeing old faces and places! Just hope Hertz gives me a decent vehicle and the upgrade for being an employee. Something outside the box would always be nice to!


The Sandman

berri

By all means, don't short yourself on the trip. That would only make you lament down the road.

kyfdx

Until I started looking into a car in Connecticut, I didn't even know you could fly into HPN. From where I live the connections and choices aren't as good, but the prices were little different from LGA.

It might be different on flights originating there.

stever

"Twenty-five car rental companies have signed up to a new trial starting in June aimed at improving road safety, Radio New Zealand reports. Visitors will be given a questionnaire asking, among other things, whether they have rented vehicles abroad in the past, and if they've driven on the left-hand-side before. If staff aren't convinced that tourists are clued-up on highway rules, then they could be asked to do a trial drive around the car park."

New Zealand: Tourist drivers face new assessments (BBC)

fintail

A friend of mine is San Diego right now, picked a cheapo rental from Priceline or Hotwire, got a Cruze from Alamo. Was offered a $12/day upgrade to a Charger, which he took as he'll be driving a lot.

The NZ thing is funny, reminds an old joke that you can tell when the Americans are renting at Frankfurt Airport by the sound of grinding clutches.

Sandman6472

Cancelled our reservation in New York as I wasn't well enough to travel. Ended up driving across the state to Marco Island and spent 4 days on the beach. Well rested now and took just under 2 hours door to door. Saw many rentals there plus many from Hertz...I know what stickers to look for. The Hilton we stayed at had a bunch of Hertz iron.

The Sandman

suydam

When my daughter was in NZ for semester abroad, they rented a van to go all over the country side. None of them had driven on the left before. Now she says "maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let a bunch of 20 year olds loose in a camper van!" After a whole semester there it took her a few days to readjust to driving on the right again after she returned home.

fintail

I've seen lots of rentals on the recent road trip - oddest was a GLK. Mostly cheaper stuff.

Mr_Shiftright

I recently rented a Fiat Panda and a Smart Passion (4 door). The Smart was a much better car to drive in every respect although a bit anemic on power. I was surprised. I thought the Smart was just me being dealt a bad card but I'm glad I took it in the end.

Sandman6472

Had a Caddy SRX the other day, nice but the entertainment system just too fussy and folks, please bring back knobs and buttons and forget this touch screen crap...o k for a home computer but not when one is tooling down the road at 70 mph! A big surprise was the Toyota Highlander, new edition...very very nice driving vehicle. Comfortable and ample power when I needed to get out of the way of an accident about to happen. A bunch of new Ford Focus hatchbacks and most still have that tranny shudder at low speeds...would drive me nuts if I owned one honestly. Did check out a Titanium Edition with leather and the Sony radio system but that auto tranny shudder just killed it for me. Also, it's a Ford do I just kew no way dude.
Funny, I usually drive about 10 or so vehicles in my 8 hour shift but forget most of them the moment I turn the keys into the person behind the desk. That VW Bug I drove the other day was plain fun though just can't get past the looks of it. The best part is I never know what I'm getting most of the time, just get the keys and told where to take it. No two days are ever the same and we are moving maybe 98% of the time, not much sitting and waiting time! Does make the day fly by though, a good thing!!

The Sandman

fintail

I saw a rental Cruze going about 45 in the left lane of I5 just south of Seatac today - pretty awesome. I'll admit I was a jerk and honked as I passed on the right. I usually excuse little slights by rental cars, but this was just wacky.

I've seen a lot of rental Highlanders on the road too - I think that's a new entry in the fleets. Lagging retail sales?

In just under 4 weeks I'll be picking up a rental in Stuttgart. It's time to start the Christmas morning-like anticipation.

You have the ultimate retiree job, Sandman.

berri

So was his drivers license Wisconsin or Indiana???

I'm surprised to hear new Highlanders in the fleet. There is pretty much a shortage of them on many dealer lots.

andres3

My loaner for 35K mile service is a gross polluter; a VW Beetle Bug TDI from 2002 with 120K+ miles on the clock. I go to a specialty VW/Audi shop so of course this is their loaner. Of course, since this is an oldie; from 2002, it isn't a gross polluter thanks to inconsistent standards by the EPA depending on the age of your vehicle.

Fun car, feels light and agile and peppy!

Sandman6472

Absolutely, I do have the perfect retiree job and plan to keep it until I reach 65. And that Highlander was the first I've seen but it was fun to drive. Also drove an Expedition today...those things are big!! A nice Chevy Captiva in gray which is really the old Saturn Vue they had but now rental companies get from Canada. See plenty down here as used vehicles after the rental places sell them at auction.
Yes, I do have the perfect retiree job!!

The Sandman

henryn

sandman_6472 said:

Absolutely, I do have the perfect retiree job and plan to keep it until I reach 65.

...

Yes, I do have the perfect retiree job!!

The Sandman

Hmmm... 65. I just did the online application for Medicare, as I turn 65 in December. Still working full time, but contract now, did the full retirement thing a few years ago. Got bored, went back to work, and I'm enjoying working more than I did retirement. What can I say, I spent hours every day playing with computers when I was retired, and now they're paying me good money to play with some very expensive computers! In some ways, I'm like Sandman driving all of those rental cars, only I'm playing with very expensive computer systems!

Sandman6472

Saw a pic of the new Cruze a few weeks ago, not sure if it's a 2016 or a 2017, and it looked very nice...a bit more grown up looking if you will. Since it's cheaper than it's cousin, the Buick Verano, suspect GM sells a mess load more of these but prefer the Verano any day of the week. Think it's tuned differently, something akin to my VW Golf and the wife's Audi A3, but also, it runs smoother and looks are vastly improved inside and out. I think the major reason these models are dwarfed by their imported brothers is their horrible mpg's. I'd say they're almost spot on with the quality of materials and choice of fabrics and such but the dismal mileage turns most in the other direction. But their price advantage is just not good enough to make folks forget. As soon as they start to get over 30 city and close to 40 highway, their sales will not improve much. Thank G-d fleet sales bolster the Cruze sales figures as they really are the perfect rental vehicle, just like the last generation Chrysler 200 was. Again, the 200 is almost as good as their competitors except for their mileage numbers...again in the toilet.
Come on Detroit, I know we can do much better here and I think once they do, more folks will put the Cruze/Verano models on their short list like I did back in latter 2013 with the Verano. Truthfully, if either Buick store had met my numbers, I'd still have it in the garage today as there would've been no reason to swap out into my current ride. Today, got a good closer look at the new for 2016 Hyundai Tucson and was very impressed! A mini Sante Fe Sport with similar facia but different tail light treatment, better to my old eyes! Haven't gotten a good look at the interior but think if it's as good as the new Sante Fe Sport I drove a few weeks back, Hyundai will have a winner here. Really preferred the current generation Kia Sportage over the Tucson I had for just over a year but the nearest Kia dealer was across town and I got the loyalty rebate, $500, as we already owned a Hyundai product in the family. Also, the Tucson's alloy rims left me cold truthfully but the new one is a home run, pleasing to the eyes and the pocketbook for what one gets for the price.
Guess it's obvious by now that I love the automobile and the dynamics of driving. Actually look forward to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and get out of bed with a smile on my face. Now, if I could only get another 5 or so hours per week, I'd love the job even more!!!

The Sandman

suydam

If they improve the FE the Verano might be my next vehicle. Now, no way. I think they will though as the Encore has very good FE. I'm also really interested in the new Volt. Surprising because I never gave GM vehicles a thought except as good cheap beaters for high school kids.

fintail

In about 2 weeks I'll be picking up a car from Sixt in Germany for a nice varied long drive. I wonder what I will get - the Christmas morning-like anticipation has started.

slorenzen

fintail said:

In about 2 weeks I'll be picking up a car from Sixt in Germany for a nice varied long drive. I wonder what I will get - the Christmas morning-like anticipation has started.

Ford escort wagon?

fintail

It's Europe, I'll get the least optioned Smart available or a tiny hatch with a 1.0 detuned motorcycle engine.

Actually, German rental fleets have some crazy stuff. I won't need a car for half the trip, but the other half I want to drive on cool roads and among mostly competent drivers, it's worth it. Different world than Seattle.

slorenzen said:

Ford escort wagon?

suydam

Ford Focus was very common in Europe when we were there but it's a much different car there.

slorenzen

suydam said:

Ford Focus was very common in Europe when we were there but it's a much different car there.

I flew into Zurich in a whiteout snowstorm several years ago, and they(Hertz) gave me an Escort wagon with a 5 speed.

And tire chains.

Fortunately, with the excellent Michelin winter tires, I never needed the chains.

imidazol97

sandman_6472 said:

I think the major reason these models are dwarfed by their imported brothers is their horrible mpg's. I'd say they're almost spot on with the quality of materials and choice of fabrics and such but the dismal mileage turns most in the other direction.

I'm confused about your statement.
The Cruze 1.4T gets EPA rating of 38, 26, and 30 overall.
The Golf gets EPA rating of 36, 25, and 29 overall.
The Audi A3 gets a rating of 33, 23, and 27 with premium required.
The Verano gets EPA rating 32, 21, and 25 overall.

An Elantra 1.8 EPA rating of 38, 28, and 32 overall. I hope that's the corrected rating after the ones too high.
An Elantra 2.0 EPA rating of 35, 24, and 28 overall.



The Cruze is rated better than the Golf. The Cruze is not being dwarfed by anyone. I drove one and it
easily showed over 45 and up to 50 on highway. The Verano uses an older engine and should be getting
higher mileage, but I suspect the market doesn't demand it to be worth the higher cost to use a neer, smaller engine. I'll bet the union contracts require keeping a plant open that produces the 2.4L involved and this is where GM is putting it. But I actually chose Malibu over the Verano and I had thought all along I'd love the Verano. It's ride and control is very good, but not a sporty car like the Golf or A3. It had been rumored the Verano might get a 1.6 T.

My Malibu 2.5L is rated at 36, 25, and 29. That's same as the Golf.
The Verano with the 2.0 T only drops 1 mpg on each rating. Might as well enjoy the powerful motor
AND many like a stick, that 2.0 T is available with a 6-speed.

The ratings for fuel compare within margins of driving variations especially.

suydam

Many compact models like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic get 30 city and 40 highway. The Verano needs to get to those levels to be competitive. It is not doing well overall at the moment and those numbers have to be a big part of it because otherwise it's a very attractive car. And I think it's next gen should do that. If it does it might be my next vehicle. According to the fuel economy website I saw, it currently is rated 21/30 24 overall. That is much worse than my Encore. So maybe dismal is from your point of view.

Michaell

suydam said:

Many compact models like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic get 30 city and 40 highway. The Verano needs to get to those levels to be competitive. It is not doing well overall at the moment and those numbers have to be a big part of it because otherwise it's a very attractive car. And I think it's next gen should do that. If it does it might be my next vehicle. According to the fuel economy website I saw, it currently is rated 21/30 24 overall. That is much worse than my Encore. So maybe dismal is from your point of view.

The Verano still has the "old" 2.4L engine in it ... not sure why they haven't switched to the 2.5L that's in the Malibu.

fintail

Nowadays in Germany, rental cars on the road after November 1 are mandated to have snow tires already installed. It cuts the worries.

As the price difference is not huge, and the car is part of the fun, I rent in a fancier class - not the highest, but not basic. I can get an E-class/5er or equivalent for about $50/day, good deal. They tend to be well equipped, and could result in an upgrade.

slorenzen said:

suydam said:

Ford Focus was very common in Europe when we were there but it's a much different car there.

I flew into Zurich in a whiteout snowstorm several years ago, and they(Hertz) gave me an Escort wagon with a 5 speed.

And tire chains.

Fortunately, with the excellent Michelin winter tires, I never needed the chains.

jpp75

Michaell said:

suydam said:

Many compact models like the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Honda Civic get 30 city and 40 highway. The Verano needs to get to those levels to be competitive. It is not doing well overall at the moment and those numbers have to be a big part of it because otherwise it's a very attractive car. And I think it's next gen should do that. If it does it might be my next vehicle. According to the fuel economy website I saw, it currently is rated 21/30 24 overall. That is much worse than my Encore. So maybe dismal is from your point of view.

The Verano still has the "old" 2.4L engine in it ... not sure why they haven't switched to the 2.5L that's in the Malibu.

I wanted to like the Verano, but man it's a dog. Mediocre at best.

berri

Sounds to me like the recent 2.5 engine is going to already be history. 2016 Malibu is changing to turbos, while Equinox stays with the 2.4.

imidazol97

The 2.5L w/ auto start/stop is still standard in the Impala. It speaks well for that particular engine that it can power the heavier Impala in a satisfactory manner. The LKW still powers the Impala AND the Malibu Limited for 2016. In fact, the 2.5 LKW appears to be the only engine in the Malibu Limited--no 2.0L T option unless I missed it.

The 2.5L LCV, which looks to be a similar version without the adaptations for auto start/stop, is used in the ATS and in the Colorado and Canyon.

Sandman6472

Today must've been Korean day at work. Drove a Sorrento, brand new 2016 Soul & a Forte plus a 2016 Hyundai Elantra among other vehicles. Kia is really doing a great job and besides the horrible hard plastics on the dash which I hope they get rid of like NOW, am very impressed with their products. My Tucson was put together very well and no issues except a piece of rubber inside the rear door came loose...really enjoyed it except for the large size and mediocre mileage. Those two things were the reason I finally decided to swap out of it for my Golf. Did see a brand new Tucson on the road today and must admit it really looks a whole lot better than the one I had...probably should've just sprung for the Limited but the SE had everything I wanted except the nicer alloys so I settled. Lesson learned at least in my case, never settle on such a big item, better to spend a little more to get what one really wants!

The Sandman

iluvmysephia1

Hey, sandman, since my current crush is the 2016 Scion iM, if you get a chance ta drive one of those can you give a report on Edmunds.com about it? 'Preciate it! Still digging that car, right now the blue or red colors are choice. At Scion, if buying this car, besides financing they want to know two things: what color you want and what tranny you want.

fintail

Scions are really rare in rental fleets. I've heard Seatac Sixt has some tC, but I don't know if I have seen rental Scion. However, as Toyota has been a big rental fleet user for some time now, it could happen.

Saw an odd one today, rental Xterra.

iluvmysephia1

True, fin. I have rented one Toyota product, that one being a 2009 Toyota Camry. Twas a competent yet mushy driving experience. I could not really put Toyota down for their job making that car. It kept my sisters and I safe driving from Edmonds to Kelowna, BC, to go see Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. Everything was Toyota safe and sane. And plain, too! 

berri

Personally, I'm not sure a Scion would appeal to many renters.

iluvmysephia1

Probably right. In Dec.2014 I rented a Nissan Rogue from Sea-Tac to take east of the mountains for my job interview in Brewster. Nice rig - I wouldn't want one because the avg. ghastly mileage is only about 24. Nice ride and nice handling and nice looks - albeit sorta mainstream looking.

Good acceleration but not great - I don't require a Bugatti Veyron's speed in my day-ta-day driving experience, though.

fintail

I think the rental tC was upsold as a "sporty" choice. Now that I think of it, I've heard of the FR-S in fleets, too.

I think some renters would want the practical aspects of the xB, but they'll end up with a Yaris (Hertz down the street from me had about a dozen of them last week).

Michaell

fintail said:

I think the rental tC was upsold as a "sporty" choice. Now that I think of it, I've heard of the FR-S in fleets, too.

I think some renters would want the practical aspects of the xB, but they'll end up with a Yaris (Hertz down the street from me had about a dozen of them last week).

On my last visit to CA I got a Yaris 3-door as my rental. Hardly large enough for my suitcase in back.

iluvmysephia1

Don't like the 3-door Yaris nor the Scion xB. I have loved and still do love the Scion xA a lot. Not so crazy about the Scion tC, especially since about 2008-ish and/on.

The new Scion iA is a bit of an unusual looking little runabout. It's that gaping maw in front. But iluvmysephia1's jury is still out on the iA. 6-spd. is available and decent ghastly mileage and it handles like a champ, according to the majority of the reviews. And, the smaller $16,500 price of the iA is kinda nice.

Now for the new 2016 Scion iM, which, iluv reads he can score for around $18,500, before dest.chg.'s, T&L, underages on current note add-ons, etc. are tallied up. Credit score valuations and all of that. I'd be fortunate ta end up south of $20,000 on a new iM. But, I should be patient and watch and wait. Reviews are mostly sound as a pound on this "Corolla hatchback" being offered ta help revive the Scion brand. I have read many, many reviews and watched tons of videos on this pup, and, it has passed all of my new vehicle checkpoints off completely.

So much so that I am now panting for a test drive. Financially, we ought ta just stick with what we have, our 2011 Kia Soul base 5-spd. in clear white. See how the Dodge job pans out fully, completely. Looks like a good match to me so far, here. Mrs.iluvmysephia1 would plead ta not trade-in, I know. That is a major DUH!

So much that I haven't even mentioned the car to her. Which brings this thread's topic in to view a little. What about an opportunity ta rent a 2016 Scion iA or Corolla hatchback....I...I mean...that other new Scion meant ta save the brand together with the iA, this new 2016 Scion iM!

Sandman6472

We have plenty of Yaris's in the fleet and every so often, a Scion but not to many. They delivered a whole mess of new iron to the pdi area yesterday and were getting the license plates on and putting the keys in. Have driven a few Xterras to be honest and many many Altimas.

The Sandman

carperso

Is there any way to reserve a particular model when booking a rental instead of class. I am interested in Mazda6 and thought a rental would be a good way to try as an extended test drive.

fintail

Usually only specialty cars (Corvettes, some lux models, etc) are model reservable. Otherwise, you get an assignment, or get to choose from the lot, depending on the carrier. However, it never hurts to ask the agent if they might have something hiding out back. I think 6s are still in some fleets, although not as common as others in the same class.

carperso said:

Is there any way to reserve a particular model when booking a rental instead of class. I am interested in Mazda6 and thought a rental would be a good way to try as an extended test drive.

iluvmysephia1

The thing that car reviewers keep saying about the new 2016 Scion iA is they love it's engine, tranny and clutch because it's a Mazda2! No kidding. From some angles I am even starting to get used to the big, black open maw in the front. Some angles it looks huge, others, not so big.

But they're saying for a small displacement inline 4-banger, the 2016 Scion iA accelerates nicely, handles turns nicely and shifts are Mazda-smooth. That's what keeps me interested in the iA still. The car has a built-in decelerator if you're not paying attention that will bring you to an immediate stop if the need arises. Backup camera and nice Pioneer 7-speaker stereo, etc. Lots of nice touches - many reviewers are saying that the 2016 Scion iA carries a lot of punch for a $16,000 dollar sedan. Angry bird headlights and taillights that are common on Mazda's now. I don't know when the 2016 Mazda2 hatch is coming to America or if it will at all. But this iA's looking better every review I watch.