Rental Car Experiences?

kyfdx

Come on Bob! It's only been 11 years since the infamous Caliber rental in Santa Monica. Surely, you remember the derision?

Michaell

ab348 said:

Aren't the Compass and the Caliber the same vehicle, with just some different body panels?

Yes, that is correct. 

sda

I had the higher trim level 300C as a rental. It had around 30k mi, wasn't very clean and had assorted scratches and dings, not the car's fault. I was not expecting much but found that I liked the car. Very comfortable, quiet, good power, good handling in suburban driving. I loved the panoramic sunroof and enjoyed the decent Alpine stereo. Most I've seen on the used market were ex-rentals. A few I've seen have less than 15k and are priced around $20-22k..probably a decent buy.

Michaell

sda said:

I had the higher trim level 300C as a rental. It had around 30k mi, wasn't very clean and had assorted scratches and dings, not the car's fault. I was not expecting much but found that I liked the car. Very comfortable, quiet, good power, good handling in suburban driving. I loved the panoramic sunroof and enjoyed the decent Alpine stereo. Most I've seen on the used market were ex-rentals. A few I've seen have less than 15k and are priced around $20-22k..probably a decent buy.

While I'm not driving a rental this weekend in Santa Fe, I'm sharing the parking lot at the bed and breakfast with a few:

Nissan Altima
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Audi Q3

fintail

Q3 seems like an odd rental, I wonder who offers that. Audis have been known to exist in US fleets, especially A3, but are uncommon. Hertz had A6 about 10 years ago in their prestige line.

Michaell

fintail said:

Q3 seems like an odd rental, I wonder who offers that. Audis have been known to exist in US fleets, especially A3, but are uncommon. Hertz had A6 about 10 years ago in their prestige line.

I thought so, too. Colorado rental plates on it.

fintail

Fun, I didn't know CO had special rental plates. I know a few states do that, seems like an odd idea, might make the driver a target.

I was thinking Sixt might have a Q3, but I don't think they have a location in CO. I suspect it is National or maybe in the Hertz prestige line.

Michaell said:

I thought so, too. Colorado rental plates on it.

Michaell

fintail said:

Fun, I didn't know CO had special rental plates. I know a few states do that, seems like an odd idea, might make the driver a target.

I was thinking Sixt might have a Q3, but I don't think they have a location in CO. I suspect it is National or maybe in the Hertz prestige line.

Michaell said:

I thought so, too. Colorado rental plates on it.

Regular CO plates are green lettering on a white background. "Fleet" plates have red lettering.

fintail

I guess CO is a safe enough place, unlike some where tourists have been targeted based on rental car.

A friend of mine called me from Hawaii, he's been on 2 islands and had cars on both. First one was "the Ford version of the Lincoln, I forget the name, but it was OK". Fusion must not be a memorable car for all. He's now in a Sentra, which he doesn't think is nice.

Michaell said:

Regular CO plates are green lettering on a white background. "Fleet" plates have red lettering.

Sandman6472

Florida used to have certain tags just for rentals but after thieves started targeting foreigners and other tourists, changed that. Now, most rentals have a "6-18" yellow sticker as June is the month they are all due on the fleets. I know this because back in 2013, our company had the task of putting them on a lot of vehicles at the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Was amazed at how well executed the whole procedure was to be honest!

The Sandman

kyfdx

https://www.silvercar.com

Rents nothing but silver Audi A4s

fintail

I think I read somewhere that Silvercar registers their fleet in Texas to dodge paying taxes where they operate. Not sure if that's true.

ab348

Sounds a lot like U-Haul registering all their vehicles in Arizona regardless of where they are based.

PF_Flyer

ab348 said:

Aren't the Compass and the Caliber the same vehicle, with just some different body panels?

Compass is a taller vehicle, just share the obstructed views

I drove just under 1200 miles in the Compass between Friday afternoon and this morning. majority of it was highway, although some of the construction zones did a good job of simulating off-road conditions. Ride was solid and comfortable. I didn't really get fatigued on either of the 500 mile legs we did on Saturday and Monday. Handled OK, adequate power. I'm not a fan of the CVT, but that was tolerable. Justa touch more rear cargo space than my versa hatch, but it held the luggage of three adults, plus our coolers, chair backs and other assorted stuff we dragged into the track on race day. Kind of surprised that the one we had didn't have a backup camera so backing up was an exercise in caution given the limited visibility. Really the only things that bothered me were the rear view mirror, the center arm rest and the cruise control buttons.

The automatic dimming on the rear view mirror really didn't seem to do much of anything. I guess it was working, but even covering the sensor to the right of the on/off switch didn't change the way anything looked in the mirror. And the green light indicating that the feature was on was mildly annoying. Best of all, there was nothing in the owner's manual explaining anything about the mirror function. Plenty on snazzy "electronics", but nothing on one of the basics of operating the vehicle.




The center arm rest got in the way of setting the parking brake and reaching for your drink in the cup holder, no matter if it was slid back as far as it could go or not. This is as far as it would go back.


The cruise control buttons all feel identical and on multiple occasions my right hand would come down to bump the cruise up or down and my thumb would cross the On/Off button and turn cruise off.


I think I'd need a good price if I was thinking of getting one

kyfdx

There is an all new 2017 Compass, but the old one is pure Caliber.

PF_Flyer

We passed a Caliber on I-70 and I was definitely taller...

2016 Compass Dimensions
175″ L x 71″ W x 65″ H

2012 Dodge Caliber Dimensions (last model year)
174″ L x 69″ W x 60″ H

But yea, the visibility definitely felt like the Caliber

andres3

Compass, Caliber, Clunker, Cirrus, Cruise, does it really matter, they are all Neons! I still find it funny the Edmunds long-term tester Dart had some of the same problems my mid-90's Neon had.

Sandman6472

We still have a few Darts in our fleet, but not many. Saw a couple today when we went to the airport to pick up some vehicles. They aren't the worst vehicle on the planet, but far from the best. A few years back, had to drive one up to Orlando and it had no cruise. Those couple of hours were quite brutal on my spine because I could never find a comfortable position and always had to keep my foot on the pedals. Worst part was no one would switch with me even though they all knew I had spinal issues. Learned a lot about my co-workers that day!
Like I said, they're not the worst vehicle on the planet but, not one I'd be thrilled about driving if I had a choice!

The Sandman

Michaell

My mom and sister will be renting a car this fall. Flying back to Washington DC to attend a wedding, then driving to NE Tennessee so mom can visit some old friends. About 400 miles.

Will have to check with my sister to see what class of car they've reserved. I'm afraid they might end up with a Spark or something similar.

jpp75

Michaell said:

jpp5862 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Did any of that rental fleet particularly impress you, to the point where you would request that car above any others?

I'd say my favorites and ones I would seek out again are the Grand Cherokee and the Edge. I liked the Tahoe but it's generally too big for me to enjoy.



What stands out more are the ones I wouldn't pick again. The MKC had horrible turbo lag and gas mileage. The XT5 rattled like a mariachi band, could just be due to rental abuse but I wasn't impressed enough with anything else on it to give it another try. The Flex was a great drive but too big for what I normally use a vehicle for, but other than that I like it.

jpp5862 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Did any of that rental fleet particularly impress you, to the point where you would request that car above any others?

I'd say my favorites and ones I would seek out again are the Grand Cherokee and the Edge. I liked the Tahoe but it's generally too big for me to enjoy.



What stands out more are the ones I wouldn't pick again. The MKC had horrible turbo lag and gas mileage. The XT5 rattled like a mariachi band, could just be due to rental abuse but I wasn't impressed enough with anything else on it to give it another try. The Flex was a great drive but too big for what I normally use a vehicle for, but other than that I like it.

The Flex is bigger than your VW?

I missed responding to this, but yes. The Flex is over a foot longer than the Touareg (188 vs 201 in). The width, height, etc. is about the same though.

iluvmysephia1

Will have to check with my sister to see what class of car they've reserved. I'm afraid they might end up with a Spark or something similar.

Can't imagine what might be wrong with renting a Chevy Spark?

fintail

The rental Spark will likely have zero options. Maybe competent enough as a city car, but I can't imagine it for a long road trip.

Michaell

I chatted with my sister tonight.

She says they reserved a "standard" class from Hertz. She thinks she's getting an Altima. I had to break the news to her that it might be a Corolla (or equivalent).

fintail

Saw a rental Veloster, that's an oddball.

suydam

Surprisingly, " Standard" is often a midsize car, whereas "midsize" means "compact" in rental speak.

Michaell

suydam said:

Surprisingly, " Standard" is often a midsize car, whereas "midsize" means "compact" in rental speak.

I think I had a Jetta as a "standard" car once, from Hertz.

andres3

The rental car business is ripe for entrepreneurs with loads of room for improvement. I heard Audi bought Silvercar, don't know if the story was true.

sda

When I had the Pilot in for minor body repairs last February I was expecting to get a Versa, Fiesta, something basic as I limited myself to whatever the insurance company would cover. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased that I got a fully loaded with panoramic sunroof Chrysler 300C. And even more surprising I liked that car!

Sandman6472

The Silvercar location right outside of MIA always has silver Audi's outside, only have seen A4's outside the location whenever we pass, which is a few times a week.

The Sandman

kyfdx

sandman_6472 said:

The Silvercar location right outside of MIA always has silver Audi's outside, only have seen A4's outside the location whenever we pass, which is a few times a week.

The Sandman

That's because that is the only model they rent. Silver A4s.

andres3

kyfdx said:

sandman_6472 said:

The Silvercar location right outside of MIA always has silver Audi's outside, only have seen A4's outside the location whenever we pass, which is a few times a week.

The Sandman

That's because that is the only model they rent. Silver A4s.

Important to note they rent only highly loaded quattro AWD Silver A4's. Not the strippo FWD lease specials.

fintail

Quattro AWD, a little redundant?

Hey Sandman, do you recall if they have TX plates?

I had an A6 rental from Hertz in Las Vegas about 10 years ago. Of course, in Germany, an Audi rental car is a normal thing, and you can get any model, including RS cars.

Sandman6472

We go by so fast it's hard to see the plates but will look harder next time and see what they have. They rent out a small part of a warehouse when turning into the road which leads to the rental Center off Le Jeune Rd.

The Sandman

suydam

Rented a Kia Soul overniight recently. It seemed like a competent vehicle with a pretty cheap interior. I was surprised that it couldn't fit as much luggage in the back as our Encore -- I thought they were pretty similar in size. Nice pickup on the highway and decent visibility.

imidazol97

Son rented a Hertz vehicle on business. Was given a Yaris with NO cruise control. The company advertises how 2017 models have all kinds of safety features but don't include a cruise control with sort of auto braking, lane keep, etc..

Also the agent was so busy trying to sell him things like insurance and arguing with him when he said the employer covers the insurance that she never mentioned he'd be doing an after hours return at 4 am this morning. She also lied saying he'd never find a gas station open to fill up on the way back to Houston IAH and sold him the fill up by Hertz. He passed a Shell station open every 10 miles on the loop to the airport. LOL

Is Hertz the bottom of the barrel?

suydam

Probably not. I got a Yaris that was truly awful last year -- something was wrong with it and it wouldn't steer properly so I took it back. The agent said "Oh that's just how Yarises are"!!! Wound up with a base Jetta, but at least it worked. That was Dollar. We were just at Avis, and they tried to add on Loss Damage insurance even though I had declined it when booking online. Also they said my compact car wasn't ready, so how about a Malibu for $25 extra a day? Sheesh. We waited the 2 extra minutes for them to wash the Soul and park it. So they're all of a pack now it seems.

tjc78

imidazol97 said:

Son rented a Hertz vehicle on business. Was given a Yaris with NO cruise control. The company advertises how 2017 models have all kinds of safety features but don't include a cruise control with sort of auto braking, lane keep, etc..



Also the agent was so busy trying to sell him things like insurance and arguing with him when he said the employer covers the insurance that she never mentioned he'd be doing an after hours return at 4 am this morning. She also lied saying he'd never find a gas station open to fill up on the way back to Houston IAH and sold him the fill up by Hertz. He passed a Shell station open every 10 miles on the loop to the airport. LOL



Is Hertz the bottom of the barrel?

I never really liked Hertz.  Always a problem for me when I traveled heavily (2001-2008). I've said it before, National was the last best at least back then and I believe so now 

Sandman6472

Our Yaris's at Hertz all have no cruise, they are the cheapest thing we sell. Most people rent them in hopes of there not being any so they can be upgraded. They want to pay the least amount and want it all. This is such an old game but folks still tend to do this sort of stuff. On the gas, really an easy peasy thing. The amount charged per gallon is clearly posted and 95% of the time, less than the current market. And with a computer and knowing about Mapquest and Gas Buddy, one can do a google search and find out where the nearest stations are and their hours. All it takes is a few minutes to do some research on one's own.
Anyways, if it was a business expense, think he could've rented even a compact vehicle to get more items in the safety department. It ain't coming out of his pocket I'm guessing so trying to go as cheap as possible might not be the right way to go in the future. In life, one gets what they pay for. So, if he wanted the latest safety features, why rent the cheapest vehicle in the fleet? This I don't understand. I would also hope that he's a Gold Member, something very easy to sign up for.
I feel sorry for the folks having to rent the vehicles. Folks come in and always are looking for something for nothing, they want it all for the cheapest price they can get. I've even seen folks downright lie which again, is something I just don't understand. Then, they trash the vehicles with stuff that's past disgusting. Don't know where folks drive, but too many come back with the tire icon on...where are these folks driving?? A rental should be treated like someone's own vehicle but the majority refuse to do this.
I sure hope in the future, wherever he rents, he spends a bit more if the safety features really are that important, which they seem to be. And again, in life...we get what we pay for. That's why we have choices. Want the best, you gotta pay for it! Want something in the middle, it'll cost less but won't have everything. End of story!

The Sandman

fintail

My only issue with Hertz is the base model cars in the fleet. My last two Hertz rentals were zero option cars.

suydam

That seems to be the trend everywhere. And these tricks can happen when you sign up for more expensive cars too -- no cruise, key instead of fob, few safety features. It seems to be the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get a really nice vehicle in your class, sometimes not. It's the lack of standardization that gets people. I really hate the whole rental car game.

andres3

suydam said:

That seems to be the trend everywhere. And these tricks can happen when you sign up for more expensive cars too -- no cruise, key instead of fob, few safety features. It seems to be the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get a really nice vehicle in your class, sometimes not. It's the lack of standardization that gets people. I really hate the whole rental car game.

I had no issue when I rented premium or better cars. An X5 upgrade from an Xterra at Avis, and an E350 instead of a C300 (that one was free since it was due to lack of availability). BMW and Mercedes seem to have minimum standards that draw a line in the sand that won't be crossed, although the CLA 250 and 320i challenge that theory.

fintail

My last US rental, a Hertz 300, was a base zero option car. Still not a bad car, but not really "luxury" (The category I booked) to me at this trim. The absolute base Q50 with a $25 day upsell was not a value.

I'm going to Europe later in the year, and I will have a car for at least a few days. I have no worries that it will be nicely equipped, and the rates aren't really much more than here.

Most of the premium brand rentals I see in the US are also modest at best spec. I've had Sixt X5 and E-class that had little options, but they come decently equipped anyway.

suydam said:

That seems to be the trend everywhere. And these tricks can happen when you sign up for more expensive cars too -- no cruise, key instead of fob, few safety features. It seems to be the luck of the draw. Sometimes you get a really nice vehicle in your class, sometimes not. It's the lack of standardization that gets people. I really hate the whole rental car game.

imidazol97

sandman_6472 said:

And with a computer and knowing about Mapquest and Gas Buddy, one can do a google search and find out where the nearest stations are and their hours. All it takes is a few minutes to do some research on one's own.

It certainly is a shame that a business, Hertz, apparently bases its business model and payment model for employees on taking advantage of someone's lack of knowledge of the area as to gasoline station's "hours." As for placing it on the "renter" to determine all this before stepping up to the counter, lots of luck with that tenet. The desk person was deficient in doing the job needed because she didn't point out that he would have to do a return when they have no one at the business. Amazing for an airport at a major US city.

sandman_6472 said:

Anyways, if it was a business expense, think he could've rented even a compact vehicle to get more items in the safety department.

I have to laugh at toyota advertising how their 2017 yaris models all have the greatest safety features--standard. But they delete the cruise control. Did they include a heater? AC? Lowers toyota yet again in my book.

sandman_6472 said:

It ain't coming out of his pocket I'm guessing so trying to go as cheap as possible might not be the right way to go in the future. In life, one gets what they pay for. So, if he wanted the latest safety features, why rent the cheapest vehicle in the fleet?

The travel office his employer has arranges the travel somewhat and I believe they govern the rentals. This is the second time he's traveled by himself so I'll have to ask him if the earlier trip where he had to rent a vehicle was Hertz also, and how the desk personnel did at that location. I don't recall if it was Hertz or not and I don't recall what the earlier vehicle he got as a rental was. I know he called it a piece of junk.

sandman_6472 said:

This I don't understand. I would also hope that he's a Gold Member, something very easy to sign up for.

I will ask if he is able to sign up for the clubs that give upgrades without violating any company rules. He might check when he contacts hertz if the upgrades would have been applicable to his type of rental.

sandman_6472 said:

I feel sorry for the folks having to rent the vehicles.

I do too. I view the desk person as the reprentative for the rental company as well as the tourism council for the area. A good feeling about the helpfulness of the representative for the car rental group is a positive for the reputation of business friendliness and tourism of that area.

I'll have him check if he's able to blacklist certain rental companies with the office arranging travel. I believe he'll have at least two more this year but they may not be solo.

sandman_6472 said:

Folks come in and always are looking for something for nothing, they want it all for the cheapest price they can get. I've even seen folks downright lie which again, is something I just don't understand. Then, they trash the vehicles with stuff that's past disgusting. Don't know where folks drive, but too many come back with the tire icon on...where are these folks driving?? A rental should be treated like someone's own vehicle but the majority refuse to do this.
I sure hope in the future, wherever he rents, he spends a bit more if the safety features really are that important, which they seem to be. And again, in life...we get what we pay for. That's why we have choices. Want the best, you gotta pay for it! Want something in the middle, it'll cost less but won't have everything. End of story!

I can assure you he neither trashed the vehicle inside nor damaged the tire sensors. As for his not wanting to pay for the best but receive the best, he doesn't get to make that decision in re the car rental. I suspect there's a master agreement in play from his employer with the car rental company.

He needs to check on whether joining the Gold plan would effect an upgrade in the circumstances of his employer having arranged the rental.

fintail

If son is really miffed. he should contact Hertz corporate, and maybe have his employer spend an extra $2/day and not get the cheapest penalty box possible. The overworked underpaid desk agent or driver like Sandy don't have clout. Those agents are micromanaged by overpaid suits into selling useless stuff, are not paid especially well, and I don't believe are treated very well - there are endless horror stories out there about that line of work. If one wants them to act as tourist helpers and customer advocates, corporate mentality will have to change.

Gold won't help, it is a free membership level which only requires the ability to fog a mirror. Gold is for ease of reservation and pick-up (name on a board, no need to deal with desk, etc). Five Star and President's Circle are the status levels that should actually get you something. If the company is of any size, these tiers should not be difficult to obtain.

fintail

On a more fun note, I saw this on another forum - this is the highlights in the Sixt fleet at FRA as of this afternoon. Quite a lineup compared to a domestic mass market carrier:
1x BMW M6
1x BMW X5 M
4x BMW M4
1x BMW M4 Cabrio
4x BMW M3
1x BMW M2
1x BMW M240i
2x BMW X6 M50d
1x Mercedes S 63 AMG
1x Mercedes S 600
1x Mercedes GLS 350d
2x Mercedes E 63S AMG
1x Mercedes C 63S AMG Cabrio
1x Mercedes A 45 AMG
1x Audi S7
1x Audi S6
2x Alfa 4C
1x Jaguar F-Type Cabrio
1x Ford Mustang Cabrio V8
2x Maserati Levante
1x Maserati Ghilbi
1x Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
Diverse Mercedes S-Klassen
Mehrere Mercedes V250d
Viele Mercedes E 200 teilweise mit 4-Matic

And Avis:

2x Porsche 911 S Cabrio
3x Ford Mustang Cabrio V8 |
1x Golf GTI
2x Seat Leon Cupra ST
1x Ford Focus ST
2x Audi A3 Cabrio
Diverse Mercedes S-Klassen

And Europcar:

2x Jaguar F-Type Cabrio
2x Mercedes SLC 43 AMG
1x Mercedes S 500
1x BMW 7er
1x Jaguar XJ
3x Jaguar XE S
1x Audi TTS Roadster
1x Audi TT
Mehrere Mercedes S 350d
Mehrere Mercedes C43 AMG
Viele Audi A6

A different world.

suydam

If Hertz is going to charge more for their rentals than Dollar or Budget then they should provide better cars and service. With Thrifty you don't expect much as a tradeoff for a cheap ride. I think that's what bugs people. With Hertz now you get the same cheap stuff but get charged more for it.

fintail

At Hertz you might even get cheaper stuff than others. From my experience, the National fleet is at least moderately optioned, in comparison. I think Hertz is so big that these base 300s/Chargers/Yaris are made just fr it - you won't find such sparsely equipped models new on the lot.

tjc78

What is even funnier about a car without Cruise these days? It isn't even a "feature" anymore. The only hardware it requires is the switches. Cars are drive by wire and the computer handles everything. Years ago there was a CC brain and then module under the hood.

On 2005-2011 Crown Vic police cars many people add in CC simply by replacing the steering wheel with the controls (from a civilian model) and having the dealer turn the option on in the computer

berri

I believe Hertz has some financial issues and may be making the same mistakes as many others in trying to rely on primarily cost cutting to survive. History often shows that approach doesn't pan out as planned. Of course, I'm sure car rentals and hotels are learning from the airlines too!

Sandman6472

I do let my boss know when I hear complaints like this one online just so they're aware of what the public is thinking. After that, not much more I an do. But please, let me know of any stuff going on so I can pass it on along.
From what I've seen, Hertz is probably midpack in the rental game. Sixt has raised the bar and hopefully, the others will soon take notice. But, since I'm only staying till the end of 2018 at this point, will just have to wait and see. I am tired and really want to retire again! Working 4 days this week cause we are severly understaffed in my department and my body hurts! It knows that 3 days/week is my limit!!!

The Sandman