Rental Car Experiences?

Michaell

I’ve picked up an Equinox and a Taos on my last couple of trips through the Emerald Aisle

tjc78

In my experience National Emerald Aisle is mostly full of mid-size SUVS. You'll also find Altimas, Malibus, Sonatas and the occasional Camry. If they are running low you'll find minivans too.

fintail

Quite the variety at Sixt SFO currently - I hope SEA is like this when I am there next month:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mPdWSR3cFg

xwesx

Wow; that's a lot of cars just sitting there not earning revenue! So, do you just pick whatever you want?

fintail

xwesx said:

Wow; that's a lot of cars just sitting there not earning revenue! So, do you just pick whatever you want?

I am not sure what day of the week or time of day was shown in the video - I am sure supply ebbs and flows, and that has to be a busy airport. Better to have a little too much than not enough as well, running out of cars will lose customers for good.

If one is a Sixt member, the app will usually let one choose from a few similar cars (but in my experience the app does not have 100% uptime), or one can chat it up with someone at the booth near the cars and see what's around. It's not an open system (with class areas) like National or some Hertz locations.

xwesx

I was just perusing their site. Seems like a good selection at good prices. Downside: Only available at fairly major airports.

kyfdx

If they don't have rental units available, then who could rent them??

xwesx

kyfdx said:

If they don't have rental units available, then who could rent them??

Agreed; that was just a LOT of rental units!

fintail

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

Michaell

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

I poked around on the Sixt website for LAX, and there are a number of nice choices for not that much money. I'll seriously consider them on my next trip west.

xwesx

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

I checked out their selection at PIT (Pittsburgh, PA), and it is similar to your experience at SEA. As noted, though, competitive pricing to that seen at Enterprise. That said, I'm not sure why I would want to pick an X5 over an Explorer for the same price.

ab348

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

Working from memory here, but didn't you end up with a 7-series BMW renting from them a year or two ago? I thought I remembered that.

fintail

ab348 said:

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

Working from memory here, but didn't you end up with a 7-series BMW renting from them a year or two ago? I thought I remembered that.

Yep. Christmas 2022, it was a gongshow getting to SEA, and the 5er I originally received had wacky tire pressure alerts - maybe due it being the end of a long day for both me and the agents in the booth, they just gave me the 7er rather than sort out the first car. Last year I asked about any 7ers, and they were already rented - maybe high status upgrades.

Last year I had a 5er reservation and received exactly that, which is was fine. This year I reserved an X5 and expect nothing more - no complaints as I found a bargain rate, but there could always be something different on the lot.

fintail

Michaell said:

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

I poked around on the Sixt website for LAX, and there are a number of nice choices for not that much money. I'll seriously consider them on my next trip west.

Just one warning, and I know it has been discussed earlier. Sixt uses AI scanners for damage claims, and judging by online complaints, the system is terrible - I would strongly suggest having additional insurance either through them or primary coverage from another service, just to save the hassle.

fintail

xwesx said:

fintail said:

I've never rented from a sparse SIXT location (I've rented from Hertz and National where the aisles were nearly empty), but have never rented from a US location with the highline offerings seen in that video, or in reports from LAX and LAS. In my experience SEA will have selection up to 5er/X5 or equivalent with anything fancier being uncommon.

I checked out their selection at PIT (Pittsburgh, PA), and it is similar to your experience at SEA. As noted, though, competitive pricing to that seen at Enterprise. That said, I'm not sure why I would want to pick an X5 over an Explorer for the same price.

As mentioned earlier, just beware of the possible damage/insurance issue. It seems most people don't get picked on, but when they do, it appears to be irritating.

I know a lot of renters just want the cheapest thing, but there's enough who want something fun or fancy to apparently make the business model work.