Rental Car Experiences?

tjc78 · March 2014

The Captiva is solely made for fleets. No retail sales on those.

berri · March 2014

All of my Hawaii rentals were pretty new and lower mileage, just stripped! I can see how there would be some older rentals there. There aren't many highway miles on any of the islands, and there is a lot to do besides driving around. BTW - traffic is frequently awful on the few roads that are there.

andres3 · March 2014

The NIssan Maxima Hertz gave me has 54,000 + miles. When the car is past its bumper to bumper warranty, they should make a law that rental companies need to disclose that.

Sandman6472 · March 2014

Captiva's are only for fleets in the U S but can be bought as used and are down here in South Florida. Look at Chevy Canada and you will see the Captiva. Drove another one today and they aren't that bad really though I still prefer my Tuscon as I think it has a better and quieter engine. A colleague at Hertz bought a used Captiva from Carmax and got a killer deal actually. Also drove it's sister vehicle today, the Eqinox, and liked it a bit better though it is larger.
I work at a Hertz HLE location, Hertz Local Edition, which is the same concept as Enterprise and we get vehicles with higher mileage from a separate area in Ft. Lauderdale airport, up on the fifth floor. At Miami, it's a bit different but still vehicles with higher mileage but from what I've heard, the airport charges higher prices and our HLE location does a lot of collision repair rentals which can be a money maker as everyone has a fender bender from time to time and needs a rental. Enterprise used to own that market until Hertz got wise and opened more of their HLE locations. heck, we even have them now in new car dealers and since the purchase of Dollar/Thrifty last year, more locations to pull from. I know from our Southwest Broward location, we regularly go into Miami and it's surrounding areas like yesterday when we worked till 7:30 moving vehicles from location to location.

The Sandman

fintail · March 2014

I've read that Sixt now has Jag XF and 2014 Corvettes. Not bad.

That 54K Maxima sounds like something Enterprise would have. I once had an Enterprise Galant that had I think 45-50K on it - but was actually nicer and cleaner than many 20K rentals I have had. Must have led a lucky life.

uplanderguy · March 2014

"The Captiva is solely made for fleets. No retail sales on those."

Thank you for that. I was the sole arguer of that point on an Edmunds forum a couple years ago.

fintail · March 2014

Avis/Budget had a 528i on the lot, also saw a rental Infiniti Q60 or whatever the minivan thing is.

Sandman6472 · March 2014

They have started enforcing the 25 hour rule at work and since I already had 21 hours since Friday, I was sent home yesterday at noon with another driver. Was a bit surprised since one of the drivers quit on Monday and now there are 7 of us left. Found out one of us is guaranteed 40 hours and is full time and another one gets more than 25 also, but I am content with my 25. I will work more if they need me to and I have told them this as I am pretty flexible with my time. The other gig called twice Monday as they needed additional drivers but I couldn't leave just then...Hertz still comes first.
Off today but need to get some personal stuff done but plan to volunteer tomorrow just in case they need me...also could use the additional funds right now.

The Sandman

andres3 · March 2014

Can someone find me a 2014 Audi S4 rental for April 11-13?

berri · March 2014

I think Fintail would tell you to check out Sixt. May be your best bet. I actually did see two basic Audi sedans in Honolulu, but darn if I can remember which rental lot. They are all kind of just bunched together at that airport across from baggage claim.

fintail · March 2014

Sixt in Germany maybe. Hertz has some tuned cars in their fleet, but the prices can be outlandish. Hertz used to have a fleet of A6 and some Q7, I don't know if they have Audi now.. There's a car rental company called "Silvercar" that only has A4s I think - but they operate in just a few areas.

berri · March 2014

Damn Fin, you know your rental car companies!

andres3 · March 2014

What if I expand my search to include S4 comparables? In my book I'd settle for a BMW 335i, ATS-V, CTS-V, M3, G37S, CLA-AMG, C63, TL-SH-AWD, and lastly an IS350-F Sport.

Am I leaving anything out? I suppose since it's just for a weekend it doesn't need 4 doors, though it can't be a convertible or SUV.

fintail · March 2014

Rentals are something I study, especially since renting in Germany and seeing the awesome fleets there.

For those type of cars, andres, your best bet is Hertz, or an independent specialty place. The Hertz "dream cars" are only at high profile locations. Here's their list

fintail · March 2014

I read on a German site that Sixt now has W205 C-class in the domestic fleet. While they are still months away from intro here. Typical.

fintail · March 2014

Read today that the Volvo V60 is already in the National fleet

kyfdx · March 2014

In San Antonio, leased a Focus hatchback for a couple of days, from Avis. Nice car, and 33 mpg.

kyfdx · March 2014

Oh yeah.. $46, total, including all taxes and fees. For two days

stever · March 2014

Thought about you today Kyfdx; drove through KY on the way back toward home and didn't know who had won the game. No one egged the car with our Michigan plates and now I understand why. I suppose all the hardcore fans were over in Indy anyway. :-)

kyfdx · March 2014

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Thought about you today Kyfdx; drove through KY on the way back toward home and didn't know who had won the game. No one egged the car with our Michigan plates and now I understand why. I suppose all the hardcore fans were over in Indy anyway. :-)

Some of the hard core fans are in Texas. Too bad I can't stay another week, for the Final Four.

imidazol97 · April 2014

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Thought about you today Kyfdx; drove through KY on the way back toward home and didn't know who had won the game. No one egged the car with our Michigan plates and now I understand why.

We were rooting for MI, even though we are THE Ohio State fans. We wanted as many Big 10 schools in the finals as possible.

kyfdx · April 2014

@imidazol97 said:

My wife is a big Big 10 fan, but she knows not to root against the Wildcats. Plus, no one from her home state made the tournament.

fintail · April 2014

A friend of mine has reserved a CLA from Sixt Seattle for an upcoming long weekend road trip - as he hates taking trips in the Prius. Base rate was $60/day, which isn't particularly cheap, but SEA is an expensive venue, and according to him, a Hertz full size was more. I'll be interested on the spec of the car, or if the representative car is real, if he keeps the reservation.

fintail · April 2014

I got an email, I think from Hertz, touting the Lexus IS. That's a brand not as often seen in US fleets - but it's become more common lately.

fintail · April 2014

(strangely named parallel universe BMW) Kia K900 to be a National exclusive

KCRam · April 2014

It's the K9 in other markets, but Kia had to go with K900 here to avoid "canine" jokes... just as Subaru added Tribeca to the B9 to avoid "benign" references.

fintail · April 2014

I think they failed with the new name - one can still call it "Canine Hundred". Not that it will be a dog, of course - but not everything translates well from KDM to western markets.

fintail · April 2014

Enterprise Jag XF special

Avis/Budget had a VW CC today, kind of unusual. They had a Jetta wagon the other day.

berri · April 2014

That whole Kia K9 thing seems kind of humorous, if not ironic. I believe this is their "luxury" car entry. But when you think about it, K9 sounds like a tractor model or maybe a Freightliner cab. K900 isn't much better, sounds like a delivery van or something. Who dreams this stuff up anyway?

stever · April 2014

“When looking at the segment, we found current owners and prospective buyers in the U.S. are accustomed to the use of alphanumeric names from European auto makers” (blogs.wsj.com)

So, it's all BMW, MB and Lexus's fault.

fintail · April 2014

Indeed, it is the KDM interpretation of Germanic alphanumeric names - but they don't seem to have adapted it to English speaking or western ears. Canine-Hundred - looks like the problem isn't solved yet.

stever · April 2014

Heh, and X3 xDrive28d is supposed to roll off my tongue and mean something to me at the rental car counter? I'd have to think a sec about whether that's the SUV and then whether it's the "big" one or the "small" one. Hm, xDrive means no dials or buttons? And is that little d for diesel?

Now, offer a Soul and I'll know exactly what you are trying to rent me.

fintail · April 2014

I don't know of anyone who adds the nomenclature after the model name - it's just an X3 or a 328 etc.

But does a Soul have any soul?

stever · April 2014

Dunno about soul, but they look like they are more fun than the usual run of the mill sedan. Better use of space too.

berri · April 2014

Just popped in my head why I think the Kia K9/K900 sounds truck-ish to me. It was just a little over a decade ago when the four wheel drive versions of Chevy Pickups were still "K" series.

ab348 · April 2014

@berri said:
Just popped in my head why I think the Kia K9/K900 sounds truck-ish to me. It was just a little over a decade ago when the four wheel drive versions of Chevy Pickups were still "K" series.

Oh, that's true... I remember the K5 Blazer, early '70s Chevy.

berri · April 2014

_Indeed, it is the KDM interpretation of Germanic alphanumeric names _

Well, perhaps you're right Stever, but I still think it sounds like a model number off of a cardboard box . We're talking "attempted" luxury car here, not some little runabout hatchback to take to the grocery store

stever · April 2014

As much as I prefer "alpha" names, I have to admit the Quoris isn't too hot of a name either. That's what the Russians get instead of K9.

There is a big advantage to the cardboard box names that keeps coming up:

Kia Loses the Right to Use Quoris Name in Europe to China's Qoros (carscoops.com)

The consolidation of the car rental market with increased buying clout, you'd think there'd be more "rental only" names like that one Chevy out there that's only sold as a fleet car. The Kia Enterprise or Budget B9.

berri · April 2014

Is Budget B9 a Spirit or Allegiant Airlines departure gate - just kidding!

KCRam · April 2014

@Stever@Edmunds said:
“When looking at the segment, we found current owners and prospective buyers in the U.S. are accustomed to the use of alphanumeric names from European auto makers” (blogs.wsj.com)

So, it's all BMW, MB and Lexus's fault.

"Accustomed to" does not equal "like".

fintail · April 2014

I don't know about the fun, but I do prefer the Soul to the Scions that made JDM boxes viable in NA. Cheap and cheerful. I don't know of Scions in the fleets, but the Cube is definitely out there.

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Dunno about soul, but they look like they are more fun than the usual run of the mill sedan. Better use of space too.

stever · April 2014

Thanks for the reminder; keep forgetting about the Cube.

ab348 · April 2014

@Stever@Edmunds said:
Thanks for the reminder; keep forgetting about the Cube.

I keep trying to, but then I'll see one on the street and that awful memory returns.

stever · April 2014

Just a box, just a box.

But a box that's available with a manual.

andres3 · April 2014

So Hertz gave me the run around for 3 weeks and ended up offering the sportiest offering they could come up with "at a local non-airport" site, and offered up the Buick Lacrosse. (laugh here) I said no way and then they came up with a brand new Camaro RS at the last minute. That was acceptable though far from ideal. I know the Vegas Hertz airport has a bunch of C63 AMG's, but they don't want to quote a reasonable price and it was out of my way.

I took the Camaro RS. 1,600 miles or so when I got the transmission to overheat and the car to gets too hot when driven hard; though it was the transmission driving the "limp 10% power" mode. My A3 never overheated its DSG oil until it was either over 100 degrees or over 85,000 miles. The Camaro can do this at 1,600 miles and 83 degrees ambient temperature.

On the bright side the car doesn't completely suck. It feels like 4 tons, but the car does have some power, a buttoned down suspension, big meaty tires, and a good Boston sound system.

But seriously, there transmissions would blow up if it wasn't for the computer nannies protecting it. I never took it out of automatic S mode (meaning I wasn't purposely abusing it by leaving it in manual at the red line).

fintail · April 2014

You'd also get a mileage restriction with the Hertz "dream cars", no doubt, and you'd pay ~$250+ taxes/fees per day for the privilege.

Non-airport locations do usually have a much sparser selection of cars, and probably nothing too special. You were lucky to get the Camaro. If an RS, I assume the Camaro was the 3.6 - it's a pretty nice engine, the Impala LTZ I had back in November was so equipped. No risks of enabling the nannies on that land yacht

I saw a rental 2013 E-class parked at a hotel this morning - probably Hertz prestige.

iluvmysephia1 · April 2014

Hey, watch it with the Nissan cube putdowns. Just kidding. Don't have one - just wouldn't mind owning one. The car has grown on me and if the '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS with 122,702 miles wasn't running so powerful and strong I might just be tempted ta trade her in a new or used cube from Nissan.

A dude on a cube forum just Plasti-Dipped his cube (which I believe was black ta start with) into a mustard yellow color and it looks absolutely awesome. I'm casually thinking of getting a Pearl White cube and Plasti-Dipping 2 red racing stripes down the middle. Or buying a red cube and Plasti-Dipping 2 white racing stripes down the middle. Sounds great, huh?

suydam · April 2014

Not to me. I like the looks and interior of the Kia Soul but the Cube, like the Honda Element, is just too hideous for words. I'm sure it's practical.

imidazol97 · April 2014

@iluvmysephia1 said:
A dude on a cube forum just Plasti-Dipped his cube (which I believe was black ta start with) into a mustard yellow color and it looks absolutely awesome. I'm casually thinking of getting a Pearl White cube and Plasti-Dipping 2 red racing stripes down the middle. Or buying a red cube and Plasti-Dipping 2 white racing stripes down the middle. Sounds great, huh?

How about some picture links?

I had to go look up plasti dipping youtube to find what this is.

So that's how they do some of these finishes and stripes...

KCRam · April 2014

Chrysler will be adding to the ranks of rental Chargers and Challengers in about a year...

Automotive News - Dodge tests innovative 1-year lease on '14 Charger, Challenger

Enterprise gets the cars after the 12 month lease and will have them in their fleet (Enterprise, National, and Alamo divisions) for 2-3 years.

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