Rental Car Experiences?

Sandman6472 · January 2015

Drove a 300 last week, first time, and was very impressed, Chrysler is doing sopme great things of late and the couple of new 200's I got into were very very good drivers. Everything was well placed and put together and I wouldn't be ashamed to own one actually. Picked up a few new Cruze's Saturday, all with 2 miles on them...they were "LT" models and liked the looks but the interior was meh at best, very GM generic to be honest. It drove o k but not something I'd ever buy, wouldn't even consider to be honest as it was super dull, a real appliance. For the same $, I'd try to find something with more wow to it. Competent vehicles no doubt, just put me to sleep actually. The newer Impala I drove today was way better as was the Buick Lacrosse I delivered to a customer this afternoon. Just proves GM can make a really good vehicle if they want but they seem to be happy with producing mediocre stuff and that's a shame. They really better step up their game because they are getting left in the dust by Chrysler and dare I say it, even Ford!
Just love that I get to drive all these different vehicles and usually they're just lined up, like today, and I get to choose. Damn, I love my job!!

The Sandman

andres3 · January 2015

Was not impressed with my Parent's Sixt Hyundai Genesis Sedan rental in San Diego for the Holidays. Big car, decent interior, drove nice enough, but nothing special.

Sandman6472 · January 2015

I think for Hyundai's first shot at this kind of vehicle, they did a decent job actually. It's going to take time for the Koreans to match the goodness of the other high class brands but they are doing some amazing things in a short period of time. They are parroting Toyota and Honda in the 80's and 90's if you will and their products will improve dramatically over the next few years, mark my words...the quality and goodness gap is closing, and fast!

The Sandman

stever · January 2015

Dilbert, channeling Seinfield.

fintail · January 2015

I've only had that experience once, Sixt MCO, where there were no "E-class or similar" available. They tried to claim a C was equal, then a Volvo XC60 - both lower classes, but the same price at the time I was there (I booked/prepaid early and got a better rate). After staunchly refusing, I got a gas guzzling X5, which was in the same class and the only car on the lot that I'd take. Kept it a couple days until I drove by, spotted an E, and switched out. The E drank literally 50% less gas.

I've also received a free upgrade from Sixt when my reserved class was unavailable, so it evens out.

berri · January 2015

I've only run into those rental counter rackets when using a low price outfit. Haven't encountered it at the big majors. But then, they seem to be buying these bargain outfits, so maybe that will change. Your best bet may be sticking to something like Hertz Gold where they have the car waiting for you without a counter wait, or National where you can pick what you want from your price class. Or go the Fintail way with Sixt where there really aren't any cheapo loss leader come on's in stock.

suydam · January 2015

Dollar has pick what you want in your price class too now, at least in California. I think some of the differences may be disappearing.

andres3 · January 2015

I think Silver Car is a success story because they rent out high end fully loaded Quattro A4's, not your FWD A4 lease special for the badge buyer.

fintail · January 2015

Is it true that Silvercar rents in CA with TX plates in order to dodge taxes? I read that somewhere.

fintail · February 2015

I'm having the dashcam installed on Monday, and also need to go to Portland that day, so I am cashing in a few Hertz points and renting a car for the day. I've reserved a "Premium" car from a local edition location. Should be interesting, as the place gets less than awesome Yelp reviews (handles a lot of insurance business). I'm expecting something like a 2011 Taurus with 80K miles on it.

Sandman6472 · February 2015

You might be surprised!!! lately, we've been getting quite a few turn backs with "Never-Lost" and ridiculously low miles and since this past week has been a nightmare, meaning the airport won't release us any vehicles, we've been running ragged from location to location moving vehicles. Today's 12:00 quitting time turned into 2:30 when all was said and done...we were scrambling for rentable vehicles and delivering the ones we stumbled upon. Unfortunately, a lot of the business at HLE's is insurance work and with State Farm being one of our very large accounts, they keep us extremely busy all the time. Throw in unreasonable customers, the ones who book a vehicle 10 minutes earlier on their computer and then go stupid when they come to our location and we are out getting them that vehicle class. And contrary to what many believe, a picture on a screen of a particular size vehicle doesn't mean that it's going to be the exact Impala that one saw online yet we have folks come in demanding the exact vehicle shown on the website...people sometimes come in with unreasonable expectations!
With all that, we are in the process of getting rid of older inventory and purchasing a mess load of 2015 iron...don't be surprised if you do get a very low mileage vehicle or even a free upgrade. Not promising any of this but don't be surprised if your expectations are out done! We are trying to do the best we can with what we've got but bottom line, folks need to be reasonable in their expectations and most times, we'll exceed them!!!

The Sandman

Michaell · February 2015

I'm heading to CA in March. Will need a rental from LAX for 5-6 days.

fintail · February 2015

I drove by the rental place while on an errand earlier - saw 3 Chargers hanging around. I bet I get a Charger. And I hope it doesn't have NeverLost, I don't like that weird pod and archaic software at all. I'd love an upgrade, but I don't think this location handles anything above "Premium", so it would have to be a lucky return. They also had a few Corollas and a Yaris.

I bet working as a rental agent is a soul-destroying job. People renting cars are very entitled, and there is pressure to upsell unneeded extras. I still remember a woman throwing a fit at Hertz Las Vegas because she received a Kia instead of the Toyota Avalon shown on the site - even though they are the same class. People don't read the part that says "or similar". The customer isn't always right.

ab348 · February 2015

It strikes me as a [non-permissible content removed] business though that brings a lot of grief on itself by their business practices. The bizarre car size classifications that doesn't match people's understanding, the insurance rip-off, the gas refill ripoff... it goes on and on. Savvy renters know how the system works but for the guy who rents a car once in a blue moon it feels like you are being taken to the cleaners.

henryn · February 2015

ab348 said:
It strikes me as a [non-permissible content removed] business though that brings a lot of grief on itself by their business practices. The bizarre car size classifications that doesn't match people's understanding, the insurance rip-off, the gas refill ripoff... it goes on and on. Savvy renters know how the system works but for the guy who rents a car once in a blue moon it feels like you are being taken to the cleaners.

It feels like that because you ARE. Back in the days of CRT's (cathode ray tubes), TV and monitor manufacturers / retailers got in hot water for advertising 17 inch devices, when only 16 inches were actually visible. The monitor / TV was 17 inches diagonal, but only 16 inches were visible inside the mask. That seems to my way of thinking less of a rip-off than showing a picture of a Toyota Avalon and delivering instead a Kia. And don't even get me started on the insurance, and the amount they charge you for gas (usually about 2 to 3 times the going price on the street). I have to agree with @ab348, it is a [non-permissible content removed] business model.

suydam · February 2015

The sizes are what get me. A Toyota Corolla is a midsize car. It's crazy.

Sandman6472 · February 2015

Henryn, your statement about the gas price charged is so bogus I can tell you right now, today our price was...$2.29, so wherever you're getting your information from is obviously false. We're always very comparable to the local stations so again, have no clue where your info is coming from. And there's no bait and switch going on here, they have to show something so folks can get an idea of what they might get in that class but the fine print does explain the policy so they are trying to be as transparent as possible. If we can get an exact vehicle for a customer, 9 times out of 10 we do...if we can! And a lot of the time, folks just drop off vehicles at our location that they either got from the airport or from another location...we can't always know beforehand what our fleet for that particular day or hour will be as it's always changing. As a driver, we are on the road constantly except for a half hour lunch, taking vehicles where they are needed, bringing bad vehicles in for maintenance or to be sold or going to one of the local airports to pick up vehicles that we need. No day is the same as the one before which is the part I love about this gig.

The upselling is the worst part and the agents all really hate it but management really pushes this aspect of the business. The majority of folks really trash these vehicles which I find absolutely unacceptable...folks smoke in them when they all know up front that that's a no no, they carry animals who piddle and worse and generally leave as much trash as possible. Why on earth would anyone treat something that they don't own this way is beyond me but I guess they do it, BECAUSE THEY CAN! And that really stinks! I always treat these rentals as if they were my own and can not understand why others don't do the same.

Lastly, so many come in with a chip on their shoulders, are totally rude and demanding and don't use common sense. A guy yesterday was almost yelling because he felt that the agents where he first went should've sent him to a location closer to his house, our location at a local auto dealer. He assumed that they knew where he lived and that they should know in advance that the other location was closer...all he did was make a reservation online. He assumed to much here yet he blamed the agents and said they weren't doing their job. I was flabbergasted listening to his diatribe that i had to walk outside. And so many customers are even harder to deal with, it's as if folks leave their manners at home and think they can be as rude as possible in these situations!

Sorry for the rant but I see this on an almost daily basis, the agents taking a beating from rude customers and it does make me a bit crazy sometimes to watch such horrible behavior. I just hope that most in here know how to be polite while renting and realize that we do try our best to get good vehicles and think we could do this more often if all folks took better care of their rentals!! When all the pieces fit together, it's a great job actually!

The Sandman

fintail · February 2015

The Kia thing was legit - this was back in the days of the Kia Amanti, which was comparable (in a parallel universe) to an Avalon. The customer just didn't want a Kia, I think. She whined, but the agent stood her ground. I had rented an Audi on a special rate, and it was a guaranteed car.

The smoking or pets remainders in a rental car should result in massive penalties,sent to collections if not paid. Have fun with that on your credit. I generally return a rental cleaner than when I picked it up, esp if I have it for more than a day or two. I have OCD issues with dirty glass and steering wheels/switchgear. Even for my upcoming one day rental, I plan to have a towel with me to give everything I touch a quick wipe.

About the sizes, I don't think there is any standard - it all has to do with passenger capacity or pieces of luggage. Some European carriers do have different classes for different engine size. The standard classification guide is called "ACRISS" Wiki here

henryn · February 2015

Back in 2011, I had a rental car from Enterprise. When I turned it in, they charged me $8.00 per gallon for gasoline. The price at the time was around $3.29. I have made dam*ed sure not to let that happen to me again.

As to the insurance charges being a rip-off, I think everyone knows that is a fact. You take their daily rate, multiply it by 30 to get a monthly bill, and prepare to faint. If car insurance cost that much, most of us would be taking public transit everywhere.

And as to your stories about how people treat rental cars, yes, I know. Main reason I would never, not even on a dare, buy a used car that had been a rental unit.

fintail · February 2015

I hope everyone knows the fuel isn't a bargain either. It is priced for convenience. These companies aren't charities. The insurance does go after the paranoid or clueless. Although I suspect purchasing it might be able to gain one a big upgrade.

I drove by the Hertz again today, there's a white Charger SXT parked near the door, a dirty dark one further down, and another one on the side of the building. Maybe the white one is for me. Looks at least moderately equipped, I think I spotted a moonroof.

berri · February 2015

I think Henryn might be confusing the penalty rate for returning without a full tank instead of the return empty option. The latter is usually cheaper than the nearby gas stations, but they make it back on the fact that most of the cars rented with that option have more than a gallon or two in the tank when returned. I use that option if I'm either in an area where there aren't any gas stations nearby like O'Hare, returning the car very early in the am, or the neighborhood is nasty.

fintail · February 2015

Today's rental - I indeed got a Charger, but not the nice white one I noticed. Instead, I got a base one:

2014, 11K miles, good condition, but maybe zero options - cloth, no bluetooth, small screen. The white one had moonroof and a large screen. Pros - engine is plenty powerful, comfortable, big inside, not too thirsty for the size and power, no odd rattles etc. Cons - thick pillars and iffy visibility, no toys. It was marginally clean - had been washed, but carelessly, and I had to wipe off the exterior glass to be up to my standards - while handprints on the inside of the rear window started making me twitch during the drive. If I would have had this thing for a week, I'd have given it a quick 15 minute detail. I guess most people aren't OCD like me.

I got it with points, so it ended up costing me just a few bucks for taxes and fees.

berri · February 2015

Playing rap music on your Ipod today?

fintail · February 2015

Nah, it didn't have 26" wheels. At least it had a USB so I could use the iPod, kept me sane.

Oh, it had NeverLost, too.

kyfdx · March 2015

Car in the shop. Rented from my local (non-airport) location. Enterprise. $169 for a week... including all taxes and fees.
The airport location is near where I work and much more convenient (24/7), but airport fees/taxes added $50 to the tab.

I was given the choice of an Elantra, Sentra or Focus. I chose the Focus. It turned out to be a 5-door hatch, with alloy wheels and a moonroof. 23K miles on the odometer. It's a pretty nice car for around town. Snappy handling and good acceleration. Economy car roots show when you get out on the freeway. It's in good shape for a local rental. Has California tags.

Can't beat the price... Paid for the lowest size, but my Emerald Club membership got me the upgrade.

Michaell · March 2015

kyfdx said:
Car in the shop. Rented from my local (non-airport) location. Enterprise. $169 for a week... including all taxes and fees.
The airport location is near where I work and much more convenient (24/7), but airport fees/taxes added $50 to the tab.

I was given the choice of an Elantra, Sentra or Focus. I chose the Focus. It turned out to be a 5-door hatch, with alloy wheels and a moonroof. 23K miles on the odometer. It's a pretty nice car for around town. Snappy handling and good acceleration. Economy car roots show when you get out on the freeway. It's in good shape for a local rental. Has California tags.

Can't beat the price... Paid for the lowest size, but my Emerald Club membership got me the upgrade.

I've got a Focus (or similar) on reservation at LAX for Thursday. Didn't get the great pricing you did, but I'm hoping for a hatch as well.

suydam · March 2015

We go through LAX at least twice a year. It is such a crapshoot as to what you get. For some reason the last time the Premium car size was cheaper than economy or standard. For a very reasonable price we ended up getting a very nicely equipped Camry with leather seats that was still the 4 cyl so it got great gas mileage too. In Southern Cal it's all about the gas $$ for me. Time before that, we got the car from hell. Hope you luck out!

Michaell · March 2015

suydam said:
We go through LAX at least twice a year. It is such a crapshoot as to what you get. For some reason the last time the Premium car size was cheaper than economy or standard. For a very reasonable price we ended up getting a very nicely equipped Camry with leather seats that was still the 4 cyl so it got great gas mileage too. In Southern Cal it's all about the gas $$ for me. Time before that, we got the car from hell. Hope you luck out!

My last trip they tried to give me a Mitsubishi Mirage, but swapped it out for a Sonata Hybrid.

kyfdx · March 2015

It was $225/week., minimum to rent at the airport.. Same base price, though.

At the airport, I would have gone through National (owned by Enterprise now), and would have an Emerald Aisle car. Camry or something similar. Not really necessary for the commuting and errand running that I needed the car for... and, definitely not worth $50 more out of pocket for taxes/fees.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2015

Speaking of insurance, what do you guys buy when you rent overseas?

fintail said:
I hope everyone knows the fuel isn't a bargain either. It is priced for convenience. These companies aren't charities. The insurance does go after the paranoid or clueless. Although I suspect purchasing it might be able to gain one a big upgrade.

I drove by the Hertz again today, there's a white Charger SXT parked near the door, a dirty dark one further down, and another one on the side of the building. Maybe the white one is for me. Looks at least moderately equipped, I think I spotted a moonroof.

jpp75 · March 2015

Mr_Shiftright said:
Speaking of insurance, what do you guys buy when you rent overseas?
fintail said:
I hope everyone knows the fuel isn't a bargain either. It is priced for convenience. These companies aren't charities. The insurance does go after the paranoid or clueless. Although I suspect purchasing it might be able to gain one a big upgrade.

I drove by the Hertz again today, there's a white Charger SXT parked near the door, a dirty dark one further down, and another one on the side of the building. Maybe the white one is for me. Looks at least moderately equipped, I think I spotted a moonroof.

We just got back from New Zealand, where a Ford Falcon XR6 was our rental. A white one on the north island and navy blue on the south island. If I remember correctly insurance is included in New Zealand, I think I read that when I made the reservation.

Not a bad car, the top speed there is 100kph (~60 mph) and it was more than adequate. The white one had an AC issue where it would freeze up after a while, ended up having to turn it off for a few minutes to let it thaw out then it was good again.

fintail · March 2015

Yes, some rates include insurance. When I have rented in Germany, I just buy the optional insurance, usually with the medium deductible - peace of mind. I tend to rent more expensive cars, so I don't want to worry aboui a coverage issue.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2015

Does that optional insurance include liability or only property damage?

fintail · March 2015

I think it includes both - gotta check each company, I bet they differ. It's not cheap, but if I'm in someone else's 50K+++ car who will be very displeased if something happens, it's worth it.

andres3 · March 2015

Drove father's Sixt rental this last week, a Ford Fusion with an underpowered engine. I didn't bother to look under the hood, but it was underpowered and weak. Not to my liking.

I realize not everything will scoot like an S4, but this was noticeably underpowered.

fintail · March 2015

Sounds like your typical US spec cheaper rate midsize rental car - sparse equipment, weakest engine. Did it have hubcaps?

andres3 said:
Drove father's Sixt rental this last week, a Ford Fusion with an underpowered engine. I didn't bother to look under the hood, but it was underpowered and weak. Not to my liking.

I realize not everything will scoot like an S4, but this was noticeably underpowered.

Michaell · March 2015

I just finished my 5 day rental in CA today ... I'll write more about the vehicle in question when I get a bit more time.

andres3 · March 2015

fintail said:
Sounds like your typical US spec cheaper rate midsize rental car - sparse equipment, weakest engine. Did it have hubcaps?

andres3 said:
Drove father's Sixt rental this last week, a Ford Fusion with an underpowered engine. I didn't bother to look under the hood, but it was underpowered and weak. Not to my liking.

I realize not everything will scoot like an S4, but this was noticeably underpowered.

It actually had alloys. Surprisingly. I noticed a nearly brand new Mazda 6 was still available with plastic wheel covers today.

The car was in great shape considering it had over 30K miles.

fintail · March 2015

Oh, those are huge miles for a rental - who knows what might have happened to it. Was it stripped in other ways?

I am still amused at the lack of equipment on the Charger rental I had a few weeks ago, but the engine was plenty strong, anyway.

andres3 said:

It actually had alloys. Surprisingly. I noticed a nearly brand new Mazda 6 was still available with plastic wheel covers today.

The car was in great shape considering it had over 30K miles.

fintail · May 2015

Got to experience a small town Hertz HLE yesterday, as about 3 miles after a fill up, my mother's Camry decided it wanted to become a driveway ornament, and wouldn't start (bad gas maybe). The HLE is attached to a Ford dealer, which is also the same agency who has Toyota, Chevy and GM brands (small town). On the lot they had a Fiesta, Sentra, Sonic, Prius C, Caravan, and Econoline. As my mother was getting the cheapest rental subsidized by the dealer, she got the Fiesta - 2014 model with 26K rough miles on it. Still seems to run fine, but will need some cosmetic TLC when it is retired.

Sandman6472 · May 2015

Well, the good news is Hertz is putting a whole bunch of 2015's into service as we speak and is wholesaling the older ones. Seems like almost daily we take these wholesales and turnbacks, low mileage vehicles, to areas in Lauderdale and Miami near the airports. Hertz finally realized, I'm assuming, that they needed to bring the age of their fleet up a bit...a good thing!
They are also closing 200 HLE and other non-airport locations by the end of quarter 2 but from what I hear, my location is not one of them though another one about 10 miles away will be gone soon. Guess they figure some consolidation is necessary at this juncture. Funny thing is management never mentioned anything to us, a co-worker heard about it and told the rest of us.

The Sandman

stever · August 2015

Here's an interesting question/thread to hit:

What's the cost / mile that you would use a rental car vs. your own car for a big trip?

fintail · August 2015

If I was driving cross country, I'd use a rental.

Lots of Nissan rentals on the road around here, lately.

I'll be picking up a rental in Germany in about 3 months. Wonder what I'll get...

stever · August 2015

Biting my tongue - scabies? Ringworm?

fintail · August 2015

I said Germany, not Florida

js06gv · August 2015

stever said:
Here's an interesting question/thread to hit:

What's the cost / mile that you would use a rental car vs. your own car for a big trip?

I just got back from a week in New Orleans and rented as opposed to driving one of my own cars. My motivation wasn't so much keeping the miles off mine (although at 1,100+ it was certainly a benefit) as it was avoiding the $40/night parking at the downtown hotel, which would've been $50 for an "oversized" vehicle had I driven my truck. Did a one-way rental there, dropped for the week as we didn't need a car for the stuff we were doing, then picked up another one-way rental back. I do enough business with this particular vendor that one-way fees were waived so I was only out $32 bucks each way, and had cars that got roughly double the mileage my truck would've done, so came out way ahead. As for the rental cars, nothing to get excited about but both competent with a '13 Sonata on the way out and a '15 Chrysler 200 on the way back. Sonata had 49K and 200 26K. 200 was very floaty; the Sonata was a better ride and didn't smell like the ashtray that was the 200! After getting used to rear-seat A/C vents in 100+ degree weather, you don't realize how much you miss them in low-line rentals. For basic transportation for 3 adults and a bunch of luggage though, both cars got the job done while mine rested at home in the garage.

stever · August 2015

Smart, did that in Seattle one time after a fashion. Rented downtown instead of at the airport and the rental lot let you park the car there. Didn't save $40 a night but did save a bit; mostly was just convenient not having to worry about finding a place to park every evening. The hotel we stayed at had a free shuttle to the airport.

Sandman6472 · August 2015

Got a great rate for a week in lower New York for Columbus Day time frame. Used my employee discount plus am already a Gold Member, so did pretty well. Still debating about driving up from South Florida but have something in place just in case I'd rather fly up. Since I'll be going solo, got a compact reserved which should be fine. Will be in the Westchester area with a possible drive into Staten Island and possibly the city though might be easier to take the train into Grand Central if I do go in. Heard parking in NYC is outrageous!

The Sandman

Mr_Shiftright · August 2015

Depends where you go. On the west side, there is often street parking for instance.

sandman_6472 said:
Got a great rate for a week in lower New York for Columbus Day time frame. Used my employee discount plus am already a Gold Member, so did pretty well. Still debating about driving up from South Florida but have something in place just in case I'd rather fly up. Since I'll be going solo, got a compact reserved which should be fine. Will be in the Westchester area with a possible drive into Staten Island and possibly the city though might be easier to take the train into Grand Central if I do go in. Heard parking in NYC is outrageous!

The Sandman

berri · August 2015

Seattle in the summer is highway robbery for rental cars and airfares. While those local rental offices are often cheaper than the airport, that's not always the case. Particularly if their storage facility is by the airport, or the airport is not within a large city limits regarding the taxes involved.. Always pays to check both if either is convenient enough. Regarding NYC, do they still have frequent sightings of burned out cars along some of the expressways?

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