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Rental Car Experiences?

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    jpp75jpp75 Member Posts: 1,535
    fintail said:

    Saw another rental CTS in the workplace parking garage, same spec as the other - 3.6, pano, HUD. Nice.

    I'll have my ATL rental tomorrow afternoon, anxious to see what I get, or what I talk my way into.

    Good luck fin. A friend of mine who rents from Hertz often is on his third Dodge Journey. He tried Avis last week and gladly paid an extra $15/day for a Jag XE.

    Look forward to hearing what you get and your experiences here in the Southeast.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    On the ground in ATL today, got the car earlier today and drove around a bit. And the Hertz "luxury" class rewarded me with:

    A basic Chrysler 300. The typical generic "luxury" standby in more than one fleet.

    Leather, no roof, no nav, doesn't appear to have steering wheel radio controls (?), playskool quality reverse cam resolution (but at least it has one), 12K miles, light wear and tear, but not too bad for a rental. I still get a MB W210 feel with some of the controls. I gave it a 5 minute detail inside, cleaning the controls and windows, and now it passes muster.

    On the plus side, the big V6 is whisper quiet at idle, has a lot of power, and it is very smooth and serene on the highway. Seats are decent, it has bluetooth, USB, SD card, etc, and one cool thing - XM Radio is active. That'll come in handy on my road trips. It'll probably get decent mileage for a big gasser, and it takes RUG. Fuel is super cheap here, so no problem. I didn't think to get a pic, but it is dark grey with black interior.

    When I arrived, I saw the car in my spot, saw that it was very basic, and went to the Gold desk to see what else was available. The nice agent told me nothing was available in my class, but she could get me a "deal" on an upgrade. Infiniti Q50 for 25/day, CLA for 40/day, XT5 for 75/day (!). I thought about the Infiniti, but after examining the car (pretty beat up, absolutely basic 2.0 model with nothing on it), decided the Chrysler was a better value - as this is a points rental, it is costing me little.

    Other cars I noticed - "dream cars" had a Cayman, a C63, and a Tesla (I didn't even ask - 100+ per day no doubt), the normal spots were a sea of Chevy and Nissan. The agent mentioned they used to have several Cadillac, but not anymore - I guess the rumor that Caddy has cut back fleet sales might be true.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    Update - it has steering wheel controls. They are behind the spokes, which seems odd to me. No manual of course, so I had to look it up online.
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    That engine is pretty noisy on the uphill pavement in the minivans, but hopefully won't be as noticeable in a 300 sedan. I've only driven a 300 with a Hemi, but I'm not complaining :D
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    tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,928
    fintail said:

    Update - it has steering wheel controls. They are behind the spokes, which seems odd to me. No manual of course, so I had to look it up online.

    That's a Chrysler thing. Been that way since the mid 90s. Pretty sure it started on the Grand Cherokee. I know at the office in the early 2000s we had a 96 wth controls just like that and a recent Chrysler town and country I drove was the same.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That's the way they are on my '09 Grand Caravan but I would have sworn they were on top of the steering wheel.
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    tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,928
    I actually never minded the placement, your hands naturally fall there.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    I am sure I will adapt. Maybe just easier having a pictogram explaining what does what.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    Noticing other rentals around in this touristy area - Camry, Altima, Charger, a 300 with roof, XT5, Sentra.

    I noticed my car has a decent sized scratch on the roof. I am pretty sure I didn't do it, didn't notice it upon delivery. However, the Hertz invoice doesn't seem to have an area for damage at all - based on the wear and tear on the car already (how the heck does the headliner get spots?), I think they just don't care.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    In Savannah today, rental car paradise, Altimas and Hyundais as far as the eye can see. Saw another rental 300 that appeared to have the next option group up from mine.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    edited November 2016
    I saw diesel for $2.16 this morning in GA, where RUG was $2.06. But on the highway, noticed a 30 cent difference. In FL now, fuel prices are about 10-20 cents more than GA.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    Hotel parking lot/rental car lot - identical white Malibus, a couple of Elantras, Kia minivan, Journey, Fiesta, 2 Sentras.
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    Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,971
    Drove a 2016 CLA 250 at work today...I could definitely live with one but it'd have to have a moonroof/sunroof, without one it's a deal breaker. Love the way it drives and great brakes. Yep, get me a white over beige with a hole in the roof and I'm all there!

    The Sandman :)B)

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Fact of the matter is Fin, there just isn't much to excited over in most rental lots these days. Kind of fits in with the airline experience.
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    suydamsuydam Member Posts: 4,676
    You just hope you get something ok and not crappy.
    '14 Buick Encore Convenience
    '17 Chevy Volt Premiere
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Yeah, sadly sometimes an Altima gives you a sigh of relief these days!
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    sandman_6472 said:

    Drove a 2016 CLA 250 at work today...I could definitely live with one but it'd have to have a moonroof/sunroof, without one it's a deal breaker. Love the way it drives and great brakes. Yep, get me a white over beige with a hole in the roof and I'm all there!

    The Sandman :)B)

    Do you really use a sunroof or do you just like the extra light in the cabin?
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    A lot of time these days, if you want a relatively well equipped vehicle you are stuck with a sunroof whether you actually want it or not.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    The fleet in Germany is a heck of a lot more interesting. The lack of sunroof on this 300 isn't all bad though, with the bright sun and warm temps in the south right now, it helps the black interior stay cooler no doubt.
    berri said:

    Fact of the matter is Fin, there just isn't much to excited over in most rental lots these days. Kind of fits in with the airline experience.

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    Sandman6472Sandman6472 Member Posts: 6,971
    Put it this way, the weather finally broke last week and I've been using my sunroof to and from work since then. This morning was at 63 when I left the house but the Golf stayed outside last night so was much cooler inside. First thing I did was open up the roof. Any cooler day down here in South Florida I do open it so yes, I do use it whenever the weather allows. The extra light in the cabin is just an extra bonus but I want a sunroof/moonroof going forward. Don't think I'd settle for less now unless it's a convertible.

    The Sandman :)B)

    2023 Hyundai Kona Limited AWD (wife) / 2015 Golf TSI (me) / 2019 Chevrolet Cruze Premier RS (daughter #1) / 2020 Hyundai Accent SE (daughter #2) / 2023 Subaru Impreza Base (son)

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    henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    berri said:

    A lot of time these days, if you want a relatively well equipped vehicle you are stuck with a sunroof whether you actually want it or not.

    Yes, which really ticks me off. I need the extra inch or inch and a half of headroom afforded by no sunroof.

    I like this Passat TDI that I'm driving right now, like it quite a bit. But it has a sunroof, and I have to recline the seat to the point where I have to lean forward if I need a good grip on the top of the steering wheel.

    More and more car manufacturers are moving in that direction. Honda was the first, at least the first one I encountered. You can't get an Accord or a CR-V with power seat and XM radio unless you take a hole in the roof at the same time.

    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Well, with that reclined seat driving position you can listen to rap music, maybe buy some jewelry too B)
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    Cleaning out my phone, here's a pic of the 300:

    image
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I'm looking for the "As-Is" warranty sticker B)

    Does that pickup have a U of Alabama decal? Tell him to take it back to Tuscaloosa ;)
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    edited November 2016
    I suspect the 300 will be retired in the next few months and put on a Hertz used lot for around 20K. I just turned it in, I put maybe 1400 miles on it, a little over 13K now - and there are signs of age on it. I ran it through a $5 car wash the other day, as it was looking kind of gross - it still shines anyway.

    I believe that's the sticker, yeah. There seems to be a flamboyant obsession in these parts to put stickers on cars. Whether it's your religion, your politics, a school you probably didn't attend, or just a logo or funny saying, if you want to look local, gotta have some stickers.

    Hertz rental return area this morning was a sea of Nissans, with a few Chevys and Fords mixed in. Oddballs were a QX80, Armada, 4Runner, amusingly basic CLA, and I spotted that same C63 hanging around the Gold desk, next to a high trim Mustang.
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I think as the new Highlander has done very well in retail, Hertz moved to the 4-Runner to fill the segment. See quite a few of them at Hertz in the middle of the country at least.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    As it is such an ancient thing, I wonder if sales aren't enough to keep the production line occupied too. I've seen rental Highlanders as well, but not nearly as many as a few years ago.
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    edited November 2016
    4-Runners sell well in places like Colorado or the upper Midwest and upper Northeast/New England. Excellent 4WD system for the money. Not necessarily a beauty queen, but pretty durable.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You may be able to give this guy some tips, @fintail. Thanks!
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    asafonovasafonov Member Posts: 401
    For a 5-day trip, Las Vegas to Kanab, Page, and back, reserved a full-size ("Altima or equivalent") with Budget, despite one bad experience with that rental company. After a late arrival in LAS, found a '16 Camry in my assigned parking spot. Very impressed with the Camry as an highway cruizer - planted, powerful enough, reasonably quiet. This was not an Accent with an almost-torn-off bumper Budget offered us as a "compact" a year ago in LA!
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2016
    Just got t-boned by a red light runner in the rear driver's side wheel. L boned? Doubtful that the kid has insurance so instead of going a couple of blocks away to Enterprise, we got the traffic cop to drive us home. Called claims and we are entitled to a rental and got a reservation but just wanted to get home and not deal with it today.

    Our friend with the Cruze is leaving town for three weeks on Saturday and offered us her car, so will likely skip getting a rental.

    We're okay btw - got checked out a little by the paramedics and my shoulder will be tender tomorrow I bet. My wife was a basket case....
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,175
    Wow, that stinks, Steve. I hope there really no injuries. Not a hit and run, right?

    Wheel/axle impacts like that can destroy a car, I have a feeling you're going to be doing some shopping soon.
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    ab348ab348 Member Posts: 19,095
    Ouch, @stever - too many accidents like that here lately. Glad things seem OK for you. What vehicle were you in?

    2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6

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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2016
    We were in the '09 Grand Caravan and I had a feeler out on a car last week in fact. The little Chevy spun us around about 160 degrees.

    Not encouraging there @fintail, not that I have any sentimental value in the van. There's just no value in the van at all even when it was mostly pristine. :D

    Enterprise was nice and called as soon as they got the claims info from the Horace Mann intake person. I can get something up to $50 a day (so no Suburbans) but we'll wait and see if the adjuster thinks it can be fixed.

    Oh, from talking to the traffic cop, the 16 year was driving on a learner's permit and a licensed 18 year old in the back seat made it legal for him to be driving. Apparently the father has long been out of the picture and the mom abandoned her kids in the last month. Can't wait to sue and get some turnips.
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    sdasda Member Posts: 6,988
    stever, sorry to learn. Hope you and your wife will not be affected by the impact and the situation can be resolved promptly. My best to you both. Steve

    2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav

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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Thanks for the kind words!
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,323
    @stever,
    Glad you seem mostly ok, but get the rental.
    Don't want anything to possibly happen while borrowing your friends car.
    Physically, see how you both feel tomorrow and the next day.
    How's the beard, did you have to straighten it out afterwards? :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    Sorry to hear of your wreck, stever. Best wishes to you both getting suitable transportation back ASAP.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

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    stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,558
    bummer steve. I agree though, get the rental since it is covered. And I actually feel bad for the kid. Sounds like he already has had plenty of crap piled on, and this will just make it worse. Good thing you guys seem to be OK.

    on a van with that small a value, there is a very good chance that it messed up enough stuff that it will be totaled. Good news, quite possibly you are going to get more in a settlement than you would have dumping it off CL.

    and at least you are finally forced to pull the trigger!

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Stever - has something similar happen a few years ago. My car was a pretty new Toyota, so they fixed it. But it was costly to the insurer (but still considerably less than totaling it due to the high resale value). They had to change everything suspension, etc. wise on both sides of the vehicle so there would be no issues. Also, the headliner and its adhesive apparently cost a fortune in conjunction with the side airbags. But the car really didn't show any problems from the repair down the road. It is amazing what modern body shops can do these days compared to not all that long ago, including welding equipment, computerized paint matching, etc. What a way to wreck your holiday weekend, but good luck however it gets resolved.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2016
    I'll have to tell the adjuster to pay particular attention to the almost new tires. Maybe not mention the slow leak on the right front with my Michigan rims. :)

    I did pop in to the "new" Kia dealer last week and talked to my contact there. New ownership. Emailed him a few days ago (maybe the van sensed I was being unfaithful?) and he missed the email. So I called him a half hour ago and told him I was ready to buy "today". They have a big order coming in soon for the 2017 Souls. Naturally we want a unicorn with all the bells, and they stock the cheap models, but hopefully one will have our name on it. Turns out you have to go down one trim level to get the ventilated seats.

    An AK friend loaned out her Prius to a cousin a while back while they were down in the Lower 48. They wound up flying home to straighten the mess out and it's still not fixed right. Then again, our friend doesn't really like her Cruze so she wouldn't care if I totaled it. Probably should just cheap out and buy it since I really like it and the mpg is double the Soul. But I want the blind spot stuff.

    So, last year or so ago we rented a Prius from the local Enterprise and could have had a Grand Cherokee. Not sure what other cars they have here otherwise - maybe a Focus would be fun to try. Actually an Elantra would be good, we liked the test drive on one of those last year.

    If the van does get totaled I don't have to decide whether to keep a second car around. Might miss the pickup aspect of it.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Oh, @explorerx4, the beard is okay and so is the Thanksgiving pecan pie (the reason for running errands today). And the holiday tamales are especially good.

    The last wreck I had was in Memphis in '78 when I pulled out and hit a Caddy. No one hurt then, but all my BBQ ribs hit the floor. :'(
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    berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    I suspect the depreciation rate will tell the story on repair or total.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2016
    @qbrozen valued it around $1,500 last year, iirc. Call it $2,000 with the new tires. Would have asked $4k on craigslist. Was a good runner though with a good AC. 168,000 miles. TMV private party is $4,200. I'm sure the adjuster will be hot to offer $6k. :)
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    stever said:

    Just got t-boned by a red light runner in the rear driver's side wheel. L boned? Doubtful that the kid has insurance so instead of going a couple of blocks away to Enterprise, we got the traffic cop to drive us home. Called claims and we are entitled to a rental and got a reservation but just wanted to get home and not deal with it today.

    Our friend with the Cruze is leaving town for three weeks on Saturday and offered us her car, so will likely skip getting a rental.

    We're okay btw - got checked out a little by the paramedics and my shoulder will be tender tomorrow I bet. My wife was a basket case....

    Egad---nice belated birthday present, huh?
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    No kidding.... :'(
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    iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    Well, man, this could get you that Kia Soul you've been wanting, eh? ;)

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

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    eddiedonaldeddiedonald Member Posts: 2
    good car rental services should have all standard services for a hassle free seamless experience
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    slorenzenslorenzen Member Posts: 694
    Sorry to hear about your wreck, Stever.

    I'd be happy te sell you my PRISTINE 2006 Civic EX, with an actual 5-speed MANUAL transmission!

    No hatch, though...

    Glad you're OK!

    B)
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,323
    @slorenzen,
    Good idea, get him to buy it while he is concussed. :)
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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