Rental Car Experiences?

kyfdx · December 2022

fintail said:

sda said:
Is Audi Silver in anyway competitive? You would benefit from the Quattro system if you have to travel thru poor weather.
Silvercar doesn't seem to exist anymore, replaced by "Audi On Demand", a dealer-based rental system not intended for leisure travelers.

For my Christmas rental, after tax and endless location fees , I am in for about $100 day - tax/fees are around 30% of this. If I want full cover insurance, which I will probably due after the headache with the smashed Jeep a few years ago (I paid nothing, but the endless paperwork and communication was not fun), it is maybe $10/day from Allianz.

AMEX has a new thing. If you register your card, they sell you full collision/comprehensive insurance for the full length of your rental, for one set fee ($13-$26, depending). AMEX then becomes the PRIMARY insurance on the vehicle. It's then automatic applied, as long as you use that card to pay for the rental.

If you are buying the extra insurance, this looks like a pretty good deal. (I don't buy the insurance).

fintail · December 2022

kyfdx said:

fintail said:

sda said:
Is Audi Silver in anyway competitive? You would benefit from the Quattro system if you have to travel thru poor weather.
Silvercar doesn't seem to exist anymore, replaced by "Audi On Demand", a dealer-based rental system not intended for leisure travelers.

For my Christmas rental, after tax and endless location fees , I am in for about $100 day - tax/fees are around 30% of this. If I want full cover insurance, which I will probably due after the headache with the smashed Jeep a few years ago (I paid nothing, but the endless paperwork and communication was not fun), it is maybe $10/day from Allianz.
AMEX has a new thing. If you register your card, they sell you full collision/comprehensive insurance for the full length of your rental, for one set fee ($13-$26, depending). AMEX then becomes the PRIMARY insurance on the vehicle. It's then automatic applied, as long as you use that card to pay for the rental.

If you are buying the extra insurance, this looks like a pretty good deal. (I don't buy the insurance).

That's a great benefit, but I don't have Amex. I see my Costco Citi card has a rental insurance benefit, but secondary coverage. It's a massive profit center for the rental companies, $30-50 per day these days in my experience, almost obscenely expensive, making the third party coverage look like a bargain.

Michaell · December 2022

I'm bummed that Silvercar doesn't exist any longer. I used them a couple of times out of LAX - other than the hassle of getting to their location (hotel parking garage), the experience was pretty good.

There are times when I miss business travel. Can't tell you how many miles I've racked up behind the wheel of rental cars.

fintail · December 2022

I have but one business trip a year anymore, a convention, which my employer would rather pay for uber/lyft than rental cars, so that's out. We have a fleet of vehicles - mainly Explorers and GMC Terrains and for more rugged jobs a handful of fullsize pickups, for local/regional trips.

Sampling cars could be fun if the designated rental company has a decent fleet.

Sandman6472 · December 2022

At Enterprise, it seems we get an excellent employee discount for friends & family but, we must take out the full insurance as far as I know. I've yet to rent anything for us or the family so not quite sure how it all works but some co-workers who have used it say the price was well worth it! We got a employee discount when I worked but don't think it's as good as what I can get now at Enterprise. Overall, Enterprise is a much better company to work for and they treat their employees much better. Guessing being a privately owned company has it's advantages as I get a 401K and profit sharing now at Enterprise where Hertz gave us NOTHING to speak of. And management is so much better at Enterprise...like night & day!

fintail · December 2022

After my fun journey yesterday (original flight was supposed to land at SEA around 0700, arrived around 1830), it was rental car time. I had two reservations - National and Sixt, as I was a little concerned about selection and can cancel for free. First stop National - Emerald Aisle was a selection of normal cars, lots of Nissan and Chevy IIRC. Executive Selection was a sea of new looking Chargers and Challengers, apparently not Hemi cars, looked like GT trim. Upgrade/VIP area was an Enclave (posh), Ghibli, Levante, and a lower spec looking 530i. I had a luxury reservation, but there was a line of people dealing with the attendant in the kiosk, so rather than waiting, I went to check out Sixt.

Sixt had a wide BMW selection - 2er GC, a wide selection of 3ers, 4er coupe, 5er, 7er, X1, X3, and some normal cars along with a Grand Wagoneer. I had a reservation for a 530i or similar. I was given the keys to a 2021 530i, and upon start, the TPMS warning exclaimed there was an issue. All tires had pressures ranging from 28 to 50. I didn't want to deal with this, so I went back to the kiosk. Nothing else available, so they gave me a 740i - maybe not an extreme option car, but a nice smooth highway ride. I'm pleased, and will try to explore the gadgetry while I have it:

Michaell · December 2022

Sixt has been airing TV commercials here in Denver.

ab348 · December 2022

I saw my first-ever Sixt commercial last weekend on a Seattle station.

Michaell · December 2022

ab348 said:
I saw my first-ever Sixt commercial last weekend on a Seattle station.

"Don't rent a car, rent the car"

Sandman6472 · December 2022

Yes, seeing "The car" commercials on t v all the time now. Did move a bunch of BMW's on Saturday from the BMW store back to PBI and liked the X2 the best. Seems to be the perfect size for me though did enjoy driving the 2 Series sedan. BMW seems to make some very nice vehicles lately though a bit on the pricey side.

fintail · December 2022

7er pros and cons so far - pro: I like the HUD and the map screen in the main gauge cluster, soft close doors, engine so smooth a normal driver has no need for a V8. Cons - probably things I am used to in an MB and haven't adapted to: MB surround view is more intuitive for me, I've activated the wipers a couple times when attempting to shift gear (raining all the time, so it didn't look dumb). It's really quiet save for tire noise, I bet a runflat thing. MPG seems decent for its mass.

ab348 · December 2022

I assume it has the usual BMW beer-tap shifter? Where is the wiper control?

fintail · December 2022

Yep, beer tap shifter, and not of the crystal maybe overblinged new age ones. Wiper control is where the column shift gear selector/lever is on a modern MB. Thinking of it, I also miss the MB brake hold function (at a light etc, depress the brake pedal to a certain point, and the brakes remain engaged until you engage the throttle).

fintail · December 2022

Turned in the car, no problems. Saw many other BMWs in the lineup including a new white 4er coupe and a couple of "e" series cars (330e, 530e). Didn't see anything else remarkable in the rental car garage, National ES looked like the same sea of Mopars with what looked like a red prior gen Tundra as an oddball.

sda · December 2022

fintail said:
Turned in the car, no problems. Saw many other BMWs in the lineup including a new white 4er coupe and a couple of "e" series cars (330e, 530e). Didn't see anything else remarkable in the rental car garage, National ES looked like the same sea of Mopars with what looked like a red prior gen Tundra as an oddball.

Were you able to drive it much? Any final observations good, bad, indifferent? Hope your visit was enjoyable.

fintail · December 2022

sda said:

fintail said:
Turned in the car, no problems. Saw many other BMWs in the lineup including a new white 4er coupe and a couple of "e" series cars (330e, 530e). Didn't see anything else remarkable in the rental car garage, National ES looked like the same sea of Mopars with what looked like a red prior gen Tundra as an oddball.
Were you able to drive it much? Any final observations good, bad, indifferent? Hope your visit was enjoyable.

I put a few hundred miles on it. It's a very nice car, but I can see why it is cheaper than an S-class, not in that league (and not sure if it is really trying to be). I received the final invoice, and Sixt uses a code for the apparent sticker price of the car - 93K IIRC. I suspect they got a deal on these as a new 7er is due for MY 2023. I liked the insanely smooth nearly inaudible engine - amazing what a 6 is like these days, the comfortable seats, the quality materials and build. Not as wowed by the road noise from the front of the car (maybe a tire issue), and the parking cameras/surround view aren't as crisp as they should be. All in all, a fun rental for the price, was barely more than a standard car at a mainstream company. Sixt uses weird algorithms, and it can pay to re-check prices as a date draws near.

fintail · December 2022

Checked Sixt for next Christmas holiday time - nearly twice as expensive as I just paid (while National was maybe 25% less than my quote), gotta see if that algorithm calms down.

Something else about the 7er - it had very quiet smooth wipers. Even my mom mentioned it. MB should copy whatever BMW is doing there, as the brand has a recent rep for juddery wipers.

sda · December 2022

fintail said:
Checked Sixt for next Christmas holiday time - nearly twice as expensive as I just paid (while National was maybe 25% less than my quote), gotta see if that algorithm calms down.

Something else about the 7er - it had very quiet smooth wipers. Even my mom mentioned it. MB should copy whatever BMW is doing there, as the brand has a recent rep for juddery wipers.

I remember that was an ongoing complaint of @abacomike.

fintail · December 2022

sda said:

fintail said:
Checked Sixt for next Christmas holiday time - nearly twice as expensive as I just paid (while National was maybe 25% less than my quote), gotta see if that algorithm calms down.

Something else about the 7er - it had very quiet smooth wipers. Even my mom mentioned it. MB should copy whatever BMW is doing there, as the brand has a recent rep for juddery wipers.
I remember that was an ongoing complaint of @abacomike.

Not sure if it is the OEM wipers or glass formulation, but it's something real. Only partial remedy I have found is to keep the windshield very clean - I end up wiping mine down every day in winter or wet weather.

fintail · December 2022

Fun one - looks like the Hertz algorithm is really messed up. This is for next Christmastime:

Sandman6472 · January 2023

Give Enterprise a try...you might see some lower prices by now.

fintail · January 2023

I checked it again today for laughs - same thing. Algorithm is broken. Sixt is also charging 100%+ more than I paid at Christmas.

Right now I have a fully cancelable reservation with National for the same period, luxury car, $481 inclusive of all tax.

andres3 · January 2023

Saw a Facebook video of a guy that runs an exotic car rental car business.

He was complaining his insurance company was stiffing him on business "loss of use" rental fees for the broken/damaged Lambo, and also on Diminished Value. Apparently the customer must have opted for the "extra insurance" as he was making a claim on his own business insurance coverage.

Now, the DV is his problem, it's 1st party insurance claim and the policy excludes DV. He could go after it 3rd party claim, but headaches of course.

The loss of use is simply a bad faith claim response, so auto insurers appear to suck at playing claims even for businesses and commercial coverage. They originally offered him something like 10K and he was at 90K.

Now they are offering 90K but with 80K in legal expenses and longer loss of use; he's not willing to take the deal which amounts to essentially the original lowball offer. Lawyers make out well in these fights; just running up the tab.

fintail · January 2023

I am surprised anyone would insure these small time exotic rental agencies at all, and the likely entitled abrasive types who run them (seems to be an endeavor for the trustafarian capitalist). Premiums must be yuuuuuge.

andres3 · January 2023

fintail said:
I am surprised anyone would insure these small time exotic rental agencies at all, and the likely entitled abrasive types who run them (seems to be an endeavor for the trustafarian capitalist). Premiums must be yuuuuuge.

He mentioned the huge premiums he was paying, they were YUUUUGE! Hence, the rental car costs that keep me out of that market.

I think his premium in 3 years would pay for the claim. LOL.

fintail · January 2023

I never had the urge to spend $1500 or whatever for several hours in a usually tame and common supercar that numerous others have already thrashed. But if I can rent something more mainstream yet premium for not a lot more than an Altibu with 3 mismatched tires and stains on the seats, I will do it.

andres3 said:

fintail said:
I am surprised anyone would insure these small time exotic rental agencies at all, and the likely entitled abrasive types who run them (seems to be an endeavor for the trustafarian capitalist). Premiums must be yuuuuuge.
He mentioned the huge premiums he was paying, they were YUUUUGE! Hence, the rental car costs that keep me out of that market.

I think his premium in 3 years would pay for the claim. LOL.

Sandman6472 · January 2023

Now that I've been in the rental car industry for 10 years, there's just something I don't understand. Why do people trash their rental vehicles like so many do? I've moved vehicles that were absolutely filthy and it makes me wonder why folks treat something that isn't there's like they do? I've found unfinished chicken bones in the center consoles, dirty diapers put under the seats with a smell that was just awful, cloth seating surfaces stained with dried food, drink & crayons. Headliners with pen marks and worse. Do folks really live this way at home or what...why trash something that's not yours? The companies have their credit card numbers on file, they know who rented these vehicles, especially the ones that wreak of cigarette smoke. Those vehicles need to be fumigated which costs the companies money, money to clean the vehicles & get them ready to be rented again. That lost opportunity of making money because when a rental vehicle can not be rented due to such things, they're losing money on a daily basis. Money that the companies have to eat. And it goes way beyond the "cost of doing business"! When one signs the rental agreement, they are agreeing to certain things, like not smoking in the vehicles. There are even signs on the dashboard about the "no smoking policy" so claiming one didn't know just won't work!
This is something that has bothered me for years and I think it all came to a head is a couple of weeks ago, I had to drive a vehicle that was probably the dirtiest vehicle I had ever seen brought back! The floors were covered with sand, empty water bottles and a couple cups half filled with some kind of liquids, empty bags from Wendy's & Burger King, half finished bags of potato chips. I was just so taken back and angry about what I was seeing. And then I had to think as to why some folks do these kind of things in the first place. Are they such pigs that it doesn't bother them? Did they really not notice what they had left behind? Did they really think this kind of behavior was acceptable? Are their houses this filthy?
Excuse me for the rant but it finally got to me a couple weeks ago and I still don't get it!!!

texases · January 2023

Good question. You’d think they’d institute some kind of cleaning fee. I returned one after a month clean and the guy was so happy he gave me a discount.

fintail · January 2023

The same people who leave a mess in hotel rooms or throw litter out their window. I suspect many indeed have houses to match. I know rental companies will get people for smoking, but maybe should if a mess is beyond a certain point - maybe tough as there is a subjective measure there.

I don't recall vacuuming a rental car (I seldom eat in a car, so no trash generation there), but I I have washed more than I can recall. Heck, I might have even washed that 7er had it not been raining for 98% of the time I had it.

xwesx · January 2023

I always feel guilty when I have a rental/loaner during the winter months, and I cannot clean out the snow and gravel that is inevitably tracked into the footwells.

Edit: Except for that white Santa Fe with the bald tires that tried to kill us! After Enterprise refused to put new tires on it because "the mileage is too high and [they're] going to send it to auction after the customer returns it," I figured that was free license to do whatever we wanted with it. If our lives don't matter, then their car doesn't either.

Sandman6472 · January 2023

Surprised they just didn't put y'all into a different rental & let you go on your way! Putting your safety at risk that way was bad on their part as safety has got to come first, no matter what!

xwesx · January 2023

Sandman6472 said:
Surprised they just didn't put y'all into a different rental & let you go on your way! Putting your safety at risk that way was bad on their part as safety has got to come first, no matter what!

I completely agree. But, the only thing they said they had available where we were (Erie, PA) was a subcompact sedan, and it just wouldn't have enough space for the four of us and our gear.

I nearly had the guy at the shop put a pair of new tires on it myself, but money was pretty tight at the time and I just couldn't justify the extra $500. Instead, he rotated the rear tires to the front (rears were at 8/32 and fronts were at 4/32) and siped the tires he put on the front. He said the others were low enough that he didn't feel comfortable siping those.

I think I paid him like $40, and the grip was night and day better after that.

kyfdx · January 2023

My ride, this week:

sda · January 2023

Enjoy your trip!

ab348 · January 2023

Top Gear fans will remember the infamous Sandero, which I thought was a Dacia, not a Renault.

fintail · January 2023

Good news!

kyfdx · January 2023

ab348 said:
Top Gear fans will remember the infamous Sandero, which I thought was a Dacia, not a Renault.

Corporate twins, I think

kyfdx · January 2023

It's a reasonable little hatch, with decent pickup, auto, A/C. Good clearance for speedbumps and potholes.
Very easy entry/exit.

Michaell · January 2023

kyfdx said:

ab348 said:
Top Gear fans will remember the infamous Sandero, which I thought was a Dacia, not a Renault.
Corporate twins, I think

Correct.

Sandman6472 · January 2023

I like it! Would fit my needs perfectly. Where exactly are you now?

kyfdx · January 2023

Sandman6472 said:
I like it! Would fit my needs perfectly. Where exactly are you now?

St. Martin

jacquelyn · January 2023

Worst: A rental Maxima from around 2016 that makes more noise when you hit the gas pedal but doesn't move quicker.

Best: C7 Corvette from Hertz, which I rented for three days at no cost after winning a coupon at a car exhibition.

fintail · March 2023

National at Louisville/SDF later this afternoon was barren. 2 Pacificas, a Rogue, and an Equinox that was already occupied. Nothing else. I could see Enterprice adjacent, which had a handful of basic sedans. I had a "premium" reservation, so I talked to the friendly attendant, who gave me an XT4 that was in the upgrade section (other was an Escalade). It appears to be basic spec - no sunroof, maybe no heated seats (could be a chip issue maybe, but probably spec). 10K miles, no major damage noted other than the water spots that plague rentals. Black on black, of course. Drives well enough anyway, although I don't think it is getting remarkable mpg. Pic tomorrow.

ronsteve · March 2023

Hertz at Tampa the weekend before last was directing me to the "Five Star" section, which at first glance was nothing but Malibus and Camrys. I peeked around one pillar and saw a little more assortment, and after a quick double take to make sure we were still in Five Star, I hopped in a Subaru Crosstrek. It was a 19 model with 39K on the clock, but it did what we asked of it well enough. Even a base spec Subie has a decent level of equipment, and you don't miss push-button start when it gets the big clunky rental fob out of your pocket. However, we either didn't start with a completely full tank or it was drinking a lot of fuel... quick calculation suggested an average of 21 mpg for the weekend, in which most of the miles were two trips across the bay to St Pete.

fintail · March 2023

The rental chariot. Indeed, no heated seats, and probably not many options at all. It does have some driver's assistance features, including cruise control that sometimes can't hold a constant speed, just like on an Escalade I rented back in 2019. The little turbo 4 is smooth and quiet at speed, but you know it's a 4 at low speed or harder acceleration. Like most modern cars, rearward visibility could be better. I do like how the door handles illuminate at night. It's comfortable, too:

Michaell · March 2023

My sister test drove an XT4 (Sport trim) when I was visiting her a year or so ago. Optioned up, not a bad ride. Generic looking, but what isn't, these days?

fintail · March 2023

One thing I was thinking of - putting these super basic spec cars in fleets doesn't help brand equity. I thought GM learned about that 20 years ago. Would a sunroof or heated seats be that tough?

I was also surprised to see it lacked OEM nav, but Android Auto has worked flawlessly, effortless to sync up.

ab348 · March 2023

Base model Caddys are strangely equipped. Some things you would expect to be standard are optional, and vice-versa. I’ve had a couple of XT4s as loaners and liked them well enough except for the engine, which sounded coarse and sent too much of that sound into the cabin for a Cadillac.

kyfdx · May 2023

Rented from National at DFW, last week. Dropped off at IAH. 6 days, about 600 miles. $511 including all taxes and fees (about $150 of that for dropping in Houston, instead of returning it to DFW)

The Emerald Aisle was surprisingly well-stocked. We chose a new RAV4 XLE FWD, with just 3000 miles on it. Might have chosen the CX-5, but it didn't have a cover for the cargo area.

2nd time we've had a RAV4. Wireless CarPlay is a big bonus. About 32 mpg, overall.

Could have had a Jeep Gladiator. I was shocked to see that in the Aisle.

Sandman6472 · May 2023

You don't want that Jeep or the wrangler as they don't hold the road very well. They seem to be all over the lane & need constant correction it seems. I've talked with a few drivers about this situation & they all agree...many won't even drive one of them. I prefer the Compass or any other Jeep to be honest and wouldn't mind owning a Compass but don't really need such a big vehicle.

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