Favorite rental car company and car to rent

[golden eagle]

It's been some time since I rented a car, but it's almost always has been from Enterprise. No kind of car in particular, but I always get a compact car since it's usually just me driving.

[corco]

Enterprise is the best for me since I'm under 25. They have the most reasonable underage fees, if you even have to pay them at all. If you go to smaller locations like the one in Laramie, you can often have your pick of the lot no matter what you paid for.

I've rented seven cars (all upgraded from economy), ranked in order of likeability
1. '10 Ford Fusion (fantastic gas mileage - 37.1! , spacious enough that I could fold down the back seat and sleep with my feet in the trunk, powerful enough for steep hills at high altitude. I would buy a Fusion today)
2. '09 Chevy Malibu (great highway cruiser, 34.1 MPG)
3. '10 Hyundai Elantra (Hyundai really has their shit together- 39 MPG and a well built car. Good for them)
4. '10 Chevy Cobalt (didn't have cruise, so that sucked. The car drove nice and had plenty of power but only pulled 36)
5. '11 Hyundai Accent (Disappointed- only pulled 35 from the Accent, which given that it's pretty uninspiring otherwise sucks)
6. '10 Toyota Corolla (Horribly disappointed. Pulled 33 from the Corolla, the interior of the Corolla is easily the worst of all 6 despite being a newer model. People who still buy Corollas thinking they are the gold standard of compact cars are living in 1992)
7. '09 Nissan Cube (Embarrassing to drive around, only 33 MPG, highly susceptible to crosswinds, not much power)

[agentsteel53]

I almost always rent from the local Enterprise, except when I need to exceed going solely to California, Arizona, and Nevada.  Then, I rent from the airport.

Recently I've been renting a compact for shorter trips (30 bucks for a weekend, limit 300 miles - perfect for all the errands and maybe a brief run up to LA), and a standard for longer (anything over 300, which most of the time ends up 2500 or more, as once I'm halfway gone, I tend to go for completely gone).  Standard size comes with cruise control, and usually I can get a 36mpg Honda Civic.  Even compact cars tend to only give me 33-34...

so these days I tend to, more often than not, cough up the extra $20 for a weekend of a standard car - the way gas prices are going, it's been breaking me even on gas savings on the more efficient car.  Plus, not having to worry about a speeding ticket because of the three-fold combination of a) light, underpowered car that barely breaks 63mph up a hill, then coming down, with much less pressure on the gas, whoops, I'm doing 95... b) no cruise control, so I've gotta be scrupulously watching my speed lest the car decide to notice the 0.5% grade, and c) a non-adjustable steering wheel which elegantly blocks the speedometer between 45 and 90 mph.

I swear, I've gotten pulled over more often in a compact car than in a standard ... the standard does 95mph when I want to... the compact, when I least expect it.

[agentsteel53]

3. '10 Hyundai Elantra (Hyundai really has their shit together- 39 MPG and a well built car. Good for them)
5. '11 Hyundai Accent (Disappointed- only pulled 35 from the Accent, which given that it's pretty uninspiring otherwise sucks)

39 from an Elantra?!  Not bad at all!  I don't think I've ever rented an Elantra, but I tend to get about 34 from the Accent.  The neat feature about Enterprise's Accents is that they come with satellite radio.

I really wish they had their cars categorized accurately by feature-set.  I've rented compacts with automatic doors, cruise control, and satellite radio ... and intermediates with none of those.  Even standard is very hit-or-miss for satellite radio, but at least they guarantee the other two.

I just know not to get suckered into a "free upgrade".  They're just looking to pawn off the HHR or PT Cruiser that absolutely no self-respecting person would drive.  Seriously, the HHR has got C pillars the size of the Empire State building (I've felt safer driving a box truck!), and the PT Cruiser gets 16 mpg (!) and once gave me a stuck accelerator.

[corco]

39 from an Elantra?!  Not bad at all!  I don't think I've ever rented an Elantra, but I tend to get about 34 from the Accent.  The neat feature about Enterprise's Accents is that they come with satellite radio.

It was pretty much all off-interstate 65-72 MPH driving in rural Wyoming, so I don't think it's possible to get better gas mileage.

I just know not to get suckered into a "free upgrade".  They're just looking to pawn off the HHR or PT Cruiser that absolutely no self-respecting person would drive.  Seriously, the HHR has got C pillars the size of the Empire State building (I've felt safer driving a box truck!), and the PT Cruiser gets 16 mpg (!) and once gave me a stuck accelerator.

They tried to upgrade me to a GMC Acadia once. I just stared at them until they gave me something else. I already have a reliable Jeep Liberty- the ONLY time I rent is when I'm driving more than ~600 miles per day (less now with high prices) and the rental cost more or less offsets the fuel cost.

[agentsteel53]

It was pretty much all off-interstate 65-72 MPH driving in rural Wyoming, so I don't think it's possible to get better gas mileage.

yeah, 34 on the Accent is basically Central Valley, cruise control on 74... so, lower elevation hoses me a bit.

They tried to upgrade me to a GMC Acadia once. I just stared at them until they gave me something else.

I remember when Budget at the Las Vegas airport attempted to "free upgrade" me to some sort of an SUV - I had flown in at 11pm, and I waited there 'til 5am when main business hours started again, for them to drive in with a compact car ... given that I was going to drive 15000-21000 miles in the next 3 weeks, I was quite adamant on renting a car that would give me 35mpg.  (I ended up at 17550 miles in a Chevy Aveo - two oil changes, which I duly charged them for upon my return.)

[corco]

(I ended up at 17550 miles in a Chevy Aveo - two oil changes, which I duly charged them for upon my return.)

Wait, you can do that? How did they react?

[agentsteel53]

Wait, you can do that? How did they react?

the two greatest words in the English language: "unlimited mileage"

(the three greatest words are "collision damage waiver")

I'm sure they have a mug shot of me behind the counter with a caption that says "DO NOT RENT TO THIS GUY AGAIN" but, at the time, I stayed entirely within the restrictions put forth in the contract, so they couldn't do anything.

the guy at the airport who checked me in was not paying much attention, it seems, because he just nodded and gave me the receipt.

the only time I've gotten a reaction to endless miles was another airport return.

"wait, there has to be some mistake - this says you drove 9850 miles in 10 days"
"you're right; that is incorrect.  I was hanging out with a friend on Tuesday.  I did 9850 in nine days."

couldn't do a damn thing about it, though.

[agentsteel53]

oh and regarding oil changes and other standard maintenance - I always charge them for that.  that's their responsibility.  my responsibility is solely to return the car in the condition in which it was given to me, minus reasonable provisions for wear and tear.  so it behooves me to change the oil before the engine seizes ... but under no circumstances am I going to pay for it!

upon my getting home, I mail them a nice letter requesting a refund for particular expenses above and beyond what is my responsibility as spelled out in the contract.  I enclose receipts, and within several weeks, their corporate headquarters writes me a check.  

I've gotten those two oil changes, and replacement tires for flats twice as well.

[corco]

oh and regarding oil changes and other standard maintenance - I always charge them for that.  that's their responsibility.  my responsibility is solely to return the car in the condition in which it was given to me, minus reasonable provisions for wear and tear.  so it behooves me to change the oil before the engine seizes ... but under no circumstances am I going to pay for it!

upon my getting home, I mail them a nice letter requesting a refund for particular expenses above and beyond what is my responsibility as spelled out in the contract.  I enclose receipts, and within several weeks, their corporate headquarters writes me a check. 

I've gotten those two oil changes, and replacement tires for flats twice as well.

So do you call their roadside assistance or just go to Jiffy Lube/tire place and do it?

[agentsteel53]

So do you call their roadside assistance or just go to Jiffy Lube/tire place and do it?

yep, I just do it myself.  I don't have the time to sit and wait by the side of the road for their assistance ... I've got things to do, people to be, miles to go before I sleep, that sort of thing.  I'll do accounting when I get home.  If I'm paying $14/day for the use of a car, the least I can do is use it.

[realjd]

I almost always rent from National. My company has a good corporate deal worked out with them and I get great rates even for personal travel.

My favorite car that I've rented is, hand's down, the Nissan Altima. It's quick, the manumatic transmission shifts well, and it's comfortable. National doesn't have many of those left. I tend to go for the new Camrys if I can find one on the Emerald Aisle or Executive Selection (National lets you pick your own car if you're a member of their rental program), and I've been driving a lot of Dodge Chargers lately and they haven't been too bad.

I tend to get stuck with a lot of Impalas if I'm renting from a National location without Emerald Aisle service (smaller airports). It's not a terrible car, but it feels sloppy to drive to me. The suspension is loose and the steering is "floaty".

Mazda6's are a lot of fun. They're underpowered, but somehow still extremely enjoyable to take down a curvy road.

The worst car I've had was a bare bones Nissan Sentra from Enterprise. Manual windows, no cruise control, no nothing. It sucked. Second was a Jeep Liberty from National. It drove like crap.

LAX tends to have really nice cars. I've gotten a fully-loaded Toyota Highlander there that was really nice (although a bit difficult to park in the tiny California-sized parking spots), and once even picked up a Mustang convertable!

[agentsteel53]

the most fun car I've ever rented was a Mazda 3.  I was completely surprised by just how quick it was and how well it handled.  plus it got me 33 mpg in a mixture that leaned heavily towards city driving, so that was a plus too.

but I'm still gonna go with the ungainly Prius when I make a trip to New Mexico over 4th of July weekend.  3300 miles budgeted; best done at 58 mpg.

[agentsteel53]

I've been driving a lot of Dodge Chargers lately and they haven't been too bad.

the one time I rented a Dodge Charger, I thought I'd take it on some abandoned road and see if I could hit 140mph ... it started shaking pretty violently at 96.  Might have just been that one specific vehicle, but since then I have not trusted them.

24mpg also didn't help matters.

[berberry]

It's been some time since I rented a car, but it's almost always has been from Enterprise. No kind of car in particular, but I always get a compact car since it's usually just me driving.

I can't remember the last time I rented from anyone other than Enterprise, except once several years ago in Houston when someone else was paying the tab - that was Hertz, I think.  So I can't really say I'd endorse Enterprise against all others because I haven't experienced all others.  But I've never had any trouble with Enterprise, and their prices and policies seem fair, so I stick with them.

I very rarely rent a car just for fun, and it would only be on a whim, so in that case I'd probably go for the best sports car available at that moment.  I'm much more likely to rent for a long drive, in which case I'll just try to get the best combination of comfort and gas mileage.

AbE:  Oh yeah, forgot to say that I'd notice someone mentioning the Altima.  I agree - love that car!

[oscar]

the most fun car I've ever rented was a Mazda 3.  I was completely surprised by just how quick it was and how well it handled.  plus it got me 33 mpg in a mixture that leaned heavily towards city driving, so that was a plus too.

I got lucky on a Thrifty rental out of the San Francisco airport.  They were out of anything resembling the compact I'd reserved, so they asked if I could drive a stickshift (yes) and if I would mind driving a Shelby turbo for the price of a regular compact (no problem at all).

That rental was fun, other than the turbo lag sometimes made it feel like the car was trying to squirt out from under me.

[oscar]

I almost always rent from the local Enterprise, except when I need to exceed going solely to California, Arizona, and Nevada.  Then, I rent from the airport.

Did your local Enterprise impose a geographic limit, other than the usual forget-about-Mexico restriction?

My only rental from Enterprise was at the Baton Rouge airport.  Their standard contract would've limited my travel to within Louisiana.  Since this was for work, and I had a legitimate work reason for going into Mississippi (depositions in both Baton Rouge and Monroe, the direct route between those cities cuts through the southwestern corner of Missiissippi), I insisted on modifying that restriction, which they did.  But the initial "gotcha" left me suspicious of Enterprise ever since.

I have no real preference among other companies, other than to shy away from Alamo due to some customer service problems I had with their San Diego airport location, and also Hertz tends to be expensive (but I did get a good deal from them at the Long Beach CA airport last month).  Also, on Hawaii's Big Island the local Harper's company rents mainly 4x4s, which are needed on some of the island's roads (such as up to the Mauna Kea summit, or down into the Waipio Valley), so I've always rented from them even though it's a pricey option.

[tollboothrob]

I almost always rent from the local Enterprise, except when I need to exceed going solely to California, Arizona, and Nevada.  Then, I rent from the airport.

Did your local Enterprise impose a geographic limit, other than the usual forget-about-Mexico restriction?

My only rental from Enterprise was at the Baton Rouge airport.  Their standard contract would've limited my travel to within Louisiana.  Since this was for work, and I had a legitimate work reason for going into Mississippi (depositions in both Baton Rouge and Monroe, the direct route between those cities cuts through the southwestern corner of Missiissippi), I insisted on modifying that restriction, which they did.  But the initial "gotcha" left me suspicious of Enterprise ever since.

I used to rent from Enterprise, but switched to Hertz for that reason. Hertz only wants you to stay out of Mexico, while Enterprise restricted to my home state and surrounding states. I've always found the prices comparable and it's one less thing to worry about.

[corco]

My only rental from Enterprise was at the Baton Rouge airport.  Their standard contract would've limited my travel to within Louisiana.  Since this was for work, and I had a legitimate work reason for going into Mississippi (depositions in both Baton Rouge and Monroe, the direct route between those cities cuts through the southwestern corner of Missiissippi), I insisted on modifying that restriction, which they did.  But the initial "gotcha" left me suspicious of Enterprise ever since.

Varies considerably by location, in my experience. The one in Wyoming let you take it anywhere in the lower 48, but the one here in Tucson has the "surrounding states but not Mexico" caveat. The one out of Boston MA lets you take it anywhere north of the Kentucky/Tennessee state line (this is actually the restriction!) east of the Mississippi River

[agentsteel53]

my local Enterprise actually would let me, if I clear it ahead of time, drive all the way down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! 

the local ones tend to have the "neighboring states only" or similar restrictions - airport ones tend to be US+Canada with no questions asked.

[agentsteel53]

I got lucky on a Thrifty rental out of the San Francisco airport.  They were out of anything resembling the compact I'd reserved, so they asked if I could drive a stickshift (yes) and if I would mind driving a Shelby turbo for the price of a regular compact (no problem at all).

I had no idea any rental car place in the US still had stick shifts.  had I been renting just for a few miles, I'd have jumped all over the Shelby Turbo - but for over, say, 300 miles or so, I'd have balked at the absence of 35mpg - as I don't think, even with a stick shift, I could've achieved that much.

[realjd]

I've been driving a lot of Dodge Chargers lately and they haven't been too bad.

the one time I rented a Dodge Charger, I thought I'd take it on some abandoned road and see if I could hit 140mph ... it started shaking pretty violently at 96.  Might have just been that one specific vehicle, but since then I have not trusted them.

24mpg also didn't help matters.

I have noticed weird stability problems with the Chargers under certain circumstances. In particular, it has a tendency to oversteer while accelerating. It's particularly noticeable on hills. I suspect that it has to do with the torque put onto the rear wheels pulling weight off of the front tires. I would never buy one; the reason I rent them is that they're comfortable, have satellite radio, and are quicker than some other crappy rental cars.

I had one during a snow storm Denver earlier this year. It being rear wheel drive, I had a blast. And the rental had no traction control. It did have a friendly light on the dash that would light up when the wheels lost traction, but it wouldn't do anything about it.

I'm not too concerned with MPG when I rent a car. Usually my company is paying so it's not out of my pocket anyway, but when I rent a car for personal use I'd rather spend more on gas and rent something fun. Just my personal preference.

[agentsteel53]

when I rent a car for personal use I'd rather spend more on gas and rent something fun. Just my personal preference.

I just drive so many miles that I'm not willing to spend an extra ~100-300 dollars just for something fun.  For local rentals (under 300 miles, $30/weekend, perfect for running errands) I really should diversify a bit and spend the extra $20 for the more premium car and maybe $7 for gas (so, $27 total) and try out some new cars.  The next time I have an errands weekend I think I will!

[US71]

I don't have a specific vehicle, but I had decent service from Enterprise a few years back. I was an hour late returning the car so should have been charged an extra day, but the extra charge was waived.

[xcellntbuy]

I have routinely used Enterprise for the last several times I have had to rent a car.  The only request I make when renting is that the car be either a GM, Ford or Chrysler product from either the USA or Canada.