Car rental

[corco]

I will say I've had to wait for cars with Enterprise- the times I've rented here in Laramie it's always "The car is getting its oil changed but it's ready, just hold on a few minutes" or "The car just got back, please wait as we clean it," and that's always sort of annoying

[corco]

By the way, on the subject of underage car rental- it reminds me of when I first started going to college in Seattle and hadn't bought my car yet and had no car. I was 18, putting me out of the range of any rental possibility, and I desperately needed an automobile for a day. After much searching, I found the only place I could get a vehicle was U-Haul.

So- at 18 I was able to rent a 10' Box van (at an admittedly high price, but with no age related fees), but it's not until 21 you can even rent a car mostly, and not until 25 that you can usually do it without paying some ridiculous surcharge.

I could have rented a 26' Van, so the moral of the story is 18 year olds can rent 26' moving vans, but if they try to get a Ford Taurus it's impossible

[Dougtone]

I haven't had to wait for rental cars with Dollar or Thrifty, and I've even had some car upgrades from them.  Every time, the car has featured air conditioning, cruise control, etc.  However, the time I rented through Avis, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, there was a computer problem that held me up for about an hour.  According to their manager, they had been having Internet connectivity issues with Aliant (an Atlantic Canadian ISP), who had placed their connection in Miramachi, New Brunswick.  It made Avis unable to check out any cars from that location over the course of a couple of days.  Fortunately, Yarmouth has two car rental locations and I was able to get a rental car checked out through their ferry terminal location instead.

[Chris]

At the age of 21, I once rented a 9-seater van for work in the Netherlands. No surcharge was charged.

As credit cards are not common methods of payment in the Netherlands, I had an accident in southern France, and I wanted to rent a car in France, but I couldn't because I didn't have a credit card (back then). I had to take the TGV (French High Speed Rail) back home. Fortunately, I had good insurance, so the ANWB (like triple A) payed for the ride home. Now I have a credit card to rent a car if necessary.

[Duke87]

I've rental cars in North America on several occasions and they've never come with geographical restrictions apart from Mexico and some that don't allow travel within NYC.

Ah, of course.

[Truvelo]

Ah, of course.

Why is that? Is it because of the heavy traffic and the risk of a minor fender bender?

[mightyace]

Ah, of course.

Why is that? Is it because of the heavy traffic and the risk of a minor fender bender?

And, possibly higher risk of theft, like if you go to the Bronx.

Yeah, it's been awhile since I was under 25, but IIRC, I couldn't get a car unless under circumstances for work and maybe not even then.

I remember having a job interview in Akron at age 20 and they had to pick me up at the airport because I couldn't rent a car.

[agentsteel53]

I would imagine it is the heavy traffic - Manhattan is a very, ahem, unique driving environment.  The risk of theft in the Bronx is significantly lower than in other major cities in the US, but the rental car companies may be going on the late 1980s statistics and anecdotal evidence. 

[roadfro]

I've never had any mileage restrictions when renting a car, although most times I've rented for business at the University and they had a corporate contract through Enterprise. We were always told that driving in Nevada and surrounding states would be free, and taking it out of the surrounding states would incur a mileage fee.

On the same token, the university contract allowed drivers 21 and over to drive with no extra fees.

[SSOWorld]

In regards to lack of cruise, etc - that depends on what type of car you rent.  Compact or intermediate cars from those companies normally will not have the "extra toys."  I've rented from Thrifty and Dollar (Intermediate class) in the last two years and both gave me PT Cruisers with no cruise.   (NOTE: These were business trip rentals).  I rented a full-size class from Enterprise last year (personal trip) and got a 2010 Impala - had cruise, PW/PD, Aux Jack for MP3 player, etc.)  Also the time between counter and car wasn't that bad at the Enterprise I rented at - which was on the Sacramento Airport campus - which groups its car-rental agencies away from the terminal.

[Chris]

Cruise control is just a luxury. I can drive perfectly fine for 12 hours in a row without cruise control, done so numerous times. AC is much more important than cruise control to me. I wouldn't want to drive longer than half an hour in a hot car during the summer without AC.

[mightyace]

Cruise control is just a luxury. I can drive perfectly fine for 12 hours in a row without cruise control, done so numerous times. AC is much more important than cruise control to me. I wouldn't want to drive longer than half an hour in a hot car during the summer without AC.

I agree with you totally.  I haven't had working cruise control in a vehicle I own for nearly four years now and I don't really miss it.

However, trying to drive around without air conditioning in a Tennessee summer?  Not if I don't have to!

[J N Winkler]

Cruise control is just a luxury. I can drive perfectly fine for 12 hours in a row without cruise control, done so numerous times. AC is much more important than cruise control to me. I wouldn't want to drive longer than half an hour in a hot car during the summer without AC.

I disagree.  The scope for cruise control is admittedly more limited in Europe because traffic densities are higher in rural areas (both on motorways and ordinary roads) than is the case in the US, and the expectation is that drivers will adjust their speed up or down to maintain correct lane position (i.e., keep to the nearside unless overtaking) rather than stick firmly to the speed limit.  However, I have owned and driven cars with and without cruise control in two continents and I consistently find it much more tiring to drive long distances without cruise control.  I generally route myself so that I can maintain correct lane position without frequent changes of speed, so cruise control leaves me free to enjoy the scenery, the road alignment, etc. while completely ignoring the issue of speed limit compliance.  The only country I have driven in where I didn't really miss cruise control was Ireland, and this was largely because I spent much of my time on tortuous country roads where I had to vary speed and throttle position frequently to take curves safely.  The Irish motorway network is now many times bigger than it was when I visited and I suspect I would now find it trying without cruise control.

On the other hand, I have crossed the desert on I-8 in early September without air conditioning, voluntarily--the car I was driving had working air-conditioning.  As a general rule, I avoid using the air conditioning unless I have passengers and have to run it for their comfort, or when it is necessary for the defroster to operate efficiently in very cold weather.  Even in hundred-degree weather, at 70 MPH with the vents open and the blower running, all a healthy and reasonably thin person really needs is plenty of fresh cold water in an insulated container.

I don't recommend making an A/C-free midsummer desert crossing without special preparation, though.  This preparation needs to include an old T-shirt, an old pair of trousers, an old belt or pair of suspenders for the trousers, and a large bath towel for the seat.  The reason for this is that even with plenty of ice water for drinking, you will still sweat enough to shift clothing dyes and permanently stain an uncovered car seat.

[mightyace]

I disagree.  ... and I consistently find it much more tiring to drive long distances without cruise control.  I generally route myself so that I can maintain correct lane position without frequent changes of speed, so cruise control leaves me free to enjoy the scenery, the road alignment, etc. while completely ignoring the issue of speed limit compliance. ...

Well, we're getting into an area of personal preference here.  I find I stay awake better without cruise control.  Also, it's physically more comfortable not using CC for me.  When I've used CC, I put my right foot away from the throttle and that is usually less comfortable than having it on the gas.

On the other hand, I have crossed the desert on I-8 in early September without air conditioning, voluntarily--the car I was driving had working air-conditioning. ssary for the defroster to operate efficiently in very cold weather.  Even in hundred-degree weather, at 70 MPH with the vents open and the blower running, all a healthy and reasonably thin person really needs is plenty of fresh cold water in an insulated container.

Maybe 100 degrees in the desert, but 100 degrees in the American south is a whole different animal as the humidity in the summer is often 80-100% when the temperature is in the 90s.

Also, while I'm reasonably healthy, I'm not thin so that plays a factor, too.

[Duke87]

Why is that? Is it because of the heavy traffic and the risk of a minor fender bender?

And the behavior of the drivers. Forget everything you were ever taught about defensive driving, in New York, it's all about offense. Merges are about playing chicken. And hugging the rear fender of the guy in front of you to avoid getting cut off.
Try driving out of Manhattan the day before Thanksgiving. It's fun, really!

And, possibly higher risk of theft, like if you go to the Bronx.

Actually, there are some pretty nice parts of The Bronx. And parts of Brooklyn that are worse. But yes, there is a liability if you're not smart... not so much outright theft of the whole car (that's difficult), but getting your window smashed and stuff stolen out of it (easy). And then there's the things you can shrug off and not care if it's your car, but will be a problem for a rental, such as getting your bumper dented by someone trying to parallel park in too tight a space, or having random (possibly drunk) idiots key up your paint job.

Cruise control is just a luxury. I can drive perfectly fine for 12 hours in a row without cruise control, done so numerous times. AC is much more important than cruise control to me. I wouldn't want to drive longer than half an hour in a hot car during the summer without AC.

I'd even take that a step further: I will elect not to use cruise control, even if it's available. The idea of having my foot off the pedals just freaks me out.

[corco]

I was never much of a cruise control user until I started driving across Wyoming, where there's virtually no traffic and high speed limits. I can just set at 5 MPH over and call it good. For me, if I don't have it on, I'll quickly find myself going 80-85 MPH down 287 in rural Wyoming, because there's really no reason not to except a sign that says so (and at night, deer, but I don't go much more than 60 at night on rural two lane roads because of that).

As far as A/C is concerned, almost any car made in the last 15 years shows a negligible difference in gas mileage at best between having it on and having it off. I used to never use it to save fuel, but then I realized I wasn't actually saving much fuel, so it started staying on. That said, if it's 100+ degrees and I'm on the freeway I turn it off or use it sparingly just so I don't risk overheating

[realjd]

In regards to lack of cruise, etc - that depends on what type of car you rent.  Compact or intermediate cars from those companies normally will not have the "extra toys."  I've rented from Thrifty and Dollar (Intermediate class) in the last two years and both gave me PT Cruisers with no cruise.   (NOTE: These were business trip rentals).  I rented a full-size class from Enterprise last year (personal trip) and got a 2010 Impala - had cruise, PW/PD, Aux Jack for MP3 player, etc.)  Also the time between counter and car wasn't that bad at the Enterprise I rented at - which was on the Sacramento Airport campus - which groups its car-rental agencies away from the terminal.

I honestly didn't even know they made cars without cruise control anymore until I rented from Enterprise. Same goes for manual-control side mirrors. I don't consider those "extra toys" any more than I do the radio or the A/C. It would be like staying in a hotel without internet access. Even if you don't use it, you expect it to be there.

Enterprise is also famous for being the company that made Chevy remove standard safety features like the side airbags from some of the cars (Impalas I think) that they bought to save a few bucks.

[kphoger]

Are there any national chains in the US that rent out vehicles with manual transmission?

It occurred to me that (not counting moving trucks) three of the last four rental cars I've driven were manual transmission.  But the only one that was from a major chain was outside the US.

2002 – A couple of friends and I took a road trip from the Chicago suburbs to Ouray (Colorado).  We rented an Oldsmobile Alero with an automatic for the trip.  But, while we were there, we rented a five-speed manual Jeep Wrangler from Colorado West for a day or two, and we did a big loop in it that included Ophir Pass and Imogene Pass.

2006 – For our honeymoon, my wife and I flew into Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco).  From the airport, we took a taxi to Bucerías (Nayarit) and rented a five-speed manual Chevrolet Chevy from Gecko Rent a Car for the week.  We put probably around 500 miles on it while we were there.

2023 – I just got back from a mission trip in Mexico on Sunday evening.  Six of us drove down in our car, while the others flew into Monterrey (Nuevo León).  At the airport, we rented a six-speed manual Nissan extended cab Frontier/NP300/Navara/whatever from Avis.  We used it extensively and probably put around 400 or 500 miles on it during the week.

[JayhawkCO]

I can't say I've seen manuals at any of the big chains in the US. When overseas, you typically have to pay a surcharge for an automatic. I was surprised, however, that automatic was the standard issue when I just rented a car in Oman earlier this week.

[Dirt Roads]

Are there any national chains in the US that rent out vehicles with manual transmission?

I can't say I've seen manuals at any of the big chains in the US. When overseas, you typically have to pay a surcharge for an automatic. I was surprised, however, that automatic was the standard issue when I just rented a car in Oman earlier this week.

Last time I checked, Budget in Kansas City was the last remaining chain to offer stick shift rentals.  All of the Budget locations in the Kansas City area had access to them just a few years ago.  I've rented a bunch of stick shift vehicles from major rental agencies, but all of them were abroad.  It was fun renting one in the U.K. and then taking it across to France on the other side of the Chunnel.  Good thing that I'm almost ambidextrous.

[formulanone]

Are there any national chains in the US that rent out vehicles with manual transmission?

I can't say I've seen manuals at any of the big chains in the US. When overseas, you typically have to pay a surcharge for an automatic. I was surprised, however, that automatic was the standard issue when I just rented a car in Oman earlier this week.

Last time I checked, Budget in Kansas City was the last remaining chain to offer stick shift rentals.  All of the Budget locations in the Kansas City area had access to them just a few years ago.  I've rented a bunch of stick shift vehicles from major rental agencies, but all of them were abroad.  It was fun renting one in the U.K. and then taking it across to France on the other side of the Chunnel.  Good thing that I'm almost ambidextrous.

One of my co-workers had rented a car in Albany, Georgia a few years ago and she'd rented a manual Ford Fiesta. Maybe they use it as a carrot to get renters to pay more for a higher class of vehicle, someone just got a good deal on them, or someone goofed.   

That Avis location probably owned the vehicles; it's not uncommon for the smaller airport outlets to do that, rather than share them amongst the bigger fleet of rental pools throughout the country. One big drawback is that the small locations will fine you heavily if you return it to a different location, and make sure to warn you of the additional costs which are much greater than other locations.

If you find yourself in a situation where you must rent from one location and return it to another, I suggest returning it to the same place on the final "day" and then do another one-day/one-way rental. They recharge each previous day of rental with the greater rate if it is not exchanged first, which is typically 50-100% greater. Some locations which are nearby or in the same state do not have a surcharge (Florida is sometimes good for this), but I would check with the rental car company before booking that airline ticket.   

[hotdogPi]

Gecko Rent a Car

Any reason this place is in English rather than Spanish?

[1995hoo]

I've never seen a manual offered by a major rental chain in the US. Some of the smaller local chains that rent "exotics" or sports cars sometimes offer them on cars like Porsches or similar, but I don't think those really count in the spirit of what kphoger is asking. Funny thing is, though, earlier this year I was using the Hertz app to make a reservation (I use Hertz based on my membership tier) and I noted their app uses a diagram of the sort you see on the top of a manual shift knob to denote the word "transmission."

[kphoger]

Gecko Rent a Car

Any reason this place is in English rather than Spanish?

It's a big area for tourists, expats, and corporate vacations.  IIRC, the rental agency is actually operated by a trilingual French expat.

[formulanone]

I've never seen a manual offered by a major rental chain in the US. Some of the smaller local chains that rent "exotics" or sports cars sometimes offer them on cars like Porsches or similar, but I don't think those really count in the spirit of what kphoger is asking. Funny thing is, though, earlier this year I was using the Hertz app to make a reservation (I use Hertz based on my membership tier) and I noted their app uses a diagram of the sort you see on the top of a manual shift knob to denote the word "transmission."

Skeuomorph: Sort of how a 1960s-era telephone handset is used for a phone call, or a mercury thermometer is used to denote temperature, a manual shift lever (sometimes with a double-H gate) denotes a vehicle transmission type.

The once-basic basic automatic range control lever has "evolved" into at least twenty different designs over the last 15 years or so, which doesn't immediately explain its function until one is familiar with it for a few moments.