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.
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)
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.
Quote from: corco on April 23, 2011, 12:01:08 AM
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)
:wow: 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.
Quote39 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.
QuoteI 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.
Quote from: corco on April 23, 2011, 12:06:58 AM
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.
QuoteThey 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.)
Quote(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?
Quote from: corco on April 23, 2011, 12:06:58 AM
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.
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.
Quoteoh 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?
Quote from: corco on April 23, 2011, 12:18:50 AM
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.
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!
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.
Quote from: realjd on April 23, 2011, 12:28:46 AMI'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.
Quote from: golden eagle on April 22, 2011, 11:55:08 PM
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!
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 23, 2011, 12:41:54 AM
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.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 23, 2011, 12:01:45 AM
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.
Quote from: oscar on April 23, 2011, 04:09:54 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 23, 2011, 12:01:45 AM
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.
QuoteMy 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
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.
Quote from: oscar on April 23, 2011, 03:50:29 AM
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.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 23, 2011, 12:43:56 AM
Quote from: realjd on April 23, 2011, 12:28:46 AMI'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.
Quote from: realjd on April 23, 2011, 04:38:27 PM
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!
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.
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.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 23, 2011, 11:51:44 AM
Quote from: oscar on April 23, 2011, 03:50:29 AM
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.
I think some larger locations offer a few high-end specialty vehicles, aimed at big spenders. A Shelby Turbo was not so high-priced that the agency would be absolutely desperate to scrounge up something else from another agency to honor my reservation, I'm sure it would've tried a lot harder not to rent me a Ferrari at economy-car rates.
At the opposite end of the scale, you might find stickshifts at a Rent-A-Wreck or (if still around) an Ugly Duckling franchise, as I did long ago at an Ugly Duckling in northern Virginia. And of course in Europe stickshifts are the norm in rental fleets.
QuoteThe only request I make when renting is that the car be either a GM, Ford or Chrysler product from either the USA or Canada.
I always stick with that policy as well- and it's been hit or miss. Of 7 cars I've rented I've gotten four foreign cars. I have never rented from an airport location so the fleet of vehicles to choose from is usually pretty limited and if I need a car I need a car.
I did wait 45 minutes once while they cleaned a Ford Fusion so I wouldn't have to take a Camry, and another time they had a Civic with cruise and a Cobalt without and were really confused when I demanded the Cobalt and kept trying to talk me into the Civic. I give them the same rant every time "You're an American rental car company; you should be supporting other domestic companies." but they just roll their eyes and mumble something about how many customers want Toyotas- it's disappointing. When I refused the Camry, the girl at the desk seemed completely shocked- "Nobody has ever turned down a Camry before!" was what she said.
I don't know how people do it- when I'm driving in the rural west especially I always feel so self-conscious in a foreign car, like everyone is judging me.
I don't care who makes the car - both domestic and foreign companies make good ones. I've never once felt self-conscious driving a non-American car.
I've walked up to random perfect strangers attempting to buy signs off their barn walls. Can't say I've ever noticed any correlation between the ability to talk them out of their signs and the car I was driving.
QuoteI don't care who makes the car - both domestic and foreign companies make good ones. I've never once felt self-conscious driving a non-American car.
Nothing to do with reliability- it's a philosophical thing. The US auto industry is a critical part of the country, they employ unionized American laborers, and they need our help. They are (and have been for the last decade) turning out cars that are just as good if not better than their foreign counterparts, but the market is slow to respond. If the only way to get folks into a domestic automobile so they can see how far the Big Three has come is to make their rental cars domestic, that's good enough for me.
Enterprise should be supporting that- people (and fleets!) buying American-made, American-owned (ie the profits stay in this country) cars is good for the US Economy, and what's good for the US Economy is good for Enterprise. That's why just about every large, domestic company exclusively buys American cars for their fleets. I don't see why Enterprise should be any different.
QuoteI've walked up to random perfect strangers attempting to buy signs off their barn walls. Can't say I've ever noticed any correlation between the ability to talk them out of their signs and the car I was driving.
I'm sure that it's self-induced on my end. Whether the argument is valid or not that people should be driving American, I definitely believe it, so when I drive a foreign car I feel guilty and project that guilt onto the landscape.
is there an American car that will get me 58mpg, like the Prius? if so, I'd like to try one on my major road trip on July 4th.
Enterprise will have Chevy Volts available for rent shortly
But yes, the Prius is a bit of an odd duck. If you want a Prius you want a Prius and you're stuck with a Toyota. There's no reason to take a Camry over a Fusion or a Corolla over a Cruze or an Avalon over a Taurus, though.
Many or even most models of American Toyotas (like the Camry) are made with American labor. Same with Honda, same with BMW, etc. I don't care which country's corporate fat cats own the business. I care whose laborers get paid. Union or non-union makes no difference to me.
QuoteMany or even most models of American Toyotas (like the Camry) are made with American labor. Same with Honda, same with BMW, etc. I don't care which country's corporate fat cats own the business. I care whose laborers get paid. Union or non-union makes no difference to me.
I'd rather our fat cats get the business- the more wealth in this country the better. As far as union v. non-union, I like to know that I'm buying a car built by people who get health insurance and decent living wages. If we want to be a third world sweatshop manufacturing country, buy foreign cars built by domestic non-union laborers. Buy an American made Toyota- we build the car for as little as possible and then give the Japanese all that money+ for the car after we build it- it's pure profit on their end. That's definitely an economic loss.
If anything it should be the other way around- I'd buy a non-union car from a domestic automaker, and I may even consider buying a domestic-produced union car from a foreign automaker, but without at least one of a local company or a union there's no way to ensure that we aren't getting economically screwed.
Don't want to turn this into a political thread, just know that i disagree with your take on unions.
I lived in a city (Lafayette, IN) where the made Subarus and Toyota Camrys. I knew a few of the guys working at the plant. Are they less deserving of their jobs and our business because they work for Toyota and not Ford? And FWIW, they weren't unionized because the foreign companies compensate them well enough that they don't want to unionize. It was hardly a sweatshop.
Check the parts source stickers on new cars. Many American companies use primarily Mexican parts. Foreign companies often use a larger number of American parts. For a while the Camry was the most American car in production. It's gotten better, but it's still absurd to buy/drive certain American cars when they're mostly Mexican made. And buying a car with mostly American sourced parts will have a MUCH bigger impact on our economy than buying an "American" car with foreign parts.
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0710&referer=&aff=national
Chrysler was German owned until the economy went to crap. Now they're owned by Fiat, an Italian company. By your criteria, they're hardly an American company.
[EDIT - found more recent American parts source list]
QuoteI lived in a city (Lafayette, IN) where the made Subarus and Toyota Camrys. I knew a few of the guys working at the plant. Are they less deserving of their jobs and our business because they work for Toyota and not Ford? And FWIW, they weren't unionized because the foreign companies compensate them well enough that they don't want to unionize. It was hardly a sweatshop.
Check the parts source stickers on new cars. Many American companies use primarily Mexican parts. Foreign companies often use a larger number of American parts. For a while the Camry was the most American car in production. It's gotten better, but it's still absurd to buy/drive certain American cars when they're mostly Mexican made. And buying a car with mostly American sourced parts will have a MUCH bigger impact on our economy than buying an "American" car with foreign parts.
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0710&referer=&aff=national
Chrysler was German owned until the economy went to crap. Now they're owned by Fiat, an Italian company. By your criteria, they're hardly an American company.
[EDIT - found more recent American parts source list]
I'm not going to have the argument because nobody wants to read it and neither of us are going to change anyone else's mind (this is a philosophical argument as much as anything- you can point me to endless amounts of data and I can point you to endless amounts of data. People with PhDs in Economics can't decide what the right answer is, so there's no sense in either of us having the argument. You do what you believe and I'll do what I believe.), but the simple one line rebuttal from my end is that I would urge any and everyone to find a single country in the world (current or historic) that is wealthy and healthy and relies on manufacturing products for foreign companies. There aren't any.
Quote from: corco on April 24, 2011, 03:05:58 AM
QuoteI lived in a city (Lafayette, IN) where the made Subarus and Toyota Camrys. I knew a few of the guys working at the plant. Are they less deserving of their jobs and our business because they work for Toyota and not Ford? And FWIW, they weren't unionized because the foreign companies compensate them well enough that they don't want to unionize. It was hardly a sweatshop.
Check the parts source stickers on new cars. Many American companies use primarily Mexican parts. Foreign companies often use a larger number of American parts. For a while the Camry was the most American car in production. It's gotten better, but it's still absurd to buy/drive certain American cars when they're mostly Mexican made. And buying a car with mostly American sourced parts will have a MUCH bigger impact on our economy than buying an "American" car with foreign parts.
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0710&referer=&aff=national
Chrysler was German owned until the economy went to crap. Now they're owned by Fiat, an Italian company. By your criteria, they're hardly an American company.
[EDIT - found more recent American parts source list]
I'm not going to have the argument because nobody wants to read it and neither of us are going to change anyone else's mind (this is a philosophical argument as much as anything- you can point me to endless amounts of data and I can point you to endless amounts of data. People with PhDs in Economics can't decide what the right answer is, so there's no sense in either of us having the argument. You do what you believe and I'll do what I believe.), but the simple one line rebuttal from my end is that I would urge any and everyone to find a single country in the world (current or historic) that is wealthy and healthy and relies on manufacturing products for foreign companies. There aren't any.
Considering this is an argument on an internet forum, isn't this the part of the argument where we start calling each other names? :poke:
Back OT, I think the rental cars that always end up surprising me are the Hyundai's. I have usually have a bad impression of the brand in general, but the cars are surprisingly nice.
I drove a Nissan Aveo last year that was rubbish, which was disappointing considering the Altima is my favorite rental car ever.
When I was in England last month I had a tiny little Mercedes something-or-other. I really enjoyed it. I don't get to drive too many German cars here other than the Audi that my dad owns and lets me drive whenever I'm visiting. I drive an '01 Accord now which I own outright. When I finally decide I can live with car payments again I was going to look at Infinity due to my love of the Altima (or even a Maxima), but I may have to check out German cars. To be honest, if it weren't so expensive to maintain and the gas mileage wasn't so poor, I'd get a used Porsche Cayenne. I want a sporty car and I want a car that could tow something like a boat. That's the only one I've found that could do both. I don't think I could live with the $200 oil changes and 15 mpg. My dad has an Audi A6 TT he loves, and I've driven it a few times and found it to be nice as well.
Two other votes for crappies rental cars - I had a terrible Toyota Corolla once. It was tiny, under powered, and uncomfortable. But I think the king of the crappy rental cars goes to the old Chevy Classics. GM took Malibus, pulled out every useful feature of the car, and put in go kart engines. It was only available as a fleet/rental vehicle. That's one of my biggest pet peeves about rental cars: when they don't include standard features. Enterprise is notorious for this - in fact they were caught having companies remove basic safety features like air bags to lower the cost per car. If cruise control and power windows are standard on the lowest end commercially available version of a car, they should be on the rental car also.
I've never had a problem with the Corolla. 34-35mpg, generally decently powered, even comes with cruise control most of the time.
my question is - how does going through the effort of removing a part that the factory already installed make the rental cheaper??
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 24, 2011, 11:20:18 AM
I've never had a problem with the Corolla. 34-35mpg, generally decently powered, even comes with cruise control most of the time.
my question is - how does going through the effort of removing a part that the factory already installed make the rental cheaper??
This particular Corolla was junk. I can't imagine that they were all that bad. Like the crappy Sentra I got once. I know not all Sentras are bad, just the ones bought by Enterprise.
They don't remove the part themselves. They buy in large enough quantity that they are able to negotiate with the automaker to manufacture the cars without that particular part of feature. Even a $100 savings can add up quickly when you're buying cars in quantities in the tens of thousands. I understand the business decisions behind it, but that doesn't make it any less annoying when I rent a brand new car with no cruise control, power windows, or power mirrors.
The big reason that Enterprise got egg on their face was that they then resold the rental cars when they reached the end of their rental life but didn't disclose that basic safety features were missing.
I have no loyalty when it comes to which company I choose. Once I book the flight I compare prices for the various rental companies at the airport and go with the cheapest. The only thing I stipulate is unlimited mileage and a full size car or higher. If it's a cheap location then I will specify a premium car such as a Grand Marquis. I know it's old school but I like the silky smooth V8 and retro looks. Small 4 cylinder compacts don't do it for me, we have enough of them back home.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on April 24, 2011, 11:20:18 AM
my question is - how does going through the effort of removing a part that the factory already installed make the rental cheaper??
For Toyota, items like cruise control are installed literally at the port of entry, so much so that we called them "port installations/modifications" when I worked at a dealer. If the renter wants to save a several thousand by eliminating the feature, they do so.
I use Avis, and yes, I know they've had more owners than likely any other company in the history of the universe. But they haven't really disappointed me yet, and they've looked the other way enough times on dings and scratches that I really start to feel guilty (although I haven't caused any yet).
I did get one of those 2011 Hyundai Elantras, and I did get 38 mpg on the highway, according to the little trip computer (although they typically err on the side of making you feel a little "greener"), that's still impressive for a mostly-highway trip with tall hills and doing about 75-80mph most of the way. Far more fun and frisky compared to the new Sonata with the same engine and transmission; the larger car was less responsive to downshifts, with and without me using the manumatic selector (which was pretty good in the Elantra, the best I've used this side of VW/Audi's DSG). Seats were comfy, and the bizzarre styling but not ugly style works for me.
Just rented a Mitsubishi Galant, and now I understand why Mitsubishi is presently in the toilet, sales-wise in the US. The engine was good and nippy for a four, and it was comfortable enough. After that, the car swayed at speeds over 55 mph (as if it was always windy), the radio didn't have an AUX input (seriously, who doesn't offer this on a 2011 model), the car stank of "old car plastic" (ever been in an 8-10 year old car that wasn't yours? That's sun-baked plastic/vinyl degradation you're inhaling) but it had 6000 miles on it, handled average and bobbed around like a car with worn shocks, just a totally anonymous car with mushy brakes and with zero interior features or basic amenities (change dish? place for my phone? not even a fuel door lever...press the hinged side of the door, no lip on the unhinged side either). A total appliance.
The American car thing is hit or miss; I've had things like the Focus (not all that bad after all these years), and the Impala (boring, unimaginative, and has a throttle pedal that bears a resemblance to stepping on a rock...but a very competent highway eater). Also got an Aveo once (wait, it's Korean) with all the bells and whistles (yes, a power sunroof) that was quirky but not as awful as everyone makes it out to be (I have an innate small-car preference, anyhow...more fun to chuck about).
As to the "American" vs "foreign" debate, it is best left for elsewhere, but thank you realjd for standing up with the facts. I too live in a communitiy lucky enough to have a Toyota plant. Great company. The fact that the long dead founder of the company was Asian and the long dead founder of Ford was American is irrlevant, as both companies make cars worldwide and have stockholders worldwide.
As to rental car companies, we have a contract at work with Enterprise. They cut corners, and run cars longer before selling them to get business contracts. When I am paying, I go with Hertz. Still the gold standard.
I tend to go through the Rental Counter page at PAHighways.com in order to rent a car. There's usually a discount to be had on rental cars, hotels, and more through Jeff Kitsko's site.
http://www.pahighways.com/store/rentalcounter.html (http://www.pahighways.com/store/rentalcounter.html)
At first, I went through Thrifty, but I've found that more recently, I've been going through Budget whenever possible. Budget seems to give me the best savings on a car rental. I also was able to get a nice one way rental between Albany and Syracuse for $25 for a one day rental back in January, which surprised the lady at the rental counter. Granted, since my flight from Albany was canceled and the only way for me to get to a funeral in Oregon was to fly out of Syracuse, I would have paid more if it was necessary.
I don't have a preference for foreign or domestic cars when renting, but I tend to go for a mid-sized car, so I have more leg room.
I rented from Avis once, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The Impala I was given was nice, but the rental office was having Internet problems that day, so it held up my rental by about an hour.
Another good tip for those not able to take advantage of corporate rates on personal rentals - dig around for discounts and coupons. The forums at flyertalk.com are a good place to start. For National, when you search, there's a spot for a "contract ID". This is just that - the id number of a contracted corporate rate. There's a list of current ones here. One guy got his rental down from $600 to $250 using a contract ID:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/national/851283-new-discount-contract-ids-coupons-thread.html
Some are iffy as to whether you can use them (some corporate ones), others on the list have been verified open to all (the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club IDs are open to all Wal-Mart customers - i.e. everyone). Regardless, they don't ask for proof of eligibility when renting. Play with the contract IDs to get the best rates. Hint: the university ones often work well.
Many of those companies also negotiated so that under-25 can rent with no surcharge.
Quote from: Dougtone on April 27, 2011, 07:12:51 AM
I rented from Avis once, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. The Impala I was given was nice, but the rental office was having Internet problems that day, so it held up my rental by about an hour.
I got held up for about 2 hours in Iceland ... I forget the exact nature of the delay; I think they didn't have the exact vehicle I wanted in stock. In that case, it was a small SUV - I had specifically wanted 4x4 capability, as I had planned to drive a few primitive trails. Got the car, drove the trails, thanked the deities of our choice that we didn't downgrade, as there was one road that was a dirt two-track with a
43% incline - thank goodness for 4L gearing... first gear, 3600rpm, we chugged up that trail at maybe 3 mph!
Quote from: formulanone on April 27, 2011, 12:33:12 AM
I did get one of those 2011 Hyundai Elantras, and I did get 38 mpg on the highway, according to the little trip computer (although they typically err on the side of making you feel a little "greener"),
I tend to calculate at the pump, assuming the "click full" stays constant over repeated gas-ups. Probably not a 100% accurate assumption, but usually close enough.
I never overfill. To the click, then off I go.
Quotethe car swayed at speeds over 55 mph (as if it was always windy)
the two smallest Kias (Rio, and what is the one larger? I am drawing a total blank on the name ...) have always felt unsteady to me in the wind. The other day, driving the new northbound 680 bridge between Benicia and Martinez, I actually thought I had a flat tire because of the shaking. I pulled over after the tollbooths, and it was apparently just the wind!
Quotethe Impala (boring, unimaginative, and has a throttle pedal that bears a resemblance to stepping on a rock...
the car which felt that way to me was the VW Beetle... the weirdest accelerator feel I've ever encountered - I felt that pushing down 30% of the way gave no actual acceleration!
QuoteAlso got an Aveo once (wait, it's Korean) with all the bells and whistles (yes, a power sunroof) that was quirky b ut not as awful as everyone makes it out to be (I have an innate small-car preference, anyhow...more fun to chuck about).
I've always liked the Aveo... 34mpg helps its impression.
Quote from: realjd on April 23, 2011, 09:36:13 PM
I lived in a city (Lafayette, IN) where the made Subarus and Toyota Camrys. I knew a few of the guys working at the plant. Are they less deserving of their jobs and our business because they work for Toyota and not Ford? And FWIW, they weren't unionized because the foreign companies compensate them well enough that they don't want to unionize. It was hardly a sweatshop.
Well, this area has both the GM (former Saturn) Spring Hill assembly plant and Nissan has it's plant in Smyrna around 40 miles away. (give or take depending on route)
The employees at Spring Hill make $25-30 per hour while those in Smyrna make $15-20 an hour.
So, I don't think it's "paid enough that they don't want to unionize. In my opinion it's two things:
1) The pay rate is "good enough"
2) If a Nissan or Toyota or whatever plant ever unionized, the owner would close it within a year!
On the other hand, the Nissan plant is operating near capacity while only about 20% of the Spring Hill GM plant is currently being used.
Quote from: mightyace on April 29, 2011, 08:53:00 PM
Quote from: realjd on April 23, 2011, 09:36:13 PM
I lived in a city (Lafayette, IN) where the made Subarus and Toyota Camrys. I knew a few of the guys working at the plant. Are they less deserving of their jobs and our business because they work for Toyota and not Ford? And FWIW, they weren't unionized because the foreign companies compensate them well enough that they don't want to unionize. It was hardly a sweatshop.
Well, this area has both the GM (former Saturn) Spring Hill assembly plant and Nissan has it's plant in Smyrna around 40 miles away. (give or take depending on route)
The employees at Spring Hill make $25-30 per hour while those in Smyrna make $15-20 an hour.
So, I don't think it's "paid enough that they don't want to unionize. In my opinion it's two things:
1) The pay rate is "good enough"
2) If a Nissan or Toyota or whatever plant ever unionized, the owner would close it within a year!
On the other hand, the Nissan plant is operating near capacity while only about 20% of the Spring Hill GM plant is currently being used.
Subtract union dues from the $25-$30 an hour, first.
Back on topic...
Never had much trouble with Enterprise, National, Avis, or Thrifty. Worst experience was with Alamo on Kauai. Those folks had no sense of customer service and left a bad taste in my mouth. Car was fine though. Worst car I ever had for a rental was a Toyota Yaris. Horrible thing, utter piece of shit. It was plasticy, underpowered, and felt like driving a tin can. The worst thing was the placement of the speedometer. I'm left eye dominant, and the idiot engineers who designed it put the speedometer in the dead center of the dash, between the driver and the passenger. It was chore just to figure out how fast I was going. The steering and ride of the thing felt like a 1980s Oldsmobile. Just terrible, no sense of being in contact with the road. It was worse than a Geo Metro I got once with a broken driver's seat or the VW Beetle I drove in Cozumel.
The only car I had that I was disappointed with was when I rented a Mitsubishi Diamante to drive from Atlanta (where I was living at the time) to my mother's here in the Sip. It wasn't as fuel-efficient as I thought it would be (it was below half a tank when I got to Birmingham, though it was full when I left Atlanta). This was when gas was less than a dollar ten years ago.
Are there any companies that rent cars to 18 year olds?
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on May 01, 2011, 04:21:57 PM
Are there any companies that rent cars to 18 year olds?
I want to say Enterpise, but don't quote me on that.
QuoteAre there any companies that rent cars to 18 year olds?
Ha, I remember going through that. In New York State (Michigan and I think a couple other states too) they actually have to rent to 18 year olds under state law, but the surcharge is astronomical (something like $60 per day). In Seattle there was a Mom and Pop operation (Aero Rent a Car) that would rent cars to 18 year olds, but nobody major. Rent-a-Wreck is a good bet too.
You can also rent a U-Haul when you're 18. It's absolutely baffling to me that you can't rent a Ford Taurus at 18 but if you want the keys to a 26' box truck all you have to do is sign a form, but you could rent a pickup at reasonable cost (too expensive for long roadtrips since you pay by the mile).
Your college may have an agreement with Flexcar or Zipcar or whatever it's called now too to allow to use their vehicles at 18, and your school may even have vehicles available for you to rent. That was what I did at Puget Sound- the Associated Student Body had a few Ford Windstars available outside of the normal vanpool for whatever student wanted to use then at $20/day and I'd book those for road trips. The program wasn't very well advertised (I had to dig to find it), so they weren't used that often.
You're golden once you turn 21 (I haven't had any trouble).
^^^
You're lucky for turning 21 recently.
I had to wait until 25 to rent a car on my own. The few times I needed one when I was on a business trip or an interview, the company would rent it for me. But, that was the 1980s...
Well I called Geneva, NY Enterprise (since I will be going to school in Geneva) and they said that they didn't rent cars to anyone under the age of 21. So first I just thought, damn oh well. But that was before I searched "car rental under 21 new york" and came across a page on the website of the NY Attorney General outlining the rights of car renters, and it includes a part that prohibits age discrimination to anyone with a full license that is 18 and over. So next time I call enterprise I'll mention that to them and see if they'll budge. Since its not like I'm going to be renting a car every weekend, I could afford that kind of a surcharge as a once a semester kind of thing (I've been saving money from my work so that I have plenty of spending money). And if Enterprise still refuses to budge, I theoretically could threaten them with a lawsuit, I think. Although I probably wouldn't go through the time and expense of that in reality.
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on May 02, 2011, 10:14:08 PMI searched "car rental under 21 new york" and came across a page on the website of the NY Attorney General outlining the rights of car renters, and it includes a part that prohibits age discrimination to anyone with a full license that is 18 and over.
I can't say I endorse that law. the company should be allowed to rent to whomever they want.
but if you're going to make a law, why make the cutoff be 18? the legislature should make it anyone with a license, period.
(which of course gets us into age limits for licensing in general - I know 14 year olds that could drive safely on public roads, and 35 year olds that should not under any circumstance have a license.)
Quotebut if you're going to make a law, why make the cutoff be 18?
Less to do with driving and more to do with 18 is the age of adulthood in New York. You can't legally enter a contract under the age of 18, so how could you rent a car?
Quote from: corco on May 03, 2011, 02:27:37 PM
Less to do with driving and more to do with 18 is the age of adulthood in New York. You can't legally enter a contract under the age of 18, so how could you rent a car?
well, same argument just slightly rephrased then. I'm willing to bet there are some 16-17 year olds who could enter into contracts and be expected to uphold their end of them ... and a lot of 18+ folks whom you shouldn't trust with anything more than a nickel.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 03, 2011, 03:50:53 PM
well, same argument just slightly rephrased then. I'm willing to bet there are some 16-17 year olds who could enter into contracts and be expected to uphold their end of them ... and a lot of 18+ folks whom you shouldn't trust with anything more than a nickel.
I'm sure actuaries were involved with the age cutoff decision. Insurance companies don't deal with exceptions, they deal with generalizations.
I heard the cutoff age for renting over here was 25, but I never actually tested that. (Turning 21 soon.)