Enterprise...similar to Alamo/National?

[Dan Murphy]

With Enterprise, is it similar to Alamo/National at MCO...pick your own car, plus a standard size =full size?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

No, they give you a car. In some locations they escort you to the car, this gives them an opportunity to try to upgrade you and sell you insurance. You then do a detailed walk around the car which will be repeated on the return. My experience is that it appears to me that after a car is "old" for National and Alamo it heads to Enterprise.

 

[Dan Murphy]

UGH.

Thanks.

 

[Karlzmom]

Great....already dreading that my ressie is Enterprise rather than National, but I just can't stomach paying twice the price for National. Thanks for the warning...

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe it depends on the location because our local Enterprise has some pretty nice cars with very low mileage. They pick the car for you but they will change it if they have others. I also like that they pick me up at home and then bring me home after I take it back.

 

[DebbieB]

My experience with Enterprise locally is that their cars are higher mileage and not clean.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

At MCO Alamo, National, and Enterprise share the same pool of cars. GMEH1 works there (quote from the other thread):

We share cars, we don't have barebone cars, per se. High miles, the only difference in mileage is on the EA, where we put the lower mileage cars there. Alamo, Enterprise and National reg. cars all come from the same pool. When the come in from the prep area we look at the mileage and assign from there depending on the need. If you had a car with XM it was because the car had less than a certain amount of miles or the trial had not expired. Back up cameras are found in some mini vans and SUV's and a few cars.

The counter service is the only way you can get a car at Enterprise. There is rarely a line there.

 

[gmeh1]

At MCO Alamo, National, and Enterprise share the same pool of cars. GMEH1 works there (quote from the other thread):

That is how they handle it at MCO. They take you to the section from the class of cars you have selected, you make your selection, they walk around the car with you and note damage, they also try to upsell you to another car class, but, they are not supposed to be pushy. Learn to say NO.
MCO shares cars between the three brands, it sends cars where they are needed, the only time that mileage counts is for the Emerald aisles. They have to be under 20K miles,(sometimes one slips by), but, that does not mean that only cars with higher mileage go to the "choice" rows. Many times you will find very very low mileage on the rows at Alamo, National and Enterprise.
You can find dirty cars anywhere and the three brands are not exempt from that. The three brands try very hard to spot the dirty ones and send them back to be cleaned. With 30K+ cars, it is a difficult task to take them from return to prep to back to the line. If you think the car is dirty, then don't take it, request something else and tell them you will wait if necessary. They have radios, they can call for something else most of the time. Exceptionally busy times might prove to be difficult, but, ask. It is your money, use your "consumer voice".

 

[gmeh1]

With Enterprise, is it similar to Alamo/National at MCO...pick your own car, plus a standard size =full size?

At MCO, yes to your questions. They don't have a huge selection, so, if you want something specific, you will need to ask and let them know that you know they can radio from one or get it from National's choice row or Alamo's stock. Hint: if you want to know what year the car is, look for the sticker on the windshield, the year of the car is in the right hand corner. The size/cass is, for your rental either S-Car(standard) or F-Car (full size). Not sure where that is located, it is so automatic for me that I cannot remember.

 

[gmeh1]

My experience with Enterprise locally is that their cars are higher mileage and not clean.

I am not sure what higher mileage has to do with anything. They are well maintained vehicles and unless you are buying it, it really should not matter.

 

[gmeh1]

Great....already dreading that my ressie is Enterprise rather than National, but I just can't stomach paying twice the price for National. Thanks for the warning...

Don't dread it, you will be fine. Just be cautious and picky. Don't settle for something you are not comfortable with. They can get other cars.

 

[matysgrandma]

We just arrived at Disney today and usually ALWAYS rent from National. Because their rates were way, way high, we went with Enterprise through Costco (double upgrade). No one in line at the counter, received exceptional service there. Paid for a mid size ($181.92) for 10/2 to 10/10,and was upgraded to a full size (Chevy Impala). We were given the opportunity to choose a mini van for the same price, which we chose. It has a little over 4000 miles which I consider pretty new. I was extremely impressed with Enterprise. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

 

[jnfr2424]

Don't dread it, you will be fine. Just be cautious and picky. Don't settle for something you are not comfortable with. They can get other cars.

I am not sure what higher mileage has to do with anything. They are well maintained vehicles and unless you are buying it, it really should not matter.

At MCO, yes to your questions. They don't have a huge selection, so, if you want something specific, you will need to ask and let them know that you know they can radio from one or get it from National's choice row or Alamo's stock. Hint: if you want to know what year the car is, look for the sticker on the windshield, the year of the car is in the right hand corner. The size/cass is, for your rental either S-Car(standard) or F-Car (full size). Not sure where that is located, it is so automatic for me that I cannot remember.

That is how they handle it at MCO. They take you to the section from the class of cars you have selected, you make your selection, they walk around the car with you and note damage, they also try to upsell you to another car class, but, they are not supposed to be pushy. Learn to say NO.
MCO shares cars between the three brands, it sends cars where they are needed, the only time that mileage counts is for the Emerald aisles. They have to be under 20K miles,(sometimes one slips by), but, that does not mean that only cars with higher mileage go to the "choice" rows. Many times you will find very very low mileage on the rows at Alamo, National and Enterprise.
You can find dirty cars anywhere and the three brands are not exempt from that. The three brands try very hard to spot the dirty ones and send them back to be cleaned. With 30K+ cars, it is a difficult task to take them from return to prep to back to the line. If you think the car is dirty, then don't take it, request something else and tell them you will wait if necessary. They have radios, they can call for something else most of the time. Exceptionally busy times might prove to be difficult, but, ask. It is your money, use your "consumer voice".

gmeh1 I think I speak for many Thank You so much for all your advice
It is beyond appreciated!! I've learned so much about renting because of you

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

At MCO Alamo, National, and Enterprise share the same pool of cars. GMEH1 works there (quote from the other thread):

I realize this is the "offical" line but...

I have been told by a National manager that when the cars are "assigned" the older cars are sent to Enterprise. (This was after I had to return a car with high milage that was "leaking" The manager who was swapping me out said "This one should have been on Enterprise but we were short of cars" He went on to say that's the offical "priority" Newer cars on the Executive Aisle etc... which also agree with what our National employee says. So while the cars come from the same pool somehow the "newer" ones get on the Aisles so.....)

I also had a recent experience at National that COMPLETLY undercuts the "we can radio" story REALLY? What I got told was "we have no cars in your class go see Alamo" At Alamo I got told "you have no paperwork you can't have a car" So I walked to the OTHER side of the airport rather then deal with the two employees again. Over there still no cars on the correct aisle. That agent said "well Alamo has them" I finally did just take something off the Executive Aisle, but I didn't get any of the "helpful" service being advertised on here so apparenly if our National employee is not working you aren't going to get "radio service"

 

[Dan Murphy]

That is how they handle it at MCO. They take you to the section from the class of cars you have selected.......If you think the car is dirty, then don't take it, request something else and tell them you will wait if necessary. They have radios, they can call for something else most of the time. Exceptionally busy times might prove to be difficult, but, ask. It is your money, use your "consumer voice".

Thanks as always, gmeh. Do you have to go to the Enterprise counter all the time, or can you just go out to the garage like Alamo/National? If a car to your liking is not available in the E area, can you walk over to select in the A/N area? Or does the E rep have to call for a single car to be brought around?

At MCO, yes to your questions. They don't have a huge selection, so, if you want something specific, you will need to ask and let them know that you know they can radio from one or get it from National's choice row or Alamo's stock. Hint: if you want to know what year the car is, look for the sticker on the windshield, the year of the car is in the right hand corner. The size/cass is, for your rental either S-Car(standard) or F-Car (full size). Not sure where that is located, it is so automatic for me that I cannot remember.

This question is similar to my question right above. And also, not quite clear...at MCO, does a 'standard' size rental equate to a 'full size' car, as no real standard size there?

 

[RweTHEREyet]

No, they give you a car. In some locations they escort you to the car, this gives them an opportunity to try to upgrade you and sell you insurance. You then do a detailed walk around the car which will be repeated on the return. My experience is that it appears to me that after a car is "old" for National and Alamo it heads to Enterprise.

I disagree on the "old" part, we used Enterprise earlier in the summer for our drive to Port Canaveral, and last week we had a minivan for our stay at WDW. Both cars had very low mileage on them, the minivan was less then 2,000, and don't remember about the earlier one.

Two cars don't make a whole fleet, but I don't think we were just lucky and got two only low mileage vehicles they had either.

 

[Lewisc]

Great....already dreading that my ressie is Enterprise rather than National, but I just can't stomach paying twice the price for National. Thanks for the warning...

The official line seems to be National, Alamo and Enterprise share the same pool of cars. There is anecdotal evidence which suggests otherwise.

It does make sense. Be willing to pay a premium, in your case double, and you'll get a newer car. Want the lowest possible rate and you'll get the leftovers.

Again there isn't any proof which suggests that's what's going in in MCO. My point is this policy, if implemented, makes a lot of sense. Instead of selling the cars the agency can just rotate them to the next lower brand.

 

[Planogirl]

Alamo is continually the lowest priced when we travel. Does that mean that we're the old left-over clunkers when we book with them? Interesting...

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Alamo is continually the lowest priced when we travel. Does that mean that we're the old left-over clunkers when we book with them? Interesting...

No, they actually had better cars at MCO then National last week. But you run the risk of meeting rude employees....(Last weekend Mr. "YOU MUST HAVE PAPERWORK" was amazingly rude not only to me, but to at least two other people I saw him deal with.)

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Thanks as always, gmeh. Do you have to go to the Enterprise counter all the time, or can you just go out to the garage like Alamo/National? If a car to your liking is not available in the E area, can you walk over to select in the A/N area? Or does the E rep have to call for a single car to be brought around?


This question is similar to my question right above. And also, not quite clear...at MCO, does a 'standard' size rental equate to a 'full size' car, as no real standard size there?

Here's the deal. Since Enterprices assigns you a car you may get either a fulls size or midsize. I expect it just depends on the available cars and your agent. The few times I have rented from them there's a wide variety of what they offer.

If the car is not to your liking I doubt you will not be walked over to the other car areas. While owned by the same company remember the model is very different. But Enterprise has an "aisle" and generally has several cars in the area so if you see something you would rather have you can ask. Also they often offer you a couple of options at the counter when you are getting your paperwork. (I once once offered a choice of two cars... one was a HUGE car and one was basically a compact LOL!)