Alamo midsize @ MCO

[springandmac]

When I rented in January the G6 was their example (and a sporty little 2 door G6 is what I rented, almost tempted me to go home and buy one) but I looked on there website and the smaller G5 was the example.

So what kind of midsizes are at MCO Alamo?

 

[NotUrsula]

I've had issues with mis-sized cars on that row twice now at MCO, the latest situation last Wednesday. There were 4 cars: 1 Toyota Corolla and 3 Ford Focuses. The last time I used them (about 5 months ago) there were more cars available, but ALL of them were Kia Spectras. Nothing wrong with those cars, but none of them is a midsize. They are all compact cars. (Well, technically the Spectra and Corolla are legally subcompacts.)

This time I complained, and was told that "the cars have been reclassified, and a Focus is a mid-size. However, since you're a good customer I'm going to give you a free upgrade."

So I got out OK, but I'm still writing a letter, because it is a deceptive practice to ask customers to pay for a midsize and stiff them with a compact. A Ford Focus (or a Corolla, or a Spectra) is very squarely a compact by US standards, and no amount of "reclassification" on the company's part will make it a midsize. The EPA defines a midsize as having an interior volume of between 110-119.9 cu. ft. The Focus is 107.2 cu. ft, the Corolla is 92 cu. ft., and the Spectra is 97 cu. ft.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Don't know about MCO, but I ran into the same 'reclassification' issue between when I made my reservation and when I picked up the car at LAS.

Are you an Emerald Club member? There was one sedan (don't know the model, I'm not renting a 'plain old' car on vacation ), three Chevy SSRs, one PT Cruiser - which I selected - and a Volkswagon Beetle which I should have chosen but which made me nervous

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, I'm an Emerald Club member (as well as Quiksilver) and that was why I got the upgrade when I complained. They let me take a car from the Aisle, and I ended up with a Saturn Aura, which is actually full-size. So good outcome for me, but how many other customers are those stations planning to shaft?

I've seen Chevy HHR's all over the fleet classed as midsize and even fullsize. They ARE big on the outside, but they are very badly designed, IMO, and the interior volume is only 97.4 cu.ft., which makes them technically a subcompact. (By contrast, a PT Cruiser is 119.4 cu. ft. inside.)

 

[kaytieeldr]

AND (my big issue) you can't easily see out the back windows if you're short like me, plus the really wide rear posts hamper the view even more.

The only car I've ever swapped out is an HHR (thanks for the correct designation, by the way ) because I thought it was too dangerous for me to drive.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yeah, well, that's another reason to call it a HHeaRse. Disastrously designed car, IMO -- I find it unfathomable that anyone ever buys them (which I guess may explain why so many of them are ending up in rental fleets.)

 

[DebbieB]

Yeah, well, that's another reason to call it a HHeaRse. Disastrously designed car, IMO -- I find it unfathomable that anyone ever buys them (which I guess may explain why so many of them are ending up in rental fleets.)

I've rented them twice and hated it. The second time I asked for a switch (Avis) and they said they had nothing currently available even though they had a ton of cars on the lot. I have a friend who bought one, I kept warning her, she thought it was cute. Two years later they traded it in for an Impala, her husband could not stand it.

 

[WillCAD]

FYI: Here is a link to the EPAs web page detailing the size classifications by interior volume:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml#sizeclasses

I've had issues with mis-sized cars on that row twice now at MCO, the latest situation last Wednesday. There were 4 cars: 1 Toyota Corolla and 3 Ford Focuses. The last time I used them (about 5 months ago) there were more cars available, but ALL of them were Kia Spectras. Nothing wrong with those cars, but none of them is a midsize. They are all compact cars. (Well, technically the Spectra and Corolla are legally subcompacts.)

This time I complained, and was told that "the cars have been reclassified, and a Focus is a mid-size. However, since you're a good customer I'm going to give you a free upgrade."

So I got out OK, but I'm still writing a letter, because it is a deceptive practice to ask customers to pay for a midsize and stiff them with a compact. A Ford Focus (or a Corolla, or a Spectra) is very squarely a compact by US standards, and no amount of "reclassification" on the company's part will make it a midsize. The EPA defines a midsize as having an interior volume of between 110-119.9 cu. ft. The Focus is 107.2 cu. ft, the Corolla is 92 cu. ft., and the Spectra is 97 cu. ft.

Two years ago I rented a mid-size from Thrifty and got a Chysler Sebring. It was extremely small and uncomfortable for me, and when I complained to Thrifty afterward, they said that "the manufacturer classifies it as mid-size, not Thrifty." I looked it up just now, and a Sebring has an interior volume of 100.9cf, barely above a sub-compact. In contrast, I rented a Focus last month from Thrifty, paid the Comopact rate, and was very comfy in it; the Focus, as you say, has a volume of 107.2cf, which puts it at the high end of the compact class, almost to mid-size.

 

[Michael623]

I typically grab a Kia Rondo. They look about the same size as an HHR but they seem to have more room inside.