Battle of the rental car companies

[MScott1851]

As of right now, I have two separate car reservations...

One is with National, DC discount, rate code from Mousesavers, and Entertainment coupon.. Standard car, Sept. 17-24, for $150

The second is with Northwest Vacations, a convertible for the price of a standard, no coupons, $195...

I am wondering if the extra $45 is worth it... I know we will use the car every night to go eat, WalMart runs, we are going to Universal, SeaWorld, etc, etc... But is $45 too much to pay for vanity?!? Hahaha...

On the other hand, I am considering going with L&M for a intermediate car for the whole week for only $99....Am I tempting fate? Has anyone had any experience with them, good or bad?

 

[minster22]

I have the same question every trip.....economy or fun??? For me the fun usually wins. The instant gratification of getting in that convertible right at the airport, putting the top down and driving to DisneyWorld with the wind in your hair..........priceless!!

 

[DemoBri1]

See below...

 

[DemoBri1]

Check out what Mousesavers have to say regarding the rental companies here, you might find it interesting and informative.

http://www.mousesavers.com/groundtrans.html

Brian

 

[lawgs]

there is something about L&M 's base rate which seems to "go skyward" when they add on "fees" etc......

 

[sgtdisney]

Also make sure to check that your reservation for a convertable is a confirmed one and not a free "upgrade".. What I mean here is a lot of places offer a free upgrade to this or that and then in small print it says "based on availability" or some such thing. Convertables are a hot item in Florida so they could potentially run out and you could be stuck in what you reserved. As far as L&M. I have never used them, but I do recall a bunch of threads here on the Transportation forum a while back from people who had bad experiences.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

Go for the convertible, it's worth the extra bucks

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

What company is the convertible with?

 

[DVC California]

Convertibles are fun but have notoriously small trunks. How much luggage will you be bringing? If it is more than two medium suitcases, you might have to get creative.

We used L&M once for a minivan during Easter week and thought they were fine. WE had no problems with them jacking up fees and the return was very easy. Based on other's advaice, we did bring a copy of our rate, the confirmation email, and our personal auto insurance policy, but we didn't have to show anything.

If you want to play it safe, go with National. They are located right at the airport and we have always had great service with them. If you are a member of their emerald club, you might be able to find a convertible in their Emerald Aisle. EA allows club memebrs who reserve a mid-size to choose any car that is on the aisle. We have gotten minivans, suvs, and even a PT Cruiser.

HTH, Steve

 

[MScott1851]

The convertible is with Alamo...I got written confirmation today. It was booked along with our airline tickets through Northwest Vacations. The trunk size is concerning me...I am a notorious over packer, but vow to do better this year.

I am a member of National's Emerald Club, and rent frequently here in Memphis. However, the nicest car I've ever gotten from the EI here was a Camry...usually the Aisle only has Corollas, Aleros, and Malibus. Plus, we are arriving at 9pm..probably not going to be too much left on the aisle to choose from.

Still think I'm gonna shy away from L&M, though.. Not enough info available on them.

Thanks for all your help, everyone!

 

[inkkognito]

I am a notorious cheapsake (well, not entirely...the money I save on hotel and car deals invariably gets spent on something else at the House of Mouse). Although a convertible would be fun, I would personally use the money towards something else. But it's all a matter of your own priorities and preferences. I would rather eat at a fancy restaurant or buy another souvenir, but if your preference is to tool around with the top down, then go for it! Just beware of the afternoon rain, which seems to occur like clockwork out there. We just came back from a long weekend in Orlando, and it came for an hour or two every afternoon, then cleared up again.
If you decide to go for the bargain, I'd be leery of L & M because I've seen more bad than good. I'd try them if the price was right, but when they're the cheapest, I bid their rate on Priceline and I've always gotten a car at the same rate or cheaper at either Alamo, Avis, or Hertz via Priceline. We used Hertz/Priceline this weekend, and they upgraded us from economy to a RAV 4!
Either way, have fun!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com