Rental car quality

[your friend]

What is the best company to go with for a long haul rental? I see that enterprise seems to have the best prices but I have been reading it is a temporary car rental place and the cars are pretty low quality. Any truth to this? I am looking for a minivan for November.

 

[Danibelle]

Enterprise is ok but not the highest quality. I usually book from Avis or Hertz and don't remember ever getting a poor quality vehicle. Avis is my favorite.

 

[skeeter31]

I think it's pretty much the luck of the draw. I have used Avis in the past and both times I've used them, I got awful cars, that were dirty and had garbage in the cup holders, etc.

I prefer National or Alamo because whatever type of car you want to book, you get the choice of the actual car when you get to the lot. You can take as long as you want going in and out of the cars looking for the cleanest (but they're all clean) or the newest, or the best color, etc.

 

[Jestocost]

Enterprise got its start with small, in-town offices serving mostly drivers who needed a replacement car while their own car was being repaired. A number of years ago they expanded into the airport market and more recently they purchase National and Alamo, so it's a big, big company.

All car rental places provide "temporary" rentals pretty much by definition. I would not expect that the quality of cars at Enterprise would be significantly different, on average, than any other rental company. On any given rental, you could get a bad car or a good car with any company. For the most part, your vehicle should be satisfactory from any of them.

 

[your friend]

Thanks for the help. I am nervous because we are renting a minivan for the entire trip down from NJ and want to try to be as comfortable as possible. Would like to take our car but it would be too cramped because it is a sentra and we are taking our 18 year old with us.

 

[dudspizza]

Keep in mind the Enterprise, Alamo, and National are all owned by the same parent company, so their cars will be similar. At MCO, all three share cars...

Duds

 

[pigletto]

Another vote for Alamo/National. At least from the start you can choose the car and avoid anything obviously dirty or run down.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

There is variation, but IMO, Hertz has the best vehicles which tend to be a notch up in equipment then other fleets (few extra toys or the next option package versus base). They also have the Prestige & Adrenaline collections for even nicer options.

 

[gmeh1]

There is variation, but IMO, Hertz has the best vehicles which tend to be a notch up in equipment then other fleets (few extra toys or the next option package versus base). They also have the Prestige & Adrenaline collections for even nicer options.

really? Well, some of our mini vans have DVD players and other nice things, so, I think we can keep up with the other guys for quality and "goodies".

 

[jlewisinsyr]

really? Well, some of our mini vans have DVD players and other nice things, so, I think we can keep up with the other guys for quality and "goodies".

It's a general comment, in general, Hertz vehicles tend to be ordered one step up from the base packages normally ordered, sure there are exceptions, but you have to make some sort of generalization when talking about rental cars and the variances between brands.

 

[gmeh1]

It's a general comment, in general, Hertz vehicles tend to be ordered one step up from the base packages normally ordered, sure there are exceptions, but you have to make some sort of generalization when talking about rental cars and the variances between brands.

Hertz may do as you say, I don't know and I do not work for them. I do know that Enterprise Holdings orders basic, mid range and upper range. IE: Impala, Impala LT and Impala LTZ. We have the basic Dodge Caravan and the mid range grand Caravan. We have Chrysler Towne and Country with cloth and basic radio, we have the Chrysler T&C with the DVD and leather interior with back up cameras. In other words we frequently cover from basic to fancy with our cars. It may be a "general comment", but, in this case I really think it is an unfair and invalid comment.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Hertz may do as you say, I don't know and I do not work for them. I do know that Enterprise Holdings orders basic, mid range and upper range. IE: Impala, Impala LT and Impala LTZ. We have the basic Dodge Caravan and the mid range grand Caravan. We have Chrysler Towne and Country with cloth and basic radio, we have the Chrysler T&C with the DVD and leather interior with back up cameras. In other words we frequently cover from basic to fancy with our cars. It may be a "general comment", but, in this case I really think it is an unfair and invalid comment.

You actually confirmed, Hertz virtually never orders base models, they almost always are at least one package above basic. I don't see how it unfair, I was stating what Hertz' policy was and that is superior then most other carriers. I think you are getting defensive due to your personal bias of you employer.

 

[gmeh1]

You actually confirmed, Hertz virtually never orders base models, they almost always are at least one package above basic. I don't see how it unfair, I was stating what Hertz' policy was and that is superior then most other carriers. I think you are getting defensive due to your personal bias of you employer.

Do you work for Hertz? And where do you find this information and to the best of my knowledge I have not confirmed a thing. I am not defensive in the least, with over 30k cars in Olrando and a 40% market share of the rental business at MCO (with the rest remaining between the rest) I have no reason to be defensive. Virtually never and almost always are NOT absolutes. I will ask one of the Hertz managers about their purchase policy.

 

[goofy4tink]

Alright you two....each company has their good points and their not so good points. Can we just agree to get along here...without trying to one up each other. Sheesh.