ArgyleDSL
Premium
join:2002-07-04
Flushing, NY
|  Difference between national car rental companies?
I am planning on renting a car and am researching the different companies. I see that Avis and Hertz are the "premium" companies based on price. Why? What do they offer over the other companies?
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Jeffrey
Bye George, 1937-2008
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Long Island
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| said by ArgyleDSL  :I am planning on renting a car and am researching the different companies. I see that Avis and Hertz are the "premium" companies based on price. Why? What do they offer over the other companies? I forget if it was Hertz or Avis as it's been over a year since I looked, but one of them had a "premier" class of cars that one could select for a round-trip fare. They included models from Infinity, Audi, MB, and Cadlliac to name a few.
I never saw any other national rent-a-car company have those choices, but may be things have changed.
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"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin
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Psychephylax
Purveyor of common sense
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2000-10-29
Smithtown, NY
clubs:
| reply to ArgyleDSL
I rent (almost) exclusively from Hertz. The difference is in cleanliness of the cars, mechanical maintenance, customer service and of course selection and upgrades.
The only times I defect from Hertz is when they quote me twice the price of an Avis rental for a one way trip from one of the local airports to my house.
I've rented from Enterprise, Avis and Hertz and none of the others although my friend always rented from National (company policy) and he didn't have too many bad things to say about them. Budget is owned by Avis.
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ArgyleDSL
Premium
join:2002-07-04
Flushing, NY
| reply to ArgyleDSL
I will rent a compact car for one week in FL. I looked at the below companies and Alamo has the lowest price and Hertz the highest.
Hertz
Enterprise, National and Alamo - owned by same company
Avis and Budget - owned by same company
Thrifty and Dollar - owned by same company
Should I look for factors other than cost when selecting? How much will service vary among the companies?
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My heart is old, it holds my memories, my body burns a gemlike flame. Somewhere between the soul and soft machine, is where I find myself again |
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Psychephylax
Purveyor of common sense
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2000-10-29
Smithtown, NY
clubs: | I don't think it makes a huge difference for infrequent renters. |
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atangel
Now What??
Premium
join:2002-02-18
Bronx, NY
edit:
July 22nd, @05:54PM
| reply to ArgyleDSL
Hertz is so premium, they hate New Yorkers! Read on.
Avis has a great check in service if you sign up for their preferred service (key waiting for me and my name on a board and all checked through/in already when I get there)
While I can't speak for all, and it depends on what you want to do, but Hertz is one that does NOT honor its web price if you live in a borough. The prices are for Manhattan. You will pay more for rental because they believe drivers from the boroughs are more often involved in accidents. My feeling is that is what insurance is for, so it is a hidden tax IMHO.
I have not rented from them since, not privately and not from work.
This article is from 1992, and I haven't had anything to do with them since. They obviously DO want to drive renters to competitors.
»query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h···64958260
Some clarifications about laws in NYC
»www.oag.state.ny.us/consumer/tip···tal.html
Ahhh, this link say both Hertz and Dollar slight NYC residents (and lets not forget, NYC is made up of 5 boroughs, not one):
»www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2006···arently/
I use Enterprise often non work rentals. The staff really seem to like their jobs, but check the fine print. Some rentals come with mileage restrictions (and they will generally give you more if you just ask at the counter) and some come unlimited (I think if you stay in the tri-state area, but ask to find out for sure)
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ninjatutle
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA
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| I'll never rent from Hertz again either.
I got a minivan online, came to the airport, got the key or paperwork. Went to the lot a few blocks away from the airport where cars are kept. I walked around the lot looking for the van for a little bit and was unsure which one it was so I went into the office at the lot. It was an office for their gold members or something like that. The lady pretty much yelled at me to get the hell out of there after asking if I was a member. I would have threw the key at her but the rental wasnt for me  |
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cocothebean
You Are My Nightmare
Premium
join:2002-11-16
Carson City, NV | reply to ArgyleDSL
It doesn't matter who you rent from you never know what the driver before you did with the car!!! |
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Combat Chuck
Too Many Cannibals
Premium
join:2001-11-29
Erie, PA
| reply to ArgyleDSL
Never had problems with Budget.
Enterprise car rentals are a little scary (got bald tires twice) and they like to turn over their cars reaaaaaly fast so if you rent from a busy location you'll run into cabins that weren't cleaned very well. Their van and truck rentals are really good but I don't think they really rent those to anyone but commercial accounts.
Only rented from hertz once and it was a nightmare returning the car. I don't know if the guy just didn't like me or what but they told me there were problems with my company credit card and I needed to come up with cash, I called the CC company who told me the guy was full of it; took 3 hours, multiple calls to my boss and a call to Hertz corporate my only consolation was I was making. I missed a flight because of it.
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Anonuser
join:2003-01-03
Milwaukee, WI
| reply to ArgyleDSL
I've used Enterprise exclusivly for many years. I get a number of free rentals (don't ask how) through them. That aside, I've always got a very well maintained car, clean, and preformed great. Accept the one time I got that Dodge Caliber, that thing was a piece of shit. Not enterprises fault, car had 300 miles on it, but that thing drove like crap.... Dodge's fault on that one.
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