Are car rental companies loco?

[Texan2]

I am taking a vacation to Florida this summer and was checking rental car rates for my week there. I need something big (Town Car, Crown Vic, Tahoe).

As I look around I find that a "Standard" size car is a Toyota Corolla? A "full" size car is a Chevy Malibu? WTF?

How do I put 5 people's gear and a stroller in either of those POS? Not to mention they appearantly want to charge me enough to pay for most of the car's purchase price.

I am going to have to get creative.

 

[Texasjack]

Times are changing. Kids today think a Prius is a full size car.

 

[Texan2]

I will figure something out.

 

[Younggun]

times are changing. Kids today think a prius is a full size car.

blasphemy!

 

[coachrick]

I am taking a vacation to Florida this summer and was checking rental car rates for my week there. I need something big (Town Car, Crown Vic, Tahoe).

As I look around I find that a "Standard" size car is a Toyota Corolla? A "full" size car is a Chevy Malibu? WTF?

How do I put 5 people's gear and a stroller in either of those POS? Not to mention they appearantly want to charge me enough to pay for most of the car's purchase price.

I am going to have to get creative.

Time for a mini-van, especially since the official car of Florida--the GRAND MA-rquis is out of production . I know you would find the Tahoe-ish vehicles more familiar, but we rented a mini-van on one of our house-hunting trips to Austin and found it very convenient...especially if you have some less flexible folks...the seating position is very comfy. Everybody has space--plenty of room for gear. Ours was a Caravan; but I would think a Sienna or Sedona might be the ticket.

I hear what you say about the size designations. I remember being proudly told by a rental agent that I was receiving an 'upgrade' to a much larger vehicle a couple of years back...my larger 'upgrade' was a Corolla!

If you haven't scored any discounts(professional or otherwise), I'll check the Entertainment Book to see what they have. Depending on which city you are headed to, it might be worth the $12-15 to buy the book( If my book has coups good for Fla, you're welcome to them). Just the restaurant coupons would pay for the book in a couple of meals.

 

[Texan2]

Thanks Rick,
After some shopping it appears tht they are proud of their vans as well, but I am a Farm Bureau member and with that discount I can get a Lincoln Town Car for about $350 a week. That may be the route I go.

 

[shooterfpga]

i remember having to rent a car and thinkin, wtf i might as well lease one with how much it is.

see if you qualify for other discounts, also my buddy swears by hertz, but i think thats because he took it offroading on leave.

 

[ChunkyMonkey]

A coworker of mine rented a 300C with her family of 5 for their trip to Colorado. Your rental company charging extra for going out of state? Avis in my area is PoPo friendly.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I have a few free weekend rentals I don't plan on using I could give you, but I think I have to be the driver. I'll check.

 

[coachrick]

Thanks Rick,
After some shopping it appears tht they are proud of their vans as well, but I am a Farm Bureau member and with that discount I can get a Lincoln Town Car for about $350 a week. That may be the route I go.

Funny story about the Town Car. Rented in Phoenix to drive up to Prescott, AZ. We thought we were UPtown until a surprise snow storm hit and sheer ice covered the roads when the temps dropped to 15 degrees overnight. The Town Car is NOT a snow-worthy vehicle!!! Left the next morning with the temps around 25 F and two hours later in Phoenix, it was 65 and sunny! Don't reckon you'll see too much snow on your trip .

 

[Texan2]

I am flying to Florida and just need a car to cruise around while I am there. Pick it up at Tampa airport, drop it off at Tampa airport. Florida in July...no snow worries.

 

[Southpaw]

NRA offers rental discounts as well.
I too am renting a car for a week and I am looking at around $400 or so. The crazy thing is that it would be half that if I were able to rent it off premise of the airport!!!!!

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

For context, every time I rent it averages about $60/day after all the taxes and fees (Avis).

I looked, and my free weekend deals have to be Fri night through Sun noon. I have to pick it up too.

Kinda useless.

 

[majormadmax]

It's not surprising that rental cars, gas, etc are expensive around Disney World, they pretty much have you over a barrel, don't they?

But take it in stride, the small Ford SUV we had in Germany last week cost us (well, you the taxpayers) $870! hnoes:

It would almost be cheaper to buy an old beater car and sell it again after the trip. As a matter of fact, they did that on a Top Gear episode (the British one, not the horrible American version) during their 2007 US Special (which was a bit anti-American as usual)...

Cheers! M2

 

[Texan2]

I just reserved a Lincoln Town Car from Hertz. With my Farm Bureau discount the total after all fees was $371 for 6 days. I guess I can live with that.

We are skipping Disney this trip...gonna hang out on the Gulf beaches.

 

[TheDan]

It would almost be cheaper to buy an old beater car and sell it again after the trip.

I've actually done that a few times. One time I liked the car so much I drove it 2200 miles back to Austin. I paid $300 for it, spent ~$60 on a new battery and some fuel lines, and it was good to go.

A Uhual is $20/day. Might be an option... I don't think they want people using them as rental cars, but you could probably work something out.

The last time I rented a car, they gave me a Fiat 500. It was me, the girlfriend, my daughter, 60lb dog, and luggage for all four of us for three days. We fit but with no room to spare. I thought it was a hoot. What was disappointing to me is that they only have the cars in automatic. The 500 would actually be fun with a manual transmission.

 

[kusai]

Just got back from Ohio and got a nice deal from enterprise. They consider suburban as a premium car, but every time I got the best deal from them only.costed about $550 a week

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Rented Ford Explorer today for a day trip to New Jersey.

Very nice. Had leather and 3 rows. Plenty of room.

$48 + the fuel charge (I didn't refill)

 

[TxBigfoot]

I've actually done that a few times. One time I liked the car so much I drove it 2200 miles back to Austin. I paid $300 for it, spent ~$60 on a new battery and some fuel lines, and it was good to go.

A Uhual is $20/day. Might be an option... I don't think they want people using them as rental cars, but you could probably work something out.

The last time I rented a car, they gave me a Fiat 500. It was me, the girlfriend, my daughter, 60lb dog, and luggage for all four of us for three days. We fit but with no room to spare. I thought it was a hoot. What was disappointing to me is that they only have the cars in automatic. The 500 would actually be fun with a manual transmission.

That's funny, I almost rented a uhaul when I was stuck in Shreveport for a few days (long story), it was going to be way cheaper than renting a car. The uhaul people told me people do it all the time.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

It would almost be cheaper to buy an old beater car and sell it again after the trip.

Lots of folks did this on 9/11 after the plane traffic froze. A lot of the rental companies ran out of cars almost immediately because of people trying to get home.