Looking for a new rental car company... whatcha got?

Somehow, I got roped into National through a job in Houston a few years ago and have just kind of stuck with it. I really like the way they do car pickup but I've had it with trying to use their website. What a train wreck.

Rental costs are not really an issue as long as they are relatively competitive. Who do you use and why?

I've always used Enterprise because a majority of their employees are former college athletes.

oh - and they'll pick you up.

in a non-sexual way.

Hertz. Work mandated. Haven't had a problem with them. I travel about once a month so I've had a decent amount of experience with them. We have a travel department that usually sets us up with rentals so I really haven't had to use their website at all, so I can't speak to that. About half the cars I've used from Hertz came with GPS, which is nice.

You're an RCMBer/Swiller, shouldn't you just have a limo waiting for you at the bottom of the steps to your private jet?

But as for rentals, I never think of renting a car as such a hassle that it's worth the little extras that they have if you sign up for their program, so if you're talking the major chains, I've never seen much difference, so price usually ends up being the determining factor.

If you're an MSU Alumni Association member, there are discounts with all of the major chains except Enterprise. Just log in to the MSUAA website, go to Member benefits, and they have the discount codes, which you can plug in while on any company's site. I think it's usually about 10% off.

If you're a Costco member, you get even bigger discounts, and the Costco Travel website lets you compare up to 4 different companies to see the different prices for different size cars at each company. Really a handy tool. You don't have to be a member to look at the prices either, only if you want to take advantage. If you rent often enough, it might even pay for your membership.

As for me, I'll stick to my limo...or the Lambo if I feel like driving myself. Both fit on my private plane, so I can take them wherever I have to go and don't have to sit in a rental limo used by some riff raff or other.

MiamiSpartan wrote:You're an RCMBer/Swiller, shouldn't you just have a limo waiting for you at the bottom of the steps to your private jet?

But as for rentals, I never think of renting a car as such a hassle that it's worth the little extras that they have if you sign up for their program, so if you're talking the major chains, I've never seen much difference, so price usually ends up being the determining factor.

If you're an MSU Alumni Association member, there are discounts with all of the major chains except Enterprise. Just log in to the MSUAA website, go to Member benefits, and they have the discount codes, which you can plug in while on any company's site. I think it's usually about 10% off.

If you're a Costco member, you get even bigger discounts, and the Costco Travel website lets you compare up to 4 different companies to see the different prices for different size cars at each company. Really a handy tool. You don't have to be a member to look at the prices either, only if you want to take advantage. If you rent often enough, it might even pay for your membership.

As for me, I'll stick to my limo...or the Lambo if I feel like driving myself. Both fit on my private plane, so I can take them wherever I have to go and don't have to sit in a rental limo used by some riff raff or other.

rental cars are for chumps.. I prefer one of those limos with a hot tub in the back..

They're mostly the same so I go for the cheapest. Have used Alamo quite a bit and have been pretty happy with them.

Only bad rental experience was at Dollar in Miami years ago. We reserved a minivan. They didn't have any when we got there and we ended up waiting an hour and a half for them to get one from another location.

The Pantry wrote:They're mostly the same so I go for the cheapest. Have used Alamo quite a bit and have been pretty happy with them.

Only bad rental experience was at Dollar in Miami years ago. We reserved a minivan. They didn't have any when we got there and we ended up waiting an hour and a half for them to get one from another location.

so you're saying they took the reservation.. they just didn't hold the reservation?

Correct. It was maybe 15 years ago so I'd guess their systems are better now.

has anybody tried this? sounds intriguing.

https://www.silvercar.com/#/

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I've always used Enterprise because a majority of their employees are former college athletes.

oh - and they'll pick you up.

in a non-sexual way.

By far the worst. Obviously you don't travel much

Robert J Sakimano wrote:so you're saying they took the reservation.. they just didn't hold the reservation?

Yea that's your enterprise.... Half of the time. Don't even GAF either. I mean if you don't have a car, why bother notifying the customer ahead of time?

Blanch32 wrote:

By far the worst. Obviously you don't travel much

I rarely leave mid-Michigan.

I use Enterprise for work, and whoever has the cheapest convertible when I'm paying. That's been Budget recently - some of the codes online make them the same price as compacts.

Thanks all. Guess I'll go with Hertz since that seems to be the unanimous opinion here.

SeeRockCity wrote:Thanks all. Guess I'll go with Hertz since that seems to be the unanimous opinion here.

you're welcome...

what? nobody wants to rent a silver audi? what a bunch of poors.

AMwood wrote:what? nobody wants to rent a silver audi? what a bunch of poors.

I looked. No Houston, otherwise, I would have continued to not check it out and then made a snarky response instead of just not posting anything.

Sorry.

SeeRockCity wrote:Somehow, I got roped into National through a job in Houston a few years ago and have just kind of stuck with it. I really like the way they do car pickup but I've had it with trying to use their website. What a train wreck.

Rental costs are not really an issue as long as they are relatively competitive. Who do you use and why?

What's wrong with their website? I realize you have to drill into the list to pick an airport even if you know the code but other than that I can book a car in under a minute

AMwood wrote:what? nobody wants to rent a silver audi? what a bunch of poors.

Porsche wannabe but just an over-hyped Volkswagen.

Snake Plissken wrote:

SeeRockCity wrote:Somehow, I got roped into National through a job in Houston a few years ago and have just kind of stuck with it. I really like the way they do car pickup but I've had it with trying to use their website. What a train wreck.

Rental costs are not really an issue as long as they are relatively competitive. Who do you use and why?

What's wrong with their website? I realize you have to drill into the list to pick an airport even if you know the code but other than that I can book a car in under a minute

1.)It's on par with Final Four U as far as aesthetics.
2.)It does a terrible job of keeping track of where you are in the process.
3.)It makes you start over if you login half way through the process.

Just dumb

Robert J Sakimano wrote:so you're saying they took the reservation.. they just didn't hold the reservation?

Then I bet the employee went in the back and pretended to talk to the manager, but they were really just moving their hands pretending they were talking like this, all before coming out and saying there was nothing they could do.

SeeRockCity wrote:Thanks all. Guess I'll go with Hertz since that seems to be the unanimous opinion here.

Hertz also has xm. Which I rank most important in cars if I got to drive a lot

MiamiSpartan wrote:
Then I bet the employee went in the back and pretended to talk to the manager, but they were really just moving their hands pretending they were talking like this, all before coming out and saying there was nothing they could do.

I suspect the same thing..