Other Car Rental Programs/Partners (ie. Alamo, Enterprise, Sixt) - Alamo calls Ford Focus a midsize?!

Just finished renting a car for the week for Alamo at SNA. I reserved a mid-sized, and they gave me a Ford Focus. I double checked to make sure there was no mistake. Yes, Alamo considers the Focus a mid-size now. For years it was universally considered a compact. Right in front of me at arrival was a man screaming about being assigned a Toyota Corolla as a full-size. When did this ridiculous downsizing of the classes happen?

The one positive here was that the Focus was a much better car than I anticipated it would be. I'd be happy to get it as a compact rental. It's just not a mid-size.

Focus and cobalt are not mid size..... They are compact cars!!!!

National and Alamo just re-tiered their cars as per what Enterprise has been doing for years. It's pretty common now for something like a Corolla or Sentra to be called a midsize. Except the Cobalt and Focus were called compacts at the same time.

Economy cars are still what they used to be, non-existant. A compact is a slightly larger small car (generally a hatchback) like the Nissan Versa, whereas midsize houses what the real world calls compacts. Standard and fullsize are now mid-size cars and slightly bigger mid-size cars. Actual fullsize cars are now Premium or Luxury cars. Everybody clear as mud on this? Perfect, my work is done... :D

Funny you mentioned the Versa. A few years ago I read Nissan's aim in bringing this car to the US was to compete with the subcompact Fit, Yaris, and Aveo. Their TV ads said the Versa is a little bigger than those others with similar gas mileage. Then the rental companies classified the Versa as a compact, which is something Nissan and Ford advertise the Sentra and Focus to be, respectively.

It's been a while since car rental companies' classifications have lined up with the EPA, manufacturers, etc. Personally, I don't mind as long as I get what I'm told to expect. If you say G6 or similar, don't put me in a Corolla, they're not similar. But if you say Malibu or similar and give me a Sonata, that's fine as they compete against each other. As the customer, I will decide what type of vehicle I need to drive, and book with the company that gives me the best value for said vehicle. Call a Versa a fullsize on your website if you want, as long as that's what I'm supposed to expect.

As for the OP referring to the guy getting a Corolla as a fullsize, that's just ridiculous. Nowhere does it say to expect that and clearly the guy was downgraded due to the company messing up. I'd be demanding an upgrade or compensation at that point.

During desperate times at Enterprise when we were short cars we were told to rent Focuses with leather seats as "Premium" cars and Kia Rondos as "Mid-Size SUVs". It's part of the reason that the stress levels got so high I chose to quit.

A car is a car. Unless you're hauling a sofa or need to transport a basketball team, why not just reserve the cheapest thing available? I always reserve a "subcompact" ("Aveo or similar") and usually end up with a Cobalt, Corolla, etc. So I end up getting the same size car as everybody else, only I paid less and have lower blood pressure. My "free upgrade" rate is at least 85% over the past three years of renting 2-3 times per month at Enterprise, Budget, and Avis.

Again, unless you're super tall/wide or need to drive over a mountain pass in winter, the difference between the various kinds of rental cars is trivial. Rental companies make up these extra classifications because they know most people find it beneath their station in life to rent a "compact" car. Well, if you want to pay more for the same product...don't let me stop you.

A car is a car. Unless you're hauling a sofa or need to transport a basketball team, why not just reserve the cheapest thing available? I always reserve a "subcompact" ("Aveo or similar") and usually end up with a Cobalt, Corolla, etc.

When I'm traveling by myself, I agree, a small car is usually acceptable. But that's not always the case. Occasionally I am renting a car for 3, 4, or 5 adults and maybe a week's worth of luggage, too. In these cases I would like to know that descriptions like "midsize" and "fullsize" fit common sense definitions. Alamo's recent down-sizing seems to be causing a lot of unpleasant surprises for its customers.

If you know that Enterprise once refused to upgrade me when I booked a full size (and showed up with 5 person) since there is one and only one "Full Size" Car left - a Beetles.

You should feel lucky.

A car is a car. Unless you're hauling a sofa or need to transport a basketball team, why not just reserve the cheapest thing available?

While I agree with you in priciple, sometimes free (weekend) day coupons or the like require a minimum sized car to be booked.

I rented a "midsize" car with National last weekend at GSP, and got a Ford Focus. Come on. This car didn't even have cruise control! The Chevy Malibu I saw sitiing in a National slot, a car I had rented previously at least three times (with several companies) as a midsize, was now considered a full size at National. Thanks Enterprise.

Will say though that the Ford Focus got surprisingly good gas mileage, right around 32-33 for the trip.

Cars should be regulated so that they are necessarily categorized the same by all rental companies. This rental "bait and switch", assuming you will be given something as per previous rentals, then be told that a new owner company has recategorized, is just plain wrong.

While I agree with you in priciple, sometimes free (weekend) day coupons or the like require a minimum sized car to be booked.

That's probably because the rental company is betting that the difference in price between the subcompact you would have booked and the midsize they "required" you to book, times 3, will equal or exceed the one free day with a compact they'll give you in return.

While I agree with you in priciple, sometimes free (weekend) day coupons or the like require a minimum sized car to be booked.



But on most car rental websites, it's relatively easy to figure out which is ultimately cheaper: the subcompact without the coupon, or the midsize with the coupon. If the actual physical size of the car doesn't matter, as you in principle agree with, then just take the cheapest option.

The Chevy Malibu I saw sitiing in a National slot, a car I had rented previously at least three times (with several companies) as a midsize, was now considered a full size at National. Thanks Enterprise.



My father closed an Avis rental today: a Chevy Malibu as a full size car. You can't blame Enterprise ownership for that.

My father closed an Avis rental today: a Chevy Malibu as a full size car. You can't blame Enterprise ownership for that.

I feel I can. Don't know about AVIS, but two of my referenced fairly recent (within past two years) rentals of a Malibu were with National. and both reservations were for a midsize car (my wife was with me and prefers a slightly larger size for safety). I remember confirming with at least one of the National agents that the Malibu was, in fact, considered a midsize, and was not an upgrade.

My two most recent rentals were with Alamo and National. At the counter, I talked with both agents about Enterprise's ownership of these companies, and both expressed angst about Enterprise upsizing cars, and how many renters were not too happy about it. This includes previous National midsize Malibus being changed on paper to full size.

I guess next upgrade is SMART cars being considered at least a mid-size... :D

i got a Hyundai accent as midsize...even smaller than focus, i have read posts saying they give out focus with leather seats as premium cars

Cars are categorized as "subcompact" (aka "economy"), "compact", "midsize", and "full size". These designations certainly infer a variation in size, i.e., in passenger and luggage carrying capacity. Thus, the best way to prevent customer disappointment and provide a common expectation would be to have cars categorized uniformly throughout the industry, according to a set standard based on number of pax and pieces of luggage each make and model can carry. Would do away with the existing sizing discrepancies between different companies. Fancy cars could just have "Luxury" or similar added to the appropriate size.

Am I off-base with my thinking?

I have consistently been reserving a mid-size when travelling with my wife and her wheelchair (which we have discovered does not fit in the trunks of all compacts - or Boston Taxis, but that's another story). It was a really good thing that she WASN'T travelling with the wheelchair for our most recent Alamo rental when we got stuck with a "mid-size" Chevy Cobalt.

And this weekend we reserved an "intermediate SUV" into which we were planning to put five people, one wheelchair and one walker. We got a Jeep Wrangler, which Alamo calls a "full size all terrain vehicle" into which we managed to get two people and one wheelchair. We were not happy campers. Alamo apparently considered this an upgrade.

With Hertz, I've found that reserving an economy car with hand controls generally results in a full size sedan with hand controls.

I recently completed an Alamo rental in LAX. I booked an Economy car and I settled on a Ford Focus in the Economy section of the lot. Other cars were Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent. Upon return the receipt showed that I was charged for an ECAR-class car, but I drove an ICAR-class FOCUS SES 4D (intermediate?). It was pretty well equipped --- heated leather seats, satellite radio, SYNC, 6-disc changer.

Believe it or not Ford Focus is a bigger car than BMW 3 series. More interior volume. Focus is a big car once you look at the dimensions.

I used to see Foci in the 'Compact' section, but now they (and Cobalts) are generally in the midsize section, and I'm only seeing Kias in the Compact... argh.

I used to see Foci in the 'Compact' section, but now they (and Cobalts) are generally in the midsize section, and I'm only seeing Kias in the Compact... argh.
As it's been mentioned in other threads, the reason for this change is that Enterprise (which now owns Vanguard/Alamo/National) classifies cars based on cost, not size.

An expensive small car will be classified in a higher class than a cheap large car.

Focuses and Cobalts are more expensive than Kias, so they get classified in higher classes.

Not very convenient for the customer, and I'm certainly not defending this practice, but that's the logic behind the move.

When renting from Enterprise, they are so often sold out of smaller cars that you'll end up getting a larger car as a free upgrade, regardless of what you book. With Alamo and National's much larger fleets, I doubt that's going to happen as often, so keep this in mind when reserving a car--you might want to book one size larger than you absolutely need (i.e. if you have four adults, book a fullsize so that you at least get something that a normal person would consider a midsize).

As it's been mentioned in other threads, the reason for this change is that Enterprise (which now owns Vanguard/Alamo/National) classifies cars based on cost, not size.

An expensive small car will be classified in a higher class than a cheap large car.

A screwy policy, and the root cause for the current confusion for and dissatisfaction of many renters now utilizing these companies.

Classification according to cost is completely out of sync with the long standing classification terminology used by the industry, which rather has supported a reasonable expectation of assignment of a certain sized vehicle.

If now renting from the Enterprise family of companies, how can anyone begin to anticipate what a reservation will provide? And, no, renters should NOT have to reserve a more expensive class simply to ensure they are not shorted due to this recent corporate conglomeration.

delete dupe

If now renting from the Enterprise family of companies, how can anyone begin to anticipate what a reservation will provide?

The rental class car examples can be useful, although three exemplars from Alamo U.S. are no longer in production! National contacts indicate a company-wide reclassing of cars is underway that should yield more consistency. Agreed: 'sizing' cars by price is ridiculous.

alamo.com/fleet.do

This issue isn't that rental companies are using smaller cars, it that what we use to think of as smaller cars have gotten bigger. What some of you are overlooking is that all these models i.e. Corolla, Focus, Cobalt, which all used to be considered "compact" years ago, have grown substantially in size, especially when it comes to interior room.

Back in 1989, when you reserved a compact ,you expected to receive something like...a Corolla. Mid size would have gotten you something like a Tempo or Corsica, and full size would have implied a Taurus or a Lumina. Compare a 2010 Corolla or Focus to the "mid size" cars of yore, and I think you'll find they stack up pretty evenly in terms of size, probably better. I think a lot of us got used to "mid size" implying something like the old Malibu (Classic), however, current model Corolla really is about the same size, and might even have a bit more interior room.

This issue isn't that rental companies are using smaller cars, it that what we use to think of as smaller cars have gotten bigger. What some of you are overlooking is that all these models i.e. Corolla, Focus, Cobalt, which all used to be considered "compact" years ago, have grown substantially in size, especially when it comes to interior room.

Back in 1989, when you reserved a compact ,you expected to receive something like...a Corolla. Mid size would have gotten you something like a Tempo or Corsica, and full size would have implied a Taurus or a Lumina. Compare a 2010 Corolla or Focus to the "mid size" cars of yore, and I think you'll find they stack up pretty evenly in terms of size, probably better. I think a lot of us got used to "mid size" implying something like the old Malibu (Classic), however, current model Corolla really is about the same size, and might even have a bit more interior room.
Quite true. The 2010 Corolla is substantially roomier than my grandmother's former car, a 1980s-era Camry. Her 2007 Camry is positively massive. Cars tend to get bigger over time as manufacturers compete and try to one-up each other a half an inch at a time.

However, I still wouldn't call a Corolla a true midsize car, compared to other current rental midsizes (Dodge Avengers, Chrysler Sebrings, Pontiac G6s, etc.). Then again, the current midsizes are as roomy as the previous generation (2006ish?) Taurus, which was classified as a fullsize...