Hertz - Hertz USA Adding E Class Mercedes

Okay so with the Audi's pretty much gone out of the fleet A8/A6/A4's and now the Q7s disappearing...

Hertz is adding the E Class Mercedes as part of its prestige collection

The current rates for the E class are only $10 per day more than the C Class.... but that's because the rental rates of the C Class are much too high.

Still sad that the Q7 is pretty much gone and replaced with the GLK350 as these are not comparable in size. They should have the M or GL class for a decent sized SUV that isn't an Escalade :)

Is this the 2010 model?

Cause that would be sweet.

Is this the 2010 model?

Cause that would be sweet.

I wouldn't get too excited, I'm sure most of the models they get will not include a lot of the "optional" features shown on the TV commercials like:


Navigation
Adaptive Lighting
LED Lights
Blind Spot Warning
Automatic Braking System
Keyless Ignition
Panorama Sunroof
Night View
Rear Seat Entertainment

Like every other car in the Hertz fleet, some will be equipped slightly differently,
but the majority will be just the base models with no extra.

Still it's nice to have a new prestige car to pick from and I was surprised given the current state of the economy. A sign that things are picking up for Hertz perhaps!

Like every other car in the Hertz fleet, some will be equipped slightly differently,
but the majority will be just the base models with no extra.

Nevertheless:

Brand new bare-bones base model E-Class > Fully-loaded 50,000 mile Korean somethingorother

Nevertheless:

Brand new bare-bones base model E-Class > Fully-loaded 50,000 mile Korean somethingorother

Exactly! Looking forward to renting the E-Class in LAS

Exactly! Looking forward to renting the E-Class in LAS

Enjoy! I got a C300 in SEA last June and quite enjoyed it. It was my first time driving a Benz apart from a 1982 240D that my friend drove in high school. So in that regard, they've come a long way in 27 years... :D

I can only imagine the E-Class would have the C300's charm, only with a bit more room.

Some locations have had them for over a year. All the ones I've seen have been the old body style 2009 E350. My guess is that Hertz is getting them now because MB is dumping the old body style with at least $10,000 rebates (on a $50k msrp or 20% off) for the regular buyer. Hertz is probably getting an excellent deal.

I wouldn't get too excited, I'm sure most of the models they get will not include a lot of the "optional" features shown on the TV commercials like:


Navigation
Adaptive Lighting
LED Lights
Blind Spot Warning
Automatic Braking System
Keyless Ignition
Panorama Sunroof
Night View
Rear Seat Entertainment


I just rented a 2010 E350 with 75 miles on it. It has P1, a $3950 option that includes Navigation, Harmon/Kardon, iPod interface, rear sunshade, heated seats, and rear-view camera. Not loaded, but not an entry level car either.

I just rented a 2010 E350 with 75 miles on it. It has P1, a $3950 option that includes Navigation, Harmon/Kardon, iPod interface, rear sunshade, heated seats, and rear-view camera. Not loaded, but not an entry level car either.

Definately do not assume all will be equipped this way though. I've had one Escalade with every option in the book including rear entertainment, navigation, upgraded wheels, etc. The other half dozen have been very base model with no navigation, no rear entertainment, etc.

Definately do not assume all will be equipped this way though. I've had one Escalade with every option in the book including rear entertainment, navigation, upgraded wheels, etc. The other half dozen have been very base model with no navigation, no rear entertainment, etc.
Agreed. I have a hunch Mercedes is not building base model cars at the beginning of the production cycle in order to increase profits while the demand is high. It will be interesting to see what Hertz orders if/when given a choice.

As a car buyer, I think Hertz could often recoup the costs of additional equipment such as Navigation. In some cars, it can really add to the value, even after a year and 20,000 (or 35,000) miles.

As a car buyer, I think Hertz could often recoup the costs of additional equipment such as Navigation. In some cars, it can really add to the value, even after a year and 20,000 (or 35,000) miles.

When you buy and sell cars in bulk you want to keep your costs as low as possible and the devaluation on options/option packages is usually much higher then the vehicle as a whole.

Another problem is from a usage perspective, some of the navigation systems are more difficult to use then others, plus you have the case of missing media (this is slowly going away with the introduction of harddrives in vehicles over DVD drives).

As more and more cars either include navigation as standard equipment or the price drops dramatically ($2,500 for OEM Navigation is still pretty steep) you're not going to see it adopted as often.

When you buy and sell cars in bulk you want to keep your costs as low as possible and the devaluation on options/option packages is usually much higher then the vehicle as a whole.

Another problem is from a usage perspective, some of the navigation systems are more difficult to use then others, plus you have the case of missing media (this is slowly going away with the introduction of harddrives in vehicles over DVD drives).

As more and more cars either include navigation as standard equipment or the price drops dramatically ($2,500 for OEM Navigation is still pretty steep) you're not going to see it adopted as often.
I agree with you on a broad scale, but navigation has a very quantifiable value advantage at auctions. On '07-'08 E350's, navigation can add anywhere from $1k-$3k to the value of a car. In my experience, the value isn't directly recovered from the retail customer, but the car will almost always sell faster.

It is hard to speculate on the value a year ahead of time, as well as the effect of the rental history vs. a private off-lease vehicle, but '08 M35's can vary in value by as much as $8k-$10k from a base rental to a lease with nav. My personal opinion is that Nav. would help them recover their initial investment from the option box.