Avis - Why five different classes?

Something that always bothers me when I try to rent a car is trying to make sense of the car classes. Why are regular cars sorted into five classes?

What's the difference between "Standard Size" and "Full Size"? I am assured that a Fusion is Standard Size and a Camry is Full Size, but they sure feel like the same size.

Likewise, a Focus is a Compact, while a Cruze or Corolla is an Intermediate? Maybe one's slightly bigger than the other, but you wouldn't know it to look at 'em or drive 'em.

Besides, it's not like I ever see any significant price difference. I just priced a week's rental at IAH and all five classes were spread across a seven-dollar range. They're certainly not making significantly more money by trying to differentiate between Fusions and Impalas.

If I were running the show, I'd lump all the non-specialty non-luxury cars into three bins: the truly small (Accent, Fiesta, Yaris), the smallish (Corolla, Focus, Cruze) and the properly large (Camry, Malibu, Fusion). That'd make a lot more sense.

Is the main advantage of the fine gradation that Avis gets to offer more "upgrades"? Congratulations, you thought you were getting a Focus but you're actually getting a Corolla. Big whoop!

Oh, and don't get me started on the SUVs. If there's a difference between Intermediate, Standard and Standard Elite then I have no clue what it is.

If you get rid of all the different classes and starting classing cars as small, medium and large, you will ruin the lives of so many people !!!!!!

1) we would have to stop discussing about what we get, duh!!!...we would have to moan about colour etc..boring

2) Thousands of new posts on the car rental forums will disappear !!!!!!

3) We wouldn't be able to read about all the fabulous upgrades that people dont get!!LOL

4) Flyer Talk forum would die !!!!!

5) more classes of car the better...its great for a fun debate ;)

I don't mind about the classes, but what I do mind is that they tell you that a intermediate is a ford fusion and you booked a full size and they still give you a ford fusion.

My understanding has always been that beyond the ACRISS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACRISS_Car_Classification_Code) code, general car groups are determined by the vehicle costs. So a Ford Fusion can be both an Intermediate and a Full Size, because it was spec'd or purchased differently for each class.

(I could be wrong, however?)

Also, here's a hole in your logic: if the Fusion is a full-size (like the Camry), then what's the Taurus?