Avis - Muscles at LAX

I'm going to California on holiday in September and have booked a Full Size for 22 days at LAX, with an upgrade coupon to Premium. Since I live in Sweden, I want to take the opportunity while in the US to drive an American car. Of the premium cars listed in the Avis fleet list, these are the most interesting (in order of preference):

Dodge Challenger
Dodge Charger (except if it's only the SE trim with 2.7L engine that was discontinued 2010?)
Chrysler 300

What are the chances of getting one of these on Friday afternoon at LAX in September? I wouldn't want to get stuck with a Crown Victoria for three weeks...

In case any of the three above aren't available, would you know which engines Avis have in their Buick LaCrosses; the 2.4 L I4 or the 3.6 L V6?

Why would you want to drive any of those junk cars?

Hmmm, the chances of what you want are really dependent upon what they have when you get there. There's a good chance they'll have a 300 but I haven't seen many of the others on Avis lots lately (but I haven't been to LAX this year either..). Other noteworthy points are:
1. You're not guaranteed an upgrade. I'm sure the coupon you used has a stipulation that says "if available" or other close wording. They can always claim "none available" no matter what you see on the lot. But approach them nicely and ask for what you want. They might give it to you.
2. You can always trade-out part way through your rental. Just take it back and say "I really don't like the car"/"The seats are killing my back"/etc and they will swap you for something else... almost always in the same class.
3. The worst times to pick-up/trade-in a car (in my experience, in large cities) is Mondays after 9am through about Thursday morning as most business travelers have already arrived and the lots are very thin. Arriving on a Friday should yield you better results. (This doesn't apply to tourist destinations where weekend travel is much more the norm than business travel.. LAS/Southern FL/beach cities/etc).

Good luck!

Why would you want to drive any of those junk cars?

Well, because I'm going to America on holiday and I want to drive an American car. American highways are straight, so being able to take curves properly isn't necessary! :D

American cars aren't very common here, so I'd like to try something different. What I definitely don't want is a Volvo, I've driven or been driven in Volvos all my life!

American cars aren't very common here, so I'd like to try something different. What I definitely don't want is a Volvo, I've driven or been driven in Volvos all my life!

That's because, except for Ford, most American cars are inferior to Japanese cars. Rent a Ford Mustang, a Mazda RX8, or a BMW.

Hmmm, the chances of what you want are really dependent upon what they have when you get there. There's a good chance they'll have a 300 but I haven't seen many of the others on Avis lots lately (but I haven't been to LAX this year either..). Other noteworthy points are:
1. You're not guaranteed an upgrade. I'm sure the coupon you used has a stipulation that says "if available" or other close wording. They can always claim "none available" no matter what you see on the lot. But approach them nicely and ask for what you want. They might give it to you.
2. You can always trade-out part way through your rental. Just take it back and say "I really don't like the car"/"The seats are killing my back"/etc and they will swap you for something else... almost always in the same class.
3. The worst times to pick-up/trade-in a car (in my experience, in large cities) is Mondays after 9am through about Thursday morning as most business travelers have already arrived and the lots are very thin. Arriving on a Friday should yield you better results. (This doesn't apply to tourist destinations where weekend travel is much more the norm than business travel.. LAS/Southern FL/beach cities/etc).

Good luck!

Thanks!

Well, if it comes to the worst, I'll have to do with a rice boiler or VW CC, but I'd prefer a muscle car like the Challenger. Most of all I'd like a Corvette or Camaro (I've always preferred Chevy and Pontiac over Dodge), but those are out of my budget, at least for a three-week rental.

The coupon says "Offer may not be available during holiday and other blackout periods", but hopefully a Friday afternoon should be fine then.

That's because, except for Ford, most American cars are inferior to Japanese cars. Rent a Ford Mustang, a Mazda RX8, or a BMW.

I know, we often joke about American cars over here. The Top Gear epsiode when they drive American muscle cars through the desert is hilarious (see it on Youtube if you haven't), but still, the big engines of American cars have a special charm of its own.

Fords (the German-made), Mazdas (well, maybe not RX8s) and BMWs are so common here that it would be boring to rent one on the rare occasion I cross the Atlantic. The two previous times I've been in the US, we've rented a Pontiac and a Dodge. Granted, a Mustang would be nice, but a bit costly since I'll be renting the car for three weeks.

Dodge Challenger
Dodge Charger (except if it's only the SE trim with 2.7L engine that was discontinued 2010?)
Chrysler 300


These all have a base engine of 292 SAE net horsepower, 218 kW. They are all rather large and heavy and perhaps not so zippy as one might expect with that power rating.

You don't want a LaCrosse, even with a V-6. It is an old man's car.

A Mustang is a more youthful and classically American alternative to any of these.

Strongly suggest, as others have, that you try to score a Mustang. Given you'll be in LA, you might even be able to bag a convertible. The new 'stangs in the rental fleet have the ~300bhp V6 - which, while it isn't a small block V-8 in the true muscle car sense - is probably as close as you'll get in a rental fleet unless you pony up (no pun intended) for a Corvette.

Rental Challengers and Chargers are all the V-6 flavor, and while they run in the vicinity of 300bhp as well, they are heavier (by 200+kg), slower, and less tossable than a current Mustang. The 300 is a Charger with a bit more pork added on in the form of fancy interiors.

If you can snag a Camaro that's probably your second best bet (but not sure if Avis has these). If you absolutely have to have a 4-door full size, then yeah, the Charger would be your best bet if you can't get a (new) Taurus.

I know, we often joke about American cars over here. The Top Gear epsiode when they drive American muscle cars through the desert is hilarious (see it on Youtube if you haven't), but still, the big engines of American cars have a special charm of its own.

Fords (the German-made), Mazdas (well, maybe not RX8s) and BMWs are so common here that it would be boring to rent one on the rare occasion I cross the Atlantic. The two previous times I've been in the US, we've rented a Pontiac and a Dodge. Granted, a Mustang would be nice, but a bit costly since I'll renting the car for three weeks.

Yes, I know. I used to own a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad station wagen.

In the US, it was simply called a Nomad. Over here, being a somewhat rare American car it was affectionately known as the " Yank Tank. "

You can imagine how difficult it was to get parts, even replica parts. But the engine a V-8 was easy to work on. We stayed away from clubs and parades but took it camping, and to the lakes frequently. When it was finally sold, it was not missed. Porsches I found are very more reliable.

But just like this member, now and then I get the urge to try out an American car on business trips. Specifically at LAX, on North Sepulveda Boulevard, there is a rental agency called Beverly Hills ( TEL: 310 370.2020 ) specializing in American and European " muscle cars. " It is within walking distance of the terminals. My only caution is to take the time to read and understand the inurance coverages offered in North America that come with the vehicle. It is very different to that found in Europe, but you will need that protection should something happen.

I hope you enjoy your ride.

I'm going to California on holiday in September and have booked a Full Size for 22 days at LAX, with an upgrade coupon to Premium. Since I live in Sweden, I want to take the opportunity while in the US to drive an American car. Of the premium cars listed in the Avis fleet list, these are the most interesting (in order of preference):

Dodge Challenger
Dodge Charger (except if it's only the SE trim with 2.7L engine that was discontinued 2010?)
Chrysler 300

What are the chances of getting one of these on Friday afternoon at LAX in September? I wouldn't want to get stuck with a Crown Victoria for three weeks...

In case any of the three above aren't available, would you know which engines Avis have in their Buick LaCrosses; the 2.4 L I4 or the 3.6 L V6?

I live in Southern California, and quite frankly I think you will be happy with any of the Dodges you mentioned, or a Camero, or a Mustang. While you are here, take a drive up highway 74 out of Palm Desert, or Hwy. 38 out of San Bernardino up to Big Bear. or if you crave the open road, try a trip to Las Vegas. Go through 29 Palms and take Amboy Rd. You should be able to feed the ponys under the hood, just make sure you have a radar detector, because the Calif. Highway Patrol doesn't have a very good sense of humor.
Anyways....... back to your rental car. What time does your flight land in LAX? In the afternoon they are very busy and have a huge turn over. So, if they don't have what you want, just wait a few minutes and you will get what you want. Also, you could send them an e-mail in advance and see if they will hold you a Challenger/Mustang etc. Have Fun ^ By the way. I own and drive 2 Fords, 1 Dodge, 1 GMC truck, 1 Honda, and 1 Lexus. And I prefer my Ford mustang.

While I'd very much like a Mustang, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking for it first thing, when I've only booked a full size... the upgrade coupon could get me a premium car like the Challenger, so I'll ask for that and if they don't have one in, maybe I'll be offered a Mustand or Camaro if I'm lucky! :)

@Swissaire: The discount code from work includes LDW and ALI, so I'm covered.

@Git-er-dun: I'm actually going on a trip to Big Bear, because I'm invited to a wedding there! :) I arrive at LAX around 3 pm, so I've booked a 3.30 pick-up. I guess it wouldn't hurt to send an e-mail request, but how do I find out the e-mail address to the LAX office?

Well, because I'm going to America on holiday and I want to drive an American car. American highways are straight, so being able to take curves properly isn't necessary! :D

With three weeks here, I sure hope you are going to explore the Pacific Coast Highway (http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/california-pacific-coast-road-trip/) (California Highway 1). It has plenty of curves, but any of the cars you mentioned, except for the Crown Victoria, will handle it just fine. The Mustang, Camaro and Challenger will be more fun, though.

The coupon says "Offer may not be available during holiday and other blackout periods", but hopefully a Friday afternoon should be fine then.

Watch out for Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday in September. It is a major U.S. holiday.

I arrive at LAX around 3 pm, so I've booked a 3.30 pick-up. I guess it wouldn't hurt to send an e-mail request, but how do I find out the e-mail address to the LAX office?

It's going to take a lot longer than half an hour to clear customs and immigration and get to the rental car lot. Figure on as long as ninety minutes to three hours to clear the federal inspections and another 15-30 minutes for waiting for the shuttle and riding it to the Avis lot.

Well, because I'm going to America on holiday and I want to drive an American car. American highways are straight, so being able to take curves properly isn't necessary! :DI can understand wanting to drive an American car when you visit the US. American highways aren't straight, however -- at least not in Southern California. Though I can also understand the appeal of muscle cars, understand that, in Southern California, they are "cop magnets," at least if you try to open them up. For that matter, I wouldn't recommend opening them up Southern California freeways, which are extremely crowded with drivers of varying skill levels (I'm being charitable, here). If you want to drive aggressively (and I admit to being an aggressive driver), you need to be familiar enough with flora and fauna of the freeways to develop that 6th sense that tells you the moron in family van in the left lane going 20 mph less than everyone else is about to change lanes in front of you without signaling or looking.

That said, I don't know about Avis' Mustangs, but I once rented a convertiable Mustang from Hertz at LAX. The car was a dog -- no power at all, though it sure looked nice. For what it's worth, I drive an Audi A4 with a turbo -- I love my car, and I can take most any muscle car at a stoplight. :)

@TWA884: I was thinking more of the desert highways, as we're going to visit some relatives in Arizona, but I'll be sure to plan a trip along the Pacific Coast Highway as well, thanks for the tip!

@PTravel: I'm usually not an aggressive driver (at least as long as I use cruise control), but I do want to be able to overtake properly, especially those who first overtake and then slow down in front of me... I drive a Saab 9-5 Aero and the torque of the turbo will punish such behaviour! Would have been fun to match my Aero against your A4 at the stoplight! :D

This made me think of go kart racing and the first search results I get on karting in LA have electrical karts... is that the standard in the US? How do those compare to gasoline karts? I mean, would it be like driving a Prius around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway...?

ZEREM;

September will be a good time to explore the highways between Los Angeles, California and Arizona. It will not be cooler, but the vacation crowds will have gone, as the children return to school.

I share the cautionary of PTravel above regarding the North American municipal police and Highway or Interstate Patrol. Having done business in North America for many years, I can tell you that the driving fines have increased dramatically, which is the bad news. A Swedish passport and stumbling around in broken English will not longer work when confronted with a motorcycle officer. In fact it may even make his quota, and make his or her day.

The good news is unlike here in Europe, if you are stopped the citing police in the US, they do not ask you your profession, and then base the amount of the fine on how much you earn. Thus if you are, as I suspect an enormously wealthy IT genius with Conex-loads of Euros to burn up in North America with a snap of your fingers, you can do so entirely on your vacation whims, and not in paying traffic infraction fees.

However: The police can I am told, elect to not only fine you, but also choose to incarcerate you for any speed clocked in excess of 90 miles per hour.

Of course, that may be part of your North American Muscle Car adventure. The American Desert, the open sky, the endless " white-line fever " highway, 100+ MPH in a convertible, and the sunglass, cigar in mouth Sherriff-Jailer-Judge-Bailsman locking you up for a few colourful nights, to meditate on the errors of your way, sans air conditioning.

So I might suggest you enjoy it, but keep the speed reasonable. You now know the risks.

Of course, that may be part of your North American Muscle Car adventure. The American Desert, the open sky, the endless " white-line fever " highway, 100+ MPH in a convertible, and the sunglass, cigar in mouth Sherriff-Jailer-Judge-Bailsman locking you up for a few colourful nights, to meditate on the errors of your way, sans air conditioning.

It's not unusual for U.S. rental cars to have speed governors.

Speed Limiter.....The Hell?????! (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/1221529-speed-limiter-hell.html)

Actually, it is not common for U.S. rental cars to have speed governors, at least governors set to be relevant to typical U.S. highway speeds; many BMWs and Mercedes have limiters set to 130 or 150mph that rarely come into play. The feature set described in the link is unique to Ford Motor Co. vehicles and is promoted as a teen-friendly approach for parents.

Actually, it is not common for U.S. rental cars to have speed governors, at least governors set to be relevant to typical U.S. highway speeds; many BMWs and Mercedes have limiters set to 130 or 150mph that rarely come into play.

One of my cars (Lexus) had the governor set to 172 mph, that always p!ssed me off :p

But yes, the problem described in the aforementioned link is a Ford only feature, and can easily be disabled assuming the rental company gives you both keys...

Thanks everyone for the tips and information!

Given that the prices for renting a GPS is ridiculous, I plan to buy one instead, as that will be cheaper. I assume a Challenger/Charger/Mustang wouldn't come with a built-in GPS at Avis, but maybe a Chrysler 300 would?

Anyway, looking online, the most common brands in the US seem to be Magellan, Garmin and Tomtom; which of these have the best maps?

I don't need anything fancy, since we'll just use it a few weeks and then give it away to someone when we leave the US. However, we'll be driving through Death Valley and Yosemite, so I wouldn't want to save a few bucks to buy a cheaper GPS that would eventually lead us to a slow and painful death in the middle of nowhere.

Wirelessly posted (htc Evo 4G: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.5; en-us; Sprint APA9292KT Build/GRJ90) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Do you have a smartphone? Both the iPhone and Android platforms have available navigation apps that will be more than suitable for your needs.

Yes, I use my Android GPS at home, but it requires data connection, so no good when abroad in e.g. USA. There are some GPS apps to download with offline maps, but it seems the good ones cost almost as much as buying a separate one. The reviews of the cheaper ones (e.g. Navfree USA and CoPilot USA) suggest so-so map quality and when driving in Death Valley and Yosemite I'd prefer high quality maps...

That's because, except for Ford, most American cars are inferior to Japanese cars. Rent a Ford Mustang, a Mazda RX8, or a BMW.

So Ford is not inferior to Japanese cars...? :D

Especially the Mustang is just plain terrible including an interior, engine and transmission from the 1990's...

So Ford is not inferior to Japanese cars...? :D

Especially the Mustang is just plain terrible including an interior, engine and transmission from the 1990's...

Yes, Ford is on par with Toyouta now. When is the last time you drove a Mustang? The newest model is far better than the previous one.

Yes, Ford is on par with Toyouta now. When is the last time you drove a Mustang? The newest model is far better than the previous one.

Are you serious?

They still use Ford engines and transmissions, so are probably still twenty years behind the competition. I have to admit though that the six speed transmission is now on par with quality cars manufactured around ten years ago. It is still a Ford...

Coming back to the original question...

Premium is a difficult category for Avis, the Crown Vic is without a doubt one of the worst cars around, this was already the case, when it was launched...about 20 years ago.

The Chyrsler 300 is rock solid, brakes are a little weak, the interior has been revived with a bit of elegance from Italy, but we are still talking about a Mattel lab, so Barbie plastic everywhere.

Your best bet in Premium would be a Nissan Maxima with a 3.5l engine and some muscles or a Toyota Avalon. The Toyota has around 300 hp ( feels more like 150hp ) so hardly any muscles, but the Nissan is sporty and has some muscles. Still relatively subtle, but capable of delivering solid power.

One category up, we are talking about a lot of Inifiniti M37 sedans added to the fleet in LAX recently, 330hp, 7 speed transmission and with the controls set to Sport probably your best bet for a sedan below the BMW's.

Therefore, I recommend reserving at least Premium, if not Luxury. Also make sure to enroll in Preferred and start to negotiate for a BMW at the counter in LAX. Both the 328i and 528i have the new twin turbo charged engine with a ZF 8 speed transmission and are by far your best option in LAX. The X3 and X5 are also available.

If I'd rent a car in Germany I wouldn't mind a BMW, but since I'm crossing the Atlantic I'd really prefer to drive American. It seems to me that the Dodge Challenger and Charger are the best options if I want both some muscles and some space in the back seat. If none of those are available, an Infiniti would be nice!

Anyway, regarding the GPS, a friend of mine gave me a mind-blowing suggestion; buy a $5 map! So, I'll probably download Navfree USA to my Android phone and if the included maps prove insufficient occasionally, I'll default to the physical map.

It seems to me that the Dodge Challenger and Charger are the best options if I want both some muscles and some space in the back seat.

The Charger is a very roomy car, the Challenger is quite cramped in the back seat area.

Charger:

http://www.automotiveaddicts.com/magazine/images/2006dodgechargersrt8/2006DodgeChargerSRT8RearSeats01.jpg

Challenger:

http://www.allpar.com/photos/dodge/challenger-SE/seats.jpg

Well, we'll mostly be two in the car anyway, so we should be fine.

By the way, has anyone seen any Chargers or 300s at Avis with the new 8-speed transmission? I've read some great reviews about it, that the engine becomes much more powerful, all the while consuming less gas. One reviewer even preferred the V6 with 8-speed transmission over the SRT-8 trim!

Granted, a Mustang would be nice, but a bit costly since I'll be renting the car for three weeks.

In my experience at SoCal Avis locations they hand out Mustang upgrades quite frequently. The new mustang with the V6 is actually quite impressive and sounds great. What about a Camaro SS or convertible? Don't take a high mileage mustang convertible, you'll be disappointed before you get to the beach.

In regards to the 300 I've been given a couple at LAX with the 8 speed. Turn on your European Charm at the Preferred desk and they will take care of you.

Well, we're going a road trip that will be well over 2200 miles. While I'd love a Camaro SS (Chevrolet has always been my favorite American car make), it does 18 mpg on the highway while the Charger and 300 with the 8-speed transmission do 31 mpg. Over 2200 miles, that'll be a difference of about 50 gallons. While gas is dirt cheap in the US compared to over here, it will still be a few dollars...

Of course, a Ford Focus is even better in that respect, but you gotta draw the line somewhere, right?!

I've been lucky to get a whole assortment of these as upgrades over the years. I have to say, the Dodge Challenger with the Hemi V8 was by far my favourite. The others: Camaro SS, Mustang, etc, all felt pretty wimpy compared to that beast.

Enjoy your stay in LA! :)

Picked up a car from Avis at LAX on the morning of August 1 .. Had booked a Mustang hard top from the cool car selection for 28 days - arrived to find a white Mustang which I sat in and wouldn't have been able to drive .. Too small and I'm 6'9"! Wanted a Camaro anyway - had put a note in my reservation requesting one as they couldn't be booked. Walked the lot and found many Camaros - v6 convertibles, v8 hard tops- numerous 3 and 5 series bmw's, couple of Corvete convertibles, but no Dodges.

Went to the preferred office and asked how much to swap it for one oc the Camaros or BMW's - ended up with a Red Camaro SS v8 for an extra $20 a day. They wanted $37 for the BMW's!

So Ford is not inferior to Japanese cars...? :D

Especially the Mustang is just plain terrible including an interior, engine and transmission from the 1990's...

Speaking as owner of a current generation BMW M3 and 750Li, I am pretty impressed by the huge strides the Domestic brands have made in the last 4-5 years.

I'm sure there is much bigger differences driving the Euro vs domestic cars at high speeds since during my European delivery road trip my BMWs felt rock solid at 130-150mph but sadly there no Autobahns here.

I rented several Mustang 5.0 coupes and they are nearly as much fun as my M3 for 1/2 the price. Just hearing the V8 growl while puttering around town is satisfying. I drove a friend's Mustang 5.0 manual trans and that car was even more fun.

Unfortunately the prices have also escalated, my friend was noting to me the other day how his 2009 Mustang GT 4.6 with the 5speed and similar options was a good $8,000 less MSRP to MSRP than the 2012 Mustang 5.0 he custom ordered. Of course the new Mustang was so much better than his old one he could justify paying the higher price.

I'm going to California on holiday in September and have booked a Full Size for 22 days at LAX, with an upgrade coupon to Premium. Since I live in Sweden, I want to take the opportunity while in the US to drive an American car. Of the premium cars listed in the Avis fleet list, these are the most interesting (in order of preference):

Dodge Challenger
Dodge Charger (except if it's only the SE trim with 2.7L engine that was discontinued 2010?)
Chrysler 300

What are the chances of getting one of these on Friday afternoon at LAX in September? I wouldn't want to get stuck with a Crown Victoria for three weeks...

In case any of the three above aren't available, would you know which engines Avis have in their Buick LaCrosses; the 2.4 L I4 or the 3.6 L V6?

I have seen quite a few Challenger RTs with the 5.7L hemi, that's way to go if possible.

I have only seen 2011+ chargers and 300s on Avis lots, and most of them are the 2012 with the 8speed auto (you can tell by the Audi A8 style shifter)

I'd say your chances are pretty good at getting one of these cars at LAX Friday afternoon since most of the Mon-Thu road warriors will have returned their cars and Avis will have had enough time to prep the return cars.

If they assign you a car you dislike, I've had great success in past before I was Avis President club and just a Avis First (so +1 upgrade) simply walking the lot and when I see a car that's unassigned (no white printout on dash), grabbing the keys and nicely asking to be switched to the new car.

Not a big fan of the Avis stocked BMWs, the 328/528/X3(28i) I seen were so poorly equipped I'd prefer a Infiniti M37/Caddy STS with leather, Nav, and cool'ed seats.

Picked up a car from Avis at LAX on the morning of August 1 .. Had booked a Mustang hard top from the cool car selection for 28 days - arrived to find a white Mustang which I sat in and wouldn't have been able to drive .. Too small and I'm 6'9"! Wanted a Camaro anyway - had put a note in my reservation requesting one as they couldn't be booked. Walked the lot and found many Camaros - v6 convertibles, v8 hard tops- numerous 3 and 5 series bmw's, couple of Corvete convertibles, but no Dodges.

Went to the preferred office and asked how much to swap it for one oc the Camaros or BMW's - ended up with a Red Camaro SS v8 for an extra $20 a day. They wanted $37 for the BMW's!

You found the Mustang too small but the Camaro was okay? Weird.

I find that the roof in the hardtop Camaro is too low for comfort (it bumps into my hair) and I'm only 5' 11". I'm very comfortable in the Mustang though (it's my own personal car).

On the broader debate in this thread about US vs Japanese vs European cars, I'd say they're all good. There's good and bad cars in each category. Certainly nothing wrong with an American muscle car for what it is. I'm a big fan of the Charger and Challenger, and I'd take one of those over any Japanese car this side of a GT-R. :D

In my experience, your best bet with a reserved fullsize is to ask for a Mustang, versus any of the other vehicles named, simply because of the large number of them in the fleet. Can't speak for LAX specifically, but here in ATL there was even a mustang on the free exchange aisle yesterday, whereas the Challenger is always perked in a showplace upgrade spot with a hefty price tag attached. I don't see so many Chargers on the lot here any more.

You found the Mustang too small but the Camaro was okay? Weird.

I find that the roof in the hardtop Camaro is too low for comfort (it bumps into my hair) and I'm only 5' 11". I'm very comfortable in the Mustang though (it's my own personal car).

On the broader debate in this thread about US vs Japanese vs European cars, I'd say they're all good. There's good and bad cars in each category. Certainly nothing wrong with an American muscle car for what it is. I'm a big fan of the Charger and Challenger, and I'd take one of those over any Japanese car this side of a GT-R. :D

My issue is legroom - I have long legs - Mustang has insufficient room between the steering wheel and the door, dash and centre console, primarily because the steering wheel is too big! Effectively my right knee was jammed between the steering wheel and dash/centre console.

Camaro has a smaller steering wheel and much more room between if and the door, dash and centre console. It's still not ideal, but better than the Mustang.

Yes, I use my Android GPS at home, but it requires data connection, so no good when abroad in e.g. USA. There are some GPS apps to download with offline maps, but it seems the good ones cost almost as much as buying a separate one. The reviews of the cheaper ones (e.g. Navfree USA and CoPilot USA) suggest so-so map quality and when driving in Death Valley and Yosemite I'd prefer high quality maps...

As someone who is currently using Navfree USA on an iPhone in the US, I can confirm the map quality and functionality are not up to a proper GPS standard. For instance, I do not seem to be able to select a street number despite it saying I can - only option is intersecting streets which is useless. Also, it does not seem to be able to search some places, despite them being on the downloaded map.

Having said that, I drove through Death Valley and Yosemite two years ago relying on Nokia E71 GPS which was worse and had no problems. I find places like those are usually fine - it's the cities where the problems are.

Thanks everyone for all of your valuable input!

Of the V6 cars, the Dodge Charger with the 8-speed transmission is definitely my pick. It's got a mean front and the transmission will bring the most out of the V6. The Chrysler 300 with the 8-speed would be my second choice. I guess the handling would be the same and the interior is better (maybe a built-in GPS wth some luck), but the exterior tips the scales in the Charger's favor.

I'd love a Camaro, but not on this trip. We'll be driving through Yosemite and then I'd like to actually see something through the windows. The Challenger has a few more hp than the Charger/300, but it seems the transmission doesn't give it justice, so no. A Mustang is surely a nice car, but with a V6, it just doesn't seem all that interesting.

Now, if the agent says "man, we got a bunch of Hemis collecting dust, would you help us out and take one", then I think the sound of a V8 will help me re-evaluate the situation regardless of the current gas price...

As for GPS, it turns out a friend of mine in LA has a spare one that he could lend me.

I was thinking... I could split my 22-day rental into three, 13+3+6, with the three days in the middle being a weekend. It will cost me a few dollars more, but then I could go for a Camaro SS for that weekend only. A Camaro SS can't be booked at LAX on Avis.com, so I have two questions:

1) How much extra per day should I expect such an upgrade to cost?
2) Will there actually be any Camaro SS's (or Mustang GTs/Challenger R/Ts) available if I come in a Thursday afternoon?

If you're not tied in some way to Avis you could get a Camaro SS Coupe or Convertible from Hertz at LAX for the weekend. They offer the possibility to reserve a specific make & model, though I guess that's not a 100% guarantee but you have much better chances of getting what you want.
That's what I did - I reserved a Mustang Convertible for a weekend, for the longer road-trip rental I'll go with Avis.

Well, I did look at Hertz, buy they charge more for a Camaro SS over three days than for a full size over three weeks and then the rate doesn't even include insurance (which it does for the full size).

I'm not sure why the option of booking a convertible is greyed out at avis.com for LAX, but they have some "cool cars" available. E.g. I can book a Challenger R/T, but it's still a ridiculous price tag; over $100 additional cost per day compared to a full size.

I figure that I'd get a better deal if a book a regular car and go for an upgrade on the spot. Surely they won't ask for another $100 a day at the desk?

Well, because I'm going to America on holiday and I want to drive an American car. American highways are straight, so being able to take curves properly isn't necessary! :D

American cars aren't very common here, so I'd like to try something different. What I definitely don't want is a Volvo, I've driven or been driven in Volvos all my life!

Good luck on finding a road where you can open a car up in Los Angeles. I had a Camaro SS with the 400+ horse engine. Never had a chance to do over 50 because of the snarled freeways.

I'm back from the US of A now, so I thought I'd share my experiences!

I rented three different cars (I'm Preferred):

1) Reserved: Premium
Assigned: None
Requested: Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300
Received: Ford Mustang with leather seats (at first they wanted to charge extra for it, but eventually I got it at no additional charge)

2) Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: None
Requested: Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300
Offered: Ford Crown Victoria
Paid upgrade: Dodge Challenger R/T from the Exchange area @ $40/day, textile seats

3) Reserved: Full Size
Assigned: None
Requested: Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300
Received: Chrysler 300 with leather seats

I had pre-paid all three cars via ba.com, so couldn't add any coupons when making the reservations. I had coupons for full size to premium and mentioned that when picking up the last two, but the agents didn't request to see them, they just upgraded me anyway, I guess because I'm Preferred. (A friend of mine who did the same but isn't Preferred had to pay for an upgrade since they didn't accept his printed coupon.)

The Mustang we had for the longest period, I drove it around 3200 miles in two weeks. It was a nice drive and I'm glad we had that when driving uphill around Death Valley and Yosemite, since it wasn't as heavy as the other two cars we had, so the engine didn't have to work that hard.

The Dodge had a V8, but I can't say that it felt much more powerful than the Mustang, I guess the weight of the Challenger played a part in that.

The Chrysler had the weakest engine, but despite that and being the largest car, it felt just as responsive as the other two cars; obviously the 8-speed transmission is as good as the reviews say! However, the seats weren't the best, flat and hard... maybe the average Chrysler driver has a different constitution than I have...

Another thing I noticed that both the Mustang and the 300 revved much lower than the Challenger when cruising. I guess the Challenger revved higher in order to get quicker response, but it can't be very good for the fuel economy. Then again, if you get a V8 you probably don't care much about fuel economy anyway...

Probably not.

An excellent report Zerem. I'm not sure I would like all the substitutions though.

Yosemite sounds nice but how hot was it in Death Valley in the Summer ?

They highest I noticed on the Mustang's outside thermometer while Death Valley was 113° Fahrenheit, so about 45° Celsius. Though I don't have a problem with heat as long as it's dry and believe me, Death Valley was dry. It's rather the sun itself that can get unpleasant for me; since I have quite fair skin I had to use some sunscreen to avoid looking like a freshly cooked crayfish. We stopped and took a walk at Badwater and it was an experience well worth it. I didn't mind the AC once back in the car, though...

At one stop we saw a van parked with an opened hood, I assume it was a bit overheated, but I don't know if opening the hood made any difference... the lesson learnt is: don't rent a big vehicle if you're going to drive through Death Valley.

Hertz has quite a few Camaros. They look better than they drive.