Style Series
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: OnePass, HawaiianMiles, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards, SkyMiles, Amex MR, SPG, Hhonors
Posts: 65
Style Series
Does anyone care to comment about Dollar's new style series? Personally, I'm excited that Dollar is offering this and will be interested in seeing how their prices compare to Hertz Prestige Collection.
#2
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: FNT/MBS
Programs: DL Gold, National Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 399
I think this might be a step in the right direction for dollar, especially if they can discount the rates (around $400 per week for those vehicles)...
#3
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Easton, PA
Programs: Delta Skymiles, Hertz Gold, National Emerald Club, Priority Club
Posts: 247
I haven't been able to price out any rentals for these vehicles. I'm curious to see the prices as well.
Szymon
Szymon
#4
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1
Rented a Mercedes in Ft. Lauderdale! Awsome car. great service.
Rented at 4 other locations across the country...all were great service.
Looks like Dollar has a new focus on customer service. They sure are turning around on the service front to me! ^ ^
Rented at 4 other locations across the country...all were great service.
Looks like Dollar has a new focus on customer service. They sure are turning around on the service front to me! ^ ^
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,665
Not exactly Style Series but I was at the Austin Airport renting from Hertz and I saw that Dollar had a Lotus Elise sitting out there with a rent me sign in the window. I inquired about it and they wanted a cool $149 a day for it... it would be fun but that price seemed steep to me considering this car is less than $50,000.
#7
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: RIC
Programs: Delta Gold, National EE, Hertz PC, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 889
Wow, saw it and had to look into it and man just picked out a day at MCO to compare Hertz to Dollar on the Escalade and Hertz is 20 bucks cheaper per day and no mileage limits...
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,665
I think I would have really considered up to $99 a day for it, for some reason going over $100 a day for a rental is a mental hurdle for me, even for a sports car.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Better not come here!
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Chicago
Programs: OnePass, HawaiianMiles, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards, SkyMiles, Amex MR, SPG, Hhonors
Posts: 65
I would like to say that I have found Dollar had lower rates than Hertz coupled with great service. But, I haven't even found any availability for any Style Series vehicles for any of my travels. I guess if they really are booked that heavily, perhaps the style series is a huge success for them.^
#11
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E75K, Amex Plat, NEXUS, Aman-user (not really a -junkie)
Posts: 1,721
$149/day for a Mercedes E350 sedan at LAS with only 75 miles free really isn't going to be competitive. $179/day for a Hummer H2...
I don't think they'll get too many renters who have a Dollar rental (which are typically less expensive) to upgrade either !
I don't think they'll get too many renters who have a Dollar rental (which are typically less expensive) to upgrade either !
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Well, what are the rates for similar vehicles at the Hertz Prestige Collection?
Dollar's rates are low compared to the exotic car rental companies and their mileage limits are comparatively liberal. At Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car, the E350 goes for $195 per day with 50 miles included and $.50 per extra mile. The S550, which Dollar has for $275 per day, goes for $594 per day with the same 50 miles/$.50 per extra mile. (Of course, at Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car, you can also get the S600 for $799 per day or--if you're really in the mood for an exotic rental--an Aston Martin Vantage for $1750 per day or a Ferrari F430 Spider for $3000 per day, so the E350 and S550 are at the lower end of the spectrum for them.)
I confess I haven't bothered to look at Hertz' Prestige Collection rates, but every time I check rates for car rentals online, Hertz is always at the top and can be more than double the Enterprise/Dollar/Thrifty/Budget/Alamo rates (they always seem to be close). Perhaps their Prestige Collection isn't quite as bad...
Dollar's rates are low compared to the exotic car rental companies and their mileage limits are comparatively liberal. At Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car, the E350 goes for $195 per day with 50 miles included and $.50 per extra mile. The S550, which Dollar has for $275 per day, goes for $594 per day with the same 50 miles/$.50 per extra mile. (Of course, at Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car, you can also get the S600 for $799 per day or--if you're really in the mood for an exotic rental--an Aston Martin Vantage for $1750 per day or a Ferrari F430 Spider for $3000 per day, so the E350 and S550 are at the lower end of the spectrum for them.)
I confess I haven't bothered to look at Hertz' Prestige Collection rates, but every time I check rates for car rentals online, Hertz is always at the top and can be more than double the Enterprise/Dollar/Thrifty/Budget/Alamo rates (they always seem to be close). Perhaps their Prestige Collection isn't quite as bad...
#13
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,665
I think the majority of the Hertz prestige collection cars are reasonable priced. On top of that you can negotiate the "upcharge" quite a bit with the counter agent if you reserved a lower class of car and one is available. The Dollar style series seems to be a little higher from what I've personally seen and I've never rented from a Dollar location with these cars so I don't know if they negotiate the prices at the airport or not.
As far as Hertz goes on regular cars it is usually about the same price as Budget and National if you don't have any discounts. If you have good discounts it can easily drop into the Alamo, Thrifty, and Dollar range... but you're getting much better cars with Hertz than you are with the lower grade companies.
As far as Hertz goes on regular cars it is usually about the same price as Budget and National if you don't have any discounts. If you have good discounts it can easily drop into the Alamo, Thrifty, and Dollar range... but you're getting much better cars with Hertz than you are with the lower grade companies.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Maybe it's different in other locations, but even at LAX, where I've rented from Dollar and Thrifty, I've only gotten fairly new Chrysler products (a Dodge Magnum and a Chrysler 300).
As far as rates, I don't regularly check places other than here. In the off-season, Hertz's cars go for $60-70/day while the low rates of $20 and even $11/day are a constant battle between Dollar, Thrifty, Budget, Enterprise and occasionally Alamo/National (they're dual-branded here). Avis is usually halfway between the low guys and Hertz. But Hertz is always 3+ times as expensive as the rest of us.
Of course, in the peak season (now through September), everyone charges $90/day for compact cars (if they're not sold out), and Hertz then becomes more competitive with the rest of us.