Enterprise - What's considered a full-size car?
 

I had a reservation for a full-size car at a local Enterprise and when I arrived to get my car, they said they were short on cars and only had a Pontiac Vibe. I told them I had a reservation for a full-size car and that's the size car I needed. The manager said that the Pontiac Vibe IS a full-size car and didn't seem to want to do anything else. I was left to either take the Vibe or go somewhere else. I think he was lying to me because the Pontiac Vibe doesn't seem like a full-size car to me. After I voiced my dissatisfaction with the whole situation, I ended up getting a Toyota Camry that had to be transferred from another Enterprise location (after almost an hour wait). So is the Pontiac Vibe a full-size car or not?

I'm pretty sure that Enterprise follows the same fleet structure as National. The Pontiac Vibe is a twin to the Toyota Matrix, which I know is a STANDARD size car, one below Fullsize.

Some Fullsize examples include:

Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Malibu
Dodge Charger
Mitsubishi Galant
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry

There are others but those are some of the more common ones. The Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata are both residents of the Standard class, but as two of my favorites I often find myself taking them on Fullsize bookings since they're similarly-sized and even better equipped than some of the Fullsize offerings.

Sorry to hear about this Ed, the manager was incorrect as the Vibe is considered Standard size. And while I'm glad he was able to provide you with a Fullsize Camry, the inconvenience this caused you along with misinformation about the Vibe is something we'd like to handle further.

Please email me at care[at]enterprise.com with your rental agreement number, what location this was and the name of the manager you dealt with. When emailing please list reference #101028-001366 in the subject line.

- Elizabeth with Enterprise Rent-A-Car

See, now this is customer service at its best. ^to Enterprise.

Here in the UK (for what it's worth), a full size car would be one of four options:
a) Vauxhall Insignia
b) Ford Mondeo (hopefully the Titanium model)
c) VW Passat
d) Toyota Avensis

For what it's worth, IMO the Avensis is the best model in this category - and most of them have free GPS installed as well :)

If U.S. rental car companies tried giving our Passats as fullsize cars, there would be a mutiny! I think the Vibe is bigger than the Passat, and it's a standard-sized car! :eek:

When Americans rent full-size cars, they expect gargantuan American boats like the Ford Crown Victoria. (Yes, I've heard people argue that even the Charger isn't a full-size vehicle...)

Lol. Yes, I had the Ford Crown Vic the first time I went to the US...and wow did it take getting used to. Felt like a bench in the front, with being absolutely massive inside!

But here in Europe etc, the cars are somewhat smaller (body-work wise), and therefore it's considered a full size. (As an example, take the Toyota Camry - the US version is longer and wider, although has the same size engine). I find that it causes the car to be slightly more diffilcult to handle efficiently, and the 'extra' bodywork causes the engine to have to work more, IMO...

The hilarious twist being that Thrifty YYZ rents Passats as a Fullsize Specialty, and has quite a complement of them. National also has some Passats here too.

I have rented a bunch lately with Enterprise and all full size


Impala
Camry
Sonata

My last three Enterprise rentals have had the classification of the vehicle on the key fob. ccar - compact car, icar - midsize/intermediate car, scar - standard car , fcar - fullsize. Provides good ammunition in any discussion.

Full list of codes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACRISS_...ification_Code

During my Enterprise days I had to push the Passat, Vibe, Chevy HHR, PT Crusier (God Help me on that One), Kia Rondo, Kia Optima and plenty else as Full Size cars when we were short. I'm not surprised they tried this on you, it happens when branches are caught short.

Be happy they didn't try the "Free Upgrade to a Minivan!" line.

So is the Chevy HHR REALLY a FULL-SIZE car??? At Enterprise here in Cleveland they tell me (on an ADVANCE reservation) that I may get a Chevy HHR since it is considered full-size. Can anyone clarify if it is really a full-size vehicle or I am being had! Thanks!

P.S. They also told me the following are fulll size: Pontiac G6, Nissan Altima and Mazda 6. Hmmm.

Well, Enterprise has been classifying them as fullsizes for a good while now; whether they actually are is a matter of debate, but however you slice it, if you book a fullsize with Enterprise, it's possible you'll get one.

Part of the issue is that Enterprise subscribes to the model of classifying cars by cost. Cheapo Kias will be classified larger than smaller domestics or premium Japanese cars, because they are more expensive.

I picked up a full-size Thursday at a local location in Bailey's Crossroad, Va.

Was given a choice of:
Chevy Malibu (stock full of them on lot)
Hyundai Elantra
Mazda 6

I chose the Mazda 6, has 4,000 miles on it, delivered in mid-December and working great for now

An Elantra? Are you sure you don't mean a Sonata? The Elantra is an Intermediate sized car at best. Oh and I would have made the same choice as you.