jackal

Thanks for the report, jans45, and welcome to FlyerTalk! I've updated the first post with your results.

I'm guessing that next time you pass through Denver, your odds of getting a Durango are pretty high...given that 100% of the [three] reports from Denver are for Dodge Durangos!

That is, unless Thrifty has learned something and is shipping their Durangos to another location where they may actually be used!

My guess is that location stocks Durangos for the winter months when demand for a 4-wheel-drive vehicle are high. Two of the three reports so far are for the spring or summer months (the third is February), but I would guess that if we had a larger data set for the winter months, we'd see that there are not as many Durangos sitting unused out on the lot.

In the summer, they may try to one-way the Durangos to other locations (like Northeast locations do with their convertibles--they offer free or low-cost drops in Florida during the Fall so they're in Florida for the winter), but unless there have been some deals that I haven't noticed (which is entirely possible), they haven't been trying very hard. Besides, where else are they going to go in the summer months where they'll be used any more than they are in DEN? I would then forecast that you're likely to continue to get Durangos (or other SUVs) in the summer in DEN unless Dollar Thrifty changes their fleet mix (entirely possible with some of the recent adjustments they've made with Chrysler) and opts to reduce the number of Durangos fleet-wide (which will make them a rarer commodity in the winter).

martyYYZ

BOS - was given a Dodge Journey SUV.

PIThawk

I'll be using WildCar for a stay in SAV in late June, I'll make sure to post my experience when I get back, since that's not someplace there's a post about thus far. Anything but a midsize would do the trick for the family.

It's a little scary, because the location lists no premium or luxury cars. Can you say "SUV", boys and girls???

kchoya

At SeaTac on April 17, we got a brand new Town & Country minivan for the weekend.

sam-i-am

Dodge Caravan at ICT. It was fine. (Didn't need to impress anyone, though)

monzmom

Hi. I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with Wild Car rates at PDX (Portland, OR)? I'm planning a trip for my family and my inlaws (there will be 4 adults and 1 teen in the car). At minimum, we would need a full sized car, but something bigger would probably be better. I'm from CA so paying for gas for a minivan or SUV won't be too big of a shock to my system. Am I taking too big of a risk booking this rate seeing that we need something larger?

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

jackal

I would have been able to tell you my experience, since I had a Wild Car reservation for PDX tomorrow, but we decided to save money and do Portland car-free the first day and pick up from a suburban rental company the following day.

You can never absolutely count on anything larger than a midsize, so if you absolutely need the space, I'd probably bite the bullet and reserve something bigger.

You could also make a backup reservation for a larger vehicle with another company (I'd be leery of booking two reservations with Dollar) and fall back to that if the Wild Car is not to your liking.

monzmom

I was thinking the same thing - that I should just bite the bullet and book the larger car. Thanks for your help - I appreciate it! DU

jackal

Just reporting that a family member picked up a Magnum as a Wild Car in OGG this afternoon.

Boertjie

This info's been really useful. I plan on traveling to SEA over Thanksgiving 09 (from South Africa!) and was wondering if anyone had any recent experiences with the local Thrifty and their Wild Car deal?

jackal

Welcome to FlyerTalk, Boertjie!

Hopefully someone who has been in SEA recently reads this and can report. Otherwise, I believe I've collected all of the posted information back in post #1 on page 1, which, although the information isn't super up-to-date, might help you determine what's likely at SEA. Based on that, I'd expect you to get a car reasonably comfortable for four adults. If you need more space than that, I wouldn't rely on a Wild Car.

Safe travels from South Africa!

docr775

IND - with one exception when I received a Pontiac G6, all my rentals have been a Camry and usually they are about half the price of Hertz or Avis.

ONT - Mustangs or PT cruisers - they actually let you choose your car from what is available on the lot;

RNO - Ford Fusions

Boertjie

Thanks a lot! You've been most helpful! :-:^

docr775

Tonight at RNO was given the option between a Sebring and a Mustang. For $25.97 a day, I took the Mustang. It is a V8. Not too gas friendly for the 300 or so odd miles that I have to drive between California and Reno for the next two days, but I will have fun.

I just hope my fuzz buster catches the CHP!!!!

jackal

Very nice! I got a Mustang V6 convertible at CLT few years ago and wasn't all that impressed. I didn't know Thrifty had any V8s kicking around! That'd make a world of difference.

Be sure to post your speeding ticket count!

(The first thread has been updated.)