I've been long overdue to make a post about this location, as I have rented from here extensively for the last four years.
National has five locations in Victoria, all of which are owned by the same franchise that runs all the Vancouver Island locations (except for Campbell River which is an independent).
- YYJ - In Terminal, Emerald Counter location (no aisle)
- Downtown - Across from the Convention Centre, they do pick-ups at area hotels during the peak hours of the day
- Midtown - Douglas and Burnside area, this is essentially a franchise within a franchise type of arrangement with an owner-op. Mostly does dealership/body shop rentals but still open for retail.
- Colwood - Similar to Midtown, located across from the Casino on the Colwood Crawl
- Sidney - Close to the airport, does pick-ups from the ferry terminal and marinas which is handy. Limited selection as it's the smallest location of the five.
Fleet
This is based on my primary experiences with the airport and downtown. The other locations share the same fleet but some of the dealership-catering locations with have select Ford/GM products to meet customer demand. Usually these don't go to retail unless they have nothing else (I've asked before). Mileage does vary. Most of the Mazdas and Subarus are on buyback with local dealers so often they get turned back before 15,000 km. Some of the more under-utilized vehicles like vans and convertibles can stray up to and above the 40k mark. Generally the cars are well kept though.
Economy/Compact - Mazda2 (90%+), also Ford Fiesta
Intermediate - Mazda3, sedan and hatch, mostly base models but some Skyactiv models too, including some with moonroof and leather, also Subaru Impreza and a few Chevy Cruze
Fullsize - Mazda6 (only ever seen them with leather and moonroof) and Subaru Legacy (seen a handful of 3.6R models but never gotten one), as they don't have a Standard class the Mazda5 (SXAR) will sometimes go out as a Full, which I have no issue with as they are darned handy
Minivan - Grand Caravans with Stow n' Go
Intermediate SUV - Subaru Forester or Outback, a few Nissan Rogue on occasion
Standard SUV - Hyundai Santa Fe
Fullsize SUV - Jeep Commander
Convertible - Ford Mustang V6, some Mitsu Eclipse Spyders still in the fleet (4-cyl with the Rockford Fosgate sound system, just rented one this weekend)
They also have a full line of pickup trucks, cargo and moving vans, and 15-passengers at all locations. generally speaking the trucks don't go out of downtown or the airport as they don't have the space, so your closest alternates are Midtown and Sidney respectively which both seem to have a good selection. Was nice to get a 16' box truck two weekends ago to help my dad empty a storage locker and get a rental credit for it! ^
General Consensus: A decently honest franchise that aims to please. They will usually upgrade an EC member one class; some managers will get to know what you like and let you go even further within reason (i.e. I often get a Forester or Outback on an ICAR rate). Marching in and waving your Elite card around like it's a Platinum Amex doesn't garner any sway here, as in keeping with the town Victoria is a very people-focused city and it's all about recognizing names and faces. Their fleet may not be the most diverse in town but I've found the customer service to be great and I like having in-town National locations which seem to be becoming a rarity these days.
Happy renting...and if any of you happen out this way you know who to PM for a pint!