I gotta say sixt in Germany is impressive. Here's my recap and comparison with a typical experience renting in the US.

Booked an fdar c-class Benz equivalent for about 45 usd per day ai. And received an e-class Benz. Unbelievable deal for a high end luxury vehicle. I checked what something like this rents for in the US and its over 100 per day. I also checked a german consolidator website, mietwagen, and the cheapest econobox cars were about 35 a day. For that difference I'll take the benz any day.

Picked up the car at a fancy BMW dealership in Dortmund, not some double-wide prefab trailor house like a typical off airport location in the US. The girl working the greeters desk at the dealership walked us over to the sixt counter where the agent was helping any other customer. So she offered us a seat on a couch and asked if we'd like a beverage while we waited. In the US, I'd expect a roped off line or at best a metal folding chair next to water cooler.

My only beef was the agent basically tossed us the keys and said Have fun! At least there was no hard sell tactics over prepaid full and insurance options. We had to run back in to point out the massive gash in the rear bumper, but he had already notated the damage in the rental agreement.

Returning the car in the Stuttgart airport was quick and convenient. What I particularly like is how all of the car rental companies contract out return services with the garage. No weaving through alleys, following poorly lit signs over tire shredding speed bumps to find the sixt return guys. The rental car garage is right next to the terminal, not a bus or tram ride away.

The car was pristine, only 2000km, although the radio intermittently turned on and off every 20 minutes or so and the navigation system crashed at a few very inopportune times when I found myself driving the wrong direction down some narrow cobblestone streets! It didn't have some of the features I'd expect on such an expensive car, power seats, leather, moonroof, but I appreciated the bumper sensors, those beeps saved me some dings in tight parking spots. The four banger engine was a little underpowered in acceleration, but it drove nicely at highway cruise speeds.

Driving in Europe was a pleasure. The road maintenance is impeccable, no dodging truck tire treads, and high quality pavement on the motorways. There is a lot less signage on the road, which is probably a good thing as US highways are plastered with billboards. I got in a friendly quarrel with my German friend about France vs Germany. French motorways are much more pleasant than the autobahn. First off are the speeds, 130kmh limit is more than fast enough. You have to drive with your eyes concentrated on the rear view mirrors to account for not just the sports cars racing by, but also all the family station wagons that are so popular in Europe. Also are the rest areas, in Germany if you are lucky enough to find parking spaces not filled up by truckers I noticed most men scamper to the woods to take a leak. I even saw a woman dropping her trousers in the woods.

Can't wait to try sixt in the US. My understanding is that sixt is a German company, so perhaps the experience will be similar stateside.