Originally Posted by
RockManX77777
Hi,
I'll be flying to San Diego in mid May (before Memorial Day to avoid the crowd), and I'm thinking of renting a large SUV (Tahoe, Expedition, Yukon) since there's many of us, although we could probably fit in a Taurus too.
Would it be cheaper to rent a large SUV via advance reservation and guarantee a large SUV? Or would it be cheaper to rent a smaller car (Intermediate) and use Select & Go to upgrade to a large SUV IF available?
I don't want to rely on human interaction to negotiate the upgrade since I don't know how busy the San Diego airport is on Friday evenings, and this location has not-so-good reviews on Yelp. My company uses Avis, so that's why I'm incline toward them, but if you have any other suggestions, fire away!
I would like a vehicle with built-in navigation too, so Select & Go would let me pick a vehicle that has one rather than having to stop by the counter and request one.
Ditto to what mittencuh said, but you can't rule it out (there was a Mitsubishi SUV and a Dodge Journey at SEA select & go last month). If I were you, what I would do is book an intermediate (it will be MUCH cheaper than the large SUV) just in the off chance there is something in Select & Go you could take but insure that by also booking a Large SUV. Whichever reservation you don't pick up and take will not be charged. Just make sure at the gate they pull up the correct reservation.
Having an intermediate reservation would also give you the option to negotiate for a large SUV upgrade at the counter if there's not a big line. Just know your numbers and be willing to negotiate.
Also, finding a vehicle with built-in navigation these days is a little tough, but not impossible (just like the SUV in select & go).
and FWIW, you'll be hard pressed to find ANY rental company on Yelp that doesn't have negative reviews.
Hope this helps!