There was another FT thread recently about their pricing. They are very well aware that they have a premium brand and service, and appear to be pricing it accordingly. They have also been advertising quite a bit on TV and I suspect that has helped to boost their profile, thus allowing them to support the higher rates in many cases.
All of that said, depending on the situation there are deals to be had. Also keep in mind that there are quite a few coupons floating around which can help to get the rate down, although admittedly in most cases we're still seeing more competitive rates from Hertz and the like.
One decent discount code is for
Southwest Rapid Rewards members.