Originally Posted by dwbf11

No, those aren't in the same class either.

Historically the X3/similar vehicles were always Premium Elite (UFAR); the Escalade has always been a WZAR (Luxury Elite).

As a practical matter many locations may offer a renter with a reservation one or the other out of convenience (i.e., many renters just book the most expensive class available to get the nicest vehicle the station has that day) but the holder of a WZAR reservation should not have to accept a Premium Elite, as that's a downgrade. Not saying that doesn't happen occasionally if a vehicle isn't returned on time or whatever, but they definitely aren't the same.

Regarding your other comment about the cars. the Cadillac XTS is an LCAR, the BMW (perhaps you mean 320i - the 220i is a coupe and has 2 doors anyways) would be an "upgrade." Many renters are brand-conscious and as you can see, the topic is well-tread ground in this forum. Some folks prefer the hood emblem and others prefer better-equipped cars. Personally I'll take the driving dynamics of a base BMW over a couch like the XTS but I'm sure others feel differently. Either way, the numbers clearly show that upper-crust brands like BMW/Audi/Volvo can command a higher rental rate than even a well-(maybe better) equipped offering from one of the Big 3 or Hyundai/Kia, even if the tiny percentage of renters who take the time to post on Flyertalk may disagree.