Originally Posted by
m907
Availability of a BMW, Mercedes, or convertible is a silly metric, and whether they're actually "premium" is debatable.
I think it's a fine metric. And based on my experience as a Hertz PC, BMWs, Mercedes, and convertibles are rarely available to PCs without an extra upgrade fee. I've had three (sort of) German vehicles in the past 12 months (one actual Dingolfing-built 530i and two Mexican Benz A220s). The A220 is certainly a much better vehicle than the Hyundai Whatever, Kia Crapmobile, Malibu, Impala, or Chrysler 300 that PCs normally get in the US.
I have no idea where
jim32190 is renting but his experience is totally out of line with what I've experienced as a PC renting in the US.
I'll take a Ford Explorer Limited with a sunroof, heated/cooled seats, and adaptive cruise control over a barebones BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC300 any day.
Can't comment since I avoid SUVs. I had a BMW X2 as a service loaner not too long ago and it did nothing for me. Certainly would never buy one. But that's true of pretty much all SUVs. What's so bad about the X3 specifically?