I've rented 100s of PL-bid cars and I have never, ever been given a worse car or treated any other way than a non-PL customer, except a few years back some companies had very high extra day/extra hour fees on PL cars.

Hertz lets me use the #1 Gold counter for PL cars since I am a Gold member. Try finding a hotel that gives elite treatment to its chain's own elites when staying on a PL bid.