Need 4x4 SUV at DCA
 

I will be flying into DCA (DC National Airport) and need to rent an SUV the weekend of Labor Day. I will be traveling to family in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and will need to have a vehicle with 4x4 due to them living in the mountains off of a very bad rocky, muddy dirt road. I have actually gotten stuck on it in a car before, so that is not an option. I seen on Avis website, they do not mention if it is 4x4 or not for SUV.

Can I be guaranteed a vehicle with 4 wheel drive? I dont care WHAT type of vehicle, but it needs to have 4 wheel drive. I have also not rented with Avis before, I usually do Enterprise, but they cannot guarantee me a 4x4 vehicle. Do they have mileage limits, or limit what state you can go to?

Welcome to FT!

1. I don't think Avis guarantees 4x4 in their vehicles. However, you can call & request it, but I doubt it's guaranteed.

2. Some AWDs limit the mileage, and charge you for each mile you go over. You'll have to just try to make a reservation & see what it shows on the screen for mileage... but IME, about 90% of the AWDs have unlimited mileage.

3. Any Avis US vehicle can go to any state or Canada. The only stipulation is that a Canadian cannot drive a US vehicle into Canada, but that's a law from Canada, not some Avis stipulation.

If I needed 4x4 or AWD, I would make an SUV reservation with about 3 or 4 companies. When you get to the airport, go to the cheapest one and try to get them to give you what you want. If they can't help you, move to the next and try again. Keep trying 'til you (hopefully) get what you want.

Good luck!

Thats an interesting idea, I had not thought of that. I assume there would be some sort of fee for canceling the reservation right?

There CAN be depending on the company, but it's almost impossible to enforce, especially given that all you give when you reserve the car is your name, email, and phone (make sure you don't put down any loyalty accounts when you make the reservation. They would have to reasonably prove that you reserved the car rather than someone who knows your name, phone, and email (such as an ex- or an angry neighbor), and it wouldn't be worth it to them for a small cancellation fee.