Tips on Avoiding a Town Car?
 

I've been renting from Avis for years, always in the luxury category. By simply calling the 800 number and asking them to note my preference, I've gotten Cadillac DTS, STS and CTS every time until last February at TPA. That time, I got an Infinity M37, with which I was very pleased (NAV and SAT radio included). They told me Cadillac was no longer making fleet sales, so it's going to be harder to avoid Town Cars in the future (at least until they really stop producing them).

I have a 7-day rental coming up at LAX, and they apparently still have a lot of TCs there. Any tips to ensure I get either an MKS, MKZ or M37?

Thanks.

That happened in August of 2011

TW

Yeah, I've been hearing since 2010 that production ended. Maybe it really did end in August 2011. If that's the case, Avis, Hertz and National must have bought up a huge supply of them (at vast discounts, no doubt) because there's no shortage of them in rental fleets. Maybe by September of this year, they'll all sell them off and replace them with much more modern MKS'.

Why don't you just call the 800 number like you used to do?

I already did that, but with the phase-out of Cadillacs from the fleet, the percentage of cars I like has declined, and my odds of getting a Town Car have increased.

God, why does Avis keep buying these awful tanks? I occasionally get upgraded into them (usually in DTW) and immediately go to the Preferred booth for an exchange.

On a related note, how come Avis is still employing large numbers of Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Vics as Premium vehicles?

Situation already reported on April 1
 

Discussed here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/avis/...illacs-go.html

Meanwhile, if you like the Cadillac CTSs ... my wife and I both drive them at our NJ location and have always requested them for our AVIS rentals ... the Lincoln MKS is a clone in all respects: soft ride, plenty of space in the comfortable cabin, very large trunk, all the bells and whistles of the CTS sedan. As mentioned in my post referenced below, I found the Town Car to be the equivalent of a 64ft yacht requiring a captain and crew to run. It is like steering an 18 wheeler around corners and in parking lots. The MKS handles like a dream (that is, like a CTS). My personal "handler" (Steve) at the FLL location knows my preferences and tells me that I would like the Infiniti M37 (but I haven't tried it yet).

We're in an MKS at the moment (for the first time, thanks to "Steve"), down in my Boca home ... and my wife and I are enjoying the ride.

We'll be traveling to LAX at the end of the month ... so I guess I better check now to see if they have CTSs (or I'll ask for the MKS or M37 ... or the MKT crossover ... or the BMW X5 crossover which we also like, aside from the weird dashboard and shifting features).

As I mentioned in the other post, AVIS is treating the Hyundai Genesis as a match to the CTS ... but, in our personal opinions (wife and me), it looks good but is a not a good drive (very poor side and rear visibility from drivers seat, jerky brakes).

Thanks for the link to the other post. I heard the Genesis was in the lux category in some locations. I just can't think of Hyundai as a luxury car and would not be amused if they tried to give me one of those. I think I'd take a Maxima or Chryler 300 over one of those, even though they're not in the lux category. I saw a lot of both at LAX last time I was there.

As to why they keep buying the Town Cars, my guess is that they are very heavily discounted and they have good resale value because limo drivers are happy to buy them used with 6-7k rental miles on them.

You really need to give up those outdated perceptions of Hyundai. A Genesis blows a Maxima out of the water in many, many aspects. A Genesis' character is very different from a 300 (much more restrained) but every bit its equal.

+1. I had a Genesis a couple weeks ago at LAX and it out performed the 300 in all performance categories. My buddy who drives a VW GTi noted it's definitely quicker than his car. I was thoroughly impresses by the Hyundai!

I can assure you that LAX no longer has any Cadillacs. They do normally have plenty of 300's, Genesis's, MKS's, and the typical land Yachts. If they assign you a Land yacht, just ask for something else. LAX is an easy location to rent from and will accommodate you.

I'd be quite happy with an MKS. Were there a lot of Infinity M37s in the lot?

I wouldn't say a lot. Maybe 2 or 3. But if you can get in one of those, I'd take it over all the others!

The Genesis is actually a very nice ride. I didn't find anything about it that screamed Hyundai. It is not an Accent.

I've been asigned TCs in the past, and have just asked for something comparable in the class and have never had a problem getting that.

Here's the thing... Everyone wonders how to avoid XYZ car... How about you simply ASK for what you want at the preferred desk. There just isnt any way to avoid the car you dont want all of the time. Its just not going to happen. Thousands of rental locations in the US, different fleets all the time, hundreds of other renters at the same time. Sorry, but the clerk at the desk isnt going to read every single renters personal preferences and assign ahead of time.

BUT -- just take your preferred slip into the preferred desk and ASK for what you want. You'll get it 99% of the time. (Obviously within your class and/or with status).