Advice for First Time Renter (NYC Area)
 

I received the preferred membership with AMEX and am looking to rent a car for the weekend (Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th).

I live in NYC and rates here seem pretty high. It would be great to get somewhat of a nice car as well for this trip.

Can anyone advise me on the best way to go about this? It seems that rates within the city are about $130 a day, and outside the city in montclair NJ, very cheap at about $50-70 a day with multiple options

Would my best bet be spending the extra 45 minutes of commuting outside of the city for this purpose? I would assume manhattan would have a very limited selection as well.

Thanks!

Really depends on where you're headed. I rent fairly often from the Stamford, CT location as it is across from the Metro-North station and thus easily accessible by train. Rates are a fraction of what they are in the city and I can return the car to Manhattan for no extra charge.

Selection is limited at many of these locations. I book full size and have received a Ford Fusion or Toyota Camry more often than not. If an upgrade is available, it's usually a Ford Taurus.

Thanks for the response.


I am headed to atlantic city and wouldnt mind spending the extra $20 for an intermediate car in hopes of premium or lux upgrade

I rented at AVIS JFK at the end of June, for around $41 per day (With Taxes!!!) a Full Size. I checked the AVIS app as I was pulling into the lot, and it allowed me to modify to a new rate of like $21 per day, I was having some shady internet issues so I decided to bite it.

When I went to my spot, I was assigned a Escape Titanium, to which a friendly agent told me he would upgrade me to anything on the lot for only $30 more (I took a Caddy XTS4 with 35 miles).

When he said anything, he meant just that. He offered me a Beemer and a Escalate, friendliest worker I've ever seen, and it was freezing cold outside and raining!

I'm only preferred!

I live in NYC and rates here seem pretty high.....very cheap at about $50-70 a day with multiple options

High and low are relative terms. In the suburbs, we would call those daily rates expensive.

It would be great to get somewhat of a nice car as well for this trip.

I've seen several Manhattan rental garages, with all the companies. All the cars looked like the standard, beat-up, plain vanilla family sedan types. Paying prices like what you're seeing in a place with high operating costs, limited space, and high demand means you simply get something, not something nice. Paying locally high prices in the suburbs, you might. Paying relatively high prices at airports, you probably will.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

You might also check Avis/Budget rates at one of the Edison/Metropark locations. Price it with and without a return to EWR/Manhattan.

Was the parking attendant or checking agent the one that hooked you up with the upgrade?

He was a parking attendant. He was standing near the area where the Board for Preferred was. He saw me looking and came over. He was really friendly.

It was pouring outside, and he still went out there and got me a nice car.

*I meant Escalade on my previous post btw.