2025 Upgrades
 

Y'all know the drill.

Status:
Location:
Booked:
Offered:
Received:

Happy 2025, I guess...

Status: PC
Location: DTW
Booked: Full size
Offered: “upgraded” to a 4Runner
Received: Asked and received a 2025 Hybrid Camry- perfect since I was driving 1600 miles and didn’t want to burn through gas.

Status: PC
Location: MCO
Booked: Full
Received: Nissan Rogue w 22K miles

This was the Friday after Christmas and the MCO lot was empty with a long line of people in the Preferred line.

The Rogue easily fit 4 suitcases, but man the power train sucked. Low displacement turbo combined with a CVT. With 3 adults, I’d pray every time I hit the gas to overtake someone.

How was it over the 1600 miles? Comfortable? Good MPG?

It was the base model, so I really missed having heated seats and a decent sound system. Otherwise, very comfortable and very good on gas. I averaged about 35 mpg with an extremely heavy foot.

Status: PC
Location: YYZ terminal 3
Booked: intermediate
Offered: Aging Charger AWD w/62,000km
Received: same, after "What else ya got?" "Malib---" "NO."

I haven't popped the hood but it feels and sounds like the weak V6 model. Warped brake rotors too. I got good upgrades at terminal 2 while the T3 rentals were closed during the (still a thing!) pandemic; T3 is where Avis here seems to dump their old beaters prior to disposal.

Status: PC
Location: YYZ terminal 3
Booked: intermediate
Offered: You can't get a pre-assigned car here for some reason. The kiosk dude offered a Chrysler 300 w/72,000km
Received: oh boy... third one's the charm I guess.

The first 300 had a broken touch screen which meant no way to turn the seat and steering heaters on or off amongst other things and by the time I got the seat, wheel, and mirrors adjusted my butt was on fire and the wheel was HOT, and that's when I discovered the touch screen was borked. Get my stuff out and walk back to the kiosk. They give me another 300. It won't start. Battery was fine, it just didn't register that the fob was in the car. Back to the kiosk... I told them I did not want anything made by Stellantis. OK, a KIA Salted? What the hell is that? No. A Ford Explorer? OK fine I just want to get out of here.

Keep in mind that the 300 went out of production like two years ago. Everything at this location is tired. The guys in the kiosk said they haven't gotten any new cars other than electrics for a long time.

Status: Preferred Plus
Location: OGG
Booked: Midsize SUV
Offered/Received: Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 4x4, 5700 miles

Status: PC
Location: ATL
Booked: intermediate
Offered: Nothing because I changed my inbound to one a few hours later and forgot to update the car res
Received: Tired 50,000mi Malibu

The preferred desk here is outdoors and after standing in the cold waiting my turn I just wanted to GO so when I saw this POS in the designated spot I just sighed and took it. High mileage, wheels out of balance, and a tire that makes that "WOBWOBWUBWUB" sound. Third Avis ride in a row that had some kind of problem... I'm forced to use Avis because obvs why else would anyone use them?

Status: PC
Location: ANC
Booked: fullsize
Offered: Toyota 4Runner (also offered Ford Escape or GMC Acadia)
Received: 2023 GMC Acadia AT4, 23k miles, fully loaded

Great way to start the new year!

-J.

Status: Preferred*
Location: SJC
Booked: Intermediate
Offered: Jeep Compass, Jeep Wrangler, "an electric car", "a seven seater SUV"
Accepted: Hyundai Kona EV (my e-receipt lists this as a "Cool Car" :rolleyes:)

Someone on here described SJC as "oddly SUV heavy" and they were not kidding. The above options were what what were provided when I asked if they had any sedans, and they said they did not. Ended up taking the small EV hatchback since I'd been wanting to try out an EV and didn't have a lot of miles to put on.

*lol, I just realized from the receipt my status dropped down to Preferred from Preferred Plus, no wonder they were being so stingy with upgrades :)

Status: PC
Location: ATL
Booked: intermediate
Offered: Nothing. See below.
Received: First car or second car?

My name is not on the board and the app isn't doing anything other than throwing error messages. It turns out that my new state puts dashes in the license number which I dutifully put into my Avis profile once I got the new one. Well, their system cannot handle any characters other than letters and numbers because the agent at the kiosk said that's why my name wasn't on the board. Oh thanks, wish someone would've told me that last summer... anyway, "we're not doing upgrades tonight." There's about oh a thousand cars here but sure, don't bother with honoring status, it's FINE.

Get a newer Mazda 3 which seems nice, and as I left I went to put up the driver's window. It stops and goes back down. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Clearly the window is jamming and activating the safety, so I took it back and ended up with a newish Hyundai Elantra which feels cheap and flimsy, but it works. And it's been awhile that I've had a car that did not absolutely reek of cigarette or weed smoke, and did not have 70,000mi on it, so there's that going for em.

I never liked Avis but it's been the sole rental co. through three different employers, probably because lowest bidder for the business, and really, after so many broken tired cars and rude, useless agents lately, I despise this company and wish them bankruptcy.

I'm not sure if this is the right thread, but can anyone tell me how PC upgrades are supposed to work? I am PC and booked a "Cadillac XT5 or similar" which I think is Group H? What does that mean a two group "upgrade" would be? I don't think I totally understand what that means. I'm driving around a bunch with my father-in-law so would like a nicer car, but don't want/need a huge car (last time I rented with Avis they "upgraded" me to an Infiniti QX80 and that thing drove like a tank), but am bringing my golf clubs so want to make sure I have an SUV.

It's somewhat confusing, so any help would be great!

Upgrades are up to a premium car. You are booking a higher class than that, so you will get something in the class you book (i.e., you are not entitled to an upgrade if you book this class).

-J.

Thank you! Super helpful.