How is Avis?
 

I am looking for a car rental in August, out of my local airport in Albany,NY and I am a Hertz #1 Club Gold member, but I do require a Premium car for the size and the luggage space, and the price I got with Hertz with the AAA CDP 080, which was 427.88 with taxes and fees, but I looked in my entertament book and I called around, and I found a great rate with Avis, that’s a Premium car with unlimited miles and with AWD:B790066, and Coupon: MUGG641 was 338.00 with the discounts and coupon, that’s about 100 dollars less than Hertz. My real question is is Avis as good as Hertz and I would like to know experiences people have had with Avis, and how the cars in the Premium class come equipped and what models they are, I am wondering is it really worth 100 bucks to go with Avis. I would please like some reply on this.

Thanks so much,
Ryan

I don't read a lot of ecstatic opinions of Avis. I'm generally happy. I always get the car I rented. Only 1 out the last 30 rentals priced wrong but that was easily fixed when I returned it. For preferred select renters, there are few benefits and they materialize sporadicaly. There have been customer service horror stories reported here. IMO, most are location-specific. You might tell us whee you are renting.

The premium cars I have rented have been Buick LeSabres. They have the usual equipment as well as an XM radio. Luxury has usually been a Cadillac Sedan DeVille, or sometimes a Lincoln Town Car. I prefer the Caddy for the XM (radio is important to me).

I'd rent from any of the majors if it saved me $100. I think the chances of a major snafu are low. But if you have one, the concensus seems to be that you will wish you hadn't rented from Avis. Of course, I don't haunt the other car rental forums. It's possible they have their share of customer disservice stories as well.

Do the LeSabres have leather?

Thanks and please reply.

It's been 6 months and a lot of cars since I had one. I honestly don't recall. Sorry.

Ok,

This topic is still open, for anyone else who would like to reply.

Thanks again,
Ryan

I did see a Crown Victoria with leather at LAX in the premium aisle a couple of months ago. Avis has more and more Ford products on the lot now that they and Budget are owned by the same parent company.

My father rents premium or luxury vehicles from Avis a few times a year, however, and always seems to get a LeSabre with cloth seats when he books a premium (at EWR and some of the Manhattan locations).

At least all of Avis's premium vehicles are equipped with XM or Sirius satellite radio.

I got a Town Car with leather seats in San Antonio several weeks ago.

I stick with Avis out of inertia. (Holdover from the days when I cared about collecting British Airways Executive Club miles and they were -- maybe still are -- giving 500 BA miles per rental instead of the measly 35 or 50 you get with other FF programs.) Now I'm just used to their website and major airport locations.

Upgrades are spotty, the "Preferred Select" loyalty tier means nothing, there are no real rewards for repeat business, rates and fees and gas charges can be exorbitant, and IMHO and experience, whenever you have human contact with an Avis employee it's disastrous. I guess I could be lured away...

The Buick did not have leather seats but who the hell cares? It's just a rental car. It's definitely a car that is marketed toward people who are 60 years and older.

I would prefer the G6 from National. It has XM, a more modern car with better handling.

Inconsistent
 

Well I have been pleased with Avis, I think Hertz has more consistent service and a better fleet. Honestly, it depends on the location you rent from, and I think Avis does best Hertz sometimes. Premium at Avis means Buick. With sat. radio. So, if you like GM cars, then you came to the right place. If you like German cars, then you need to fly to FRA. :p

the only "inventory purchase" leather vehicle is the caddy. Avis does get leather cars in the lower class by "coincidence" as part of its fleet buying practice. Often the employees there know which ones are leather and can point you in the right direction (suggest a specific car type and then whammo..leather car.)

The buick lesabres in my fleet are all cloth, XM radio, "turned back" at faster intervals (turnback-sold back to the manufacturer) so most of them have less than 5000 miles on them (not always, but in my fleet, thats how it works).

ill give you that...
 

avis can be inconsistent even from shift to shift. Daytime at my operation is "fantastic" to "over the top."

Arrive at night, youll get the attitude and younger/less experienced employees. However at night, you can get more of what you want.

Example..

"Ya know..this car is very old, do you have a newer one?"
"how about this car...it has 7 miles on it."

in the day...theres less chance of that kind of interaction.


Plus at night, since the less experienced "workforce" is present, youll usually find more managers, or more "leads" working, making it easier, albeit a bit longer, to get corrective action for something that isnt right. (perferred selects usually fare MUCH better at my operation at night. Just make a face, a lead will walk up and ask if there is anything they can do for you. Explain your situation, dont vent, and in all likelyhood youll get that convertible upgrade from a subcompact for only 5-7 dollars per day.

that is PERFECTLY within their power, but it takes a reason, usually customer service improvement mechanism.