IAHtraveler

Lately, I've seen tons of Expedition XLs (or whatever they call the long wheel base). Some new Suburbans/Yukon XLs are appearing and the older Suburbans are still very prevalent. I'd say >90% chance you get one of those. Small chance you get a Navigator. I'd say <1% chance you land an Escalade (the old version). But that's 3 months away so a lot can change.

montusama

Hi,

I'm moving across the country again in a Minivan. I have (well technically my friend does, I'm just paying for it after) a Minivan rental from a non-airport Avis location (AVDB1) in South Florida. I'm trying to figure out what potential vehicle we will be getting (Chrysler Voyager or similar) and what are the best ways to try to get a better vehicle for this use case (still within "Minivans"). The use case being moving and the need being the second row seats Stow-n-go or similar. Essentially maximizing the cargo area. I've used Enterprise and Alamo previously and got a Grand Caravan back in 2018. This time around rental options were limited due to the lack of one-way rentals and were easily double the price.

What make/models and trims are generally showing up at lately?
What is the best way to achieve a desired vehicle, if options are available? It's my understanding that the fleet Voyager (LXi) has second row Stow-n-go.


If it helps, we are getting XMR, RSN, CDW, PAI, PEP, and ALI as well. The rental has been prepaid. I'm just moving boxes and a bicycle. Nothing crazy.

m907

I haven't rented with Avis for awhile, but the Chrysler Voyager is most common across all the major companies. The Dodge Grand Caravan was discontinued a couple years ago. The plan was to make the Voyager a fleet exclusive, but Chrysler is still selling Pacificas to rental companies. And there are still some Toyota Siennas in rental fleets. But I expect the Voyager will make up the majority of minivan fleets for the foreseeable future.

The caveat is that some of the rental companies have been buying used cars so there may be some outliers.

IAHtraveler

From what I've seen lately, the Voyager/Grand Caravan are most common, with many Pacificas in the fleet as well. Siennas are often spotted but much less common and lower trim levels. I'm still seeing a few (low trim) Kia Sedona but not any Carnivals yet. The Pacifica is by far my favorite minivan buy the GC is also very well equipped. Both have great fold-flat seats in rows 2 & 3. As for trying to get a specific one, it's the luck of the draw. You can ask, but lots have been very empty lately so you might not have good luck getting a specific model. If you get stuck with something poor, you can always go to another/larger site and ask to swap out.
For what it's worth, the last GC actually rolled off the production line last August! It's been fleet-only for a while but they held onto that for as long as they possibly could.

GW McLintock

Has anyone rented in BOI lately? I have no idea what to expect, other than I guess a Camry or maybe some Hyundai crossover on my fullsize res (with supposed double upgrade on top of that)

-J.

Eyal1506

LAX in September:
what should I expect with group H? 🤔

montusama

Thank you for your reply. Somehow we got a Nissan Pathfinder. Most of my stuff managed to fit, the rest was trashed. I'm kinda unhappy about this but it's technically not my rental. Not sure if we have any recourse to begin with or if it's even worth the effort. I just need to move.

m907

If your reservation was actually for a minivan, I would definitely complain to customer service.

montusama

It was. The reservation shows a minivan. Also we are getting a low tire pressure warning on the tire and we filled it up yesterday.

m907

It's probably not even worth the effort, but you could stop at a location along the way and ask for a swap. It would probably need to be a major airport. You probably don't want to move all your stuff over though.

In any case, I would definitely contact Avis customer service via Twitter or the BBB after you return it.

GW McLintock

On Saturday at BOI I saw a Dodge Charger R/T on the lot. Anyone know what class that would fall under?

-J.

IAHtraveler

Haven't had one in over a year, but last I knew, it was specialty.

DELee

Was it a Charger R/T or a Challenger R/T? I've gotten the Challenger recently.

David

GW McLintock

Charger sedan. I was kind of surprised to see it.

-J.

joe2

Silly Question but I've an existing Alamo Compact booking but I am seeing a $25 (overall cost over 3 days) cheaper option with Avis - Premium car at SLC. The reviews have been favorable for Alamo vs Avis at SLC - wondering what you folks' opinion is. Should i cancel Alamo and go with Avis? My trip isn't till early Sept