Putnik

My new favorite car is the Mustang GT. It sounds much better than the Camaro SS and is also easier to see out of and it handles better than the Challenger RT. I drove the convertible version from JAX to MCO, but I didn't put the top down because it was too hot and humid, even at night.

klanfa

Especially with the top down 😁
I second the Mustang GT convertible - fun to drive, handles great and has an OK trunk too in case you have more than a carry on. Would highly recommend for hilly and curvy roads.

xienon

I just had a Camaro V6 1LT last weekend and it's one of my favorites now. It seems to sound and handle a lot better after the 2019 refresh for some reason. The Camaro is probably the best handling car you can regularly find on the aisle but not quite as good as non-aisle cars like a Miata, Mini, CLA250, or ATS (I really miss the ATS but the platform lives on in the Camaro).

I also had the Camaro SS last year. The acceleration is unbeatable but for pure handling, the V6 is better as it's lighter. And agree with everyone the Camaro is impossible to see out of, it really needs a front camera and blind spot warning. I also wish National would order their V6 camaros with the RS package as the 1LT wheels look really cheap.

strickerj

SoroSuub1

My opinions seem to be very different:

Likes:
2019+ Kia Forte (surprisingly roomy for 4 and excellent and intuitive screen/hvac layout)
2019 Kia Optima (very roomy trunk, decent power and excellent and intuitive screen/hvac layout)
Subaru Outback (thank you YYJ for having these in inventory!)

I'll take it....
Chevrolet Malibu (it does have Android Auto)

Avoid
Chevrolet Equinox (terrible blind spot sightlines from C pillar, underpowered)
Toyota (lack of Android Auto, though the new 2020 should)
Toyota Corolla (2019 and earlier) - pair a thirsty and slow engine with no Android Auto is a losing combo
Nissan Sentra (are they ever updating this car?)

xienon

Let's hope National will still order Cadillac sedans. I haven't see any 3-series or A4's for almost 2 years now, but there are loads of X3's, Q5's, and XT5's.

TravelLawyer

Least favorite: Kia Soul. Avoid it like the plague. Crazy underpowered. I was flooring it and didn't get above 60 mph on the CA highway. I don't know if the alignment was off on that car, but it was incredibly difficult to steer. It was also a really rough ride and hurt my back after driving.

dect002

I hope so too. I was still able to see some 3 series over at enterprise at san diego last year.

m907

Sounds like you got a dud. I've only driven a couple but didn't experience any of that.

supermoto1

Of course you won't agree, you paycheck has National Car written on it.

So I forgot to add a comma between "Fords and Minivan" in my initial post, which if you're over the age of 40, you would have known that and the point I was getting to, but I'm sure you had that sarcastic remark already in your tiny head so you needed to write it before you forgot it.

First, you need to wrap your head around definitions. Car rental companies had always put all American cars in their fleets and the Asian cars were secondary thoughts. When Americans overwhelmingly started buying Honda and Toyota over GM, Ford, etc, rental car companies put premium prices and labels on Asian cars, no matter their size or what little funny label your marketing teams could create. For instance, a Chevy Impala, Chrysler 300, and other American large sized sedans I can't recall were bigger than the Civics, Accords, Camrys, Altimas, Corollas, etc but they were put in full size lots (to get a higher rental rate) until it because absurd, then they just labeled them as Premium or Specialty. And your reply with a German made car was lame since I my post didn't refer to anything but Asia and the US.

You were wrong at that time and wrong again. No Hondas in your fleet at all. Toyotas are considered full size or Premium by price or lable and that's been the case over 2 decades, even though only recently did they become larger than their American competition. Haven't ever seen a Camry considered Standard or Mid Sized ever, esp before the size they are at currently. A base model Toyota Camry was considered a Full size car with National and most other rental companies back in the 90s when they were way smaller. So a full size label is an up charge over a mid size price on your website. A Kia, Hyundai and Nissan Altamas are also listed as Executive, not because of size, but because they are preferred over American vehicles.

Your comment about a Avalon or Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited is also wrong. Was in SAN and a 4cyl Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited was in the "Executive" lane.Nothing Executive about that vehicle. Also, a Kia, Hyundai SUV, Chrysler Minivan and Chevy (fill in full sized name here) are also labeled as Executive. I can post the pics if you want to contradict that.

Point is still valid. Asian vehicles still have a premium price point to their American equivalents due to perception, not facts. National is still probably the best of the big 3 rental companies due to ability to choose your own and better customer service, but they are heading in the wrong direction IMO due to what I've seen recently in airport car rental lots around the country.

supermoto1

I couldn't even imagine the price they'd have to put on that. In their Executive Isle in SAN, they have a Hyundai Sonata, Chrysler Minivan, 4cyl Jeep and Camry.

Qwkynuf

I picked up a Continental from the Executive Aisle at JFK last year. It had 5 miles on the odo and still had plastic on the floor mats. Wasn't as impressed as I expected to be. I got it from a standard "midsize" reservation, which is $39/day at JFK on my company's corp rate. I also had an MKZ last year at BLI of all places. That one had about 500 on the odometer. Same deal - midsize rez, corp rate at that location is $35/day.

Last car I picked up at SAN was last Sept or Oct, it was a Camaro convertible.

supermoto1

Thanks for the info.
In terms of the type of vehicle in Exec Isle, that's what I'd expect..., very low miles, nearly untouched, no stains or smells. In terms of expectations or feel inside the vehicle, it gets arbitrary. If I were in the Exec Isle on every rental, I'd probably take the Continental over a Kia or Hyundai or minivan 100 out of 100 times. BTW, those are great prices.

Your second comment is also interesting. It seemed to be National would let you book a vehicle like Mid Size and if you were Emerald or other status, you could "upgrade" to a Full Size or other "better" vehicle for the same price, or pay a fair amount to upgrade from your contract, but it's just not that clear anymore, from my perspective.

Qwkynuf

I have been Exec Elite for the last 3 years or so and have been able to book midsize (required by my company's T&E policies) and select whatever I want from the Exec Aisle. In a few cases I have paid an upgrade fee out of my pocket when something particularly interesting was in the Prestige area, or whatever they call it. Often, they have just waived the upgrade fee or discounted it heavily - even from the "official" Exec discount. For example, a couple of months ago I took a Range Rover Sport from PDX for 2 days. The hang tag had $75/day for the upgrade, marked down to $60 for Exec. I asked if they could do better and they knocked it down to $15/day. At SNA I took a BMW 4-series convertible for 4 days at an extra $30/day. When I brought it back and asked to pay the upgrade fee on my personal card, they said that would be too much trouble and they just waived the upcharge. At DEN I asked what the upcharge would be to take a Miata for a week, and the dude handed me a business card and told me to tell the exit booth that he said that I could have it at no charge. I could go on, but the message is that they seem to treat me really well and bend over backwards to by more than fair.

dect002