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Drat. No More XM Cars

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Old Aug 3, 2005, 5:29 pm
  #1  
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Drat. No More XM Cars

OK, yes, I got spoiled over the past few months. So much so that I came back to National after spending a year or two becoming a Hertzie. Today, I arrived at the TPA Emerald Selection only to find 35 Malibus, 3 Impalas, and a Grand Prix. I walked the lot and didn't see any XM antenna-ed cars. I heded into the special Emerald Club alcove and, to his credit, the agent headed out to the back and came back shortly with a "sorry, no XM". He then explained that all the LaCrosses and G6's had been "called back". I asked if that meant they were taken out of the fleet. He said that they had been pullingthem out for the past 6 weeks and that most have been gone (from TPA at least) for over a month. It's only a stray long-term rental return that brings them back to the lot, at which time, National ships them out.

I do seem to recall the hype on nationalcar.com about the LaCrosse being limited time. Guess they meant it.

Oh, and I refuse to pay $3 for Sirius in Hertz cars. Guess I will just have to hope for the stray Hertz 5-star Upgrade.
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Old Aug 5, 2005, 3:21 pm
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Robert,
I've had XM in cars other than what you've listed. Although, 10 days ago in Indy, I rented a car, picked one with an XM antena and drove away. Later on, I discovered that while XM was installed, there was no subscription. All I could get was channel 1 with information about activating the radio.
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Old Aug 6, 2005, 3:28 am
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G6 gone in my haunts too

Originally Posted by BigBopper
Robert,
I've had XM in cars other than what you've listed. Although, 10 days ago in Indy, I rented a car, picked one with an XM antena and drove away. Later on, I discovered that while XM was installed, there was no subscription. All I could get was channel 1 with information about activating the radio.

I haven't seen a G6 or anything else w/ XM in about a month. LAS, DIA and ABQ always had a few in the aisle until recently.
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Old Aug 6, 2005, 4:28 pm
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There were a ton of lacrosses at LAX this week. I don't know if they are still XM enabled though.
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Old Aug 9, 2005, 7:48 pm
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Just finished a week long rental at LAX. Brand new LeCrosse....actually 6 or 7 brand new ones. (Mine had 4 miles on it.) Unfortunately not a single car in the Executive Selection or anyplace else on the lot with XM.
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Old Aug 9, 2005, 11:32 pm
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Originally Posted by hotelcwby
Just finished a week long rental at LAX. Brand new LeCrosse....actually 6 or 7 brand new ones. (Mine had 4 miles on it.) Unfortunately not a single car in the Executive Selection or anyplace else on the lot with XM.
About three weeks ago at the LAX I asked on the lot if they had any cars with the XM. The lady went to check the returned cars and soon came back with a G6 that had the XM.

FM radio drives me nuts!
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Old Aug 18, 2005, 1:26 am
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I just returned a LaCrosse at SMF, however they do seem to lack G6 inventory
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Old Aug 18, 2005, 10:20 pm
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You would think that a really smart Marketing Manager at Vanguard would monitor this website and figure out that XM and G6s drive loyalty to the brand...and that Impalas and Malibus are best pushed on the non-elites.
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Old Aug 19, 2005, 6:31 am
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XM is still listed as a feature on the National EI webpage
http://www.nationalcar.com/servlet/D...8a8d5a970a9d9e

About to fly to LAX and will report on the XM situation there when I visit the Executive Selection, aka "Chevy Cove". BTW when I asked an LAX Nat'l Mgr. why the ES was filled with Chevys his reply was that they were the lowest mileage cars in the LAX fleet.

-----------------
Noon update
LAX Executve selection had more non-Chevys than I had seen in awhile: several low-mileage (non-XM) LaCrosses in different colors and PT Cruisers. Saw no XMs on my first pass but saw the duty manager and she pointed to the "ready" area just behind the Ex. Selection. Waiting in the wings were 2 XM LaCrosses and an XM G6 and she willingly got me an XM LaC with 17K miles. So then I asked if XM was only in the "older" cars? She was somewhat vague but said that she expects that a certain part of the fleet National gets will still have XM. Hoping when the '06s come in there will be more XMs.

Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Aug 19, 2005 at 1:26 pm
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Old Aug 19, 2005, 12:49 pm
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Originally Posted by alphascan
You would think that a really smart Marketing Manager at Vanguard would monitor this website and figure out that XM and G6s drive loyalty to the brand...and that Impalas and Malibus are best pushed on the non-elites.
I couldn't agree more! I am so tired of having nothing but a sea of Impalas to pick from every week in Kansas City. Used to be a Trailblazer or 2, but now it's just Impalas.
I am actually thinking of renting from Hertz every other week, just for variety.
And, the cars lately, as mentioned in another thread, are starting to show some wear. An Impala or Malibu with 15k miles shouldn't have trouble startings, as the one I rented this week did.
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Old Aug 21, 2005, 11:44 am
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I rented an XM Lacrosse at ABQ two weeks ago. They also had several other XM (but non-Lacrosse) vehicles available.
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Old Aug 22, 2005, 9:45 am
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XM cars at ABQ

I just got back from ABQ last week and their Emerald Aisle was full of XM antenna-ed cars. I don't know if they have subscriptions, but the whole aisle was full of G6's...
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Old Aug 22, 2005, 8:19 pm
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At PBI on Sat - regular EA had 2 G6 (non-XM) and Exec Aisle had 4 Malibus.
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Old Aug 23, 2005, 12:17 am
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They do

Originally Posted by kylethebisch
I just got back from ABQ last week and their Emerald Aisle was full of XM antenna-ed cars. I don't know if they have subscriptions, but the whole aisle was full of G6's...
I had a LaCrosse (sp?) in ABQ last Mon-Tue and the XM was live.
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Old Aug 24, 2005, 11:51 am
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HOU had one this week. . .

on a G6, but the speakers seemed to be recycled from my vintage 1977 Radio Shack transistor radio.
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