Miles Ahead

I agree. It was nice while it lasted. But I haven't used them in a year. Haven't used anyone in a year. Hard to make money this way.

As far as integration with loaners, this has already happened to some extent. Incidental charges on loaners sometimes come from Silvercar.

dkc192

Has anyone rented from one of the dealership locations recently? I'm curious in particular about whether they've moved the older (and less desirable) cars from the now-closed nearby airport locations to the dealerships, or whether they're using new vehicles from the dealership itself.

AutoSlash

The dealerships are independently-owned entities and Silvercar is run as a separate division so the inventories are basically kept separate. That doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't getting new vehicles, but it also doesn't mean they can just pull from dealer stock at will.

iaflyer

I don't rent cars much but used SilverCar out of SFO in 2019. I thought the service was great and really enjoyed the car (A4). I've owned Audi's before and liked being able to rent one that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

It's too bad they are shutting down the airport locations - I understand but renting a car through a dealership is always a more difficult process. You have to get to the dealership, then find the right salesperson who handles the rentals (who is invariable off that day, or doing a deal, or at lunch). In the end, just not as simple as a dedicated rental location.

wakesetter93

Agreed, fortunately I have an Audi dealer close to my house and will just burn my free days there whenever I need to take a road trip

jbk1379

I am renting a Q5 in NYC in about 2 weeks, and have a few questions:

1. What trim is is most likely to be? Will it have the upper-trim goodies (like heated rear seats, virtual cockpit, and the handwriting pad) or not?
2. What model year is it most likely to be? Ideally, I'd want a 2021 model, but anything 2018+ is fine.
3. Is there a way to ask them if they have any 2021 models in the garage and ask them to let us have that specific one?

Thank you!

wakesetter93

1. All of the cars I've seen/rented from them are Premium (Lowest trim). I rented a 2019 Q7 from DEN and it had the virtual cockpit and handwriting pad, but I believe these are standard on the Q7
2. The Q5's I've seen are post-facelift while the Q7's are pre-facelift. You should definitely be 2018+
3. When I rented they let me pick from what was available (Many cars in storage and only a couple were available to be rented) so you can always ask.

Let us know your experience. If it really matters to you, I'm 1/2 mile from Audi Dallas and I can swing by and see what they have available now, I need an oil change anyway.

vanaema78

In September 2019, the Q5 had the virtual cockpit, but I don't think it had the handwriting pad nor heated rear seats.
There was not much selection at the Brooklyn Williamsburg location, I guess they stored most of the cars off-site.

jimbo29

I tried renting from a dealer in Houston last month and opted for the "just the car" coverage. Was contacted a few days before the pick up date that they are in the middle of a policy transition and that coverage is temporarily unavailable. Wish they could've told me that when I booked.

mixmastermark

I live in San Francisco and began using Silvercar after they launched at HOU & LAX in 2013, also before Audi bought them.

When you rented Silvercar back then, it was truly a disruptive improvement in the airport car rental experience. At LAX, you would text them once you land, and then again when you had your bags, and then two silver Audi A4s would roll up curbside outside baggage claim. A Silvercar employee would jump out, help you scan in, etc and then they'd hop into the other waiting Audi and split. You'd be off immediately in your Audi straight from the airport curb.

When returning, you'd stop by their near-airport lot, an employee would jump in with you and drop you off curbside in your Audi. It was pretty sweet.

Then airports started cracking down with the explosion of Uber/Lyft vehicles clogging airports everywhere, and relegated Silvercar to the doldrums of subpar, off-airport locations.

Fast forward to last week, I tried my first Audi dealership rental experience at Audi Stevens Creek in San Jose, CA, after completing six rentals in 2020 at former SFO, DEN, SNA, and SF Union Square Silvercar locations.

• Aside from the different location, experience pretty much the same overall (scan the QR code, same vehicles as before, etc)
• They texted me beforehand to let them know when you're on your way so they can be ready, which worked great. The person I was texting with came right out to guest parking, where the Silvercar was located, as I rolled in.
• My silver Q5 was a 2019 with around 30k miles and was in fine shape, no visible damage, or interior odors. I'm always quick to request a different vehicle if it's not up to my liking, but aside from higher miles, this Q5 was fine.
• I was renting a Q5 SUV for camping/road trip to Big Sur, so I asked if I could leave my AMG in their guest parking lot (plenty of spaces), but she said no for liability reasons, and to park on the street directly in front of dealership. I was hesitant at first, but it worked out fine, since there were no parking restrictions or issues when I returned.
• In my observation, staff was more professional, knowledgeable, and service-oriented than at former airport locations, but could've just been the two employees I experienced.
• I asked how business has been, and she said it's been very busy and they've been sold out every weekend lately.

The question I forgot to ask was, do they intend to reopen any airport or city center locations as business/leisure travel picks back up? Or are they quite happy offering local rentals via Audi dealerships?

While I hope for the former, I wouldn't be surprised at the latter, especially given all of the challenges that Silvercar (and their customers) have endured navigating airport operations.

m907

There is currently an AmEx offer for $100 off $500 or more with Silvercar.

fbcooper

Has anyone tried stacking it with visa infinite 20% discount. Do they check if you swap payment methods and remove the discount when picking it up?

blahmeh14

FYI this is still going on. Opted for supplemental liability insurance in the app but when I went to pick it up, they said they no longer offer any insurance besides “Just the Car” going forward. Seems a bit weird — since SLI is required for people who don’t have an existing personal auto policy. Luckily I have one, but someone who didn’t would be flat out of luck showing up for a pickup.

vanaema78

Are the city locations (for ex. NYC) going to stay open? Planning a trip for next summer, but dates are only available until March.

frudd38

Anybody actually had to do a claim with Amex? Amex verbiage states: " NO COVERAGE IS PROVIDED FOR: (CONTINUED) 2. A Rental Company which is: a. a moving van rental company; b. any business which may incidentally rent a vehicle to a customer (such as an auto dealership or auto body repair shop); or c. vehicle sharing or peer to peer arrangements which allow independent owners to rent personal vehicles"

With this clause, I'm guessing the Sapphire is a bit safer?