BugsyPal

Actually over the years have gotten some really schweet cars and SUVs from National both within Manhattan and at LGA. In fact when went to return the Sonata (surprise, surprise) there was a much wider range of nicer vehicles. At the time of my rental was told the Sonata was "all they had" besides SUVs and they weren't giving them up for the same rate. Then again it was Thursday afternoon and Enterprise may have been bulking up for the Labor Day weekend rush.

There really isn't any reason nor rhyme to what you'll find from any of the big car rental places within Manhattan. Much depends upon customer returns and what is brought from other locations such as airports. Although IIRC at least for National/Alamo certain vehicles either aren't in the City or very rarely.

cestmoi123

The rental prices in Manhattan (for weekends) are high because demand is so high. In the suburbs, people own their own cars. In Manhattan, they don't. As an example, only 23% of Manhattan households own a car. In Nassau, 92% do.

Auto Enthusiast

I know. But some people might expect that if they pay so much, they should at least get something decent, rather than a busted up car that's only worth the price because of the location in which the service is provided.

cestmoi123

I certainly wouldn't expect that, and I see no reason why a rental company would provide it.

BugsyPal

Have been renting in Manhattan for > fifteen years (don't own) and am here to tell you many here are often just happy to get anything.

National, Enterprise, Hertz all have had their share of fleet problems in the City with the most acute being on holidays and summer weekends. If you have been waiting four hours or more for a vehicle say on Thanksgiving eve or show up at the counter and all they have is busted up, you either take what is on offer or miss out on Thanksgiving dinner with your family.

Again sometimes you can luck out. Got a brand spanking new TOL Jeep SUV one year with barely 500 miles from National in the City. It was Thanksgiving and it just came in from out of state (Boston area) via a woman who drove it into the City for the holiday. Even better got it for ICAR rate and a discount on gas refill.

That being said sometimes think most of all car rental places keep a majority of their "old clunkers" in the City because of the abuse they are sure to get.

Just driving on NYC's roads is often enough to cause damage to a vehicle. Either from the poor surfaces (potholes the size of craters), or being hit by other drivers/bike riders. Parked cars are no less safe as other drivers beat up your bumpers, rip off side view mirrors and or bang up the doors. Finally there is the fact many in Manhattan are not the best drivers; that is they only really do so several times per year if that.

Auto Enthusiast

That makes sense. Things like that have happened to me here, too, but for vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks.

Ex, Enterprise reservation a few years ago, near closing time, for a fullsize pickup. The only one they had was a GMC Canyon with a shallow bed. My options were that little Tonka truck, a 2 year old Grand Caravan, not cleaned, dirty chalk markings on the windshield, etc., or my wisely placed backup reservation at HPN, for another minivan, but at a more expensive rate. Needless to say I just took the van that was available so I could get out of there.

Firewind

If this discussion may be stretched from The Center of the World to the Hub of the Universe - - I submit that the choice is an empty one. Join all that are available. One of the easiest things about the programs - both/all - is to negotiate away the annual membership fee. Join all, if for no other reason than to maximize the locations and availability around town.

Having said that, and having done so for a couple of years, the City of Boston discovered the budding car share "industry", and it was like a hammer coming down. Hertz 24/7 began charging the city taxes and fees (license, convention recovery, in-lieu-of-whatever etc. -- all the types that burden daily rentals at the airport and in town) in one lump sum annually, and then they climbed. No negotiating those away. ZipCar and Enterprise began charging them per hour, and they climb, often doubling the hourly rate, just as they more than double the daily cost of old fashion daily and weekly rentals. Crushing in the event, and crushing a wonderful concept. Exit Hertz. How deep are the pockets of Enterprise and Avis?

To re-state the moral of the story: Here in Boston, belong to both, but use them sparingly. @:-)

21A

Another factor applicable in the Hub (but not the Center), the new-ish Zipcar One Way option is worth noting:
http://www.zipcar.com/oneway

I find, at least for me, there are a good number more use cases for this than the traditional return-to-the-same-spot booking (need to get to some event at a time or location that transit is inconvenient; catch a flight/train; etc). This combines especially nicely with the Zipcar spots in the Logan rental center (or nearby on Maverick when those are full) for, e.g., catching early flights.

For those with a university or employer affiliation the carrying cost of a Zipcar membership is nearly zero (there don't seem to be as many ways to get around the $40 ECS annual fee after the first year, but I'm about to call and threaten to cancel, so we'll see how negotiable that is).

Firewind

Great points, and completely agree. Thank you. I forgot that one-way has become possible. (Still wondering how they make that work in their system - but I mean that rhetorically here.)

To clarify one thing: Are you saying that such affiliations get around the government taxes and fees?

Firewind

Just to digress and diverge somewhat, the issue that I raise sure doesn't seem to have dampened (sorry for the verb) business in Seattle, where I've used ZipCar, too. Their map of downtown sometimes looks like the green measles ().

manderwa

I've been a Zipcar member in Seattle for about 5 years and I do think that the fleet is getting worse. I've had car issues (not enough gas, engine light on at the start of reservation, dirty cars) more often lately. I know that a lot of people here like Car2Go, but it doesn't really work for me due to limited street parking in my 'hood plus the fact that it seems like the cars can barely make it up big hills like Denny...