My reserved class was FDMR (BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes-Benz C-Class). I upgraded to a diesel FDAR, a brand spanking new BMW 318d GT M Sport, for €4 a day. I saved more than that on the cost of fuel, since I drove just under 4,000 KM in thirteen days. The car averaged approximately 4 liters per 100 KM during that rental.

Latest couple of rentals in Germany:

Osnabrück
Sixt Platinum Card

Booked: CLMR, Astra / Focus / Golf or similar, requested diesel if possible.
Received: FDAR BMW 320xi with M Sport-packet, leather, auto and BMW Professional navigation. Oh, and an electrically-retractable tow-bar. Strange one that!

Fantastic car!

Osnabrück
Sixt Platinum Card

Booked: FDMR, Audi A4 / BMW 3 Series, requested diesel if possible.
Received: FWMR Audi A4 Avant TDI with Quattro and nav. Nice car, brilliant for motorway trips.

Booked IFAR in MCO and got an IFAR Premium (VW Touareg V6) Nice but bloody juicy !!!

Reserved XCAR (MB E-series) and got LFAR (MB GLK SUV), they claimed it was an upgrade, but I still question whether it was. Did not have time to argue as I had several hours of drive to go after all day flying, but car felt cheap.

XCAR to XFAR I would understand... But.......

GLK is a downgrade from an E-class. Which location? What status are you?

Seattle downtown. I am gold which isn't much in terms of status. I am not feeling good especially when I hear people talking about booking CRV and getting X3's.

Luleå (LLA)
Sixt Diamond

Booked MB GLA
Received MB GLK - Sadly, the car absolutely reeks of cigarette smoke. Called the branch the day after I picked it up and told them about it, but they haven't bothered getting back to me. Stuck with a stinky car until Thursday.

Not a very happy first time renter.

Hmm. Seattle downtown is one of my favourite locations - their treatment of me have been completely out of this world. When I booked a compact and requested an E, they called me to apologise when they had to sell it to another client and give me a GLK. You should talk to the manager. I need to find her name, the branch is new and she actually came out to deliver me my car to Westin Seattle, heh.

As a Diamond, you should reach out to customer support. Aren't all their cars supposed to be non-smoking? Or is Europe different?

Yeah, it has non-smoking sticker on the panel. Doesn't seem to have stopped the previous renter from chaining, though.

Completely unacceptable - if only because you don't want to be on the hook for the cleaning fee :P

PM their support here on the forum or call in. They are VERY good (if maybe not the best avenue for *immediate* resolution).

Just got a nice message from Sixt customer support, in their chart GLK IS an upgrade from E-class since it is a bit more expensive.

Car wise, yes E-class is higher/better/more expensive (by $20K or so).

I stand corrected. Thanks for the update. I guess since the GLK is an SUV it's considered "higher" than the "full-size" or whatever the E is. But that's horsecrap, obviously. The Es in Seattle have the high end navi (widescreen/hidef), and are almost new (well they were two months ago). The GLKs are ... just a bit meh. The Es are also much more fun to drive.

When renting cars in France and Spain particularly it is unfortunately the case that a lot of renters are heavy smokers. Even if they do not smoke in the actual vehicle their smelly clothing will leave an unpleasant odour in the vehicle. As a non-smoker I am very sensitive to this and I have to say that most rental vehicles in those countries often have a faint smell of cigarette.

First, the local Sixt branch has resolved the smokey car issue. They offered me a complimentary rent to compensate, and I accepted. Need to haul some stuff, so a van to do so for free is a good deal.

Regarding upgrades:

Berlin Tegel
Sixt Diamond card

Booked: FDMR (Bmw 3er or similar)
Received: FWMR (Audi A4 Avant, 170 hp)

Car wasn't too bad, but I had hoped for a slightly better upgrade. Branch quite sold out due to a fair in the city. Tried to haggle my way to a Jaguar Coupé with no success. Oh well, maybe next time.

Status: Platinum
Location: Erlangen
Booked: CXMR
Received: FFMR VW Tiguan

That's interesting - I haggled my way to a Jag Coupe in Munich, but in Frankfurt, I actually didn't even WANT it - I wanted to try something else, but ended up with one anyway. Kind of #firstworldproblems to complain about it, so I am not complaining at all, but am a bit surprised they gave you a hard time as a Diamond.

Completely awesome car, btw, especially the Type S one.

Sixt San Diego - Reserved FCAR - Camry, Taurus, Altima.
Was upgraded as platinum to Volvo S60 w/ sunroof.
Nice vehicle, but they really need to get their act together with the airport shuttle...

Status: Platinum
Location: LHR
Booked: VW Golf
Received: BMW M4 Coupe (rented only for 12hrs - hence significant upgrade)

Status: Fake Platinum (no upgrade benefit)
Location: MIA
Booked: ICAR
Received: SCAR Toyota Corolla

Status: Fake Platinum (no upgrade benefit)
Location: FLL
Booked: ICAR
Received: IFAR (BMW Mini Countryman) - Only after I complaint that the initial car they assigned, a Nissan Versa is not ICAR due to lack of remote key fob, no power windows, no power side mirror and website showing Versa is CCAR.

Status: Platinum (with upgrade benefit after 10x rentals)
Location: MIA
Booked: ICAR
Received: LCAR BMW 3-series

Check-in at MIA around 2300. Looks like there was a wait for vehicles as the couple in front of me was told to wait in the office while they get them their VW Beetle. Agent was initially going to upgrade me to a "Standard". I take that to mean a SCAR. When she called to confirm a standard card for a "VIP" and was told nothing (immediately) available. She checked her computer again and assigned a LCAR which was that was available.

Status: Platinum
Location: Fort Lauderdale Sunrise Blvd
Booked: ICAR
Received: IFAR VW Tiguan - First impression was this is an ugly car but actually performs pretty well. Handles a lot better than a Rav-4.

Status: Platinum
Location: FLL
Booked: ICAR
Received: SCAR VW Jetta - Agent was going to assign a Sentra which is ICAR. Only provided a one-class upgrade instead of two-class upgrade after I asked. :td: This is the same location that insist that Versa was an ICAR when sixt.com has it listed as a CCAR. :td::td:

status: none
actually not an free upgrade but very nice paid upgrade for around 25 euro.
oroginally booked CPMR, but they only had 1 series in manual and i would like an automatic, then she offered an ww passat estate DSG, IWMR which was actually an free uograde, but then she also mentioned an bmw 520d auto facelift model and it was a no brainer for only 25 euros extra.
very nice car ! and very pleased with rest of the sixt service at hamburg airport :)
thank you :D

If you want an automatic, you should not book CPMR. You should be booking CPAR. If it was a smaller station, you might have been stuck with a manual.

Okay, but i cant find the CPAR class on the sixt website when i look at the german cars ?

Status: Platinum
Location: LAX
Booked: PCAR (CLA)
Received: PCAR (Volvo, they dont even stock the CLA). When I expressed frustration at the listing showing me getting a CLA tho they dont even have one....i was reluctantly offered a LCAR (BMW 328i). When i asked about something bigger i was told they had already 'upgraded me' to a LCAR. Which pissed me off a bit more as if i hadnt pushed back in the first place i wouldnt have gotten any upgrade at all (for what its worth i was only renting for 6 hours....)

Are you a Platinum with or without the upgrade benefit? If so shouldn't they have offered you the LCAR to begin with considering the upgrade benefit is in US is 2-class?

Status: Gold

Mannheim Hbf (Can't you tell I'm there a lot...)
Rented FDAR (Merc C-class) + Nav guarantee
Given Merc C class (the 2015 one... so brand spanking new so no complaints), but didn't have a working Nav (was equipped but missing maps) so given A6 Avant. Kinda wished the C class had a working Nav just to test it out.

Munich Arabellapark (In the Westin)
Rented FDAR
Given BMW 420d Convertible

Status: Platinum
Location: DUS Maritim Hotel
Booked: PTMR
Received: Email morning of stating no convertible available and that I will receive an E-Class (PDMR). I quickly cancelled my reservation as I have no desire to pay PTMR if it is not a Z4 and made a new reservation for CPMR. Agent assigned the same E-Class on the CPMR rate.

I booked without NAV. "Somehow" the contract got NAV added on which I corrected before signing the agreement.

"upgrade"
 

Status: Platinum
Location: MAD Argüelles/T3
Booked: PDMR
Received: PDMR

The clerk adviced me that there is no upgrade "since this is already a premium class car".... Nice going! :td:

The car had scratches all over.

Status: Platinum
Location: MUC Airport
Booked: VW Polo Manual
Received: VW Passat CC Manual with NAV

After no upgrade and a tired car on a recent booking from Sixt Barcelona Sants, this nice upgrade was a pleasant surprise!

Status: Platinum
Location: FLL
Booked: FCAR
Received: LCAR - BMW 328i Gran Turismo

Agent was originally going to assign a Honda Accord. I mentioned as Platinum I should be getting a 2-class upgrade.

Status: Platinum
Location: LAX
Booked: PCAR (CLA, tho they dont stock it, assigned a Volvo)
Received: Pushed back about the lack of the advertised CLA and was 'upgraded' to a 3 series, not positive what cat they are

Hi

Thinking about booking a standard SUV at Sixt PHX for a week in December.

Is it likely I would get upgraded to a Premium SUV as a Platinum?

Any disadvantage booking via Amex Travel vs Sixt online? Prices seem the same...

Thanks!

Status: Gold
Location: LAX
Booked: FCAR
Received: PCAR (Volvo S60, but offered that or an A3)

Status: Platinum
Location: TLS Airport
Booked: BMW 3 series saloon manual (FDMR)
Received: BMW 3 series M Sport Estate Auto with NAV (FWAR + NAV)

Another nice rental from the team at TLS - a very friendly Sixt station. See you guys again in 3 weeks :-)

Status: Platinum
Location: MIA
Booked: FCAR
Received: PTAR - MB SLK250

Seem MIA/FLL agents don't normally look at status until you remind them. This is the third time where agent was going to assign booked class until I inquire about the 2-class upgrade. PTAR is several classes up from FCAR.

3 series is considered one class up from a CLA.

Well, while ill take it as an 'upgrade' im more annoyed that given a full lot of bigger better cars, and my rental was only for 8 hours, that they didnt upgrade me until i complained. Posted the full story in another thread but upon arrival was given the volvo (as a plat, no mention of any upgrade), when i asked why i wasnt given a CLA the woman informed me they dont have them. Told her how much i dislike the misleading advertising and hate driving the volvos, she reluctantly said she could get me into a 3 series. If i hadnt complained that would have been NO upgrades for a plat given a full lot of Audi A4/A6/A8s, BMW 3/5 series, multiple nicer SUVS, and Benz E classes. Given that i was picking up at 11AM on a tuesday and returning that night, not exactly a peak time, trying to not upgrade was more irritating then anything else to me

No upgrade for Plat until you ask seems to be standard operating procedure in MIA and FLL as well.

By comparison the main other location ive rented at is ATL and they have always been very helpful and generous with the upgrades =/