Favorite / Least-favorite rental cars
 

What are your favorite and least favorite commonly-available cars in each class at the major rental companies? I’m only considering the common models you can expect when you make a reservation, and therefore excluding most of the rarer import cars that occasionally show up in place of the trusty Taurus, Grand Am, etc.

My list:

Class - favorite – who rents it (varies by location, of course)

Midsize - 4-door Grand Am - National
2-Dr Standard - Monte Carlo - Hertz
Full-Size - Taurus - Hertz
Premium - Loaded Intrepid w/leather - Dollar
Luxury - the new, smaller Lincoln - Hertz
Super-Luxury - Jaguar S-type - Budget, and starting to show up at some Hz locations
SUV - Blazer - National
Convertible - Sebring - Dollar


Class - least favorite - who rents it

Midsize - Contour - Hertz
2-Dr standard - Mustang - some Hertz locations
Full-size - any Buick or Oldsmobile - National
Premium - Crown Vic/Grand Marq - Hertz
Luxury - the huge Caddies - National
Super lux - never had anything but the Jag, which was great
SUV - Rodeo - Budget


No experience: compact, economy, van.

I've rented a bunch of compact or subcompacts in the last year, but I can't remember what the models of any of them were.

Guess I'm not a "car person".

I've rented the Chevy cavliers, 4 dr compacts from Avis. No frills but a decent and straight forward car. I like the Alero and Chevy Impalas in the mid size range.

I can't stand the Chevy Trackers. Very rigid and no power. Gives new meaning to the phrase, "drives like a truck." And I own a truck!

I did rent a Suzucki Vitara on St John that was fun to drive.

can't stand the Chevy Luminas that Avis tries to rent to me. Their seats are too soft and uncomfortable. The engine is gutless. It maneuvers like a truck.

I like the Pontiac Grand Prix that Avis used to rent to me. I love the Nissan Altima that they rented to me recently.

One of the reasons I like National so much is using Emerald Aisle service. The bus pulls up and you just pick the car you want. The full-size choices usually include Buick Century and Olds Intrigue, but very often there are Bonnevilles, LeSabres, Blazers, and even Sebring convertibles on the line. I really enjoy the new Cadillacs, too (yikes, I must be getting old!). My fave convertible by far are the Volvos that I've lucked into a few times on the West Coast.

I try to avoid anything with only 4 cylinders, most Buicks, and all Chevys except the Blazer. Ditto for any of the Ford premium cars like the Crown Vic or Marquis - they're just a bit too boaty for me.

Twice I've had the good luck to get a Jag, and that's enough to make you extend your trip... ;-)

jAAck- I wish I rented at locations where Emerald Isle provided all of those choices. I rent mostly at MCI, and I tried the Isle for about a month once (4-5 rentals). Nothing but Pontiacs and Chevies there. My one really good Isle experience was in Orlando: I got a Caddy with 7 miles on the odometer (yep...seven), and had it for a week.

My favorites:
Midsize - Oldsmobile Alero - Avis
Full size - Buick Regal LS - National
or Oldsmobile intrigue - Avis

Lease favorites:
Midsize - Contour or 626 - Hertz

My Favorites:

Full size: Buick Regal LS - National
Premium: Buick LeBaron - National
Sports: Any Convertible with guts

I hate:

Anything smaller than a full size http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif


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Cheers Scott

[This message has been edited by Scott the flier (edited 01-04-2001).]

I have requested a Ford Taurus from Hertz on every trip I've taken the past five years. By renting identical cars, I save the time and aggravation of figuring out the radio, climate controls, window push buttons, etc. Familiarity with the vehicle probably makes me a safer driver, too.

Now that I drive an Explorer at home, I prefer Explorers, Blazers, or Monteros. Failing that, one of the new Lincolns, a Bonneville, or a Taurus. Conversely, I detest Grand Vics/Marqs, and the Buick Century and equal GM cars. I also didn't use to like the Volvos because they didn't have enough headroom, but I like the new S70s.

So, I either rent a Taurus at Hertz and hope I'm not "upgraded" to a Grand Vic, or rent at National locations with Emerald Aisle and hope they have a Blazer or Montero and not just Jimmys.

Anything smaller than a Taurus, and I'm driving while looking out of the top of the sunroof...

Favorite:

Grand Prix / Intrigues / Mondeo (at least 2.0l in Europe)

Hate:

All Buicks, Chevys (especially the Luminas).

I rent from Avis most of the time so not much of a choice.

Like: Anything that feels/handles like the cars I own and am used to.

Hate:
Any Mitsu.....i
Plymouth/Dodge Neons - The seatbelt sucks you into the seat.

Hertz recently "upgraded" me to an Expedition, when I showed up to my Gold space in Salt Lake. Didn't have any time to "downgrade" myself, to something more economical.

Drove 250 freeway miles, and used just about 20 gallons of gas. Sorry, but these types of overly large vehicles need to be banned.

ElmhurstNick -

I have the same problem you do. I am 6'-7" tall. Headroom, AND legroom, are my pet peeves!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif Having sadi that -

Company has Corp contract w/Avis, sometimes I can get a one-way with National. So -

Like: Olds Intrigue (very sporty handling)
Buick mid-size above a Century (has a turbo-charged engine under the hood).
National Buick Park Ave. when driving several hundred miles one-way, especially on the Interstates.

HATE: Chevy Lumina - lousy excused for a car. Neither leg or head-room. Had one for the past two days at IAD, now have a pain in the neck from trying to get in this beast.

dAAvid -

At some European airports now they have the new Beetle. This is an excellent car to rent. In the U.S. I almost always get a Blazer or Cadillac at Avis. But during the holidays in sunny So Cal I have a nice Camaro Convertible from Avis at SNA.

I hate Mustang convertibles since they are way too small for my 6' body. Sebrings are nice as long as the seats are leather. I sometimes get an Astro Van or the Chevy Venture with the remote control side-door. Very rarely I'll get an Expedition from Hertz.

In Australia I'll usually get Falcon or Ambassador. But my favorite is Hertz at Nice airport where I usually get an Alfa Romeo Spyder Cabriolet. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by stimpy (edited 01-05-2001).]