That Hertz
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We have bought cars from Hertz on two occasions.
One was a Ford Escort, I think it was a 1998, that got totaled in 2002. We had no trouble with it until that time.
Then, we had a Ford Focus, we had it for about 5 years until it gave up the ghost. It gave little trouble as well.
They were both "kids' cars".
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When I worked for the American Bar Association, I negotiated the Hertz deal for the Society. We were their largest customer after the Federal Government. Still, even when times were good, one had the sense that they were operating on slim margins and were one step away from oblivion.
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I’ve rented cars on a weekly basis probably 150 or more times since 1985. Very few of them have I driven hard at all. Mostly the Maximas when I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the client. With no traffic at all I threw them around pretty good. Fun. But most renters are business folks and just drive them normally. I would not hesitate to buy one.
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I’ve rented cars on a weekly basis probably 150 or more times since 1985. Very few of them have I driven hard at all. Mostly the Maximas when I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the client. With no traffic at all I threw them around pretty good. Fun. But most renters are business folks and just drive them normally. I would not hesitate to buy one.
@Mik said in That Hertz:
I’ve rented cars on a weekly basis probably 150 or more times since 1985. Very few of them have I driven hard at all. Mostly the Maximas when I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the client. With no traffic at all I threw them around pretty good. Fun. But most renters are business folks and just drive them normally. I would not hesitate to buy one.
Agreed, especially considering they are yakking on the phone most of the time while driving. No one feels sporty in a rent-a-car.
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@Mik said in That Hertz:
I’ve rented cars on a weekly basis probably 150 or more times since 1985. Very few of them have I driven hard at all. Mostly the Maximas when I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway to the client. With no traffic at all I threw them around pretty good. Fun. But most renters are business folks and just drive them normally. I would not hesitate to buy one.
Agreed, especially considering they are yakking on the phone most of the time while driving. No one feels sporty in a rent-a-car.
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Yes but again it depends on the car.
Business guy doesn’t request the convertible. He orders the midsize or whatever and they give him the car and he drives it as you describe.
But the people going out of their way to order and pay extra for the convertible are usually going to enjoy it.
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One of my son's friends worked for Enterprise. His favorite car was the Chrysler 200 or 300, as it had a lot of horsepower. He would talk about how they would take certain cars out and see how much rubber they could burn.
No, I would not buy a rental car. They can be stripped down models or might have been built specifically for the rental market at a special price. That's what I heard, not sure it's any more factual than some of the other posts on this topic.
Although. . . I do recall looking many years ago at a rental, and was surprised that they still made cars with roll-up windows! -
When I rent a car I get the midrange in size. Go too cheap and you get some little crackerbox, go too big and I feel like I'm buying the thing. I once had reserved a Ford Taurus, but when I got there the only cars they had left were Jaguars, so they gave me a Jaguar to drive. That was an amazing car. The last time I rented a car when I got there the only thing they had left were Chevy Sonics. I was pissed. I thought "ok, I'm going to be wedded up in a little crackerbox car that rides rough, with no power, handles like crap..." - I opened the door to get in and it was roomy. It handled fine. Plenty of power. Quiet. An hour later I loved the car.
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I usually prefer compacts when I'm alone because they're easier to park, and parking is hard enough in a car/city that you're not used to.
If I'm with the family I get a mid sized.
If it's just me and the boy, like every February, I get the coolest thing they have on offer even though it's double or more the regular price.
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@Larry I love the sound and feel of cars with large engines. Biggest one I've personally driven is a Z06 up a windy coastal highway - super fun.
I drove a Tesla Model S (0-60 in ~3 seconds) about 1G of acceleration in a backroad in Sonoma. It was not as fun as expected. It may sound wussy - but 1G acceleration kinda hurts and isn't fun. (I was also slighly hungover that day - may have something to do with it)
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When traveling alone for business, if I take out a rental car, it’s usually a compact or an economy car. I refuse larger cars even when offered for the same rate as a compact or economy because (1) the smaller car is easier to park and navigate and (2) the smaller car is more fuel efficient, which translates to lower gasoline expense for the trip.
There was one time I had to rent a minivan because there were no smaller/cheaper car available, and the first thing I did was driving it 18~20 miles to another rental facility that belong to the same rental car company and exchanged it for a compact. It was actually a “crossover” SUV but for some reason the rental car company classified it a “compact.” Again, I took that crossover SUV because there was no smaller car available there.
The most expensive car I ever rented was a Mercedes Benz. I was attending a huge trade convention at the time. It was a last minute decision to rent and the rental facilities in the area were all out of smaller cars. Only minivans and luxury cars were available. I did not want a minivan because I wanted maneuverability and easy parking, so it was down to a Mustang vs a Mercedes C300. The Mercedes was originally priced higher than the Mustang, but I preferred the Mercedes because I figure a Mustang is more likely to attract a traffic cop’s attention. So as soon as the rental car agent agreed to lower the rate for the Mercedes to match the rate of the Mustang, I took the Mercedes. It was a smooth, quiet, and steady drive, but took me a while to figure out that controls for seat adjustments.
I don’t think I have ever deliberately driven any rental car “hard.” I just never have the urge to do so. I just want to get from point A to point B in the most uneventful way possible.
