Rental Car Showdown!

[YSSMAN]

Okay kids, the rules are simple. I'm going to Miami this summer, and I'm going to need a rental car. Although I think I have an idea of what I may want, I figured what the heck, and decided to make a thread.

So whats the plan?

Well, there will be four of us, with our luggage, and obviously we will have to cope with the Miami heat, as this will be taking place in late June. With gas prices an almost certainty to go north of $3.00 and the fact that I will be doing most, if not all of the driving, obviously I want something fairly good here... So what are the options?

Thrifty (Chrysler Products):

- Dodge Caliber, starting at $190
- Chrysler Sebring, starting at 196
- Dodge Charger, starting at $220
- Chrysler 300, starting at $300

Budget (Ford Products):

- Ford Focus, starting at $200
- Ford Fusion, starting at $230
- Mercury Grand Marquis, starting at $290

Alamo (GM Products):

- Chevrolet Cobalt, starting at $213
- Pontiac G6, starting at $220
- Pontiac Grand Prix, starting at $243
- Buick Lucerne, starting at $256

Enterprise (Mixed Products):

- Chevrolet Cobalt, starting at $189
- Pontiac G6/Dodge Stratus, starting at $209
- Chevrolet Impala/Ford Taurus, starting at $219

---

...Being that I will be the driver in most instances, I'm not completely certain what I would want, as I've already driven most of the cars here. I personally wouldn't mind something like a Caliber or a Cobalt, but apparently Mom wants something bigger, but after noting the presumed gas price increase (probably well-over $3.00 in Miami Beach, where we will be), I don't know if I want a big V6-powered car...

So, what do ya'all think?

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Well on almost every single vacation I've been on that required a rental, we wound up with a Grand Am. Not great car, but it's not too bad, so I assume the G6 or Grand Prix should be solid choices.

Oh, and avoid a Taurus at ALL costs.

 

[niky]

Fusion. Slow, maybe, but you'll all fit, and it won't set you a foot wrong.

 

[1X83Z]

Miami for the summer? Don't rent a car - just kill yourself now.

 

[Slicks]

I'd go for the Fusion or Lucerne.

Lemme restate that...
I'd go for the Lucerne. It's only $26 more then the Fusion, and it's a bigger and roomier car.
I mean, come on. We're looking at about $30 a day difference between the two - Most rental cost differences, and a few dollars for gas thrown in.

While it may not have the presence of the 300C, it's a good deal cheaper (and probably nicer anyway).


Slightly offtopic,
I was in LA for a few days in November and 3 of us (Myself/Dad/Brother) rented a Mustang coupe with a V6. Definitely not a four person car, but it was much better then I was expecting. Most of the touchy-feely bits are alot better then they look, and the seats are quite comfortable. The backs are, of course, lacking legroom but aren't bad otherwise.

 

[1X83Z]

Slightly offtopic,
I was in LA for a few days in November and 3 of us (Myself/Dad/Brother) rented a Mustang coupe with a V6. Definitely not a four person car, but it was much better then I was expecting. Most of the touchy-feely bits are alot better then they look, and the seats are quite comfortable. The backs are, of course, lacking legroom but aren't bad otherwise.

I rented a Mustang V6 right after it came out in 2005. Everyone made a huge fuss out of it because it was the first one a lot of people had seen. I didn't like the interior much, but the acceleration surprised the hell out of me - after hearing V6 Mustangs dogged for years, this one really made me question it. I'd be proud to own an '05+ 4-liter.

 

[Joey D]

This choice:
Chevrolet Impala/Ford Taurus, starting at $219

Seems to be the best deal, you are getting a car with ample room for people and stuff. Both aren't all that hard on gas either so you should be fine.

This is the second choice:
- Dodge Charger, starting at $220

Although I hear those things aren't easy on gas, even the V6 ones which I will assume they have. But it's decently big and has a decent sized trunk.

I still think you would be better off getting a Impala or Taurus. But are you going to rent the car or is someone else? I thought you had to be 25 in order to get a car?

 

[///M-Spec]

For cruising around Miami, I'd go for the 300 myself. It's a nice ride and suits the character of the city.

Avoid the octogenarian Grand Marquis at all cost. Not only will it drive you to commit homicide/suicide, if you end up in Ft. Lauderdale, you'll never be able to find it in a parking lot with all the other ones there.

Also avoid the convertibles; in late June you'll never put the top down... unless you enjoy heatstroke and second degree burns.

Keep in mind most rental companies don't guarantee the exact model you'll be getting. If they have it in, you'll get the car in the brochure. If not, you get whatever they have. For example, last time I rented at Enterprise I asked for a Charger and ended up with a Volvo. Years ago, I asked for a Grand Prix and ended up with a Century.


M

 

[TheCracker]

My dad has a couple of apartments in Florida so ends up renting cars 3 or 4 times a year. His trick is to order in advance the smallest car possible. Much more often than not they'll not have any of the smallest cars left so will upgrade you, free of charge, to at least the next size up they have available. This happens almost every time during the holiday seasons since us Europeans usually just rent something small, like what we're used to back home. It worked for me last time i flew into Miami.

Yes, it is a risk, but you can always pay to upgrade when you pick the car up and they do actually have the smaller cars available. It's a win-win situation IMO.

If you are flying in to Miami and take the courtesy bus from the terminal to the rental shops, hang back when you get there and let everyone else off your bus pick up their cars from the desk - they are more likely to run out of the cheaper cars this way.

 

[Jim Prower]

Hertz Shelby GT-H. yeah, the rates are probably ungodly high, and if you get caught doing anything to it, they'll do everything short of killing you, but, you can say you drove one...

But your Taurus/Impala deal's probably your best bet for thriftiness and space.

 

[YSSMAN]

Miami for the summer? Don't rent a car - just kill yourself now.

Well, I like the hot weather, so I'm good. My Mom is the same way... Although, my brother may have a hard time with the heat. Its usually right around 90-ish degrees out there, and add the 100% humidity, you can get heat indexes north of 100. I love it!

---

To clear some things up, I won't be renting the car personally, but I do get to pick which one we get, then I get to be the driver most of the time while we are down there. Oh, and I have to pay for gas and some of the food too...

...Anyway, I had been thinking the Fusion, Impala, or Charger. I wouldn't mind getting the Fusion, as my time with the car has been minimal, and it may be interesting to live with one for a week, and the same can be said of the Charger. But, it is hard to beat the screaming deal that is the Impala over at Enterprise...

In a perfect world, I'd be getting the Volvo or Audi box checked, but there isn't any need to spend that kind of money...

 

[Joey D]

Alright, with that cleared up. Get the Impala, it's the best deal I can see out of the whole lot of them, and if it's a new generation one the trunk has enough space to fit the whole world in. Plus it's really roomy. A friend of mine just bought an 07 and she loves it. Said it's a bit slow but very roomy and it doesn't feel real cheap inside either.

 

[Pupik]

Miami for the summer? Don't rent a car - just kill yourself now.

What's so wrong with 102% relative humidity? You can bottle the air and drink it on the ride home, which is the environmentally responsible thing to do.

Avoid the octogenarian Grand Marquis at all cost. Not only will it drive you to commit homicide/suicide, if you end up in Ft. Lauderdale, you'll never be able to find it in a parking lot with all the other ones there.

There's also the "C" gear on the column shifter, it forces you to drive right into a place of business that has plate-glass windows.

Also avoid the convertibles; in late June you'll never put the top down... unless you enjoy heatstroke and second degree burns.

Convertibles in the summer aren't bad at night, but they are worthless in summer daylight.

Well, I like the hot weather, so I'm good. My Mom is the same way... Although, my brother may have a hard time with the heat. Its usually right around 90-ish degrees out there, and add the 100% humidity, you can get heat indexes north of 100. I love it!

Don't let the weathermen and weatherladies fool you, it's never above 95 degrees in South Florida...in the shade. Take a thermometer outside to direct sunlight, and watch that sucker reach 115 F in no time!

Great idea for a thread; our little family is flying to Oakland and Seattle to see the families, and we're renting cars (2-and-3-hour drives included). I think we're going to cheap out and get a 4-door Focus or Cobalt, but if my employee discount is worth anything, I'll plump one of Enterprise's GM products, if the 4-banger Malibu can get out of it's own way.

By the way, 87-Unleaded isn't $3/gallon here...yet. Although if you're here during a hurricane threat, it will.

 

[1X83Z]

What's so wrong with 102% relative humidity? You can bottle the air and drink it on the ride home, which is the environmentally responsible thing to do.

I've never heard that one before. Hilarious.

 

[///M-Spec]

What's so wrong with 102% relative humidity? You can bottle the air and drink it on the ride home, which is the environmentally responsible thing to do.

Classic.

Convertibles in the summer aren't bad at night, but they are worthless in summer daylight.

Yeah, that's true. From mid-June till about mid-September, the Miata's top only ever came down long after sunset or on the morning commute.

But even then, it was usually so damn muggy that if I was wearing long sleeved anything, I'd break a sweat in 5 minutes. I felt like I was in a botanical hot house but instead of collecting moisture at walking speeds, I could do it at 65.

Eh. Maybe on some nights it wasn't so bad. But more than once we'd dress for dinner, take the Miata and arrive feeling like we'd driven through a hot shower.


M