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Rental Car Experiences?

739 messages,  Last post on May 19, 2013 at 1:13 PM

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Messages Page 46 of 75

#450 of 739 . by fintail

Jun 19, 2012 (12:26 pm)

Well, I have now returned this thing (parked in marsha7's town square next to a 90s vintage Choo Choo Suburban):
 

 
Was able to top 30mpg even in faster driving from GA to Orlando, where 75-80 was the norm. I was reasonably the impressed. Negatives include weird acceleration from stop - economy mode has 2nd gear start, maybe, and a drone under some acceleration inputs that reminds me of the hoary Nissan/Infiniti 3.5 noise. But it was well built and smooth on virtually all roads, the high def nav screen impressed my friend, it could get moving if you pushed the heavy throttle, and the styling is aging well. I'd rent it again. The rental return lady remarked how much she likes these cars, which is what the agent who handled my exchange also said.
 
At the return station they had a full house - a couple other Es and several Cs, many MLs, an SLK and a nice E cabrio, Chrysler 300, Taurus, a couple XC90, several Explorer and Flex, various smaller GM/Ford/Hyundai/Toyota/Nissan cars, Chrysler vans and a wrecked Kia Sedona, and Camaros and Mustangs per usual for Florida.

#451 of 739 Get gas where you can by bhill2

Jun 19, 2012 (3:12 pm)

I may be spoiled by living in California, but I have always been able to find a gas station close to a rental location where I could fill a rental car before returning it. Then my wife and I rented one from the Charlotte NC airport. When returning it, once I took the airport freeway exit there was nothing between us and the rental return. Even backtracking and looking around we came up blank. I found out later that if you knew where to look you could find one near the other side of the airport. But at the time we didn't know that. We got soaked $9+/gal for the gas used. The moral is, if you don't know of a station near the rental location where you can get gas, get it somewhere along the route close enough that the fuel you burn completing the trip won't show up as 'not a full tank'.

#452 of 739 Re: Get gas where you can [bhill2] by steve_ HOST

Jun 19, 2012 (4:36 pm)

Replying to: bhill2 (Jun 19, 2012 3:12 pm)
What rental car company was that? Someone should sic the AGs on gouging like that.

#453 of 739 Re: Get gas where you can [steve_] by fezo

Jun 19, 2012 (4:47 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Jun 19, 2012 4:36 pm)
I remember getting caught with that sort of thing in Orlando years ago. Last time I ever didn't allow enough time to get to the airport!
 
That was Alamo. I still find them to be amongst the sneakiest in finding a way to get all that money you thought they saved you.

#454 of 739 Re: Get gas where you can [fezo] by steve_ HOST

Jun 19, 2012 (5:27 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Jun 19, 2012 4:47 pm)
A buck a gallon I could sort of understand. But $5?
 
Someone should United Breaks Guitar them.
 
(yeah, that's a hint).

#455 of 739 Re: Get gas where you can [steve_] by fintail

Jun 19, 2012 (5:52 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Jun 19, 2012 5:27 pm)
I think the returning gas thing is spelled out in the contract. The close gas station thing smells like collusion between rental companies and cities, to me.
 
I just returned from Orlando and saw the same thing - difficult to find stations near the rental return area, for my off site company anyway. But with GPS, I found a station no more than a mile away. There was one close station called a "quickie" or something, gouging the latecomers for $5+/gallon.

Messages Page 46 of 75

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