Travelermebe

I travel a lot and have generally used National for renting cars. Their prices seemed to be competitive and their Emerald Club makes it convenient. However, there are a lot of other companies out there and I was wondering why people chose to use them. Is there something that makes one seem better than another or do you choose solely on who has the best price?

Statia

I usually use Dollar because their prices and service are good and I get air miles. I've honestly never had a problem with them and usually find that their prices beat everyone else.

PatSchenkel

It depends on what do you expect. Sometimes I go for the price and regret it. I'm a member of Hertz Gold Club and it's perfect! Never disappointed me..

Sometimes, other companies makes me wait for an hour until I can get my car, and make changes to the contract is always inconvenient. So I really prefer Hertz.. It's always PERFECT service and the cars are excellent. We arrive and the car is there.. waiting for us..

ET

I'm a member of both Hertz Gold Club and National's Emerald Club, and generally use them because of the convenience they offer. I've never tried any of the others. I guess convenience means more to me than price. I have always been satisfied with Hertz as far as service and the quality of their cars, but they are generally the most expensive. I really like using their Neverlost GPS system when I am in an unfamiliar area. National has only disappointed me once when I got a car with a broken seat. I had to drive back to the airport to replace it which was particularly inconvenient on that trip. However, National is generally cheaper to use than Hertz.

Patrick

I plan ahead a lot. I'm currently looking at booking an SUV for four us with a fair amount of luggage picking up in Sacremento and dropping off at LAX two weeks later. Avis, Hertz, and National all tell me there are none available -- either not in their system or they won't allow one way rentals of those cars, or else as Avis insists "they are sold out for those dates (in August and this is February??) Dollar is the only one so far that will quote me an actual price. Also I find that Dollar will offer a low price way in advance and it stays there. The other companies keep going up and down and you have to play their game to figure out when to book.

Kate2

I am so glad to find this thread! We are currently looking at rental cars in Florida. Because I am a car snob and will also be driving up and down the coast, I want a decent car! So finding something other than a Taurus that stinks of smoke is my goal.
Today I found most of the cars are Dodge or Chrysler Sebrings?
Continental gave us a percentage off if we use Hertz or Avis..is it worth it or should we look into Enterprise?
Anyone have a BMW or Benz to rent
I know I know, I can dream, can't I?

Julie

I usually go with Hertz because of the #1 Club Gold service. I've found this to be the most efficient service for picking up a car at the airport. They also usually have Ford or Toyota cars, which I prefer. That said, I too find that they tend to be more expensive, but the quality of the cars tends to be worth it. I've tried some lower priced companies a few times (e.g., Dollar, Budget) and have not always been happy with the quality of the cars or the time it takes to pick up the car.

Jack

Patrick
I generally use National's web site to rent cars. I don't know who you were talking to at National. However, when I went to their web site (www.nationalcar.com) and checked for a rental of a 4 wheel drive for August picking up in Sacramento and dropping off at LAX, it indicated that you could make such a reservation. You might want to try their web site. Using the various companies web sites is the way I usually compare prices between the major companies.

NotMe

I'm another National/Hertz user. I also use the web for my reservations. Many times you can find specials there that the telephone people won't tell you about. If prices drop after I make a reservation, I just cancel and make a new one.

Spike

Another Hertz Gold Club member. Patrick, we rented an SUV during the Christmas season, picked up at SFO and then drove to Los Angeles. We staye with family and really didn't need the car anymore so we asked if we could turn it in to LAX. They said yes and didn't charge us a one-way fee. You probably don't want to gamble on this happening to you, but they gave us the impression that since LAX and SFO are such busy locations for them you could pick up and return to either without a penalty.

Kate2, we like to use the car rental opportunity to try out cars we might like to buy in the future, or cars we would never buy but want to drive for the fun of it. So far, we've rented a Volvo station wagon, Volvo sedan, Lincoln towncar, Mitsubishi Montara, among others. They have premium cars like Jaguars available too.

Hertz is often the most expensive, but the convenience of having the Hertz shuttle drive us to our car and hand us the keys rather than go to the counter first and wait in line has been worth it to us.

Patrick

I think when I checked before it was too early. Yes, I just checked on the website and can do a one way SUV (Chev. Blazer or similar) from National for $780 (17 days). That's about the same price as Dollar for a Grand Cherokee Laredo, actually 14 less. And now even Hertz is ok'ing a one way -- but for $672. Surprisingly Hertz is the cheapest! National is unlimited miles, but Hertz allows us 2210 miles, more than I think we'd be doing anyway, but I need to do an estimate on that.

J_Correa

I usually use Dollar and have always been satisfied with the service. I usually get a Stratus or a Sebring convertible. The prices are good, never had a problem with the cars, and the service is good too.

I tried Hertz, but wasn't a member of the Gold Club. I got terrible service - basically dropped off in a parkinglot full of cars with my luggage. It was up to me to find my car, load it up, and make sure everything was in working order. The car was old and had a few problems. I guess the service is better for Gold Club members, but I personally have an issue with companies that make you join their clubs to get good service or savings (think supermarket club cards).

Brutforce

I always opt for the cheap route & have had the best luck w/Dollar. I also go for their Sebring Convertibles & they have even upgraded me to one @ no charge in the past. I always look @ them first.

MikeJ

I like National's Emerald Club, because it gives me a wider choice of cars. When I went to Cinncinnati recently I was able to pick out a nice Toyota Camry, something you usually can't get. Plus I absolutely love the ease of use, get dropped off, find a car you like, and go.

Dick

I'm another Emerald Club/Hertz Gold customer.

Lately I've been using Hertz more because the service seems better. I n addition, at some small airports, like Providence, Hertz is located in the adjacent garage. National requires a shuttle bus and the location is a franchise( car selection is poor). If the situation were reversed, I'd use National.

Using a club that has your credit card info, etc makes it so much easier and eliminates lines.