Car rental company in US.. Which one do you use?

[Creative_tec]

Need some help from the helpful bros here

 

I'm going to US in April for a month and I am sourcing for car rental over the net..

 

Can't really decide on which company to rent from as their rents and add on defers quite a bit ..

 

Hertz

- most exp. good review.

 

Avis

- price quite ex also as compared to others..

 

Rentalcars.com

- cheapest among all. A bit scary to have it so cheap. Others quote 1.4k for full insurance for a ford escape for 2 weeks. This company quote me sgd 600!!!

 

Alamo

- good pricing but not as good as rentalcars. Not sure how reliable they are.

 

On top of that, I got to know that I can actually get promo code via UCLA and I registered as a gold member. The rate I got as a gold member of hertz and using their promo is actually more exp than I get from a guest login booking.

 

For bros who been there and rented cars before, pls give me your advice.

 

Thanks!!

[Katz2282]

Try Enterprise

[Ahwhye]

On top of that, I got to know that I can actually get promo code via UCLA and I registered as a gold member. The rate I got as a gold member of hertz and using their promo is actually more exp than I get from a guest login booking.

 

do u know what type of insurance coverage is included in the gold member booking? and any for guest booking?

 

I used hertz last time years ago, I got a corporate promo code that include all types of insurance FREE, that are otherwise payable if ordinary booking.

[Fcw75]

If you are landing in LAX, skip Avis. Rented a car from there in Jan and the choices are limited.

 

Hertz and Enterprise are good. Actually Alamo is quite big there too.

 

There are no additional driver surcharge in California.

 

LDW and SLI must buy.

 

 

[Scoots]

I rented from Hertz while on a road trip in US.

 

Upgraded me to a 4 Door Altima with GPS. Honestly, that GPS came in handy as the GPS I brought over was with a dated map ... so the in-car GPS was really helpful as a double check

 

 

[Steptronic]

I always rented from Hertz on Company discount. Very good. Some of our local friends recommended http://www.economycarrentals.com/go/car-rental/usa/

[Estrangable]

enterprise rent a car is the cheapest compared to others.

[1fast1]

I used Hertz when I went to San Diego. I know Enterprise is much cheaper, but Hertz is the "big name" that comes with AAS recommendation. Since it was my first time, I went with that.

 

A word of advice: there's an option to pay more upfront so that you don't have to fill up the car before returning it. Don't bother with this option. It'll almost always be cheaper to fill it up yourself before returning, so save your money. I wasted money on the option, but I now know better.

Edited March 3, 2013 by Turboflat4

[Wt_know]

Dollar is almost the cheapest car rental in USA

[Ahbao999]

Need some help from the helpful bros here

 

I'm going to US in April for a month and I am sourcing for car rental over the net..

 

Can't really decide on which company to rent from as their rents and add on defers quite a bit ..

 

Hertz

- most exp. good review.

 

Avis

- price quite ex also as compared to others..

 

Rentalcars.com

- cheapest among all. A bit scary to have it so cheap. Others quote 1.4k for full insurance for a ford escape for 2 weeks. This company quote me sgd 600!!!

 

Alamo

- good pricing but not as good as rentalcars. Not sure how reliable they are.

 

On top of that, I got to know that I can actually get promo code via UCLA and I registered as a gold member. The rate I got as a gold member of hertz and using their promo is actually more exp than I get from a guest login booking.

 

For bros who been there and rented cars before, pls give me your advice.

 

Thanks!!

 

 

I hope my posting is useful to you.

 

I went US last years and rent from Hertz ...

 

Guess what ???

 

Herts have a counter in my hotel where I stay. And i tell them Enterprise is offering better price. They MATCH the price and I got the DEAL !!!

 

 

[XWD]

Need some help from the helpful bros here

 

I'm going to US in April for a month and I am sourcing for car rental over the net..

 

Can't really decide on which company to rent from as their rents and add on defers quite a bit ..

 

Hertz

- most exp. good review.

 

Avis

- price quite ex also as compared to others..

 

Rentalcars.com

- cheapest among all. A bit scary to have it so cheap. Others quote 1.4k for full insurance for a ford escape for 2 weeks. This company quote me sgd 600!!!

 

Alamo

- good pricing but not as good as rentalcars. Not sure how reliable they are.

 

On top of that, I got to know that I can actually get promo code via UCLA and I registered as a gold member. The rate I got as a gold member of hertz and using their promo is actually more exp than I get from a guest login booking.

 

For bros who been there and rented cars before, pls give me your advice.

 

Thanks!!

 

Hertz. If possible, go register Gold membership. So far so good in my trips to US over the last few years.

 

PS - forget about Neverlost. Subscribe to unlimited data package locally and you can use Google Maps/Waze + data + Skype in place of voice calls. Provided $ isn't a concern of cause.

 

[Viceroymenthol]

There was this one time I booked online from Hertz a Nissan Xterra (I think similar to X trail) to be picked up at LAX (same as you? UCLA?). When I got there, they didn't have the car available and they gave me a brand new Mercedes GLK 350 4-matic 7-Gtronic, free of charge.

 

Needless to say, I was very pleased. One thing about them is they are not ngiao.

[Creative_tec]

Thanks bro for all the advice..

 

This is my first trip to US and our schedule is quite crazy (travel to San Fran, fly to maimi for a couple of day, up to New York and fly back from there), I guess I should just go with hertz..

 

No point saving that few bucks and end up with hiccups..

 

However, for hertz, when I book as guest, I got all the coverage exactly the same as gold member but the overall cost for guest is cheaper!

 

I will be getting a ford escape for San Fran drive to Las Vegas. For maimi, I will get a camoro (bumblebee!!)

[Kiadaw]

I used Hertz & enterprise before, but not in US. No problem at all. i suggest you spent a bit of time to learn the traffic rules in US, & the requirements etc.

 

If you are not used to drive on the right side of the road, it can take a while to familise.

[Inimatad]

You will never go wrong with Hertz.

If you are flying in via SQ and have KrisFlyer membership, you get a discount too.

Their range is very good esp. if you pick up car from the airports.

Last year, I rented a Ford Taurus and drove from San Francisco to San Diego. The car developed some tyre problem and they changed the car for me with no questions asked.

[SLSAMG88]

You will never go wrong with Hertz.

If you are flying in via SQ and have KrisFlyer membership, you get a discount too.

Their range is very good esp. if you pick up car from the airports.

Last year, I rented a Ford Taurus and drove from San Francisco to San Diego. The car developed some tyre problem and they changed the car for me with no questions asked.

Hertz is good...but only if you are a Gold member.

 

I usually fly to San Fran...my first time, I was just an ordinary (non-Gold) member...the queue at the counter was three hours long!

 

After that, I told my company to give me Gold member or I will not go with Hertz (my company's partner) - with Gold, you walk straight to the garage and the car is waiting for you - no need to queue!

 

Another word of advice - if you need to goto the counter - book the cheapest car, the counter guy will usually ask you to upgrade for a couple of bucks more - say "No"! When you get to the garage to pick up the car, your economy car might be unavailable and they will give you a free upgrade on the spot!

[Mugenr]

Look out for discount codes. I was in US in Dec 2012

 

This was my schedule

 

8 Dec - 13Dec (Hertz - GMC Acadia) Went from SF to Lake Tahoe (die die must go) and back to SF

 

Caught a flight to San Diego on 14 Dec

 

14 Dec - 31 Dec (Avis - Chevy Tahoe) Went from SD to LA to Palm Springs (Desert Hills Premium Outlets also die die must go) Vegas (Vegas PO also not bad) to Long Beach and back to SF.

 

In US roads it pays to be be BIG and u will feel alot safer. Some roads can be very windy and if your car is too light you will feel it drifting to the next lane.

 

Snowy roads will probably be out for you but the GMC did well in the snowy roads down from Lake Tahoe where everybody had to fix chains on their wheels, the GMC with its AWD jus went on without it no problems.

 

Another reason why you should take a BIG car on a road trip, you will need it with all the shopping.

[Mugenr]

True about the upgrade part.

 

I booked a Tahoe in Sg but they told me they had upgrade to Suburban (Tahoe's bigger brother); Lincoln Navigator and Lincoln Escalade for about 10 -40 bucks more a day.

 

Was tempted but by the time i decided the other counters managed to get takers for those upgrades so i stuck with my Tahoe.