Rentin’ Cars Superthread

[Diamond Joe]

If you do decline the collision damage waiver because your credit card or insurance company covers it, make sure they cover the specific car you get!

Last time in Utah, I ended up renting an Escalade (not my choice, I think the original rental was for like a Jeep Cherokee). I put it on AmEx and declined the insurance. For some reason, I was like, hang on let me double check that, and called AmEx. Turns out the Escalade would not have been covered, because it was considered a "luxury or executive" class or something like that, which was not covered under the standard rental car collision damage rider and required an optional $10 or $20 charge to upgrade the coverage, which I did.

Thank God I did, because first day at altitude after a couple tall boy PBRs, messing around with the Escalade in the Brighton parking lot, I hit another car and did about $3000 worth of damage to it

[Name Redacted]

Rented a Land Rover in NZ, they gave me a discount to transport it to Christchurch from Queenstown. Decided to take it off roading a few times over the next 48 hrs. Chasing sheep through a field, rallying offroad on the road up to the Remarkables, driving on the beach, etc. Definitely got my money's worth.

In another life I used to deliver cars all over CO for a rental car company. That was pretty cool, didn't pay shit. One time I fell asleep driving up to Kremmling airport from Summit following my boss. Driving an SUV up to deliver to some bigwigs flying in for the Jones Ranch. Went about 20 yards off the road going about 30 mph before I woke up in the scrub brush, gunned it and jumped it back on the road, in front of some stopped cars, right in line behind the boss man. I thought I was probably fired, and fucked up the SUV. Got to the airport, kicked a tumbleweed out from under the grill while no one was looking, and buffed out a few minor scratches and Bob's your uncle, tossed the keys and got the F out of there.

[MontuckyFried]

Just make sure you don't rent from Marathon Car Rental:

[Gcooker]

Fresh out of college, my first job was in the Yukon. Had a little WRX rental car that I managed to drive like CRV and ended up on my roof in the middle of nowhere northern B.C... north of Good Hope Lake for those that know.... 2 days later the car was thawed out and ready to head back to town. 11k damage, declined insurance as directed by my new employer who failed to send the policy change to our office. I was the newest ‘example’ in the company newsletter of what not to do with rental cars.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Jong Lafitte]

Just make sure you don't rent from Marathon Car Rental:

LOL. Why doesn't he just wait for the next bus?

I was so hung over this one morning, trying to fly out of Lafayette, LA. I forget what the problem was but I started raising my voice. Lady says, "calm down sir, I can tell you've had too much to drink but I want to get you the hell out of here so just calm down and I can see what I can do." So I do as she asks and one of the legs of the flight was upgraded to 1st. Nice lady.

I've also missed like 6 flights in my life. For a person who doesn't travel for work, that's probably a lot. Like straight missed them from being too late. I was in Austin, at the old airport and got there waaay too late and I'm the only person in the check in line except the person at the counter. I'm on my cell phone and (yes, there was a brief time where Austin was using the old airport and cellphones were a thing) I'm very loudly telling the people on the phone that I'm going to be late because "they shut the whole fucker down, because I was only five fucking minutes fucking late, FUCK!!!" and so on...

Small dude working the counter swings himself through the luggage scale area and gets in my face. He's like 6 inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than me, bespectacled and fucking serious as a heart attack. Tells me there's not going to be a damn thing he can do for me if I keep using that kind of language and that I need to calm down. My response? let my jaw drop to the floor, get wide eyed, hang up the phone without saying anything into it and say in a soft voice "sorry, man."

On the next flight no fees. Nice fella.

[BmillsSkier]

So you’re telling me we have a few cautionary tales as members here?

[Tye 1on]

I wish US rental cars offered cars with MTs but from a business perspective, it's understandable why they don't for our lame-o consumer market.

Turo has a number of MT cars available domestically.

[MontuckyFried]

Turo has a number of MT cars available domestically.

Turo's cars are individually owned, though. Never seen an MT through the likes of Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, etc.

[BmillsSkier]

I’d have trouble explaining some of these incidents to a Turo owner.

Cross them off the list.

[MontuckyFried]

I’d have trouble explaining some of these incidents to a Turo owner.

Cross them off the list.

Haha. Good point. With a Turo car, I'd likely treat it very kindly. A giant rental mega company fleet car, though? It is on!!! Going all Dukes of Hazard on it.

[The Tortoise]

[BmillsSkier]

A long time ago I found a whole stockpile of BMWs being sold off from enterprise or some other fleet with low miles and good prices.

Considered one then I thought how they probably never once were filled up with the required premium (trigger warning cross-reference for the fuel debate and car wash interval thread), much less the level of hooning that no doubt occurred in their short, abused lives.

[BmillsSkier]

May: Your car was red when we set off.

Clarkson: Was it?

[::: :::]

I clicked thinking "supercar rental thread"
now disappoint

here's a supercar
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-...ssive-speeding

[Danno]

am I the only one who drives a rental pretty much the same way I drive any other car?

[BmillsSkier]

am I the only one who drives a rental pretty much the same way I drive any other car?

Do you follow the manufacturer’s recommended octane rating when fueling it up?

[Art Shirk]

am I the only one who drives a rental pretty much the same way I drive any other car?

Yes.

Flew into OK City for work a few years ago and had to drive to Tulsa. Guy at the counter said he would upgrade me. My choices were a new XC90 or A Camaro SS. Apparently those are upgrades in Oklahoma. I was tired and just wanted a cushy ride so I wanted the volvo. But this guy was so excited to let me have the Camaro that I just couldn't crush him with a volvo pick. The Camaro smelled like fried chicken and the steering wheel was greasy. There was virtually no lateral visibility, zero rear visibility and 450 horses to get me to Tulsa.

I got her up in the 130s no problem on what turned out to be an toll road of some sort because just a few months ago I got a bill for blowing through multiple toll stops. I guess it took them awhile to track me down.

I got a "bitchin" from a parking lot attendant in Tulsa, so I knew I made the right choice,.

Can we also talk about about dealership loaners? I got a call once that I had to return mine because of complaints from the public.

[BmillsSkier]

And yes, dealership loaners are captured under the superthread banner.

I believe I’m responsible for a new provision in the loaner agreement at Audi Atlanta regarding no out of state travel as I put over 2k miles on a Q5 in a week by driving it to Ohio then South Carolina and back while some minor warranty work was being done on my car.

[Timberridge]

Do you follow the manufacturer’s recommended octane rating when fueling it up?

What about a leased car? Isn't it just a long term rental?

[BmillsSkier]

What about a leased car? Isn't it just a long term rental?

For appropriate fuel purposes or thread-appropriate discussion topic?

My guess fill it with 93 and leave it in the driveway for 2 years until they ask for more money.

[DBdude]

And just like that Benny's alias is outed.

hahahahahahahahahaha

[Jong Lafitte]

What about a leased car? Isn't it just a long term rental?

You fucking thrash the shit out of it but stay under the mileage. Then give it back to the little fuckers under the same terms they tried to con you with. The fancier the pitchman sounds when he (its always a he) says something about "well qualified leasees," the harder you fucking blast that shit. These pointed toe cowboy boots dont just help for climbing fences and kililng roaches in the corners of the places I live, they also drop the fucking lead on that bullshit.

well qualified leasees can get an escalade to park in their fucking driveway or pay us later. Fuck that. Your MBA ass aint getting shit but A fuckign nice looking hulk cuz I stood on the fucking pedals. both. all. the. time. fuck em.

[Gcooker]

I like to see how fast I can go before the car won’t let me down shift anymore....

[Tye 1on]

Considered one then I thought how they probably never once were filled up with the required premium (trigger warning cross-reference for the fuel debate and car wash interval thread), much less the level of hooning that no doubt occurred in their short, abused lives.

Yeah, for all you know it could have been accidentally half filled with E85 ethanol. [don't ask me how I know]

[m2711c]

tread depth on the last piece of shit that Dollar gave me on a weekend with a foot of snow forecasted......




Then, four weeks later, I get a bill for the fucking ezpass on the car that I returned dated two days after I returned it for a toll 300 miles away from where I actually was.

You would think that all I would have to tell them is to look at the rental agreement and see that I had already returned that car and swapped it for one that had enough tires left to work in the snow. But no. That would be too fucking easy. It took a week of arguing with those fucking knuckleheaded morons that I could not have gone through a toll booth with a car that I did not possess .