5 Things to Hate about Rental Cars

"Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez" (apidaonline)
05/14/2014 at 09:53 • Filed to: None

Renting a car is a useful thing. You go on vacation and want the freedom of going wherever the hell you want. After doing some homework, you pick the car that'll be the most comfortable for your drive without having to default on your second credit card. The only thing you've overlooked is the first thing you realize when you open the door of your new-to-you 4-wheeled trip companion: It's crap.

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In preparation for some new !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! articles, in which I chronicle the process in which I buy and sell cool cars, I figured I should post one of my very first articles in its entirety in case some people were having trouble accessing the website, as I know some of you were. If you'd like to see more of these types of stories, check us out !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

The story's original article can be found !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

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In early December, the East Coast can be described best as being ass-freezingly cold. It's your body's way of signaling you that the ice age was a hell of a long time ago, and planes are a thing. I decided that in lieu of this circumstance, it was high time I took a vacation with a few dear friends whose extremities were in various stages of frostbite as well. Troubling times indeed.

Pictured: Fuck this, I'm out.

We booked a flight to Vegas, and boarded a Southwest flight to the land of gambling, hookers and $2.99 prime rib. Since one of our group was a manager at a national car rental outlet, we got the royal treatment - meaning we got the car at a reasonable price and didn't really have to worry if an unsuspecting senior slammed into it after falling asleep in the parking lot after an all night bender at the slots. In any case, we got the keys to our slightly used 2012 GMC Acadia and our vacation officially began.

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5. If it's used at all, it's trashed.

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Before we managed to turn the car on, we immediately smelled an odor not unlike a good curry mixed with a milk way past its prime. Oh, and the car that was less than a year old had more than 60,000 miles on the odometer. Back to the counter for another car, we didn't need a rental slut on its last legs. Luckily they had another Acadia in the fleet, and this one smelled like a broken-in pair of leather shoes and had almost no miles on the clock. "Awesome! We'll take it!" was something I distinctly remember hearing no one say as we piled our luggage into our do-over GMC.

An interesting fact about this car is that it's the closest thing to a minivan you can get while still retaining that last sliver of dignity. It's for the dad that thinks that those polished quad exhaust pipes make up for the fact that had he not had kids, he could have probably afforded that Ferrari he'd promised himself when he was younger, had less liabilites and a lot more hair.

Pictured: Also the same person who likes this ad.

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4. They aren't that practical.

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One particularly dissapointing area of the car was the lack of usable luggage space. We had 6 people with 2 bags each, and in order for everything to fit, we needed to have the entire rear row folded flat, which meant 4 of us had to throw personal space out the window and learn to be intimate with one another. This wasn't a RAV4 we were piling into, it was a full size SUV that was nearly 17 feet long. Space should be a non issue, especially in a car that's built as a vehicle for carrying lots of people over large distances. Did the people at GM think that these trips wouldn't involve a change of clothes? It may just have been a problem of logistics on our part, but it certainly seemed like GM's target demographic for this car was a bunch of short, nomadic nudists.

Pictured: Clearly enough luggage for 7 people over 2 weeks.

Even with no luggage in the car, our 3-row Acadia with all its seats occupied had a laughable amount of rear leg room. In order for the second row passengers to have any leg room at all, the front row passenger's knees would have to perform a mating dance with the dash. Since you can't have 7 passengers and luggage in the car at the same time, why not move the second row a few inches back and make a rear-facing jump seat for the 3rd row?

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3. They're Boring, inside and out.

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When I finally made the decision to prime the fuel pump and send 12 screaming volts to the starter motor, the result was something that set the tone for my driving adventure from then on out: completely and utterly unremarkable.

The 288HP, 3.6L V6 engine wasn't a bad engine, but it wasn't a particularly good one either. It took the most mediocre aspects of hum, mixed it lazily with drum, and covered it with beige wallpaper with a sprinkling of 99-cent store air freshener. Acceleration for such a heavy car was adequate, and steering was, at its very best, "functional".

Pictured: "I might as well be a toaster."

Rental cars are generally abysmal because they aren't interesting, passionate, or notable in any way. You can do a quick test of this right now, as you read this. Go to any major rental car website in America. No exotic car rentals or desert dune buggy rentals. I'm not talking about what you do with your tax return the second you get your first gray hair and your mid life crisis comes screaming into reality. Look at the entire lineup of cars and narrow down the ones you'll likely pick for a vacation of leisure. Now imagine that those cars had never existed. What would the world be missing?

Pictured: The world still mourns its loss.

Don't even think about it, as I've done the thinking for you. The answer you're looking for is: Not a damn thing . A quick note - I'm not talking about the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , or any other car that can possibly throw a wrench in my long-winded rant prematurely. I'm referring to the lion's share of rental cars.

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2. Interior Design was an obvious afterthought.

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Our rental Acadia had a fair amount of gadgets in it. It had a self opening and closing tailgate, Bluetooth, heated front leather seats, rear backup camera and park warning system, Bose sound system and a digital front / rear 2 zone climate control. Brand new, this car cost around the $50k mark. A lot of luxury for the price, right?

Wrong.

Every single item on this car, including the standard options, felt like an afterthought. It's almost like the exterior and mechanical portions of the car were finished and the designers simply forgot that the car needed an interior, then did their utmost to fit everything in before lunch. Buttons were placed in weird positions, had a flimsy touch and employed the use of tiny icons that weren't descriptive or analogous to what they actually do.

Pictured: There are 52 buttons in this picture.

There was an icon that had a To-Do List on it, with a check in one of the tasks. That was the button for "OK" on the cluster menu. You know what else works just as good? A button that says "OK". The climate control buttons were so small you'd have to take your eyes off the road for a good few seconds to make sure you'd selected the rear defroster instead of the "OFF" button, because not only are they right next to each other, they're a half-inch wide. This is the exact opposite of the GM of the 80s and 90s, when cars had interior buttons that could be seen from space, but still had the wacky and ass-backwards placements throughout the cabin.

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1. EVERYTHING. IS. CHEAP.

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You know you're in bad shape when $20 die cast models of cars have the same build quality and attention to detail as the car you're sitting in. For example, the dash gives one the feeling that a solid stab with a sharpened crayon would create a moderate-sized hole - and while we're on the subject of dashboards - the committee that decreed from the rooftops that all cheap plastic dashboards had to have that obviously fake looking leather texture should - and hopefully do - have a special place reserved in hell.

The entire car had a distinct air of unreliability to it. It felt like it was built to be a car only until the day the warranty expired. Having been in similar European cars and Japanese cars, the feeling of being solid that was so prevalent in those cars is definitely something left behind in this rental. It wasn't falling apart, but its quality gave the impression that not only will something obscure fall off the interior of this car, but you should expect it to do so at the most inopportune and/or hilarious time.

Pictured: "Now you'll wish I was a toaster."

"It's all in your head!" you yell frantically at your computer screen while your spouse inches closer to force feed you the medication you forgot to take this morning. No, good reader, I'm not just making this up to take a dump on the GMC Acadia. I'm doing it to take a steaming deuce on all rental cars.

Auto companies make cars like these to sell as fleet vehicles. They're cars designed by committee and manufactured by the lowest bidder. Cars used in rentals are bought and sold not as ways to escape the mundane, but to revel in it, and remind yourself that at no point have you escaped. You can look out the windows and experience a new surrounding, but the second your finger touches the window switch, you know that whoever made that switch was subcontracted by a major electronics conglomerate and got a killer deal on distributing whatever they had left in their old parts bin.

The icing on the mediocrity cake was that this car was one of the range-topping models that the company had to offer. That means it could have been much worse . It's ultimately selling people a borderline passable product rather than offering them !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! - and that's perhaps the biggest sin of all.

Pictured: "Thanks for renting with us! Now go fuck yourself."

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DISCUSSION (100)

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 10:14

Once again a great read. I live in Europe so you get a interesting mix of cars for rentals. And this vary in which country you are. You can go with a cheap Citroen or a Dacia/old Clio if you are really cheap or you can get an VW if you want a little better or a Merc/BMW if you want nice. Still we don't have anything really exciting like Mustangs or Corvettes like some rentals offer in the US. OK you can get a fast 3/5 series or even with some rentals M3/M5 but you must be ready to paya as if you are buying new.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 10:17

I really enjoy your writing, but I think you may have been a bit harsh on the Acadia. I'm pretty sure everyone knows if you want a GMC to hold that many people and luggage you need a Yukon XL. Which is also a lot less mini-van-ish

jariten1781 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 10:28

I live half my life driving rentals and the only rule you need to know when renting is 'get the vehicle with the lowest mileage that can hold everything you need to hold'. Y'all needed to get a minivan rather than a 'Dignified GMC Acadia'. Unless you're renting from the 'Signature Series' or whatever the car is going to be a combo of cheap, stained, scratched, or plain broke.

Often times the 'fleet trim' vehicles are the best to rent because there's just less to break and the interior is made up of heartier, less delicate materials. Avis recently bought an order of 2014 Beetles with the old 2.5 NA motor, rental trim seats, a rental trim wheel, and a rental trim stereo (none of which are available on consumer models) that have been holding up very well in my last few trips.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
05/14/2014 at 10:29

The Acadia was the biggest car the rental fleet had at the time. I understand this isn't the biggest car GMC makes.

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
05/14/2014 at 10:31

No, moron boy needed to rent this instead. Expecting anything short of a Dodge Grand Caravan/Toyota Sienna to successfully accommodate six adults plus a large amount of luggage, and then complaining about the lack of space is ludicrous. A better bet would have been this full sized van. Plenty of space for all adults and their luggage.

Kinja'd!!!

Diesel > jariten1781
05/14/2014 at 10:32

I drove rentals for 4 years solid. I didn't care what car I was in, I took it as an opportunity to evaluate each for possible future ownership. Ultimately, I bought a Chevy Tahoe because it was the most comfortable to me. The Mustang and Chargers were fun, though.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 10:42

Kinja'd!!!

Minivans do this a lot better.

cabarne4 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:11

I always, always, always rent a Ford Fiesta. Possibly the greatest rental car. Big enough for me and whatever bag I'm carrying, gets good fuel economy, drives well.

6 people and 12 bags? Rent 2 or 3 Fiestas. It'll probably still be cheaper than getting the "premier" rental, and then people can pair up and go their separate ways on the trip, without leaving everyone else without a car.

meatatarian > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:13

Your requirements/expectations do seem a bit... lavish, considering what a rental car is. Besides, they are the fastest cars in the world!

On a trip to Europe years ago my family of 5 and all of our luggage (for a 4 wk trip...) fit just fine in a diesel, manual Volvo V50 wagon. I was 16 at the time and didn't fully understand the awesomeness... but my dad and I took it on some Austrian dirt backroads and returned it in Munich covered in mud, to the amusement of ze German Europcar employees. Hit 120 on the Autobahn and got great mileage the whole way. Overall, excellent rental experience.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:16

Yea it's just unfortunate because the Acadia isn't really designed for this kind of thing and it got some serious negative points for it. I'm not saying the interior downfalls should be ignored, just that these types of SUVs are typically used for A. full of people B. Half full of people half full of luggage or C. 1 person in the left lane on the highway lol

jalop1991 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:16

Jesus Christ, even for Jalopnik this is a sad, sad, weak, irrelevant article. And that's saying something.

To sum up: they got an SUV that wasn't practical with regard to space and which was a cheap piece of shit from GM.

Absolutely NONE of that has ANYTHING to do with the fact that it's a rental.

Next up: wet streets cause rain. Film at 11.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Deal Killer - Powered by Focus
05/14/2014 at 11:17

but does it have heated leather seats, it's apparently very important.

pfftballer > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:18

Rental cars are AWESOME for things like rallycross events. I once took first in FWD under 3 liters in an Oldsmobile Alero with 55 miles on it.

2 Wheels awesome! > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:18

Many of the problems with rental cars are a direct result of the maintenance conducted by the rental company. They try to skim by and lower operating costs. Of coarse they have cheap interiors, have you ever heard of fleet vehicle trim? They are designed to take a beating and not absorb nasty smells or spills. If you need a bigger rental, RENT ONE, I have rented a freaking Yukon before because we needed the room. The cars themselves are generally quite reliable (they have to be or the rental companies will no purchase them b/c they will lose all their money on repairs) as they are the lower power, lower trim levels that are sold in fleet vehicle spec to the rental companies.

Mark Jacob > jvirgs drives a Subaru
05/14/2014 at 11:18

I can't hit that star hard enough.

autothing > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:18

I'm booking a vacation car rental for Florida and every [cheap] rental is advertised at $20/day. Add a 7-day rental to the cart for what should be $140 and they hit you with $174 in added taxes and fees. So yeah, not feeling ANYTHING good about rentals right now. Total bait-and-switch with the numbers.

jimmyjet > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:18

Ranting about rental cars? Who cares? They're RENTAL cars. Of course they suck.

I think I'll write a post about the crappy quality of hotel room furniture.

fintail > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:19

My complaints - poor cleaning. I know rental detail crews are poorly paid and have to keep things moving, but I've received some cars that made me want to wash my hands. When I rent, especially in FL or CA, I take the car and give it a quick interior detail as soon as I can find a place. Second complaint, low spec models. This seems to be a US issue more than in Europe. Otherwise, I kind of like renting cars when there's a chance I'll get something halfway decent.

mtdrift > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:21

Perhaps you're expecting too much from your rental cars? They exist purely for function's sake. They need to handle a few years of abuse at the hands of careless or downright intentionally destructive drivers with minimal maintenance before they are set free into the secondary market for sad cars. To demand that they be adorned with soft-touch plastics and engage you in a rapturous driving experience is probably missing the point.

Also, you can't make the Acadia any larger than it is by wishing it to be bigger. An Acadia is an Acadia, its size is its size. If you needed more room, maybe you needed to rent a bigger car? It's not the Acadia's fault.

Thunder > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:21

Boring, yes. But my father in law relatively lucked out this past weekend when we met up in Myrtle Beach. He got to the rental counter to find a 30 person line waiting. Not good. When he finally got to the counter, he was offered a Nissan Altima. OK, not great, but could do worse. The plus, though: it had 2 miles on it. I've never even bought a new car with so few miles.

David E. Davis > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:24

Kinja'd!!!

These are the two saddest people on earth. And not in a crying way.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > mtdrift
05/14/2014 at 11:25

It was the biggest car in the fleet. I'm not bashing the Acadia, I'm bashing the choice of the Acadia as the rental car company's largest and most accommodating car. When you have to make 2 trips just to get back from the airport, there's something wrong there.

Also, I rented a car in Europe and loved it. It wasn't just functional. There was style, economy, and fun. It was an experience, whereas when I was driving the Acadia, I felt like I was filling out paperwork.

miataisalwaystheanswer > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:25

Kinja'd!!!

I'm genuinely concerned this exists.

TheCraigy > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:25

Yeah this sounds more like hating on GM.

I rented a Ford F150 (long story, mardi gras, only thing in inventory...) and it wasn't such a cheap experience. Sure it was a base model truck but the thing felt solid.

GM is still cheap and flimsy, even at the Corvette and Cadillac level (where it's perhaps best described as expensive and flimsy).

If the GMC Acadia (which the author admits was one of their range topping cars) is built with rental fleets in mind, then essentially every single GM vehicle is built for rental fleet sales. In fact, I'd venture to say that if not for rental fleet sales, GM would be out of business yet again.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:26

I counter this with One Thing To Love About Rental Cars .

They're not yours, and you don't have to be nice to them.

Scott-R > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:26

Afraid that you did not simply rent the right type of vehicle. I don't like GM products myself, but this was not a fault of the vehicle. This was your own fault for not getting the right vehicle in the first place.

With 6 passengers and 12 pieces of luggage, you should have at least gotten a minivan, if not a full-sized van. Even with a minivan, you might have need to rent a cargo trailer to carry the luggage.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
05/14/2014 at 11:28

I'm nice to all cars. I don't go to a public toilet and take a dump on the floor just because it's not my house. :)

LookingAtCars.com > David E. Davis
05/14/2014 at 11:30

Hey, if mommy like, than daddy better like too.

Minivan hater!

LookingAtCars.com > jimmyjet
05/14/2014 at 11:31

Damn, you're right. Makes me wish I didn't waste my precious time reading this post.

David E. Davis > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:31

Kinja'd!!!

I rented one of these from an out of the way enterprise franchise because cheap as hell. I got what I paid for. Whoa is anyone that got stuck with this turd. Under powered, negligible sight lines, playskool interior, cracked front facia. It also had the misfortune of being an NYC JFK survivor. The other choices were a year older Dodge Grand Caravan or a huge ass Chevy silverado crewcab. I did not go back to that Enterprise ever again.

TheCraigy > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:32

Yeah if that's all they got, then that sucks. Renting two cars for six people seems unnecessary.

angusparvo > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:32

I've never understood these three-row crossovers with barely enough space behind the third row to fit a bag of potato chips. The commercials show families on trips and I'm always wondering, "Where is their luggage?"

Kurt Bradley > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:32

Rentals don't have to suck. If you're in AUS, LAX, SFO, DFW, or DAL (Phoenix is up next), check out Silvercar . They have fleets of loaded (wifi, navigation, SiriusXM, etc.) silver A4s. I've used them a few times, and while they're a little more than the usual rental car, they're legit, and the service & experience rocks. Especially when you consider how much you pay for a "loaded" car at your Enterprise/Avis/National.

LookingAtCars.com > miataisalwaystheanswer
05/14/2014 at 11:32

I see them on the road too. so it must be working.

Stop being a minivan hater!

55_mercury > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:33

Not even sure what this article is supposed to be about. The title suggests "things to hate about rental cars" and then explains an experience in a rented vehicle followed by descriptions of "Rental cars" as if there's actually a manufacture literally called "rental car Inc" that only makes... rental cars.

I've rented a lot of cars. Some were good. some were horrible. That's about all I can say.

1UZ > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:33

Now there's certain things you don't sling hate at on Jalopnik, and I firmly believe rental cars are one of them. They are the fastest cars in the world, because for an additional $15, all you ever have to worry about while driving them is not getting pulled over.

David E. Davis > LookingAtCars.com
05/14/2014 at 11:34

I like minivans for their utility. But never fool yourself into thinking they are worthy of swagger. Not in a Sienna. E63 wagon definitely.

Kinja'd!!!

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:34

Good point. But what if you're *really* drunk?

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > TheCraigy
05/14/2014 at 11:35

Here's the thing, even with 6 people (it can fit 7) and no luggage, it was an uncomfortable ride. Everyone was cramped and we had to constantly pull over and take breaks so our legs didn't cramp up.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
05/14/2014 at 11:36

That's probably a good way to tell your parole officer that you're not afraid to go back to jail.

Bueller > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:38

It's not that American cars are designed for rental companies, they are designed for the anything but sophisticated American car buyer. There is a reason why Baroque never made it to England or to America.

LookingAtCars.com > Diesel
05/14/2014 at 11:38

I hear ya. I don't mind driving rentals. It gives me a chance to weed out the cars I wouldn't buy.

Equana > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:39

You need to revise your attitude about rentals. Take the extra insurance and treat the rental the way it needs to be treated....

NOTHING parks like a rental, drives like a rental, HOONS like a rental! Take it back as the smoldering hulk of shit that it is.

TheCraigy > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:39

Well obviously it's your problem for four of you not being small children with stubby appendages. ;)

JagrSaluteYourShorts > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:40

The one time I've rented a car it was a Chevy Sonic or Nissan Vesra... one those small compact classes. They gave me a free upgrade to a Corolla, it was sweet. We bonded, I actually miss that car.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:41

Better than peeing on his/her shoes?

miataisalwaystheanswer > LookingAtCars.com
05/14/2014 at 11:41

I MEANT THE AD. I should've clarified. Apologies. I'm actually pretty fond of the Sienna- they're ridiculously comfy, and don't look horrible.

seoultrain > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:43

The reason rental cars are so crappy? Hardly anyone's willing to pay for nicer cars. I've rented a nice, new Chrysler 300 and I've rented a beat-up Dodge Avenger, pretty much the 2 ends of the renting spectrum. All I was left with after driving the 300 was a larger gas bill. The Avenger was equally as good at its job: getting me around on my vacation so I can enjoy myself. I'm not sure I'd spend any more money for the 300, unless I was renting the car for a long drive.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Equana
05/14/2014 at 11:43

I actually have a vehicle rental business, and I can't imagine treating someone else's property like that. I can't bring back something worse than when I got it.

Malforus > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:43

Than your big shot friends connections suck. Like other posters pointed out, you needed either an actual minivan, or an actual van.

Just because swinging dick mc-Rental car says he took care of something it seems more like he dropped the ball and you are blaming the ball.

Bricks > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:44

I'm going to take the side of the author and get across a point he is trying to make. American cars are junk, they've been junk since the late 70s and just because they're slightly better they're still junk.

Also why do manufacturers try to shove 7 seats in a car that clearly should be designed for 5 and anyone who gets one thinking 7 people will fit is either dumb or gullible.

mitsuk0 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:49

yea you rented the wrong car, even though i hate GM too. I also hate Chrysler, but i always rent a Caravan (T&C) when on snowboarding trips. There's always 1 cheapo in my party that tries to argue we don't need it for 5 people. Funny, last trip the cheapo swapped with another group, it took my group 5 minutes to load and go, while the other took 30 minutes to try to squeeze in a suv, and ended up paying more having to rent a second car.

rent a car in the middle east, and then you can talk about cheap, overused overabused GMs & Chevy's. The day they gave me a lancer made that feel high end.

also as a side note... if you ever rent a car to Whistler for a ski trip, get the option for snow tires.

Mr Clutch > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:52

I love making smokey burnouts on front wheel drive rentals. I don't know why but when I get behind the wheel of a rental I just want to hoon the shit out of it. I would never abuse a car but rentals brings out the worst in me.

GoPadge > LookingAtCars.com
05/14/2014 at 11:52

Chrysler 200 tops my list of rental cars to never buy or recommend. (Unless I really don't like the person...)

123456 > Thunder
05/14/2014 at 11:53

2 miles? Jesus...

stre > Bricks
05/14/2014 at 11:54

I think that's the point he should have been trying to make, but "5 things to hate about rental cars" means that's not the point he was actually trying to make, since a ton of rental cars are not American.

gabest > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:58

Lay off the guy, hes a know it all from NY, you honestly expect him to know the first thing about cars thats not a Crown Vic taxi? You rented a car. Its not yours. Its supposed to be cheap, unless you want to second mortgage that overpriced NY apartment to afford to rent a car.

This article just reeks of ignorance.

Buckus > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 11:59

This sounded more like a referendum on the Acadia, not on the rental car experience in itself. Also, a minivan, while probably not being the end-all solution, would probably have been better in terms of people and luggage space, which is one of the main complaints you had on the Acadia. The Acadia sacrifices space in the third-row and luggage area to make room for that AWD hardware that your example probably didn't have anyways. Six people, two bags apiece, is 12 bags. You probably should have tried for an Econoline or something similar.

Jayhawk Jake > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:00

Then you chose the wrong company.

I've rented a 14 passenger Econoline from Enterprise

Kinja'd!!!

I just don't get your article. You bash the Acadia, which is okay I guess, but how can you use that as a hate on rental cars? This article should be '5 things to hate about the GMC Acadia if it's the biggest car you can rent from a particular rental car company'

GoPadge > cabarne4
05/14/2014 at 12:00

I haven't rented a Fiesta yet, but I did have a Focus Titanium Hatch. The front seat driving position is great and I was satisfied with the acceleration and handling. I hated the MS Sync system and the rear seats were a joke. With the driver's seat set for my 5'10" height, there was barely five inches of rear legroom. I can't imagine the Fiesta being any better.

RoadToad > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:02

Kinja'd!!!

NOT A FULL SIZE SUV. NOT AN SUV REGARDLESS...

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > gabest
05/14/2014 at 12:02

Kinja'd!!!

JohnDoeIII > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:02

Hell, even when I'm flying solo, when I go on vacation, I always rent a Suburban / Yukon XL / Expedition EL or if it's offered a Escalade / Escalade ESV or Navigator / Navigator L

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:03

I've never found the center stack in the Acadia or any of the Lambada brothers to be hard to use. But that's just me who's been around a car that has a similar stack for the past 6 years. I know you never mention it, but the radio is actually really easy to use once about half a day of learning it.

Was this a new 2014 or an older one with the rounder face? Because those ones had cheap-ish interiors, the new ones are a lot better.

No offense, but trying to shove 7 people and their luggage into this car was kind of silly. That back seat is supposed to be used mostly for around town trips, not hauling 7 people and their luggage. That's more the job of a Suburban or Express van.

GoPadge > angusparvo
05/14/2014 at 12:03

That's why you get the Suburban with 40 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the 3rd row...

blerglemon > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:04

Kinja'd!!!

Should have went for the Suburban

crossbonechuck > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:05

These sound more like problems with the Acadia, and less like rental car problems in general.

Jayhawk Jake > Bricks
05/14/2014 at 12:05

That's an awful grandiose statement to make based on one car.

The only point he made is that the GMC Acadia is a piece of shit. That doesn't mean every single american car is junk.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:06

You forget the number one thing to hate about rental cars.

The rental agency.

Their sole existence is to try to blame any existing damage on you, even if you have knowledge of where that car has been.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

stre > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:06

If there's anyone you should be mad at, it's your friend who's a manager at the chain you rented from. You got the wrong vehicle, or wrong number of vehicles. You got a smelly whore of a rental on your first attempt. You didn't get one of the rental cars with a nice interior and decent looking exterior (trust me, they exist in every category). I rented weekly for about 7 years, and there's plenty of nice cars available. Generally they'll go to people with status in the company's frequent renter program, but there's no reason your friend couldn't have made a call or two and ensured a nice car was available for your group at no extra charge. Especially at an airport location in a city like Vegas.

Quit hating on rentals in general, and instead let your friend know he dropped the ball big time .

Dest > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:14

What annoys the fuck out of me is I get the most fuel efficient one they have and it STILL sucks. I know everything else is going to suck, I want to put as little money into the fucker as I can. I got a Hyundai and apparently if they had gone DOWN a model I would've gotten like 10+ more mpgs.

Nick Has an Exocet > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:14

#6 - For some unknown reason, even non-smokers seem to get the urge to smoke in a rental car. Ensuring that every car you rent will have a horrible mixed odor of stale smoke and febreeze.

blah > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:18

Disagree. I rented a 2012 Focus Titanium back in '12. That thing was awesome. So much so, guess what the wife is driving now. A 2013 Focus Titanium. Couldnt sell her on the ST... :-(

jalop1991 > gabest
05/14/2014 at 12:19

This article just reeks of ignorance.

What do you expect out of the "herp derp look at me! I can writes on the Innernetz!" mentality.

This is yet another example of the modern day generation, having grown up where everyone gets a medal and gets to suit up and play in the game if they show up, thinking that every nugget out of their mouths is golden and must be spewed to everyone and everyone must gasp in awe and bow down to them for having spewed it.

This guy's mother didn't do him any favors.

jalop1991 > Nick Has an Exocet
05/14/2014 at 12:20

#6 - For some unknown reason, even non-smokers seem to get the urge to smoke in a rental car. Ensuring that every car you rent will have a horrible mixed odor of stale smoke and febreeze.

And ass. Like the car came with coupons for free bags of White Castles.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > Thunder
05/14/2014 at 12:22

That's like, rolled it straight onto the hauler, rolled it off at the lot, and parked it where you FIL picked it up...

Heck, I thought I was good when I bought my Corolla way back when and it only had 5.7 miles...

jalop1991 > Buckus
05/14/2014 at 12:23

tl;dr. "He rented completely the wrong tool for the job, and now Mr. Ignorant wants to blame the entire world of rental cars for his own stupidity."

godblessE39 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:26

"5 Things to Hate about Rental Cars"

"TTAC is Happy with Anything they can get"

Thunder > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling
05/14/2014 at 12:30

Crazy. Obviously no test drive miles on a rental fleet vehicle, but still...

R Henry > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:30

Hmm....snark is funny...to a point. When the writer reaches puberty, give him another shot.

cabarne4 > GoPadge
05/14/2014 at 12:31

I'm usually the only person in the car when I have a rental. I don't go places with other people. At 5'8", there's enough room for passengers behind me, but wouldn't be too comfortable with long distances. Ford's Sync has improved for the latest ones, still not wonderful but better than before.

Think of the Fiesta as a slightly smaller Focus that gets better fuel economy. I averaged 43mpg US last time I had one (a few weeks ago).

AZRCD > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:31

To me it doesn't sound like a rental car issues, but more an American car issue (though I was at Avis a month ago and they had several Jettas, which are also cheapcheapcheap.) It's amazing, I went from a 2009 Civic to a 2013 Focus ST (which is now gone,) and it's amazing to see how Ford Managed to take a useful layout of not that small a hatch (it's quite a bit longer and wider than the Golf / GTI for example,) and give you no interior cubbie or storage space, no rear leg-room. minimal luggage space and folding seats which require you to remove the headrests and put them where? and then, while it does have a flat floor, is at two very different heights. Meanwhile the Civic was a sedan and had TONS and TONS more space, but the real key was that you could use EVERY INCH of it!

Bricks > Jayhawk Jake
05/14/2014 at 12:31

I'm definitely making an grandiose statement but its not bad, we should expect them to be better so they become better. Every time I work on one I again am reminded how shitty they are.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > miataisalwaystheanswer
05/14/2014 at 12:31

I just bought a Sienna a couple weeks ago (hey, 2 year old + all our relatives are 1000 miles away = long, long car trips), it is pretty decent. Headlights are a bit bug-eyed, though.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > R Henry
05/14/2014 at 12:31

I'm the best 12-year old writer on the planet.

mrmcqeen21 > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:32

A friend of mine recently rented a Mustang V6...they didn't tell him that it came with MyKey. Anytime he went over 62 a light came on the dash, and it wouldn't go higher than 80, which is BS. Especially now since some highways have 85 mph limits, and other places people do 90 just to be the slowest on the road.

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > angusparvo
05/14/2014 at 12:32

That's precisely why I just bought a minivan the other week :/

Bronte-saurus > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:34

You can say what you want about all-wheel/four-wheel drive, the only car that will go anywhere is a rental.

SilverBRADo totaled his beigeslushboxmatrix > jvirgs drives a Subaru
05/14/2014 at 12:35

Yeah, if I had kids or for some reason needed the space, I'd rather have a minivan that one of these things.

miataisalwaystheanswer > Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling
05/14/2014 at 12:35

To make you feel better, just remember that you could've had to get a Town & Country instead. Disaster averted.

Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez > Bronte-saurus
05/14/2014 at 12:36

Who needs a parking deck when you can leave it in the lobby?

dogisbadob > Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez
05/14/2014 at 12:37

Kinja'd!!!

oooo timing belt porn

Umrguy42: Add $5 for shipping and handling > miataisalwaystheanswer
05/14/2014 at 12:42

True, true. Plus, I got 0% apr for 60 months AND $1000 "cash back", so the deal wasn't bad. Funnily enough, my parents suddenly needed to replace their oldest van (apparently, the '98 Astro decided it'd finished the race), and wound up buying basically the exact same Sienna (even down to color) as I did :p (They already had one Sienna, and a Honda Odyssey, both of which I liked as minivans.)