Assorted Rental Car Pics - AMA

"pjhusa" (pjhuskinja) 09/23/2018 at 12:30 • Filed to: Rental Cars

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Since it has been exactly one month since I’ve returned from Scotland, I thought it’d be appropriate to post a light photodump of my famil y’s rental car (in the name of nostalgia).

AMA about this car (it shouldn’t too hard to answer, since it was quite similar to our wagon), Scotland, or whatever. I was impressed by the spec (M Sport Shadow with 19” wheels/Harman Kardon audio, Dakota Leather, nav), but was also surprised by some glaring omissions (lack of split-folding rear seats, power front seats, and auto-dimming/power-folding mirrors). I didn’t drive it, but compared to the uprated motor in the 330i, I didn’t feel much difference. I also felt a slightly firmer suspension and slightly tauter steering, but the rest of the M Sport Package was mostly visual.

I’ll probably (emphasis on “probably”) upload some DOTS posts in the coming days.

DutchieDC2R > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 12:44

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Where did you rent it? How much was it per day? I need to book a rental car this week for next month, im still torn on what I want to get...

Spanfeller is a twat > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 12:50

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Sixt is always a good bet if you want a nice car, but I think it’s very expensive. 

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 12:59

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Sixt in Germany can be a decent deal if you prepay and keep an eye on rates - also rent away from airports or train stations.  I’ve had some nice cars at rates that would get me a stereotypical rental car in NA.

fintail > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 13:01

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Rental cars in Europe compared to NA are like social goods in Europe compared to NA - on another level.

My last Sixt rental in Germany:

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 09/23/2018 at 13:03

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They’re an interesting company. I was screwed over by them in Barcelona though. But all the economic forces were against me (taxi strike, summer season, under 21 renter, etc) I payed 150 euros  for two days of a Peugeot 206!

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 13:06

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Yeah, you had some bad timing I think. Underage renter also never helps, you’ll pay for that.

The first two times I rented from Sixt, I was upgraded - first from a standard car to an E-class (a basic car that I somehow loved), and from the 5er/E category to a 7er.  That bought my loyalty.  I’ve also rented from them a few times in the US, as they have a small footprint here, and never had a bad experience.

Spanfeller is a twat > fintail 09/23/2018 at 13:10

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Yeah, it’s an interesting company. I’m yet to understand how it is that they are profitable. They grab very expensive cars, keep them six months (also known as, the steepest part of depreciation) and then “ship them to Germany” for something. To be honest, I do like them even if they did screw me over. At least they’d rent me a goddam car! unlike Hertz or any of the other normal companies. 

pjhusa > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 13:21

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Funnily enough, we rented with Thrifty. We’ve had good experiences with Sixt (Platinum members) and Europcar in the past: with Sixt, we got a lightly-equipped 320i in the Netherlands and a base CLA250 in California for really good prices. With Europcar, we got a loaded A4 wagon (virtual cockpit, heated power alcantara seats, rear sunshades, power tailgate) in Germany. However, Sixt in Edinburgh charged insane rates, and Europcar’s best option was a Passat. So we decided to take a chance with Thrifty (truly a chance as the last time we rented with them, we got a PT Cruiser, and that was absolutely dreadful). We were pleasantly surprised with our experience for about 40 GBP per day after all was said and done. Pickup and return were both incredibly convenient, and the car was well-specced (although scratched and dinged up). Would rent from them again.

fintail > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 13:23

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I suspect for some of their higher end cars, they either get sold to livery companies, or many end up in the wild east. I know Sixt and BMW have had a partnership for a long time, rest assured they aren’t paying MSRP for those cars.  Some also may find their way into CPO programs, rental cars in the US often end up in a similar venue.  

I didn’t start renting cars until I was over the standard 25 year old age, I’ve never had to pay extra.    Speaking of Sixt, I’ve rented E-Class a couple times in Florida from the company, under $40/day, not bad.  But now I am in a points program with Hertz, so when I rent domestic, I tend to go that way, as it is effectively free.   I’ve never had more than a Chrysler 300 from Hertz, but those are just fine for road trips.

pjhusa > fintail 09/23/2018 at 13:26

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Nice! We got a 320i (lightly equipped, with Professional nav, LED headlights, and split-folding seats) from Sixt in Amsterdam, and a base CLA250 (which is actually decently equipped, with power seats, ambient lighting, an 8-inch screen, and a panoramic moonroof) from Sixt in California. Despite being Platinum members, w e weren’t upgraded either time, but the rates were so good that it didn’t matter. Europcar in Germany has given us our best car yet, though: a loaded auto A4 wagon (upgraded from a manual fullsize sedan, although the transmission could be seen as a downside) .

DutchieDC2R > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 13:46

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Yeah, I noticed Sixt was on the expensive side of things, Ive rented with Enterprise in Scotland before, they were great.

Overa l, Ive rented with several different rental companies in my past, the worst experience Ive ever had was with Alamo in Phoenix.

fintail > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 13:48

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I’ve noticed that rentals in Europe tend to be higher optioned than NA market cars, especially for European makes. The 7er, A8, 5er Touring, and X5 I’ve had from Sixt in Germany (Stuttgart Zentrum is where I usually rent) have been pretty loaded, and the F-Type S wasn’t anything to sneeze at either. I’ve had a couple E-class and an X5 from Sixt in Florida, and they were what I call “lease special” spec, not zero options, but only having options that would hurt resale value (nav) if missing.

I’ve heard that Sixt Platinum upgrades are hit and miss. I am PC with Hertz, and have never had an upgrade either, but I also always reserve “luxury” (on points), so I think that’s outside of an upgrade-able class anyway.

DutchieDC2R > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 13:49

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I almost rented with Thrifty last February, also in Scotland, but their offices were quite out of the way from where we were supposed to be, so I changed that last minute to Enterprise.

Thnx for the reply though, this'll absolutely help with a decision. :)

Spanfeller is a twat > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 13:55

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I really want to rent with Turo one day

DutchieDC2R > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 13:58

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Same here. It isnt very popular here in Holland. The same goes for Scotland.

When I plan a trip to the US again though, Turo is on the list for sure.

pjhusa > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 14:04

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Haha, glad I could help!

By the way, n ot sure which branch you tried to rent from, but their Edinburgh office is actually quite close to the airport.

Spanfeller is a twat > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 14:07

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So will I. It’s a shame it’s not popular in Europe or Mexico for that matter

pjhusa > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 14:10

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I would, but users on the site charge wayyy too much for a nice car that I could get from a mainstream company for less.

Spanfeller is a twat > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 14:12

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Some people charge too much, but thankfully i have Doug’s Turo password 

pjhusa > fintail 09/23/2018 at 14:14

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Yep, I was very impressed by the model choices at Sixt branches in the US, but their Mercedes and BMW cars are very poorly-equipped here. However, the Volvos are generally higher trim, perhaps to compensate for their “lower” brand status. Also, US E-Classes and X5s come standard with nav anyway.

Food for thought: I’ve seen BMW Individual options on European rentals, so they are definitely much better in terms of spec.

From what I’ve read, Sixt in Europe is more open with Platinum upgrades, so hopefully I’ll find out next time I go.

pjhusa > Spanfeller is a twat 09/23/2018 at 14:16

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Ha!

DutchieDC2R > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 14:17

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It was one of the offices off airport, somewhere in an industrial area, if I remember correctly.

I tried looking it up, but I cant find the exact office anymore.

Either way, Im renting at the airport this time, so the location wont be much of a hassle.

Chinny Raccoon > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 14:58

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Someone has already bought it.

https://www.arnoldclark.com/nearly-new-cars/bmw/3-series/320i-m-sport-shadow-edition-4dr-step-auto/2018/ref/arngx-u-29810

Cé hé sin > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 15:16

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Rather than choose a hire company I usually go to a broker and take whatever they throw up.

fintail > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 15:18

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I’ve seen more loaded Cadillac in the Sixt fleet, too. I suspect MSRP is a big part of it, and getting German cars maybe meant for lease allotments. The W213 and F15 have standard nav, but W212 and E70 did not - I believe for both it was part of a basic “premium” package - something you’d find on every car on the lot,. but it was extra cost and technically an option, and at least for the MB, you could special order a car without it (not sure why anyone would do this, as it would hurt already catastrophic short term resale value, but I have heard of cars without it ) .

I am kind of a rental car geek. It’s something of a hobby for some people in Germany, and there’s an interesting forum devoted to the subject:

https://www.mietwagen-talk.de/

The Flyertalk forums can also be handy:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/car-rental-programs-ride-services-392/

I think upgrades are easier when you book in a lower class, too. I usually want a larger car as I’ll only rent for a road trip there. An upgrade from LDAR to XDAR might be more luck than status, but to go from something like SDAR to PDAR might be more likely.

pjhusa > Chinny Raccoon 09/23/2018 at 16:25

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Wow! Now that’s a cool find. I’m impressed.

pjhusa > DutchieDC2R 09/23/2018 at 16:35

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I see. Well, good to hear. Let us know how it goes! :)

pjhusa > fintail 09/23/2018 at 16:41

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Ah, fair enough. Those brands offer better value for the money anyways. Also, you do bring up a good point about upgrades. Our PC AR 3 rental was a paid upgrade from a CLMR, and while there were XCARs such as S90s when we rented our PCAR CLA, the rental desk said that they were all reserved.

Funny that you bring up MietwagenTalk and FlyerTalk. I spent quite a bit more time than I’d like to admit on both forums before renting each trip. It’s always kind of entertaining to read about Germans renting cool cars in cool places, especially when they get all excited over American cars I’d rather stay away from . Guess the grass is always greener on the other side!

fintail > pjhusa 09/23/2018 at 18:29

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Value in terms of equipment , and for a short term rental, that can matter a lot. I’ve only done a paid upgrade once, and that was for the F-Type. I had reserved LSAR, which is usually a 4 series - got it in an early bird prepaid deal for under 40 Euro/day. I had a feeling I might get a basic car, and I was right - it had basic seats, no sunroof, kind of generic spec. I went back to the agent, and he mentioned the Jag - I was one-waying it to FRA, and he seemed to want it out of his garage anyway, so we made a deal for something like 25 Euro per day more, including insurance. It seemed fine to me, something like that would cost a lot more to book directly, and a huge amount more to book in the US.

The last time I rented Hertz was at ATL, and I had reserved luxury (on points) , expecting a Chrysler 300. I was right, and it was a fairly basic car. PC was empty of any interesting choices, but the agent offered me a Q50 for $25/day. I looked it over and declined - it was a zero option 2.0 model with no nav or anything, and it had been treated roughly too, lots of scrapes. It has to be something special for me to pay for an upgrade. Had the C63 sitting there been offered for $25/day, I would have taken it.

It’s amusing to see Germans go nuts over getting a S uburban/Expedition or big truck, I guess things like that would be like us getting an AMG or M car, and having roads where we could really have fun with it. European renters in the US also gravitate to Mustang/Camaro/Ch allenger, even in basic spec - the grass is greener indeed.