4 ms·

Ignoring EVs, it's often cheaper to rent for road trips. There are a bunch of other benefits; they're more consistently maintained, if there is an issue there i

by pfranz 5y ago

Ignoring EVs, it's often cheaper to rent for road trips. There are a bunch of other benefits; they're more consistently maintained, if there is an issue there is the option of swapping cars, you can rent for the size you need for that specific trip. This prevents you from overbuying when getting a commuter car that you'd use for rare stuff. The only downside to renting is they may not have inventory on holiday weekends. I've never had this problem.

bradlys 5y ago
Another issue is that you’re limited to what they stock for rentals. While I drive nice cars at home, I pretty much have to exclusively drive crappy econoboxes for long distance rentals. And I’ve found that paying for a nicer car is worth it for road trips but hard to get a nice car - they just don’t stock them!
- pfranz 5y ago
  While I do see mostly economy cars on the lots, the only time they gave me a smaller car than I had reserved was during a freak snowstorm. Weeks ahead I had explicitly reserved a 4x4, I called to confirm before I got on the plane, but when I showed up they could only offer me their smallest economy car saying they gave those cars to preferred members (cue Seinfeld's rant on reservations). Every other time they either push me to upgrade, or for whatever reason upgrade my car for free. I usually decline because if it's just me with a carry-on I'd prefer not to pay the extra cost of gas. When I've needed a full-size/SUV I've never had a problem. Although, one other issue is the widest selection is near an airport. If you're taking a road trip and not flying you may have to drive to one.
macintux 5y ago
> The only downside to renting is they may not have inventory on holiday weekends. I've never had this problem. You will this year if you try, given what a disaster the rental agency inventories are right now.
testesttest 5y ago
Another downside is they are poorly equiped. No cold weather gear, no camping gear, no kid entertainment. Hell, I had one without a jack and ended up waiting four hours for a tow truck to change a flat.
- pfranz 5y ago
  I thought I remember my SUV rentals having the upgrades for screens in the back and other bells and whistles. Most kids in the past 5+ years have their own tablets or phones, anyway. In my experience, the bigger the vehicle, the more likely it's a new model year (outside of transport). I'm sure certain things like a winch might be hard to get. I know I've specifically requested 4x4 a few times and I've never had the need to ask for tire chains. If you have a particular need, like towing something or you like to go mudding, you'll probably need your own vehicle. That's just unacceptable to not provide a jack. I know some vehicles, like Mini Coopers, have run flats and don't even offer a spare or jack. That always made me uncomfortable (and it sucks to pay way more for tires with a worse ride).
legerdemain 5y ago
I've been getting month-long long-term rentals from Hertz while settling in in a new residence. About two thirds of the cars I've rented had issues with tires that are balding and leaking air. I wouldn't call that "well-maintained," and I'd have concerns about renting one for a long road trip. I now carry a portable air compressor in the trunk of every car I rent.
- pfranz 5y ago
  That sounds like a huge liability bomb. I had a mechanic that would regularly tell me tires are the most important safety feature since it's literally the only thing between you and the ground. I would think any insurance claim would be itching to point back to the rental agency. https://www.kbb.com/car-news/5-tips-on-buying-a-used-rental-car/ https://www.kbb.com/car-news/5-tips-on-buying-a-used-rental-... "rental companies typically keep their units on strict maintenance schedules. They can’t afford the downtime from unscheduled repairs, so you can be fairly sure that the vehicle is in top shape." That's been in line with my experience. I'm not brand loyal. In general, the discount brands do have older cars. The name-brands usually had current or last year models. The larger vehicles were almost always brand new unless they were specific to hauling. The only time that hasn't been true was when renting in Iceland. The vehicle was at least 10 years old (maybe 15 or 20?) and we were driving it to remote places. So I was a bit concerned about breaking down and access to help. Thankfully, it never had an issue.
natch 5y ago
The other problem is you can only rent dog-slow cars.
- ehnto 5y ago
  Are you road-tripping to the Nordschliefe?
  - natch 5y ago
    No but I’ve been ruined for sad ICE cars.

by pfranz 5y ago

bradlys 5y ago

Another issue is that you’re limited to what they stock for rentals. While I drive nice cars at home, I pretty much have to exclusively drive crappy econoboxes for long distance rentals. And I’ve found that paying for a nicer car is worth it for road trips but hard to get a nice car - they just don’t stock them!

pfranz 5y ago
While I do see mostly economy cars on the lots, the only time they gave me a smaller car than I had reserved was during a freak snowstorm. Weeks ahead I had explicitly reserved a 4x4, I called to confirm before I got on the plane, but when I showed up they could only offer me their smallest economy car saying they gave those cars to preferred members (cue Seinfeld's rant on reservations). Every other time they either push me to upgrade, or for whatever reason upgrade my car for free. I usually decline because if it's just me with a carry-on I'd prefer not to pay the extra cost of gas. When I've needed a full-size/SUV I've never had a problem. Although, one other issue is the widest selection is near an airport. If you're taking a road trip and not flying you may have to drive to one.

macintux 5y ago

> The only downside to renting is they may not have inventory on holiday weekends. I've never had this problem. You will this year if you try, given what a disaster the rental agency inventories are right now.

testesttest 5y ago

Another downside is they are poorly equiped. No cold weather gear, no camping gear, no kid entertainment. Hell, I had one without a jack and ended up waiting four hours for a tow truck to change a flat.

pfranz 5y ago
I thought I remember my SUV rentals having the upgrades for screens in the back and other bells and whistles. Most kids in the past 5+ years have their own tablets or phones, anyway. In my experience, the bigger the vehicle, the more likely it's a new model year (outside of transport). I'm sure certain things like a winch might be hard to get. I know I've specifically requested 4x4 a few times and I've never had the need to ask for tire chains. If you have a particular need, like towing something or you like to go mudding, you'll probably need your own vehicle. That's just unacceptable to not provide a jack. I know some vehicles, like Mini Coopers, have run flats and don't even offer a spare or jack. That always made me uncomfortable (and it sucks to pay way more for tires with a worse ride).

legerdemain 5y ago

I've been getting month-long long-term rentals from Hertz while settling in in a new residence. About two thirds of the cars I've rented had issues with tires that are balding and leaking air. I wouldn't call that "well-maintained," and I'd have concerns about renting one for a long road trip. I now carry a portable air compressor in the trunk of every car I rent.

pfranz 5y ago
That sounds like a huge liability bomb. I had a mechanic that would regularly tell me tires are the most important safety feature since it's literally the only thing between you and the ground. I would think any insurance claim would be itching to point back to the rental agency. https://www.kbb.com/car-news/5-tips-on-buying-a-used-rental-car/ https://www.kbb.com/car-news/5-tips-on-buying-a-used-rental-... "rental companies typically keep their units on strict maintenance schedules. They can’t afford the downtime from unscheduled repairs, so you can be fairly sure that the vehicle is in top shape." That's been in line with my experience. I'm not brand loyal. In general, the discount brands do have older cars. The name-brands usually had current or last year models. The larger vehicles were almost always brand new unless they were specific to hauling. The only time that hasn't been true was when renting in Iceland. The vehicle was at least 10 years old (maybe 15 or 20?) and we were driving it to remote places. So I was a bit concerned about breaking down and access to help. Thankfully, it never had an issue.

natch 5y ago

The other problem is you can only rent dog-slow cars.

ehnto 5y ago
Are you road-tripping to the Nordschliefe?
- natch 5y ago
  No but I’ve been ruined for sad ICE cars.