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Surfin_USA
11-08-2007, 16:03
We will be going next year and hiring a car, economy or compact? There are 4 of us going. Is there any real difference in the two? I mean is it worth paying extra for compact? =D

Thanks.

abbeyvillas
11-08-2007, 16:30
For a family of 4 people we normally book the intermediate car. Not just for more room but you may find that the boot space in the economy or the compact will not be big enough for your suitcases - depending on how many you are taking of course.

If you book through this site I think you will be surprised at the price difference. You are probably only talking of a difference of around £10 to £20 for a 2 week rental. I would definitely say it was worth it for more space. Who wants to be crammed in a small car for the drive from the airport, when you arrive after a long flight, when you can have a nice comfortable ride. [msnsmile]

Pam

roger
11-08-2007, 18:41
The other thing with Economy cars, is they often dont have central locking and have manual windows. Not a big deal for some people, but many (like me!) now would not want to be without.

Surfin_USA
11-08-2007, 19:23
Ah yes how could i forget about suitcases. [xx(]

Thanks for the advice =D

Nikki D
12-08-2007, 12:13
Hi we hired the compact car last year, It was a neon and we loved it. Though for four of you you wont get the cases in. We only had two cases and one had to go on the back seat. This year we had the intermediate car and that was a really lovely car and had a lot more boot space. I think on this site the compact car is the same price as the intermediate anyway. [msnsmile2]

carolmc
12-08-2007, 12:22
Economy is way too "basic" for a journey of any length....I would go for the intermediate, so little difference in price but a world of difference in comfort.

ShirleyD
12-08-2007, 15:57
If you choose the Alamo option, then you get to choose your own car from the row your class of car is in. In our experience, the smallest 2 types of car are parked in the same row!!!

Saying that however, I would never hire one that small for more than 2 adults and maybe a small child, becaues of the luggage, as Nikki said, you will have to use the back seat for storage on your return trip at least [msnwink]

Surfin_USA
12-08-2007, 19:05
Ah yes, i see. I think intermediate is the best way to go. We went on Dollar last year so is it best changing to Alamo or stick with what we know? =D

Darren S
13-08-2007, 13:09
Personally, I would stick with Dollar, wasn't too impressed with Alamo, also the fact that they are further away from the terminal means further to lug the cases, from getting the car and also dropping it off - that is from Sanford, not sure about International.

Also you may getting a better, cheaper upgrade with Dollar, we have 3 of the 4 times we used them.

Back with them next time.

Darren

chrizzy100
13-08-2007, 19:31
we use Alamo because you can pick your own car...the guy at the desk tried to get me to pay more for an HHR but when I got to the lot they were in our row anyway...if you show any interest in a car they wack up the price at the desk...

mfairhurst
13-08-2007, 20:17
Join the express with DOLLAR and if there is a long wait you can go into the express queue .
Put dollar web site up and join online it is worth it and no charge .
We always use DOLLAR as they seem to have a good range of cars to pick from and new ones .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx

killian
15-08-2007, 00:38
Depends on your budget.. I have hired the economy model and most times in the US on arrival I've been allocated an intermediate or higher.. to date I have never actually received the economy model.. you always have the option of upgrading on arrival.. bit risky in some of the smaller locations but never been a problem in Florida

roger
15-08-2007, 00:51
This is usually the case, but even in the larger Florida depots we have known of people booking then actually getting an economy (after hoping for a free upgrade). They then have either had to stick with a very basic car or pay a LOT for the upgrade.

It's also amazing the number of people this happens to who then come back to complain they were charged a fortune (often $20 - $25 per day) for an upgrade from Economy to something bigger.

It's not that we want you to book a bigger car in advnace (we make exactly the same whether you book a small car or a large car) but we dont like customers to feel ripped off if they choose to upgrade locally at a very high rate.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by killian
Depends on your budget.. I have hired the economy model and most times in the US on arrival I've been allocated an intermediate or higher.. to date I have never actually received the economy model.. you always have the option of upgrading on arrival.. bit risky in some of the smaller locations but never been a problem in Florida
[/quote]

ellie
15-08-2007, 01:28
The difference in cost for the compact or intermediate is so little that I am sure you will be glad you chose the larger car. I, for one, would not risk booking the smaller car on the off chance that you might get a free upgrade. As Roger says, upgrading in Florida is far more expensive than opting for the larger car now. Its your holiday, after all, and you will enjoy it far more if you have a larger, more comfortable car as there are 4 people.

My husband and I had a compact car recently which was very comfortable and ideal just for us, but it would have been a bit of a squeeze with more than 2.

Hope you have a great trip, and enjoy your hire car - you can be sure of great service from this site.