Car Rental Ratings 2009 (Not the Companies, The Cars)

Now that 2009 is behind me, I took a miniature to think about every car I rented, and boy has this been quite a trip year for me. As businesses start to look nearby and ask the question, "So, Now What?", I have been on the road more than planned. A big part of being a road warrior is knowing how to get from the airport to your real destination. Trains, buses, taxi's, limos and rental cars all can meet the need depending on where you are going.

As an airline pilot twice a month, there isn't a lot of wiggle room. You stand there and wait for whatever the airline told you is your form of travel. If that company doesn't show up, you can take a cab and hope the airline pays you back. As a company adviser and owner the rest of the month, the cost of transportation is part of the fee I fee my clients. Since I own the company I have a lot more flexibility in what I do as long as my wife sees the price after we get paid. My basic plan is easy. If I have more than 8 hours of time to kill or my wife goes with me, then I rent a car. Sadly that is most of the time I travel. I also carry my own transportable Gps since I can pre-program the routes or places I want to go before I start the trip.

We Buy Any Car

I start out on Expedia or Travelocity and then book the second cheapest car I can at Hertz or Budget. I have tried other companies in the past and it wasn't worth the hassle to save a day. While 2009, I rented 15 times, and all but once my basic plan worked out. I learned this trick in 2007 when renting from Hertz. If they have an plenty of "premium" cars, you can usually get a great deal at the last second on the upgrade. The flaw is using your "gold" membership to get the one class upgrade. Hertz automatically assigns the upgrade and you get what you get.

In 2007 when Hertz had the Shelby Gt350H available, I was chomping at the bit to rent one. The online price was over 0 a day, so I decided to rent the a day cheaper car. When I got to the counter, I happened to get Todd, a manager of the Lax Hertz counter. I asked why there were so many Gt350H Mustangs sitting outside. He said no body was renting them, and the negotiations started. He of policy did the right thing for Hertz and started at 9 a day. We ultimately placed much lower at a price that made me very happy to rent such a cool car, he even threw in a years membership to the #1Gold program.

The Shelby was an absolute blast to drive, and other than being a miniature stiff in the suspension arena for my wife, the Gt350H was a excellent car for a Southern California work week. Cruising Beverly Hills paramount Rodeo Drive shopping district, the Shelby felt right at home. I have reserved an cheaper car every trip since and all but once got some kind of good deal on the upgrade. I don't know if Hertz and budget keep customer notes, but I usually buy the gas and return it at about a quarter tank. If I get a cool car I usually will wash it too.

In 2009 the cheaper rental upgrade plan failed one time. Sure adequate it was a vacation with my wife. We prime cheaper from budget at the Nashville Airport, and I couldn't talk the guy out of any deals except a Ford Crown Victoria land yacht. We ended up with a Kia Spectra. The spectra had hand-operated windows, a feature I didn't even know still existed on Us spec cars. The entire week we joked about driving a "spec" as in the old commercials the car was so small. It was easy to park at least.

Several times in 2009, I ended up with discrete versions of the Ford Mustang. What was impressive about the Mustangs was the widespread quality. Not one had a rattle or drip, and the most modern rental was a Mustang convertible with 24,000 miles on it. Someone else victorious upgrade from a reserved "economy car". We dropped the top and visited my friends at Truspeed in Costa Mesa before running up into Central California then back for a topless tour on the Pacific Coast Highway. My wife joined me on that trip making the convertible all the better.

All of the Mustangs offered a very nice drive for a car guy, and the 2009 models have better seats than the 2008. I can't put my finger on what is different, I just felt better after the 3 hour ride up the central valley on I-5. The multi-layered top on the convertible is just quiet adequate to talk on a cellular with a headset at highway speeds which is a nice bonus. Both the Gt and the proper Mustang Coupe we rented were quieter than my F-150 at all speeds, never mind easier to park. The Gt and Gt convertible were met with about the same response at the Shelby Gt350H, except no one scratched the Shelby or the convertible. The valet at the Four Seasons added a nice bumper stripe to the attractive Red Mustang Gt. All three got the Pch (Pacific Coast Highway) test this year, and the Gt convertible is the hands down winner. Cruising Pch with the top down is the quintessential California experience. I got lucky with three trips up the coast in one year.

Our most modern rental deal was an Infiniti Fx-35. This time I was willing to pay the 0 a day for an Suv to get up to the Lake Tahoe area for a aggregate work and play week. The weather up there is very unpredictable so having all wheel drive is a huge bonus. Sorry, I don't buy chains for rentals, to much risk of damaging the car. Sadly there weren't any Awd cars ready at all on the web reservations systems, so we prime a mid-sized front wheel drive. At the counter my Hertz #1 Gold reservation wasn't there, my car had been given away since we were late. Max at the Gold aid counter was quick to apologize and offer a free upgrade. I asked for an Suv, and he said he couldn't give me an upgrade that far, but would look into it. They did have one Suv that canceled and was ready to go. Max gave us a great price, so we grabbed it an ran like the wind.

The Infinity Fx is a very solid Suv. I had rented one in 2008 and didn't remember whatever about it for some reason. Maybe because we had just purchased a Mercedes Ml Cdi, or Maybe it was just a one night rental so I didn't get time to as a matter of fact look at the car. I as a matter of fact couldn't say much about that rental in 2008, nothing good, nothing bad. This time was a miniature different. The newer model Fx-35 had a seven speed self-acting with paddle shifting capability. The funny part was even when you used the paddles, it would start to shift on its own in 10 or 15 seconds. The dash would read the gear position for about a miniature then it would go back to D. Running up the hills to the Lake Tahoe area in Awd due to the snow the Fx-35 was shifting constantly. I tried to override it and leave it in 6th but couldn't shape out how.

One of the problems with paddle shifting is every person has a separate way to do it. The Fx-35 up shifts on the right and downshifts on the left, similar to our Ml. With the Ml it takes one shift past the top gear to return to self-acting mode. My Bmw requires that you move the shift selector to sport and back to return to full self-acting mode. I am sure the Fx-35 has a way to go for hand-operated and leave it there, but I couldn't find it.

The Fx-35 is like a rolling Ps-3 with leather seats and seat heaters. Every button I pressed came up with a new toy. Not one button in the car was labeled Sat or Xm, yet when I pushed the button marked "Radio Am/Fm" 3 times I got Xm. That was a sweet bonus. Superior Vinyl replaced the static of Sacramento radio while running up the mountain roads. We figured out the Fx-35 also had seat coolers just in case you are thinking of renting one in Phoenix Arizona, mid summer. I don't think my Ml has that, I will have to check when it warms up. The range of adjustment for the Fx-35 seats was impressive. It took a miniature getting used to the drivers seat going full back every time you opened the door, and attractive forward when you got in. The back seat passengers needed to get out quickly, preferably before you pressed the stop button. Oh yeah, the keyless was a nice feature. I like that on our Ml also.

On solid pavement the handling of the Fx-35 was crisp and clean with very nice feed back. On slick and icy roads the handling was reasonably sure footed with the exception of dead stop acceleration. Even with the "snow" button on, you could be just a miniature heavy on the right pedal and get the back end to come loose. This is an odd feature for an Awd vehicle with traction control. The traction warning light would come on just as the back end got loose and you are busy wondering where the thing is going.

The unintentional excitement came on the patchy road where there was a mix of clean pavement, ice and snow. The traction operate and anti-lock would get in a fight and the car would pull right or left or get loose even when driving very timidly. Our 2000 Chevy Astro Awd van does better in those conditions. The only thing I saw separate on the dash was the "icy" indication. In the heavy snow, the Fx-35 returned to general and tracked very nicely.

The final note for the Fx-35 was the fuel economy. For a usually aspirated vehicle it was uncommonly high. The trip from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe to Reno was less than a half tank along with a full lake tour on New Years Eve. In Reno I made the mistake of filling it up and washing it. I returned it with nearly ¾ of a tank after paying the tank fee. Maybe that is why Hertz gives me the deals, they make up for it in the gas I buy them.

The only real let down of the Fx-35 was finding an oil puddle after we parked it in the stable for two days while riding up to the ski resorts with family.

So here is my Rental Car Ratings for 2009:

Ford flee ***, Great miniature Suv, but miniature and not very powerful. Nice fit and ride. Good for two adults and no kids on a short trip.

Ford Mustang ***, Great car, not to peppy, mean Mpg

Ford Mustang Gt ****, Great car, fun to drive just adequate trunk for a week and two people. This car gets on it when you want it too. I started to wonder if Hertz has tracking in the cars more than once.

Ford Mustang Gt Convertible ****, More fun to drive, very solid car, easy to operate top and gauranteed to put a smile on your face when cruising a coastline in the sun. Wear Spf 50, you might forget how long you've been out there.

Jaguar ****, Fun to drive, very easy car to get nearby town in, good trunk room and comfortable back seats for clients. Mpg better than foreseen, for such a nice car.

Mercedes C320 **, Nav theory is horrible, just like my Ml at home. Reasonably quick car, Mpg average, fit, halt and ride potential were typical Mercedes.

Infiniti Fx-35 ***, Add the fourth star if you need Awd, otherwise there is more fun stuff out there. Great Fuel efficiency, didn't have Nav, used the big NeverLost which is kinda in the way.

Ford Explorer ****, Great Awd vehicle for snow trips when they are available. Just adequate room for a weeks worth of stuff for four people. Mpg isn't the Fx-35 but not to bad either.

Jeep Liberty, ** same size as the Ford Escape, less power, same gas mileage as Mustang Gt, and not nearly as fun, very comfortable seats for long drives but the wallet shock isn't worth it.

Kia Spectra *, good fuel economy, poor seats for long drives.

One over all observation. American muscle is still just that, brute vigor which always gets a smile when merging or passing on a lightly traveled highway. The Japanese models had the most toys and the best driver to car to driver interface. The German cars clearly still have the focus on the driver to road interface the driver to car interface still needs work. The Mercedes C300 did have excellent road feel, but for the fun the slightly heavier driving Mustangs win.

The one upgrade I haven't been able to talk any Hertz rep out of is a great deal on the new Corvette Zh model. It doesn't matter how many are sitting on the lot in La, Orange County or Miami, the price doesn't seem to come down to my territory ever.

Car Rental Ratings 2009 (Not the Companies, The Cars)

Rental Car Insurance - Should You Buy Rental Car Insurance?

Your flight landed an hour late. Now, you'll be late for that important meeting. You can already imagine your customers sitting around a conference table waiting impatiently. You step to the front of the line at the car rental counter, with six other exasperated businessmen behind you who are late for their meetings, too. The rental agent plunks the contract down in front of you, and circles all the places on the contract that you're supposed to sign or initial. Then she stares at you, as if to say, "Hurry up!" The print is small. The sentences are written in Legalese. You'd like to stop and read the fine print, but you can feel the people behind you getting more upset. You thought you were renting a car for .00 per day. With all the add-ons, the cost is now .00 per day.

Oh...the pressure...the panic! You cave in, signing and leaving your initials in all the right places. You take your contract and keys and head for your car, inwardly feeling like a failure and mad because you didn't stand up for yourself.

We Buy Any Car

If the preceding story is too familiar, there's hope just ahead!

It doesn't matter if you're a regular car renter or just an occasional traveler who needs to rent a car, you'll likely face these kinds of choices at the car rental counter. Some folks just decline everything. Some folks purchase all of the coverage offered.

But...are you wasting bunches of money on unneeded coverage or leaving yourself dangerously under insured? Before leaving on your trip, I recommend that you make two phone calls - one to your auto insurance company and another to the credit card company you'll be using to pay for the rental car. You'll need to find out if you have automatic coverage for your car rental from each company, and the various terms and conditions for that automatic coverage.

FIRST...CALL YOUR CAR INSURANCE COMPANY

In your personal or business auto insurance policy, there is coverage for damage to your auto. The Insuring Agreement in most policies says: " We will pay for direct and accidental loss to 'your covered auto' or any 'non-owned auto,' including their equipment, minus any applicable deductible shown in the Declarations."

Another phrase is VERY IMPORTANT!

"If there is a loss to a 'non-owned auto', we will provide the broadest coverage applicable to any 'covered auto' in the Declarations." Here's an example of how this would work for you:

You have two vehicles. One is a 2006 Toyota Camry with full coverage. It's worth ,000. The other is a 1980 Chevy S-10 pickup worth ,500 that you only use for trips back and forth to the local home improvement store, and you only have liability coverage on the pickup. If you rented a car and it got damaged, your insurance company would provide the full coverage for the rental car, which is the broadest coverage in your policy.

If you normally drive an older car with only liability insurance on it, there will not be any property damage insurance extended to the rental car. In this instance, you should either use the credit card's Collision Damage Waiver or buy the CDW from the car rental company.

Ask your insurance company representative how much coverage you have on your car. Ask if there is a limit of value on your Collision coverage. If there is a limit, and you drive a 7 year old Ford Taurus that's worth ,500...and you rent a new Cadillac Escalade that's worth ,000...will your personal auto insurance cover the damage to the higher valued vehicle? REALLY important to know this...you could owe the rental car company tens of thousands of dollars to repair or replace a high value rental vehicle if you're not properly covered.

Find out the limits of liability. Make sure that your limits are higher than the minimum limits required by your state. Limits above 0,000 per person/0,000 per accident for Bodily Injury, and 0,000 for Property Damage are very inexpensive. Make sure that you limits are no less than that amount...higher would be better.

Find out what collision and comprehensive deductibles you have on your car, because those deductibles will apply when you rent a car and use your own insurance for rental coverage.

Make sure that you have Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage on your personal or business policy. If you are in an accident with an uninsured motorist, and the accident is his fault, recovery will be practically impossible. Likewise with a motorist who is underinsured. Best to have your own coverage protection.

Q: What if I don't own a car, and don't have car insurance?

A: If you do not own a car, you won't have an automobile policy. You should buy the rental car coverage, both the CDW and liability coverage. Or, you should use your credit card's CDW and buy the optional liability coverage from the rental car company. If you're a frequent car renter, however, you can still buy a "non-owner" liability policy. This solution might save you money over the coverage available through the car rental company.

Q: What happens if my personal property inside the car gets damaged or stolen?

A: Most Collision Damage Waivers provide coverage for theft of the vehicle, but not any personal property stolen or damaged inside the vehicle. Check your homeowners or renter's insurance policy because you may have coverage through them for your stolen or damaged personal property. A deductible will likely apply.

Here's a super important tip! Some people think that, if they purchased the Collision Damage Waiver or used the CDW from their credit card, and the rental car got damaged, they don't have to report it to their own insurance company. They are hoping that because the CDW covers the damage, it won't affect their own insurance policy....and they won't get a rate increase. WRONG!!! Don't be misled into thinking that you can get away without reporting your accident to your own insurance company. In most accidents, more things get damaged than just the rental car. Even if your accident is just you running into a guardrail, whoever owns that guardrail is going to look to you to pay for the damages. Also, other people might have been injured. You could have a large liability exposure, and you might need your personal or business auto policy to cover your loss. Your insurance policy includes legal representation if someone files a lawsuit against you for damages.

If you're going to use your own personal or business auto coverage, decline the Collision Damage Waiver on the car rental contract.

NEXT...CALL THE CREDIT CARD COMPANY

Ask your credit card company about the benefits they offer. Each company is different, and each level of credit is different. For example, a regular card might have different insurance benefits than a gold or platinum card. Ask the card company to send you your benefits IN WRITING. If you're in a hurry, ask them to fax or email it to you.

Some cards may only cover collision and comprehensive, and leave you uninsured for liability. Some cards only offer coverage when you rent from a certain rental company. Some restrict the number of days of coverage. Some cards don't automatically cover you and require you to sign up for a particular program. Still others limit the kinds of vehicles you can rent. (see below for some exclusions)

If you have more than one credit card, call each one and find out the card with the best benefits. Then, use that credit card to pay for your rental car, and use their benefits.

If you're planning on using the credit card company's coverage, you must decline the Collision Damage Waiver shown in the rental car contract. Otherwise, the credit card company's coverage will become excess to the coverage in the rental car company's Collision Damage Waiver. "Excess" means that any other available coverage would pay first, and the credit card coverage would pay any remaining portion of the loss.

Credit card Collision Damage Waivers cover:

o vehicle damage
o theft
o loss of use
o towing

See your credit card company's written CDW for all the details.

Collision Damage Waivers exclude:

o Injury to anyone or damage to anything inside or outside the rental vehicle.

o Loss or theft of personal belongings.

o Liability

o Loss due to intentional acts, like DUI, drug use or other illegal activities.

o Off-road operations. If you rent an SUV and take it off-road, no coverage.

o Rental periods of more than 15 days within your country of residence, or more than 31 days in a foreign country.

o Vehicles that do not meet the definition of "covered vehicles," such as:

- expensive, exotic and antique vehicles

- certain vans

- pickup trucks

- other trucks

- motorcycles and ATVs

See your credit card company's written CDW for all the details.

CAR RENTAL INSURANCE

Most major rental car companies offer these four coverages.

o Collision Damage Waiver (CDW). This covers a rental vehicle damaged by an accident, vandalism, theft or loss of use. Costs range between and per day.

The most misunderstood part of car rental coverage is the Collision Damage Waiver, or sometimes called the "Auto Rental CDW."

Remember...the car rental CDW provided by the car rental company is not insurance. Insurance is regulated by each state. Collision Damage coverage is a waiver. The car rental companies agree to not hold the renter responsible if the rental car is damaged or stolen, and they guarantee that they will pay for certain damages listed in their coverage agreement.

In many cases, the waiver also provides "loss of use" coverage, which pays the rental company if the damaged or stolen car cannot be rented. In most states, car insurance policies don't cover loss of use. So, if you choose not to buy the Collision Damage Waiver, you might have a loss of use exposure if the rental car gets damaged. But if you're using your credit card's automatic coverage, it will pay for that loss of use.

Some car rental companies will require you to pay for repairs or replacement costs out of your own pocket up front, and then you have to get reimbursed by your own insurance company. Being forced to come up with thousands of dollars in immediate cash could ruin a vacation. You're protected from these up-front costs by the CDW. Read your rental contract CAREFULLY!

o Personal Effects Coverage. This provides coverage for theft or damage to personal items inside the rental car. Costs range between and per day.

o Supplemental Liability Insurance. This provides liability coverage up to million. Costs range between and per day.

o Personal Accident Insurance. This covers you and passengers in your vehicle for medical expenses. If you already have personal health policies or travel policies, it won't be necessary to buy this optional coverage. It usually costs between and per day.

Corporate Travelers. If you're a frequent traveler for business, do one other thing. Check with your company to find out if they have a corporate travel policy. If they do, find out what that policy covers, and then simply don't buy duplicate coverage on the rental car contract.

Car rental outside your country of residence. Some insurers exclude coverage if you're driving in a foreign country. Some will cover you, but only a limited time. Some credit card companies cover car rentals outside your country of residence. Check with your insurance company and credit card company for specific details, and GET IT IN WRITING!

Q: Can I allow others to drive my rental car?

A: If you're using your personal or business auto coverage to cover your rental car, the chances are all "authorized drivers" are covered. An "authorized driver" is anyone listed on the policy. However, here's a BIG GOTCHA! If your teenaged son drives your rental car and he allows his girlfriend to drive the car, you're covered. If the girlfriend allows another person to drive, NO COVERAGE!

Some car rental companies have exclusions for young drivers. Some charge extra for young drivers. Find out this information BEFORE you arrive at the car rental counter.

Q: How do I file a claim if I've had an accident?

A: When you experience the damage or theft, immediately get a camera and take lots of photos of the damage, including any other autos or property that was damaged. Keep those photos! Notify the rental company IMMEDIATELY of the damage.

Report the damage to your own auto insurance company if you have personal or business coverage.

When you return the vehicle to the rental company immediately ask for:

o A copy of the accident report and any claim documents, which should show the amount you're responsible to pay, as well as any amounts that have been paid toward the claim.
o A copy of the initial and final auto rental agreements.
o A copy of the repair estimate or the paid repair invoice.
o A police report, if one exists.

So the bottom line is this:

If you have personal auto insurance, commercial auto insurance or corporate travel coverage, it is usually not necessary to pay for the Collision Damage Waiver or extra coverages offered to you by the rental car contract. Your situation may vary.

Get everything in writing, and make an informed decision. Then enjoy your car rental experience!

Rental Car Insurance - Should You Buy Rental Car Insurance?