Alamo Rent A Car

(For more details on Alamo — and their sister companies and competitors — see my review of the Sanford Airport location)
If I would have rated this place 8 months ago, it would have been one-​and-​a-​half stars, tops. That time, it was an excruciating 40 min. wait to get a car — both at the counter AND waiting for a car to be ready. Last couple of times, it’s been fine, if partially because I really haul a*# coming off the plane to be (among) the first one (s) at the counter — and if that means shoving the less-​able-​bodied and/​or more elderly fellow passengers out of the way or knocking them down, so be it.
Time before the last time, I did something I said I wouldn’t do: tempted by the extremely low price, I elected to pay for a tank of gas and return it empty. BAD move! Calculations approaching the complexity of quantum physics is involved if you want to actually realize the savings. What’s the gas mileage of this vehicle, in the city and on the highway? What’s the capacity of the tank? How much do you trust the onboard computer on the range? To make matters worse, the range disappeared on that stupid CRUZE once we’re below 40 miles or so, which gives the impression you’d better gas up STRAIGHT AWAY! Or risk being stranded. I think I MIGHT have saved 68 cents going that route, and that’s being not risk averse at all. I won’t do it again.
This last time, we had 2 issues: they charged me for putting my wife down as an extra driver (without telling me there’s a charge). We usually do that ‘just in case’. Ended up she didn’t even drive at all. Still not sure what the official policy is, but I know with National, spice (that’s plural for spouse) are not charged. I got a brand new Chrysler 200, which is basically a Sebring with a new name. It’s not a very good car. But the worst part is: it had no CD player! Sure I can hook it up to my phone, but I brought a few CDs to play exactly because I don’t have them on my phone! In both cases, they should have told the customer, so that there are no surprises. It’s not a huge deal. When I called, they refunded the $ 40 they charged for the extra driver without question, and Austin called about the CD player once he found out there was a problem, which was after I’d returned the car, of course, but it’s good customer service which you can’t exactly take for granted these days. So, yeah — Alamo will continue to be in my consideration set.
Thrifty and Dollar — they’d have to give me money to rent from them if they want to be back in that set.

Beware, Monday check ins are next to impossible! No cars available but they accept your credit card.

We booked our car rental through Hotwire. I rented «midsize» «Toyota Carolla or comparable. When we arrived and went to the booth in the airport, I was asked if Hyundai was OK. I said «sure», but when we were sent out to find the car, I couldn’t believe what I found – a Veloster, a car I had never heard of. It was very small
. I was sure they had made a mistake and given me a compact. So I went back in and told the clerk that there had been a mistake. She said «no, that car is an intermediate» I said, «Well it is as small as a conpact and smaller than midsizes that I’m familiar with.» I just bought a Volvo S60 and traded in my Honda Accord. To me that’s midsize. But they wouldn’t budge – had no more cars at the same rate. They said I could have a VW Beetle if I paid $ 10 a day more. I said, no, I’ll take the Veloster., but it’s s lousy deal.
It was not only small, it was tinny; it sounded like a lawnmower motor, and had a terrible ride. My wife who drove home said it didn’t drive well either.
So when I got to where I was going. I googled to see what I could find out. Consumer Reports review of cars says the Veloster is not a compact, it’s a «subcompact!» Another rental car agency gave the Ford Fusion as example of midsize. I tried the Fusion when shopping for cars, and it was huge compared to the Veloster.
In short I think I was cheated.