Rental cars?

Roadhawk · Mar 4, 2022

We have a vacation planned this summer to the Oregon coast and the one thing I hate worse than commercial flight is the rental car debacle. I recently watch several car rental videos as customers walked the aisles looking for choices.
I noticed a Murano is a rare sight but there seemed to a host of Altimas. Is there a reason people pass over this car so often as a choice? have you rented one? Rented a Murano? What other choices have you picked or got stuck with?
Thanks in advance for your input!

Pilgrim · Mar 4, 2022

Sedans are inexpensive and durable cars for rental companies to buy. They'll also give you better gas mileage then an SUV due to lower wind resistance. IME the rental companies tend to buy domestic SUVs and crossovers as rentals in that class of vehicles.

I've driven lots of rental cars, and that's what they are - rentals. You don't get them for performance or style, just to get you from points A to point B with adequate comfort and economy. I've never seen a Murano available as a rental; if I wanted a rental with 4WD in winter (the only time it's needed), I'd look for a Jeep or a 4WD pickup.

canuckguy · Mar 4, 2022

Hey it's a rental. You're not taking it to the prom. Seriously most rentals are ok. Nothing wrong with Altima's. They're great cars. I had an Altima 2 door coupe rental one time and it was top notch. Other rentals that I remember as really good were a Subaru Forester and a Dodge Charger. One of the worst is any Mitsubishi.

Roadhawk · Mar 4, 2022

I definitely get the concept of "its a rental" but I look at it a bit differently. If I only had the car a couple days on business I wouldn't much care as long as I can fit comfortably in it. But for a two week vacation and a lot of driving, I want to enjoy myself a bit and not suffer with a sh*tbox for all that time! LOL
In the past, I've also used a rental opportunity to sort of preview a car I might consider buying later. It wont have all the options and such but its a good extended test drive.
I was just curious if the Altima was getting passed over because it was just a sedan or if it had some other glaring flaw.
The Impala I currently own is a great example. I got it for a crazy good price mostly because it wasn't a SUV and its out of production (people get wonky over stuff like that)
I know there are certain rental companies that will reserve a specific vehicle but it usually for more than double the regular cost...for two weeks $1500 vs $4000? No thanks.

canuckguy · Mar 4, 2022

I stand by my previous post. The cars I rented were for 2 week vacations which I have had many. The top 3 were Altima 2 door coupe, Subaru Forester, Dodge Charger. Not to be mean but I would take an Altima over an Impala any day.

Pilgrim · Mar 4, 2022

I looked down on the Altima because of its CVT, but I had the chance to drive one and was pleasantly surprised. It felt better sorted out than my 1st generation Murano. It was comfortable, handled well, had decent power and was a good drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

YoGeorge · Mar 5, 2022

The Altima is a fine car but Nissan has a bargain-basement reputation and sells a lot of them to rental fleets. This keeps resale values low. Plus "Altima drivers" are now a joke like "Florida man" jokes... Why are Nissan Altima drivers so bad? - Alt Car news

Not sure if they're using the variable-compression turbo engine in it and I don't think I'd want one of those for the long haul as an owner. Especially because Nissan has announced a stop to all ICE development. (The 3-cyl version in the Rogue looks like it's not here yet.)

EDIT--looks like a direct injected 2.5 liter four is the standard engine so that will be the one in rentals...

Nissan seats are globally very good and for that reason, I'd probably prefer an Altima rental over any competing vehicle as long as I don't have to deal with resale or long term mechanical reliability.

Roadhawk · Mar 5, 2022

canuckguy said:
I stand by my previous post. The cars I rented were for 2 week vacations which I have had many. The top 3 were Altima 2 door coupe, Subaru Forester, Dodge Charger. Not to be mean but I would take an Altima over an Impala any day.

Nothing mean about stating a personal opinion. To each his own! The 2018 Impala I grabbed was a last gen design and light years better than the pedestrian taxi it replaced. The 310hp V6 moves it with gusto while still knocking down 28-30mpg hi-way.

I have to admit, and thank you guys, that I've looked at the Altima with very different eyes due to this thread. I've also noted that if I'd be willing to step down to a Murano SV vs a SL or Plat, I could get one for similar money as the Altima. I'd only be giving up leather and heated wheel (and rear seat heaters) but its a thought.

carrerachas · Mar 8, 2022

Before I retired, I traveled extensively for 30 years. Our company had a corporate account with Hertz. As a result, I have a ton of Gold points. On business, I would always reserve a full size 4 Dr. Many times, I would get upgraded, to a Mercedes, Volvo, Infinity, Lexus etc. ether sedan, 2 door coupe, SUV or convertible. On the personal side, I use my Gold points to rent a vehicle for vacation, choosing the size and type of vehicle based on the need for the vacation. Several years ago, my wife was traveling to NC for a week. Hertz had a 2019 Murano SV AWD, and my wife wanted to see how it drove. She ended up putting 700 miles on it, with a combination of highway and mountain driving. She liked the vehicle enough, so I bought a 2020 Murano Platinum primary for her to dive to NC and back. I, not a big fan of the CVT, but the car will be driven mostly on the highway and only 5-6k /year.

Rental cars?

Roadhawk

Pilgrim

canuckguy

Roadhawk

canuckguy

Pilgrim

YoGeorge

Roadhawk

carrerachas

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