danwer930

Hi everyone,

I have several rentals coming up this summer, and with all the supply issues National is currently experiencing, I’m bracing myself for the likelihood that one or more of the Emerald and Executive aisles I visit will have no SUV’s (my preferred choice) at that time.

in the event this is the case, I’d love to know which of the currently common sedans in the fleet people are liking the most? I don’t own a car so my knowledge of the current state of standard sedans is somewhat limited.

I know there’s always the chance of scoring a BMW/Audi/etc but I’m more interested in hearing about anyone’s favorites out of the more standard ones in case that’s all there is.

Thanks!

kennycrudup

Honestly? I like to drive and have turned down BMWs and Audis (offered for free as an EE) for the Nissan Maxima.

Schweden

Out of the current cars in National's fleet, I personally like the Kia K5 and Volvo S60.

The German cars are usually optioned too barebones. I would always rather have a Chrysler 300S or 300C.

aww3583

Ford Fusion Titanium Hybrid. Fully loaded and 45 mpg. Liked renting them so much I bought one.

Avoid German cars. They DRIVE wonderfully but lack the most basic features (keyless start, heated seats, automatic cruise control).

A loaded Maxima is a good car, too. Nissan/Inifini cars are below average across the board, but a loaded Maxima is a good rental.

m907

No way. The torque steer makes the Maxima a total disaster. If that car was RWD or AWD, it would be amazing, but it's hot garbage.

The Fusion was discontinued by Ford and has been slowly disappearing from the fleet, though if National begins buying used cars they may reappear.

xienon

Unfortunately due to the tight fleet, I've driven way more FCARs than I would have preferred over the last year.

If all there is available are run of the mill full size sedans, my preference in order would be
Fusion (but discontinued now so could be high mileage)
Camry (standard adaptive cruise control and almost always in sporty SE trim)
Altima (SL trim)
Impala (no adaptive cruise but nice engine and interior, also discontinued now)

Stuff I would avoid:
Other trim Altimas (slow and cheap interior)
Sonata/K5 (always cheap base models)
Malibu/Charger (cheap base models, outdated)
Maxima (decent car ruined by poor design - ridiculous front corner blind spots caused by thick windshield pillars and trunk opening that's basically a mail slot)


Of course if you can get a Volvo S60, that's miles ahead of the other cars. The volvo even has a nicer interior than the C-class/A4/3-series and is faster too. But you're not likely to find it on aisles

Kacee

As you can see, not much consensus here! The Fusion is a solid car, and the Altima is surprisingly okay. I don't like the Maxima at all, it's not well engineered and the Nissan cost-cutting really shows (more than in the Altima, which to me feels quite a bit more refined).
I like the S60 as well, but it's not as well engineered and cruder driving than an A4, with less intuitive driver interface. It's also slower 0-60, and by my seat of the pants comparison, throughout the power band. The Audi 2 liter is a fantastic engine; unfortunately, most of the Audis I've gotten from National have been totally stripped (consistent with others' comments).

xienon

Yeah, the Volvo infotainment has a steep learning curve and no physical HVAC controls is super annoying. I got the hang of it after a few days but the menu structure is quite strange.

The S60 T6 AWD feels faster to me than the A4/A5 2L turbo engine (never seen a T5 in the fleet). Agreed it doesn't handle as well but you really have to push it to notice the differences.

Putnik

I don't think you'll have trouble getting SUV's off the aisle as that's what's mostly out there and also domestic manufacturers have stopped making sedans like the Fusion and, I think, Malibu.

bemis

Just curious - how many people are even seeing a choice of cars at this point? At least in NYC, the aisles have had at _most_ 1-2 sedans of any sort in the half dozen times I've rented this year. Chevy Malibu was what was most often there, and 'something with wheels that moved and wasn't a pickup truck' was my favorite choice.

xienon

If you go Sun - Thurs, the aisles are fairly well stocked at EWR.

TXJeepGuy

I tend to gravitate towards the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 if they're on the lot. Big, comfortable, and usually have some decent options.

pinniped

I don't have too many post-covid rentals but the Camry I drove at SBA was pretty nice. Usually I think of rental Camrys as pretty boring but this one was a sporty version with a nice trim level.

I was there on a pickup truck rental because that was the only class available at any reasonable rate when I booked. Yet when I arrived, I only saw one pickup truck in the lot and a whole bunch of sedans. I informed the agent that I didn't actually need the truck, and she had no problem switching me to the Camry.

Kacee

It's super hit or miss. But I've definitely had more empty aisle experiences than positive ones.

m907

I agree on most points, but the Charger is a pretty decent car. Most of National's Chargers these days are nicely equipped - leather, sunroof, premium audio. But they almost always have the frumpy base trim wheels, which makes no sense.