Why do the big car rental agencies only have "American" Cars (Ford, GM)

[pstokely]

The only "imports" I have seen are a few Kias and Nissans at Enterprise. I'm guessing it's because they don't keep them for more than a year.

[ForrestGump]

1. Seems to be mostly the case, though I've had

a Toyota Corolla from Alamo and a VW Jetta from Enterprise.

[hickman]

2. Why is this wrong?

As a former Ford employee, just asking.

[pstokely]

10. nothing I guess

[Kutjara]

3. I've had Kias, Mazdas and Toyotas from Hertz in LA.

I usually end up with a Toyota Solara, a Mazda 6 or a Kia Whatthefuck. When I rent in Seattle, though, I always get Chevys (usually Cobalts). I think it varies by region. Maybe the regions negotiate their own car purchase contracts.

[DainBramaged]

4. Imports. foreign, un-American cars don't have a "fleet" plan

So it isn't profitable to buy them for rental use. Without the fleet plans (which lose money for the automakers) rental prices would be pretty high. GM and Ford are reducing fleet volume this year, so rental car companies will have to keep their cars for two years instead of one.


Why does it matter on a rental car?

[pinniped]

5. Nissan has a fleet plan with Hertz.

.

[DainBramaged]

6. Oh, my heart, it has been pierced

I don't rent cars from Hurtsmywallet so that's ok. And being the hard-ass American auto supporter I am, I'd rent a truck before I'd rent a Foreign car (unless it was a Bentley Continental GT Convertible)

[KitchenWitch]

7. You know the Bentley gets fewer MPG than a Hummer don't you?

:shrug:

[DainBramaged]

8. I know, but people wouldn't throw rocks at me like if I was in a Hummer

They'd ask for a ride. :blush:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. Most of the "American Cars" are made in Mexico.

There's barely such a thing as an American car anymore.
Duckie

[pstokely]

11. I guess it doesn't really matter, I was just wondering

[grace0418]

9. You can get Subarus and Mazdas at Hertz. When we rent cars on vacation we

try to test out cars that we might consider buying. It's a much better test than a spin around the block with the dealer.

But yeah, I always think it's weird that I get stuck with some crappy car whenever I rent from anyone else.

[CatholicEdHead]

13. Car companies own the rental agencies

So they can move some of their product.

[Redstone]

14. I'll never forget the time I rented a "Pontiac" (which was actually a Daewoo) in 1987

or 1988, three-cylinder sewing-machine engine and all, with 80(!) miles on the odometer, in Los Angeles.

Then returned it five days later in Las Vegas via the Sierra Mountains (including the road to Cerro Gordo), Darwin Valley, the Panamint Mountains, Death Valley, and that mining road that I got stuck twelve mile up a blind canyon on, with 1,275 miles on the clock and NO brake linings left.

That poor little car actually WEPT when it realized it wouldn't have to see me again. (Or it might just have been leaking coolant, oil, and transmission fluid, I'm not sure.)

Redstone