Advantage Car Rental

[Lester Bangs]

Heading into Seattle next month and need to book a rental car. The Seattle rental tax is silly as hell, and I was looking at more than $300 for a three-day rental. Then I find this Advantage Car Rental, which basically rents cars for about $15 a day and the total bill comes in at less than half the other guys.

Problem is, I have never heard of these guys and it kind of has a too-good-to-be-true vibe to it. They look legit, but there's a certain brand familiarity with the other guys.

Can anybody out there offer testimonials on Advantage?

 

[trifectarich]

If they offer you a Corvair, ask for something else.

 

[playthrough]

Do they offer unlimited miles? That can be the catch for those low rates...

 

[Mayfly]

They offer unlimited miles. I actually used them for a recent trip I took. They marked up the price a lot since I was under the age of 25. They gave me the smallest car available, but it was pretty good on gas. I bought the fill it up when I get back to the lot option, and I ran that sucker dry. The only gripe I have is I wanted a compact car, but they gave me that clown car instead. Other than that, they were very professional and courteous, especially at 3:00 AM when I returned it.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Thanks for the info Mayfly. I shall rent with confidence.

BTW, not sure if it is like this everywhere (I try to take public transportation as often as possible when I travel), but Seattle's taxes and fees and rental cars come in at about 36 percent. They're a gun short of armed robbery.

 

[WazzuGrad00]

Those taxes are the reason Qwest Field and Safeco Field exist.

 

[Mayfly]

Those taxes are the reason Qwest Field and Safeco Field exist.

I guess no one cares about the Seahawks or Mariners?

 

[John]

Thanks for the info Mayfly. I shall rent with confidence.

BTW, not sure if it is like this everywhere (I try to take public transportation as often as possible when I travel), but Seattle's taxes and fees and rental cars come in at about 36 percent. They're a gun short of armed robbery.

I used Advantage on a trip to San Diego a couple of years ago. It was no better or worse than any other company I've used.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Those taxes are the reason Qwest Field and Safeco Field exist.

Oh yeah ... I know. But damn if it's not a ***** to get a quote on a three-day car rental and have it be damn near twice as much as the flight.

 

[old_tony]

Rental car taxes are so popular with the locals because the only people who generally pay the tax are out-of-towners or insurance companies. And the government's voracious appetite must be fed.

 

[Lyman_Bostock]

Houston is an absolute joke in that regard. I think one week's car rental was more than three times the cost of my plane ticket.

 

[Bad Guy Zero]

BTW, not sure if it is like this everywhere (I try to take public transportation as often as possible when I travel), but Seattle's taxes and fees and rental cars come in at about 36 percent. They're a gun short of armed robbery.

Seattle has one of the best public transit systems in the country [in my opinion].

 

[MacDaddy]

Seattle has one of the best public transit systems in the country [in my opinion].

Is there some other Seattle than the one in Washington? Because there's no way in hell you're talking about the one where it rains all the time and people throw fish at the Pike Place Market.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Seattle has one of the best public transit systems in the country [in my opinion].

Is there some other Seattle than the one in Washington? Because there's no way in hell you're talking about the one where it rains all the time and people throw fish at the Pike Place Market.

What the hell are you talking about? When I was a kid, I could traverse the 20 or so miles from my dad's house in Kenmore to the Kingdome in 80 minutes, and it only took three bus changes. But those were the old days, when things were far more efficient.

 

[WildBillyCrazyCat]

If you need to return the car at an odd hour, make sure Advantage is open.

My one experience with them was not pleasant.

I had a 6:30 a.m. flight out of San Diego, so I arrived at Advantage's off-airport facility for returns about 5 a.m. Place is closed, with a note on the door that said they open at 7 a.m. I had to walk the two miles to the terminal with my luggage.

This was back in '02, when the security lines were obscenely long. I got to the terminal about 45 minutes before my flight left, and I didn't have a chance.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

If you need to return the car at an odd hour, make sure Advantage is open.

My one experience with them was not pleasant.

I had a 6:30 a.m. flight out of San Diego, so I arrived at Advantage's off-airport facility for returns about 5 a.m. Place is closed, with a note on the door that said they open at 7 a.m. I had to walk the two miles to the terminal with my luggage.

This was back in '02, when the security lines were obscenely long. I got to the terminal about 45 minutes before my flight left, and I didn't have a chance.

Holy ****.