What was you best free upgrade on rented car?

alecrain · 18-07-2008, 02:49 PM

When talking to friends about vacation and rental cars they all seem to have a story involving a FREE car upgrade, usually due to requested car not being available.

I'm hoping to hear some of your experiences!

I needed a cheap car for 2 days a year ago and booked a Getz when I went to pick it up they gave me a Toyota Crappola.-and I hated every minute in it

My friends friend got his booked Holden upgraded to a convertible Saab.....

:

and so on..

18-07-2008, 02:53 PM

I downgraded. I was given allowance for a Getz, but they upgraded me to a Corolla. I hate Corolla's, so I downgraded to a manual Getz.

Driving manuals is heaps more fun. I practised my clutchless shifts, drifting, clutch dumps etc. All with economy less than 7l/100km. They got the car back with a few hundred km's on it, but realistically more like a few thousand.

GT0132 · 18-07-2008, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

When talking to friends about vacation and rental cars they all seem to have a story involving a FREE car upgrade, usually due to requested car not being available.

I'm hoping to hear some of your experiences!

I needed a cheap car for 2 days a year ago and booked a Getz when I went to pick it up they gave me a Toyota Crappola.-and I hated every minute in it

My friends friend got his booked Holden upgraded to a convertible Saab.....

:

and so on..

A Laser to an EA Falcon when arriving at Melbourne airport for a weekend away in 1991. They were out of Lasers so gave me the EA

I actually didn't mind teh EA back then...it was a new car and drove fantastically.

RG · 18-07-2008, 02:53 PM

When my old EL was at the panel beaters the insurance company organized a rental car for me. A 2 door Hyundai Getz....with an auto. Needless I complained and said I can't fit 5 adults into this vehicle therefore it is not truly a replacement car. They said ok and then punished me by giving me a VY Commodore. Bastards

JG66ME · 18-07-2008, 03:02 PM

In LA two years ago I booked a US$19 a day Taurus for the weekend (work trip with a weekend spare). My American friend that droped me of at Hertz told the guy at the desk that as I was an Aussie and needed to try the Southern Callifornia life style and a convertable would be in order. They guy gave me a red Audi A4 convertable, $19 a day. Did 700 miles that weekend. Also once got a Merc instead of a Mondeo in England.

Best upgrades ever have been my last 2 overseas business trips. Qantas upgraded me from Business class to First on Melbourne to London, London to Melbourne and Sydney to Bangkok. Could get used to that.

Steve

XD 351 Ute · 18-07-2008, 11:01 PM

Summernats 2002, went from a VT dunger to a Calais with all the fruit but no V8.
Was a nice comfy ride too.

Ed

gcg2503 · 18-07-2008, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JG66ME

In LA two years ago I booked a US$19 a day Taurus for the weekend (work trip with a weekend spare). My American friend that droped me of at Hertz told the guy at the desk that as I was an Aussie and needed to try the Southern Callifornia life style and a convertable would be in order. They guy gave me a red Audi A4 convertable, $19 a day. Did 700 miles that weekend. Also once got a Merc instead of a Mondeo in England.

Best upgrades ever have been my last 2 overseas business trips. Qantas upgraded me from Business class to First on Melbourne to London, London to Melbourne and Sydney to Bangkok. Could get used to that.

Steve

Now thats one hell of an upgrade Steve

:

I only got an upgrade one way Melbourne - London Economy to Business with Singapore Airlines

Thinking of treating myslef to a Business Class on an A380 on return to Oz from UK .. but may save the money for Original Globes for the ZF ;)

ogtrip · 19-07-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shounak

Driving manuals is heaps more fun. I practised my clutchless shifts, drifting, clutch dumps etc. All with economy less than 7l/100km. They got the car back with a few hundred km's on it, but realistically more like a few thousand.

Haha so true....

BlackLS · 19-07-2008, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shounak

I downgraded. I was given allowance for a Getz, but they upgraded me to a Corolla. I hate Corolla's, so I downgraded to a manual Getz.

Driving manuals is heaps more fun. I practised my clutchless shifts, drifting, clutch dumps etc. All with economy less than 7l/100km. They got the car back with a few hundred km's on it, but realistically more like a few thousand.

Work booked me a 1.3L Getz, but I got a 1.5L instead. Still had no balls but I also practiced by driving. Evetually I only used the clutch for getting off the line in 1st/Reverse

FrogInASock · 19-07-2008, 10:54 PM

In 1997, I went to the UK where I had booked a Ford Escort. When I arrived at Heathrow to collect the car (5:30am) i was given a Volvo V40 2 litre wagon, an upgrade of 3 levels.

No funny jokes about Volvos either! I was going to DIE until I saw and drove it. What a great little wagon it was!

stewyg · 20-07-2008, 12:30 AM

ur serious about this arnt you? hyundais are not real cars. the rolla would have been an upgrade. i drive and pull apart cars of all breads and ages as part of my job and i was nearly sold that hyundai were better then id been led to believe. then i got to work on one and drive it.

**Jastel** · 20-07-2008, 08:52 PM

Hired a small car and ended up with a Nissan Maxima top spec
Only front wheel drive car I have ever driven with an engine bigger than 2 litres, had some fun with it but.

Another time in the UK I hired a Ford Fiesta (I think about 1.5litre) and got a Renault Laguna, (2 litre) had a credit card for a key, push button start etc very weird, only 200 miles on it as well, had 3700 when I brought it back.

XR6_190 · 21-07-2008, 12:34 AM

Booked a Corolla sedan in June 05 from Hertz in Brisbane, ended up with a top of the range Maxima, Leather, sunroof, the works. Pretty good for a front driver, more room than the AUII I had at the time, but easily the worst turning circle of any large sedan I have ever driven.

alecrain · 21-07-2008, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

When talking to friends about vacation and rental cars they all seem to have a story involving a FREE car upgrade, usually due to requested car not being available.

I'm hoping to hear some of your experiences!

I needed a cheap car for 2 days a year ago and booked a Getz when I went to pick it up they gave me a Toyota Crappola.-and I hated every minute in it

My friends friend got his booked Holden upgraded to a convertible Saab.....

:

and so on..

I'm a little disappointed.
I expected this thread to be full of really cool upgrade experiences

:
I thought free upgrades weren't that unusual.

JG66ME · 22-07-2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

I'm a little disappointed.
I expected this thread to be full of really cool upgrade experiences

:
I thought free upgrades weren't that unusual.

I am sorry to disapoint you. I guess that A4 worth about 100k Aus must be a bit whatever.

I did spew a bit, I missed the Mustang by 20 mins.

paulvdb · 22-07-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alecrain

I'm a little disappointed.
I expected this thread to be full of really cool upgrade experiences

:
I thought free upgrades weren't that unusual.

Free upgrades happen but generally to nothing special. I've had the Saab convertable upgrade (cool to look at but drives like a slug) and an Astra convertable upgrade a few weeks back (a million buttons with only pictures on them to explain what they do). The Astra went OK-ish (for a basic 4-cyl) and had reasonable economy around 8l/100.

I miss the XR6's that the rental companies used to have - just getting basic cars these days. I've had 2 upgrades to Omega's this year and not impressed with fuel usage. Those v6's drink fuel. Got stuck with a Camry this year too - nearly got sea-sick from the suspension.

**El Venom** · 22-07-2008, 06:04 PM

I used to work at a major rental company and durring a busy week a customer who had booked a hyundai getz complained when she recieved the keys to a lexus ls430 at no extra cost. Thats the best upgrade I know of but will now never happen again as the lexus was sold soon after the lady returned it

Paxton · 22-07-2008, 06:19 PM

The best one was in Victoria a number of years ago. I ordered a Laser (didn't want another Falcon, I was driving one already). They'd ran out of Lasers, and I got a BMW 318i. Not all that flash, but more interesting than a Laser.

I let the Mrs order a car in Cairns one year, and she went with a Camry, as it was 'more economical than a Falcon'. Delta Europcar handed me the keys to a brand new Magna. Far better than the Camry that had been ordered for me.

Other than that, I generally get the car I ordered, but Falcons and Territories seem to be pretty interchangeable.

GS608 · 22-07-2008, 06:35 PM

the only upgrade i've ever recieved was when we headed over to NZ in 04, booked a Holden Commodore (it was either that or a Camry) and when we got there they told us that they didn't have the Commodore so gave us a top of the range Maxima at no extra cost.

nommic · 22-07-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogInASock

In 1997, I went to the UK where I had booked a Ford Escort. When I arrived at Heathrow to collect the car (5:30am) i was given a Volvo V40 2 litre wagon, an upgrade of 3 levels.

We had practically the same thing happen, except it was an upgrade from a Mondeo. From memory it was brand new too.

Heated leather seats were an almost unimaginable luxury to back then!

outback_ute · 22-07-2008, 07:08 PM

I've had 3 good ones, a Commodore instead of a Getz which was very much appreciated as I had it for 3 or 4 days and did about 1000km (even though I though the VZ was a pretty ordinary car to drive) and a Fairlane Ghia and a Territory instead of Mitsi 380's.

iCat · 22-07-2008, 09:24 PM

Goldcoast for my birthday this year, just requested a small car, paid for it, and was handed the keys to a Stato! Left Melb in the wet and cold, and then spent the day cruising in the sunny warmth up and down the Goldcoast in a Stato. That was a blissful birthday!

:

blueoval · 22-07-2008, 09:37 PM

i went thru budget rentals in brissy airport with a booking for a getz and ended upgrading (by choice) to an aurion for an extra $7 a day. it was worth it doing at the time as it was stinking hot and i have found small cars struggle with their air con going in sub 35-40 degree weather. the aurion was a good drive but lacked the low down torque f the falcon.