I find myself on business to LA in May from here Down Under. I need to rent a car and notice that Enterprise offer Hybrids. Could any kind soul tell me if the fleet is Gen II or Gen III and any experiences or tips I should know about renting through them ? Thanks heaps !
Most of the rental car fleets are a really stripped down version without cruise control. A friend was moaning to me about driving an Avis Prius (Gen III) for about five hours without any cruise control. Had a couple of other features missing too, but I don't remember what. The point is that it might not be any particular model that we are familiar with, but I would be surprised if it weren't a 2010 since it has been out for so long.
Get your armor on regardless of whatever you end up renting, driving in L.A. is like being in a warzone. Oh and another tip, don't fuel up anywhere near the airport unless you like paying up the yin-yang for gas. Los Angeles Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in California
Joe, While this is true in many cars, if you pay a premium price for some of the 'up-market' cars, you will find they are often loaded with leather, cd-changers, etc. Depends if you are renting a 'compact' of luxury car. As for the Prius, if they are renting the 2010 models, as enterprise does in San Diego (I rented a 2010 Prius 2 there at the beginning of March), Toyota does not yet sell the Prius I model in the U.S. (which is likely to be the stripped fleet rental car), and as such, they are not as bare boned as you'd think. It was a far cry from my loaded Prius V, but still not the basic rental you may be accustomed to.
My son in law showed up at my house a few months ago in what must have been a Prius I from Avis. It was a blizzard white 2010. It had no cruise control and was missing a lot of other things that my car has, but since that was about a month before I got my car, I didn't know what to look for. All I am sure about is no cruise control, no CD, very plain jane. I was speaking to the fleet sales manager at my local dealership and asked him about the car since I had seen on the website that there was no version in the USA without cruise control and he said he had made that fleet sale and it was a version I, or the equivalent. Came from Southeast Toyota initially.
No kidding? Then I am very surprised that it did not leak here sooner... LOL. I would have bet money that on the Prius I, when available, the white would have been a plain white, but I would have apparently been wrong. Who knew fleet buyers were willing to buy a stripped down car, yet pay a premium for 'fancy paint'. (Mine is in Blizzard Pearl too, and I love it!)
