I want to short sheet Budget rental cars CEO's bed!

[pastafarian]

We're going to Florida in a few weeks. I decide it's time to reserve a car. After researching, Budget is the cheapest choice in Tampa Airport. Fine, go to the website, enter the BCD code and all relevant info and complete the reservation with no errors, or so I think. A few hours later, I check and there's no confirmation email. I call the 800#. The rep says she can't find the reservation but can make one for me...for $167 more than the web price. This amounts to a ~45% increase! I tell her no thank you but I want to make sure that if I do the web reservation again I'm not reserving a second car. Her answer "Thank you for calling Budget" then silence. I say that she's not answering my question. Should I wait? Does confirmation take hours/days? Her answer? "Thank you for calling Budget". I tried again, same result so I hang up on her (take that!). Tried again on the web and received instant confirmation, so I'm guessing (hoping?) the first attempt was a fail. If I did, I'll probably have to deal with her again and I already know what the answer is. To the CEO of budget, I wish a severe case of acid indigestion. When he tries to buy antacid, I hope he receives as helpful an answer as his representative gave me.

 

[Eugene]

Just wait, they will stick you in a Kia.

 

[pastafarian]

Then my 9yr old will drive..

 

[AntimonyER]

I don't know, Kia and Hyundai are no longer the realization of rental car hell that they used to be. I think that is reserved for Mitsubishi cars.

 

[Eugene]

I got stuck in a KIA otima which is their flagship car. I let my wife drive once it so she would appreciate her car more. Driving to work it would make my hands numb like running a lawn mower for a while.

 

[Hrethgir]

So the first reservation didn't go thru, then some random lady on the phone was no help, and you want to punish the CEO? How is any of that his fault? The first reservation may not have gone thru because of an error on your end, and I'm pretty sure the CEO neither hired, trained, nor does a yearly review with the phone drone you got, so I don't really get why you are so mad at him. That's like me being mad at Subaru's CEO because my car had to go in for warranty work due to a check engine light at 25k miles. Aim your anger where it should be, the phone drone, not the CEO.

 

[Eugene]

You would want to short sheet yourself for buying a subaru

 

[mplevy]

You would want to short sheet yourself for buying a subaru

You try finding an SUV the size of an Outback (it IS bigger inside than the Edge, in the rear seat anyway), with sunroof, bluetooth connectivity, USB connectivity, AWD, decent ground clearance and 30 MPG highway (Edge lists for 30 MPG but that's for a 4 cylinder which has no AWD option) for less than $30,000. Subaru's are a great value for a solid vehicle.


On topic. I recently rented from Budget for a business trip, the rental was handled through our trip booking department and they had a car waiting, and was only $2/day to upgrade from a Carolla to a Fusion with leather (which I would never buy after driving the rental).

 

[Hrethgir]

You would want to short sheet yourself for buying a subaru

Been driving it since brand new, bought it in summer 2000. Closing in on 150k miles on the original engine, and almost 100k miles of that have been with an aftermarket turbo kit on it. I'm glad I have this car, and don't regret getting it. 2000 Impreza 2.5RS, by the way.

 

[Eugene]

I find Subaru owners to be a lot like Apple owners, always pushing their over-rated stuff
An SUV has a frame and 4x4 with a lever on the floor and low range. A car is not an suv no matter how they try to sell it.
Subaru's annoy me because we always get stuck behind them in WV. When gas gets high people fall for their marketing and trade their trucks in on them then find out they don't get anywhere near their rated gas mileage in the mountains. We go down there get stuck behind one of them redlining going up the mountain "buuuuzzzzz, BUUUUZZZZZ!, BUUUUZZZZZZZZ!" and I'm running 1500rpm and have to turn up the radio to drown them out while we slowly follow them for the next 3 miles until we top the mountain. And 100 to 150k miles is nothing now a days, vehicles from the 70's ran that long and rusted out before needing engine work. My truck gets 20+ mpg and the only known issue is the odometer goes into error when it tries to roll over to one million miles - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

 

[pastafarian]

So the first reservation didn't go thru, then some random lady on the phone was no help, and you want to punish the CEO? How is any of that his fault? The first reservation may not have gone thru because of an error on your end, and I'm pretty sure the CEO neither hired, trained, nor does a yearly review with the phone drone you got, so I don't really get why you are so mad at him. That's like me being mad at Subaru's CEO because my car had to go in for warranty work due to a check engine light at 25k miles. Aim your anger where it should be, the phone drone, not the CEO.

Ever hear the saying "the buck stops here"? The web site failed (it wasn't my doing), the "phone drone" failed (that wasn't my doing either). Who do I blame when a company fails me? The people directly involved? Usually. The person or persons in overall charge (i.e. THE BOSS)? Absolutely! EVERY TIME! They get the big bucks, they get the blame. And yes, to an extent the CEO of Subaru is absolutely responsible for your check engine light. Does that mean he/she should personally apologize and fix it him/her self? That would be nice, but not expected.

Also, do you really think I intend to short sheet his/her bed??? No signs of humor there?

 

[pastafarian]

Been driving it since brand new, bought it in summer 2000. Closing in on 150k miles on the original engine, and almost 100k miles of that have been with an aftermarket turbo kit on it. I'm glad I have this car, and don't regret getting it. 2000 Impreza 2.5RS, by the way.

The saying is "Once you go flat, you never go back". Not a Subaru owner (never gone flat), but they have their following. I did help a friend pull an engine/trans axle once. What a nightmare to work on, then again a Civic isn't much easier.

 

[mplevy]

I find Subaru owners to be a lot like Apple owners, always pushing their over-rated stuff
An SUV has a frame and 4x4 with a lever on the floor and low range. A car is not an suv no matter how they try to sell it.
Subaru's annoy me because we always get stuck behind them in WV. When gas gets high people fall for their marketing and trade their trucks in on them then find out they don't get anywhere near their rated gas mileage in the mountains. We go down there get stuck behind one of them redlining going up the mountain "buuuuzzzzz, BUUUUZZZZZ!, BUUUUZZZZZZZZ!" and I'm running 1500rpm and have to turn up the radio to drown them out while we slowly follow them for the next 3 miles until we top the mountain. And 100 to 150k miles is nothing now a days, vehicles from the 70's ran that long and rusted out before needing engine work. My truck gets 20+ mpg and the only known issue is the odometer goes into error when it tries to roll over to one million miles - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

I'll give ya the SUV/not SUV argument, I used to make the same argument. I'm not saying it IS an SUV but NY classifies it as such when you register.

The buzzing ones, you're stereotyping the brand based on the rice version of one model (WRX/STi), my OB is quiet once the engine warms. Subaru fills a role with the Outback, and does it well. I could have bought a CR-V, RAV4, Edge or some other "crossover", but the Outback outshines any of them with better AWD capability, better value (more interior space for lower price with no extraneous doo-dads added on).

Subaru also does the options right, most are dealer-installed, not lumped in with packages (like needing Sync to get the sunroof on the Edge), the only things you HAVE to get from the factory are upgraded stereo and moonroof, everything else can be added after the fact once you have your engine/trim picked.

For what it's worth, my trip computer is telling me I'm at 30 MPG for my commute home last night and back in today. Do that with your truck...

 

[Eugene]

I'll give ya the SUV/not SUV argument, I used to make the same argument. I'm not saying it IS an SUV but NY classifies it as such when you register.

The buzzing ones, you're stereotyping the brand based on the rice version of one model (WRX/STi), my OB is quiet once the engine warms. Subaru fills a role with the Outback, and does it well. I could have bought a CR-V, RAV4, Edge or some other "crossover", but the Outback outshines any of them with better AWD capability, better value (more interior space for lower price with no extraneous doo-dads added on).

Subaru also does the options right, most are dealer-installed, not lumped in with packages (like needing Sync to get the sunroof on the Edge), the only things you HAVE to get from the factory are upgraded stereo and moonroof, everything else can be added after the fact once you have your engine/trim picked.

For what it's worth, my trip computer is telling me I'm at 30 MPG for my commute home last night and back in today. Do that with your truck...

The buzzing isn't about a riced out one, its because the engine has to run 5000-6000 rpm too make it up the mountain roads in WV while the car is going ~40 mph because its too underpowered to carry the car's weight.

I now get 10mpg commuting because my commute is 1/2 of a mile so my engine never even warms up or gets to closed loop mode But i used to get 21mpg when commuting 20 miles, thats with a full sized truck with a frame, 4x4 and v8 engine, some of the newer diesel's are getting 25mpg. A small 4 cylinder car should get at least twice that. I still get close to 20mpg carrying a camper up the mountiains of WV and getting stuck behind those slowbaru's. thats when I have an issue with those cars when they are unable to carry their single passenger without causing a traffic slowdown there is something wrong with their design.

I should say though I have met the sterrotype you mentioned above a couple times. Once was when in WV, I was stuck behind a coal truck so we were well below the speed limit going up the mountain when one of those with the coffe can exhaust tip and push handel (non functioning wing) on the back came up and started tailgating me. So when the coal truck did the polite thing when we got to a pull over spot i pulled over too and let the subaru kid pass. I then pulled out and caught up to him and was stuck behind him the rest of the way and he couldn't get enough speed to get away. Thats with me loaded down with 4 peple, a camper, clothes food, guns, ammo, etc. His empty "race car" should have been able to outrun me easily, yet I could't get up to the speed limit even because he was slowing me down.
other time was when i moved, pulling the u-haul trailer and waiting at a red light before th highway onramp this car came up behind fast, swerverd to the lane to the left of me and stopped at the light. when the light chaged green i started to go and he started out too and I heard the bees buzzing in the cofee can exhaust yet he stayed beside me and finally dropped back and got behind me to get on the highway ramp. His "race car" couldn't accelerate faster than me pulling a loaded uhaul!
but the main issue is subaru marketing these cars as eing capable of being driven on normal roads, they don't tell you they have to be on subaru compatible (flat) roads.

 

[Hrethgir]

The buzzing isn't about a riced out one, its because the engine has to run 5000-6000 rpm too make it up the mountain roads in WV while the car is going ~40 mph because its too underpowered to carry the car's weight.

LOL, wut? That car clearly had something wrong with it, or the driver doesn't know how to shift. If they were redlining and going 40 mph, that's what's known as an operator error. Even when my car was stock with 165 HP/166 lb-ft, I had no issues at all going up hills and not holding up traffic. Whatever, you won't listen to anything I say anyways, since I'm a Subaru fanboi. And you sound like one of those truck drivers I hate that think I should get out of their way because they are bigger.

 

[Eugene]

Wasn't just one car, every time I get stuck behind a subaru in the mountains they are all doing the same thing, ran out of power and downshifted a couple times and the engine is just screaming trying to pull up the hill. if it was just one car then you could say driver or something wrong, but why is it that subaru's have problems with the hills more than any other brand. Sure you'll have other brands with troubles, honda minivans, for example.

 

[IOWA]

LOL, wut? That car clearly had something wrong with it, or the driver doesn't know how to shift. If they were redlining and going 40 mph, that's what's known as an operator error. Even when my car was stock with 165 HP/166 lb-ft, I had no issues at all going up hills and not holding up traffic. Whatever, you won't listen to anything I say anyways, since I'm a Subaru fanboi. And you sound like one of those truck drivers I hate that think I should get out of their way because they are bigger.

On a steep enough incline, it's more than possible that it takes that many RPM's for a car with a smaller engine to keep chugging along. Going up and down the mountains in Tennessee I learned that quite quickly. It all depends on the grade of the hill really. On an engine with only ~ 2L capacity (and only 147HP,and it reaches maximum horsepower @ ~ 5400RPM), I can definitely see that happening. That engine is great for the smaller cars, but it shouldn't be in anything marketed as SUV/Off-road IMO.

However, the 3.0L Version is a completely different story.

 

[Eugene]

Exactly, they don't have the engine to do whats advertised in their ads, like I very muchy like an Apple product. And their users will hog the roads and tell everyone else how much bettwe their cars are, just liek an Apple user

 

[mplevy]

You're just lumping in ALL Subarus because you got stuck behind a couple beaters that couldn't get out of their own way. Trust me, the new ones are better. I'm not at all disappointed with the power of my 2011 Outback (2.5 with the CVT trans) compared to my old vehicle (2006 Grand Prix with a N/A 3.8 and 4A trans) and this vehicle is HEAVIER, has AWD and LESS power (not to mention the aerodynamics of a brick, comparatively), and I get 20-25% better economy to boot.

Pulling the foothills of the Berkshires (not the mountains of VA, but mountains regardless), I never got over 3000 RPM, held speed and there is no "buzz". You're comparing old vehicles with new commercials, and the commercials never said that Subraus were performance vehicles (unless you're talking WRX/STi), they advertise them as all-weather and logging-road capable which they certainly are.

But, Subaru wasn't the original topic of this thread...