On my first trips, I rented cars with Avis. I then switched to Alamo/National in 2005 because in my experience they usually have the best prices, and with one or two exceptions, I never had a complaint about the reliability of the cars. Most of the cars I drove had low mileage and were in an excellent condition.
Oldsmobile Aurora (2001)
Chevrolet Cavalier (2002)
Oldsmobile Alero (2002)
Chevrolet Cavalier (2003)
Oldsmobile Alero (2003)
Chevrolet Cavalier (2004)
Chevrolet Blazer(2004)
Chevrolet TrailBlazer (2005)
Buick Rendezvous (2005)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005)
Chevrolet TrailBlazer (2005)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (2006)
Toyota Highlander (2006)
Jeep Commander (2007)
Toyota Highlander (2007)
Jeep Commander (2007)
Jeep Commander (2008)
Chevrolet Corvette (2008)
Jeep Commander (2008)
Toyota Sequoia (2009)
The cars were, in detail:
Oldsmobile Aurora (2001)
Our rental Oldsmobile Aurora along Death Valley Rd
The Oldsmobile we rented on our first trip was a luxurious fullsize sedan with powerful V6 engine. It handled very well, even on unpaved roads; and probably offered the most comfortable ride I've had on all my trips so far. The only complaint I had was the remote entry that was too easily triggered, and from too far a distance - one time, I must have accidentally touched the trunk release button on the key while we were having a pizza and after we had finished eating, we left the restaurant to find the car with the trunk wide open... with all our luggage thankfully still in there.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 4,771mi
- Category reserved:
- Fullsize 2-door
- Category received:
- Fullsize 4-door
- More pictures
Chevrolet Cavalier (2002)
A fairly inexpensive compact car with unresponsive engine, but that was otherwise very nice to drive - and sleep in. It was very basic though - no electrical windows, for example.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 4,599mi
- Category reserved:
- Compact 4-door (B)
- Category received:
- Compact 4-door (B)
- More pictures
Oldsmobile Alero (2002)
My rental Oldsmobile Alero at the famous Teakettle Junction in Death Valley National Park
An Intermediate was a bit more expensive than a Compact, but this one offered a bit more room, an engine that seemed more responsive, and a bit more comfort (electrical windows, for example).
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 1,911mi
- Category reserved:
- Midsize 4-door
- Category received:
- Midsize 4-door
Chevrolet Cavalier (2003)
My rental Chevrolet Cavalier on a parking space along Highway 1 in California
This Cavalier (category Compact) was one model year more recent than the last Cavalier I had rented, but I didn't like it as much. The new headlights and grille made it look flimsier, and there seemed to be something wrong with the way it behaved in narrow (paved) downhill curves that made the ride slightly scary. I only drove this car on Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and was glad to get rid of it after just two days - I wouldn't have liked to be stuck with it for longer.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 518mi
- Category reserved:
- Compact 4-door
- Category received:
- Compact 4-door
Oldsmobile Alero (2003)
My rental Chevrolet Alero in sunset light on Route 66 just outside Amboy, CA
Apart from having Nevada plates (I rented it in San Francisco), this Intermediate Alero was entirely unremarkable. It took me wherever I wanted to go without a problem.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 1,809mi
- Category reserved:
- Compact 4-door
- Category received:
- Intermediate 4-door
Chevrolet Cavalier (2004)
My rental Chevrolet Cavalier on a dirt road in Eureka Valley, in Death Valley National Park
When I got this Cavalier, it was virtually new (297 miles on the odometer). Accordingly, it behaved flawlessly, like any new car should, even though it exhibited the same flaws the Cavalier I drove the year before, showing fairly bad road adhesion and not liking "normal" cornering speeds I'm used to on my own car. And I still don't particularly like the new styling.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 1,438mi
- Category reserved:
- Compact 4-door
- Category received:
- Compact 4-door
Chevrolet Blazer(2004)
My rental Chevrolet Blazer on Canyonlands' famous White Rim Drive
After mostly driving Compact and Intermediate rentals, I decided it was time I rented a car a little bit more suitable for some of the roads I like to drive on. My main criteria were four-wheel drive, high clearance and more space in the trunk; and this Chevrolet Blazer did surpass my expectations. I liked it.
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Rental company:
- Avis
- Miles driven:
- 6309
- Category reserved:
- SUV (W)
- Category received:
- SUV (W)
Chevrolet TrailBlazer (2005)
The first time I rented with Alamo, I thought I'd continue on the good experience I'd made with the "SUV" category the previous year; and reserved another 4x4 SUV. Unfortunately, I had tire problems on the front axle after a minor mishap, which forced me to get a replacement for the Trailblazer after about a week and a half.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- ??
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- SUV (SFAR)
Buick Rendezvous (2005)
This Buick Rendezvous was all the small Alamo office in South Dakota could give me as a replacement for my Trailblazer. While I wouldn't qualify it as a SUV, and I did not dare take it too far off paved roads, it still wasn't a bad car, and much nicer and roomier inside than the outside makes believe.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- ??
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- SUV (SFAR)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (2005)
When I selected the Grand Cherokee in the Alamo Choiceline in San Francisco, I didn't even quite know what kind of Jeep it was - the model would only be introduced in Europe the following year. I really liked driving it, it's probably my favourite SUV so far, What ruined the experience, through no fault of the Jeep, was that after getting a flat tire, I noticed that the previous driver had almost ruined the spare tire already. I limped back to civilisation with two out of five tires bad, but could easily have ended up requiring a tow truck.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- ??
- Category reserved:
- SUV
- Category received:
- SUV
Chevrolet TrailBlazer (2005)
I only had this white Trailblazer for a period of two days - it was a replacement car sent from Alamo's Las Vegas office after I had tire problems with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I drove it from Death Valley to Los Angeles via Sequoia National Park, and it was surprisingly fun (if a bit tiresome) to drive on the twisty roads on the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 1075
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- SUV (SFAR)
Jeep Grand Cherokee (2006)
This blue Grand Cherokee got me around the entire Southwest with no problem whatsoever.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 5245
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- SUV (SFAR)
Toyota Highlander (2006)
When this grey Toyota Highlander showed up in the Alamo garage my initial impression was favourable - it had a 4x4 badge, looked reasonably big and the rear seats would fold flat. My basic needs were thus satisfied, and while the Toyota turned out to be dependable, it was also one of the most obnoxiously boring cars I've ever driven.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 3,430mi
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- SUV (SFAR)
Jeep Commander (2007)
When I arrived in SFO, all that was left in the Alamo and National choice lines were midsize SUVs. A quick chat with a National employee got me this Jeep Commander, instead. I really liked the relative roominess and the ride comfort; and driving (and hearing) a V8 was a nice bonus too. Unfortunately, "trail-rated" in Jeep terms apparently means "can be disabled by driving over a Chinese paper lantern" (the wire wrapped around the rear axle, leading to what looked like (I'm not a mechanic) a rear axle transmission oil leak), so I wasn't able to enjoy it for the full two weeks of the trip.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 2,077mi
- Category reserved:
- Midsize SUV
- Category received:
- Fullsize SUV
Toyota Highlander (2007)
I received this Toyota Highlander as a replacement for the Jeep Commander. While it didn't guzzle as much gas as that V8, that was about its only advantage. It was less fun to drive, less spacious, and just generally made me wish I still had the Jeep instead.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 2,271mi
- Category reserved:
- Midsize SUV
- Category received:
- SUV
Jeep Commander (2007)
.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 1,685mi
- Category reserved:
- Fullsize SUV
- Category received:
- Fullsize SUV
Jeep Commander (2008)
.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 1,529mi
- Category reserved:
- Fullsize SUV
- Category received:
- Fullsize SUV
Chevrolet Corvette (2008)
.
- Rental company:
- Hertz
- Miles driven:
- 196
- Category reserved:
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Category received:
- Chevrolet Corvette
Jeep Commander (2008)
.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 2923
- Category reserved:
- SUV (SFAR)
- Category received:
- Fullsize SUV (FFAR)
Toyota Sequoia (2009)
.
- Rental company:
- Alamo/National
- Miles driven:
- 3,003 mi
- Category reserved:
- Fullsize SUV
- Category received:
- Fullsize SUV