Our rental cars
Cars, Cars, Cars...
So far, we have always traveled solely by rental car. Here are some of the cars we have driven during our road trips.
2008
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Pittsburgh
Booked category: Compact Car
Car: Chrysler Cruiser PT
Miles traveled: 2524mi
Our rating: The car was assigned to us. Probably we could have chosen another one, but we were satisfied with it for this trip. The car has neither positive nor negative somehow noticed. It did its job and was perfectly ok for our purposes.
2009
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Salt Lake City
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: GMC Acadia
Miles traveled: xxxmi
Our rating: The car was assigned to us, there was no choiceline and only this one SUV. In 2009 we had our first SUV experience and have stuck with it ever since. That in itself shows that we liked it. The car was an upgrade because we had actually booked the smallest SUV category. The GMC Acadia is a standard SUV. The only thing that was a bit of a hindrance was the rather deep front apron at the bottom of the bumper, as this completely undermined the fairly good ground clearance.
2010
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Boston
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Ford Escape
Miles traveled: xxxmi
Our rating: The car was assigned to us, there was no choiceline. We liked the Ford Escape very much, it was very spacious and also had a relatively low consumption of fuel with well under 10l/100km. Nice car that we would take again.
2011
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Phoenix
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4
Miles traveled: 3725mi
Our rating: The Grand Cherokee is a standard SUV, but we could still have it. As we discovered that was a real stroke of luck. The car has become my absolute favorite car for a road trip through the USA. It is very spacious, has good ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
2012
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Denver
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Liberty 4×4
Miles traveled: 3725mi
Our rating: In Denver, there was a Choiceline. There were a few SUV's to choose from. We took the Liberty because it had four-wheel drive. The car was basically great. It had very good ground clearance and of course the four wheel drive was great, however, in our opinion there are more comfortable cars if you have to drive longer distances. The interior is also much less spacious than, for example, the Grand Cherokee, although of course you can't really compare that either, because the Liberty is also more of a midzise SUV.
2013 - May
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Las Vegas
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4
Miles traveled: 3725mi
Our rating: Our flight arrived in Las Vegas later that evening. Perhaps this was the reason the SUV's were not divided into categories. There were simply SUV signs in the parking garage and we could choose from all the cars that were there. At the very back of the row was a Jeep Grand Cherokee and since we liked the car in 2011, it was clear that we take the Jeep. Especially because it was also an upgrade to our booked midsize SUV. It was a newer model than the one we had in 2011, otherwise everything was just as great. I just love this car.
2013 - October
Rented via: Directly at Budget
Car rental company: Budget
Rental Station: New York – JFK Airport
Booked category: Van
Car: Chevrolet Express
Miles traveled: 2373mi
Our rating: The car was assigned to us there was no Choiceline. In 2013 you could only book a van from Budget in the northeast. All other rental companies known to us offered vans only in the southwest. However, we were very satisfied with Budget and also with the van. It offered enough and comfortable space for 6 people and especially for the luggage. With the size it was sometimes a little more difficult to find a parking space, or to drive into a parking garage, but over all we were quite content.
2014
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Denver
Booked category: Standard SUV
Car: Dodge Journey after two weeks exchanged for a Jeep Grand Cherokee
Miles traveled: 5010mi
Our rating: Although there is actually a Choiceline in Denver, the employee insisted on assigning us a car. That was really annoying and we didn't really understand the reason. Maybe he was just mad because we didn't want to upgrade to a bigger car. He felt a standard SUV would be too small for 4 people. We got a Dodge Journey and fit everything in the car. However, it really has to be said that a fullsize SUV might have been a bit more comfortable, but even so, it was a close call, but ultimately fit. After two weeks we exchanged the car because of a stone chip in the windshield, in Phoenix. We were assigned the Jeep Grand Cherokee there. We have not complained.
2015
Rented via: Travel agency
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Seattle
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4
Miles traveled: 4609mi
Our rating: In Seattle, there was a very well-stocked SUV Choiceline, which was also divided into different categories. We chose a Jeep Cherokee, because we like the Grand Cherokee so much. The little brother was also ok, although of course a little smaller and, especially in terms of storage space for the passenger, also a little limited. But for two people the car is completely OK. We didn't need the available 4×4 drive.
2016 - February
Rented via: GermanWho
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Los Angeles
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4
Miles traveled: 4004mi
Our rating: For the first time here in Los Angeles, we had a Skip the Counter ticket in addition to a Choiceline. With this, we no longer had to go to the counter, but could go directly to the cars. Here in Los Angeles the SUV's were divided into categories and the midsize row was quite well filled. Since we had already good experiences with the Jeep Cherokee, we decided to go for it. The car was also well suited for a road trip through the southwest. The ground clearance was OK and we didn't need the four-wheel drive.
2016 - October
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Hertz
Rental Station: Atlanta
Booked category: Midsize SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4
Miles traveled: 2978mi
Our rating: In Atlanta Hertz has no Choiceline, the car was assigned to us. We got a Jeep Cherokee 4×4, just like in the two previous vacations. There is not much more to say about the car. Again, it was a reliable companion.
One more small remark about Hertz. For some unknown reason, we forgot to fill up the car when we returned it. Even if that was completely our fault, the $9.99/gallon charged by Hertz is a total rip-off.
2017
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Chicago
Booked category: Standard SUV
Car: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4
Miles traveled: 6299mi
Our rating: In Chicago there is a Choiceline, but no Skip the Counter. This is probably because the station is quite small and the cars have to be parked in such a way that you can't drive them out yourself. You pick a car and then go to an employee who will free-park the car you want. It's pointless to mention how happy I was when I spotted a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the crowd of cars.
2018 - March
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Houston
Booked category: Standard SUV
Car: Dodge Journey
Miles traveled: 3674mi
Our rating: Theoretically, there would be both a Choiceline and Skip the Counter in Houston. Unfortunately, all of this is of no use if there is not a single car to choose from. One employee ran over to National every time someone came and returned with a car in the booked category. In our case, however, it was some small SUV, with which we were in no way satisfied. I had particularly booked a larger car and wanted to have one now. After some discussions they found a Dodge Journey for us. For two people, the car is very spacious and completely ok.
2018 - October
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Denver
Booked category: Standard SUV
Car: Jeep Wranger Sahara 4×4
Miles traveled: 2649mi
Our rating: In Denver, there is both a Choiceline and Skip the Counter. Since the selection of standard SUV's was rather modest, we walked around a bit in the parking lot looking for a suitable car. In the process, Gerd spotted a Jeep Wrangler on the side that had a key stuck in the lock, suggesting that it was for rent. After a short conversation with a very nice employee, we were allowed to have the car. We were even wished a lot of fun off road. Well then....
The experience in the Wrangler was divided. It was great for off-road driving. The ground clearance is huge and with an additional 4×4 you can really get anywhere. At least to the destinations we were headed to. Driving on the interstates and highways was a different story. On the one hand, the car was not very comfortable for a road trip and on the other hand, the gas consumption was enormous. But nevertheless, we really had fun with our Wrangler and also were able to drive routes that we would not expect a normal SUV to drive. For a four-week road trip, however, we would probably choose a different car.
2019
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Los Angeles
Booked category: Fullsize SUV
Car: Chevrolet Tahoe
Miles traveled: 4231mi
Our rating: In Los Angeles, Alamo has both a Choiceline and Skip the Counter. Nevertheless, we were assigned a Chevrolet Tahoe. We liked the car very much. It was huge with plenty of room for our luggage. The fuel consumption was also not too high at 11l/100km. We were satisfied all around.
2022 - April
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Hertz
Rental Station: Denver
Booked category: SPAR – Pickup Truck
Car: Jeep Cherokee Limited 4×4
Miles traveled: 3766mi
Our rating: During the Corona pandemic, rental car prices in the USA exploded. Hertz trucks offered the best price-performance ratio for us. However, there was no pick-up truck on site and therefore we were free to choose from the cars in the parking lot. We decided on a Jeep Cherokee Limited 4×4. As in the years before, when we had such a Jeep, it was a reliable companion. The only minor complaint was the rather limited storage space on the inside.
2022 - Oktober
Rented via: ADAC
Car rental company: Hertz
Rental Station: Miami
Booked category: FCAR - Premium car
Car: Toyota Camry
Miles traveled: 532mi
Our rating: By the time we arrived, there were no cars available in the category we had booked. We had to wait almost an hour until cars became available. Ultimately, we opted for a Toyota Camry. To mention positively is the, especially compared to our previous SUV's, very low gas consumption.
2023
Rented via: Germanwho
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Salt Lake City
Booked category: FJAR – Jeep Wrangler
Car: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4×4 Hybrid
Miles traveled: 5822mi
Our rating: Einen Jeep Wrangler hatten wir bei Alamo vor 2023 noch nie im Angebot gesehen. Da wir 2018 mit unserem Wrangler sehr zufrieden waren und man damit im Südwesten die meisten Ziele beruhigter erreichen kann, haben wir uns auch dieses Jahr dafür entschieden. Wir waren auch dieses mal sehr zufrieden. Das einzige kleine Manko war das Softtop. Dadurch hatte man, besonders auf dem Interstate sehr laute Fahrgeräusche. An sehr windigen Tagen flatterte das Dach sehr stark. Ansonsten war der Wagen sehr zuverlässig und hat uns viel Spaß gemacht. Obwohl wir dieses Mal damit einen richtigen Roadtrip gemacht haben war sowohl der Verbrauch mit etwa 10l/100km als auch der Komfort für uns völlig in Ordnung.
2024
Rented via: Germanwho
Car rental company: Alamo
Rental Station: Detroit
Booked category: SFAR – Ford Edge
Car: Ford Edge
Miles traveled: 4395mi
Our rating: Alamo in Detroit had a Choiceline. We had the choice between about 6 different cars. Because we wanted to drive an American brand and we considered a Ford to be the perfect choice for a Michigan road trip, we opted for this car. We really liked the car. It was spacious, the gas consumption was ok and therefore we would choose a Ford Edge for a road trip again..
