Anyone Book Thrifty "Wild Card" or Dollar "Special" Rental Car?

[crf450x]

Thrifty Rent a Car has a "Wild Card" and Dollar Rent a Car has "Lock Low & Go" rates that are around the same as the Compact rate but allows you to gamble on the vehicle they give you at time of check out. It is guaranteed to be at least a Compact or bigger. Looking on the FT forums, many have been upgraded to minivans and Crown Vics, which has disappointed the majority of the FT people, but we would be very happy with either one. The bigger the better with my wife and kids and all of their "stuff". Who cares about mileage and mpg on vacation when we rarely get though a full tank of fuel anyways. Plus either one of those would get much better mileage than my daily driver which is a Ram Dually.

We have always rented either a full size or suv at HNL, OGG, KOA & LIH and have frequently been upgraded to the next higher car class. Just wondering if any Tuggers here have ever used the "Wild Card" or "Lock Low & Go" Specials and what car was given at any of the Hawaiian rental car places? I hear that they just give whatever car they have the most of at the time of pick up, which makes sense. Comparing the prices between the other car classes and the "Special" as long as it isn't a compact, then it seems like a good deal. And I figure if we do get stuck with the compact, we could always upgrade...

 

[dougp26364]

When we rent, it's often been with Thrifty. I stopped using the Wild Car selection as I learned it's their way of renting the cars no one else wants, and usually neither do I.

 

[natasha5687]

I wouldnt gamble and then have to pay to upgrade. What works well for me is being a Buget Fast Break member (free). I will book the intermediate or standard. The categorize their cars and I am generally able to drive off with a full size or small SUV because of the way they categorize. If I dont see what I want in the Fast Break lane I just ask for what I want and have never been told no.

 

[crf450x]

When we rent, it's often been with Thrifty. I stopped using the Wild Car selection as I learned it's their way of renting the cars no one else wants, and usually neither do I.

So what kind of vehicles were you given?

 

[klpca]

I haven't done that, but for the past few trips if it's just two of us I reserve the smallest car available and they usually offer us something larger. In fact in Denver we received a free "upgrade" to a Camaro. Never again, lol. Between the blind spots, the size of the car, and the gas mileage, that was an adventure not to be repeated.

 

[AbelowDS]

... It is guaranteed to be at least a Compact or bigger ... The bigger the better with my wife and kids and all of their "stuff".

Almost sounds good.. almost. What if you end up with the compact?!?!

 

[crf450x]

Almost sounds good.. almost. What if you end up with the compact?!?!

If in the unlikely event we end up with compact I will just pay for the upgrade. I have never used the "special" but if I don't get a good deal on a minivan or SUV I will go for it and see what happens.

 

[BocaBoy]

I have used Thrifty's "Wild Card" and have always been given a compact. I am not going to bother with a "Wild card" reservation again.

 

[dougp26364]

So what kind of vehicles were you given?

Sometimes it was a standard car but mostly it seemed to be a specialty car like a PT Cruiser. In AZ we were given a Subaru Outback. Once we were given a minivan in Vegas. It felt somewhat surreal driving a minivan going from casino to casino.

Lately everytime we rent a car (not thru the Wild Car program) they try to tell me they're upgrading me for free to a Crown Vic, which I always turn down because the two of us don't need a land yaht and neither of us like the car.