Discussion: Experiences Renting a Tesla Model 3 / Y from various companies

I have just come back from Florida where I rented a Model Y from AVIS from Orlando Airport. Here's what I thought about it all... I have a MY at home.

To start, I was surprised they were doing Teslas at all - I know Hertz do, but now AVIS as well it seems. I saw several MY's there and maybe a M3 too. The car had 92 miles when I picked it up, and I did around 700 miles during my stay.

All did not go well - although that is the subject of another post later on.

But in general:

You get one card-key in a relatively big clear plastic case. I did not get access through a phone and I could not assign my phone to be a key, so I was stuck with the card-key.

This means.... No walk-away locking, no auto-unlock, no pre-cool on climate, have to use the card-key every time to 'start' the card. Most annoying, but no different to a gas car I guess. How spoiled we are.

Supercharging was great... I guess Avis will bill me for it eventually!

Popped into Disney Springs one night, overjoyed to see some ChargePoint chargers... but they were CCS, so no joy there :-(

Avis do not have Premium connectivity, so no Satellite view, no streaming. Gah! And yes, I did connect to my phone as a hotspot to get around that, see my other posting in a few days.

Given that these cars are new, there are no ultrasonice sensors, which I found annoying, as I have them on my 2022 MY. It did have the trunk cover to keep things a bit more hidden and cool, so that was good.

Car came with the standard J1772 adaptor. No FSD obviously, and AutoSteer was disabled to start with.

Overall..... Good to drive 'the same' car as I own.....but annoyed to be back to 'basic' and having to set the car up as I wanted it.

So... thinking outside the box.... What does this look like for AVIS and Tesla? I think that Tesla and Avis need to do something about this 'basic' level of support and no App-access. It turns the Tesla from a tech-leader to an annoying expeience, which might put off future buyers. Avis probably don't want us using our phones as we can't then un-associate the phone, which is a security risk, but maybe Tesla needs to do something in this area for rentals?

There was (obvuously) no manual there - yes - I know why ! Not a problem for me as I have a MY... but what's a first-time Tesla renter supposed to do? It's not really a good experience, and that can hurt both Tesla and Avis. For the newbies, maybe a slip of paper saying 'Press here and here to see the manual'. If you know... you know.... if you don't... it's well hidden.

I don't know what Hertz do that's different, as I am Avis President's Club and so brand loyalty and all that.

Would I rent a MY or M3 from Avis again - yes! Great to get into a car that's almost identical to your own and drive through the night after a long journey. Discuss ;-)

"IMG_0765" by Robert T Bell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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[THEbuz]

I don't understand the use case, or how this helps avoid rental fees. If a person checks you in when you return the car, just have them look at the screen (just like with an ICE car when they check fuel amount). If nobody is there (which is what happened in my case), just take a picture of the screen as backup proof in case of an inadvertent billing.

Also, you're assuming someone renting a Tesla has their own Tesla account. This doesn't work with non-Tesla owners who choose to rent a Tesla.

Screenshots are time and date stamped. That time stamp would correspond with the time stamp of the vehicle return and would prove the SOC was above 70%.

I am assuming no such thing: “…perhaps a pop-up could enable the user to enter his or her e-mail address where the screenshot should be sent. Seriously, though, rental car is the outlier. I think this feature would add value for most TESLA owners.”

 

[Y_tho]

Screenshots are time and date stamped. That time stamp would correspond with the time stamp of the vehicle return and would prove the SOC was above 70%.

Photos taken via phone have a timestamp embedded as part of their metadata. Also, there's a system clock displayed on the Tesla console, so if you take a pic of the entire screen, you'll have the car-based timestamp as well as the embedded photo timestamp (in addition to battery %).

 

[THEbuz]

Photos taken via phone have a timestamp embedded as part of their metadata. Also, there's a system clock displayed on the Tesla console, so if you take a pic of the entire screen, you'll have the car-based timestamp as well as the embedded photo timestamp (in addition to battery %).

And…???

 

[RedBlitz]

We rented a Model 3 sr+ from Avis in San Francisco in March for 11 days in total for $812 all in. It had 486 miles on the clock and we added another 1852 miles to that! All the charges were included (but only at superchargers) so you had to plan your route well and the car did lots of that automatically anyway. There was no J1772 adapter included which eliminated using other chargers but it did have a mobile charger in the trunk for emergencies. Our own insurance documents covered the rental too so we didn’t pay any extra for that either. The Tesla turned out to be the cheapest part of the trip! Well worth it and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

 

[thefisch]

Just picked up a MY Hertz. Asked rep about app support and all he said is they're working on it. I removed their key from their apparatus and just keep it in my wallet. It's not even been a day but I've realized how much we used the app.

At least the car was clean unlike the last loaner I got from Tesla SC.

 

[maksimfa]

Rented quite a few Teslas Model 3s and Polestars from Hertz... never an issue. Put 2k miles on one of the model 3s and about 1,500 on a polestar. Was a great test drive of sorts.

The really interesting part... with my discount code, in general, the EVs are the cheapest cars to rent at Hertz.

 

[FultonMDUSA]

Since Avis doesn't apparently have an advantage anymore of included supercharging, which company would people on this group recommend for a Tesla rental next month from LAX? Would also be interested in comments regarding the general rental and return process at LAX - i.e. if one company has a significantly better or worse experience.

 

[mark02115]

I rented a m3 at Ft Myers airport last week. I was surprised they offered Tesla(s) at a reasonable price. This was my first time in a Tesla. There was nobody available to walk me thru the basic functionality...like that the card key needed to be on the center console for the car to be operated. Google to the rescue.
The guy at the "exit booth" warned me that if i did not bring it back charged up there would be a fee on top of the charging cost.....so I did the prepaid option.
So all of the cool stuff / functionality that has been discussed and not activated did not impact my experience, because I did not know it existed. I did try to find Car Play - figured it was a user problem, but I get why Elon refuses to have Apple in the Tesla OS.
My house was destroyed by Ian - we are in the final stages of rebuilding. That was the reason for the trip......unfortunately the closest super charger was washed away by the storm, and of course I did not figure that out until I drove to the location where it "used to be"....... it was a pile of sand - the entire parking area is gone.
There was a Tesla mobile charger in the trunk.......... and I learned that plugging that into a standard wall outlet was useless.
I returned to Boston, walked across the street and place an order for a MY . I like the M3, but need a "hitch" for the mountain bikes.

 

[THEbuz]

I rented a m3 at Ft Myers airport last week. I was surprised they offered Tesla(s) at a reasonable price. This was my first time in a Tesla. There was nobody available to walk me thru the basic functionality...like that the card key needed to be on the center console for the car to be operated. Google to the rescue.
The guy at the "exit booth" warned me that if i did not bring it back charged up there would be a fee on top of the charging cost.....so I did the prepaid option.
So all of the cool stuff / functionality that has been discussed and not activated did not impact my experience, because I did not know it existed. I did try to find Car Play - figured it was a user problem, but I get why Elon refuses to have Apple in the Tesla OS.
My house was destroyed by Ian - we are in the final stages of rebuilding. That was the reason for the trip......unfortunately the closest super charger was washed away by the storm, and of course I did not figure that out until I drove to the location where it "used to be"....... it was a pile of sand - the entire parking area is gone.
There was a Tesla mobile charger in the trunk.......... and I learned that plugging that into a standard wall outlet was useless.
I returned to Boston, walked across the street and place an order for a MY . I like the M3, but need a "hitch" for the mountain bikes.

Sorry for the loss of your home, Bro.
GOD bless you and your family as you rebuild that part of your life together. Stay safe!

 

[mark02115]

Sorry for the loss of your home, Bro.
GOD bless you and your family as you rebuild that part of your life together. Stay safe!

Thanks man, it's not a hardship, more of a time and energy drain. The house is almost "tip top" --structure was fine, but we had to throw everything out, remediate, and rebuild. While it was a 48 hr news story back in Sept, the devastation has impacted mostly seniors, and many are still living in temporary conditions. FEMA was helpful for 45 days, and then the administration pulled them out. Only 28% for the residents in Lee County have flood.
There was Tesla fire a few blocks over.......the place burned to the ground. The fire dept cleared the house and neighbors, but did not have the equipment to suppress the blaze.
There is no way I am bringing my MY to Florida. It will stay in Boston Jan thru "marathon Monday". I will join the south west florida user group- I am sure there are lots of good people to meet that are owners.

 

[thefisch]

Still in the MYLR from Hertz and our latest adventure was getting stuck in Valet Mode.

While stopped about 20 miles from our destination, a passenger was exploring the settings and chose valet mode. No problem when you know the pin or have app access.

That was fun driving on interstate with no navigation, speed limited to 70mph with slug acceleration mode on for about 30 minutes. Valet mode has got to be slower than chill mode.

Took an hour on the phone with Hertz to get it resolved. Kept getting bounced around until I got a knowledgeable rep in roadside assistance. He said he gets 5 or 6 of these calls a day. He kept me on hold while reaching out to technical support who has app access. 15 minutes later the matter was resolved. What a pain though.

 

[THEbuz]

Still in the MYLR from Hertz and our latest adventure was getting stuck in Valet Mode.

While stopped about 20 miles from our destination, a passenger was exploring the settings and chose valet mode. No problem when you know the pin or have app access.

That was fun driving on interstate with no navigation, speed limited to 70mph with slug acceleration mode on for about 30 minutes. Valet mode has got to be slower than chill mode.

Took an hour on the phone with Hertz to get it resolved. Kept getting bounced around until I got a knowledgeable rep in roadside assistance. He said he gets 5 or 6 of these calls a day. He kept me on hold while reaching out to technical support who has app access. 15 minutes later the matter was resolved. What a pain though.

Valet mode notwithstanding, can you drive a Hertz Model Y in “Standard” mode, or do they only allow drivers to use “Chill” mode???

 

[thefisch]

Valet mode notwithstanding, can you drive a Hertz Model Y in “Standard” mode, or do they only allow drivers to use “Chill” mode???

You can adjust the acceleration mode to chill or standard like other settings.

 

[Jordan325ic]

I rented an M3 from Hertz recently, a dual-motor LR, to my surprise. The only thing I didn't love was having to return it at 80%. It was about 15 miles from the supercharger to the drop-off, so I charged up to 85%, but I took a wrong turn so it added a couple of miles to the trip and I was having to hypermile in order to stay out of the 70s. Given the charging curve and how rentals will be used (I'm sure almost everyone just hits a supercharger just before the return), 70% would be better. I'd rather get the car at 70% and return it at 70% than 80%/80%.

 

[Y_tho]

I rented an M3 from Hertz recently, a dual-motor LR, to my surprise. The only thing I didn't love was having to return it at 80%. It was about 15 miles from the supercharger to the drop-off, so I charged up to 85%, but I took a wrong turn so it added a couple of miles to the trip and I was having to hypermile in order to stay out of the 70s.

Interesting - is 80% called out in your Hertz rental contract? My contract (also Hertz) specifically stated 70%, (and if I returned it under 70% I'd pay a $35 fee). 80% would have been equally difficult (and time-consuming) for me, as it was an almost-15-minute drive to the airport (FLL) from nearest Supercharger.

 

[gt2690b]

i rented a couple times from hertz and never had to bring the car back full.. right in the beginning they didnt make you.. and the last time when i picked it up it was only 20% charged (and it was only 15 miles or so to my hotel with free charging).. so i told them it was fine but don't ding me when i bring it back low charge

all that to say.. i wish the prepaid charging cost was cheaper.. $35 to charge a car that only cost ~$5 to charge kind of ruins the benefit of renting an EV IMO

 

[mark02115]

i rented a couple times from hertz and never had to bring the car back full.. right in the beginning they didnt make you.. and the last time when i picked it up it was only 20% charged (and it was only 15 miles or so to my hotel with free charging).. so i told them it was fine but don't ding me when i bring it back low charge

all that to say.. i wish the prepaid charging cost was cheaper.. $35 to charge a car that only cost ~$5 to charge kind of ruins the benefit of renting an EV IMO

I totally agree-- when I made the car selection I factored in not having to buy gas.......... ha good thing the attendant at the gate warned me about the extra charge if I did not prepay for the charging.

 

[Black306]

Interesting - is 80% called out in your Hertz rental contract? My contract (also Hertz) specifically stated 70%, (and if I returned it under 70% I'd pay a $35 fee). 80% would have been equally difficult (and time-consuming) for me, as it was an almost-15-minute drive to the airport (FLL) from nearest Supercharger.

Totally understand most people that rent a Tesla are doing so from an airport and, since they’re more than likely visiting a new area/area away from home, returning to the airport. That said, just wanted to give something else to think about when renting a Tesla.

When I rented a Tesla, I wanted to rent a standard [range], in part, to see how driving a long distance (headed to SoCal; ~400 miles each way) would be like; considered buying a standard 3 for the wife. What I did was rent from SMF (Sacramento International Airport) and returned it to a local Avis office. The difference in cost was only $5/day since I wasn’t returning it to the same location. I also setup the return for the following morning so I could [leisurely] charge the car at home and not incur a charge for returning @<70% or wait at a Supercharger before returning the car. It didn’t cost me any more for a rental (ie extra day) since I was using it for most of that day visiting SoCal and getting back home.

 

[Jordan325ic]

Interesting - is 80% called out in your Hertz rental contract? My contract (also Hertz) specifically stated 70%, (and if I returned it under 70% I'd pay a $35 fee). 80% would have been equally difficult (and time-consuming) for me, as it was an almost-15-minute drive to the airport (FLL) from nearest Supercharger.

To be honest I didn't read the contract, 80% is what the Hertz receptionist said when I checked in.

One other thing: I still haven't been charged for the $30 supercharger fee. and it's been two weeks since I returned the car.

 

[THEbuz]

To be honest I didn't read the contract, that's what the Hertz receptionist said when I checked in.

One other thing: I still haven't been charged for the $30 supercharger fee. and it's been two weeks since I returned the car.

She said you didn’t read the contract?