US holidaymakers are choosing car hire over planes as the transportation of choice this summer and little cars at that. In the current climate of rocketing fuel prices (and air fares) more travellers are embarking on road trips in rented compacts than ever before. Demand has been so high, that many smaller makes and models have already been booked out.
To combat disappointment amongst customers, some companies are even putting out larger cars at a lower price.
Commenting on the compact car scramble, Abraham Rodriquez of Budget Rent A Car’s central reservations centre in Los Angeles said that demand for compact and subcompact cars has increased with gas prices and that many locations quickly run out of those particular vehicles.
He says: “We’re bringing in small cars.” Budget is not the only company to do so. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which also owns National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, is also adding more fuel-efficient cars to its fleet, including the Toyota Prius, which according to company spokesperson Laura Bryant, is now one of the most requested vehicles.
Written by F.H
