[CobaltSScrazy]

because I just saw a Hertz commercial as I'm watching Wimbledon and its basically a free commercial advertisement for a blue prius. Seriously disgusting as animals are animated and talking about 'who doesn't know about a prius' and then it zooms in on that toy badge at the end of the commercial and they talk about their fuel efficient offerings such as "The Toyota Prius Hybrid"...

VOLT cannot come soon enough. Why not advertise other hybrids? Does toyota really need MORE advertising? No Ford, Honda or GM hybrids?

This is unacceptable and disappointing. I thought HERTZ was paired up with FORD anyways, how about the Escape Hybrid???

*shakes head in disgust*

CobaltSS

enjoy your day

 

[likearock00]

I'm sure Toyota has greased Hertz pretty well for those ads. They've got the money to do it, so why not? Hertz would've been just as fine taking ad money from GM or Ford. They just didn't do it.

 

[Michael_S]

The Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle you can rent from Hertz. When gas is $4.10 per gallon, it makes sense to advertise that.

Hertz is just trying to make money.

 

[MonteCarloSS86]

Hertz is a business and the Prius is a product that they can easily sell (er, rent) to customers.

It only makes sense for Hertz to try and get it across that they can rent this to you.

 

[CobaltSScrazy]

so you can't easily rent a GMT900 hybrid, an Escape/Mariner hybrid, a Civic Hybrid, a Malibu/Aura hybrid? A cobalt XFE? other vehicles?

CobaltSS

 

[MonteCarloSS86]

What gets better mileage?

 

[Ming]

I thought you were advocating barfing in an envelope and sending it to Rick, which might not be a bad idea.

"My thoughts on your leadership thus far..."

 

[Titanic]

The Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle you can rent from Hertz. When gas is $4.10 per gallon, it makes sense to advertise that.

Hertz is just trying to make money.

Hertz is a business and the Prius is a product that they can easily sell (er, rent) to customers.

It only makes sense for Hertz to try and get it across that they can rent this to you.

I concur. It's a marketing decision. People want to save money on gas, so Hertz is advertising the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its fleet.

Nobody, but nobody, would be impressed if they were advertising a 20mpg SUV--hybrid or otherwise.

 

[Ronald McChevy]

I thought you were advocating barfing in an envelope and sending it to Rick, which might not be a bad idea.

"My thoughts on your leadership thus far..."

haha i was thinking the same thing.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Well, I'm not exactly sure that the Volt would make a good fleet car. Most of the people who get rentals are from out of town and are staying at hotels, so where are they going to plug in the Volt at night?
Unless you have a SUPER long extension cord...

 

[vcs2600]

Keep in mind that the Prius is a status car in many people's minds. It's not all that different than showing a Cadillac or a Mustang convertable.

 

[Ronald McChevy]

Well, I'm not exactly sure that the Volt would make a good fleet car. Most of the people who get rentals are from out of town and are staying at hotels, so where are they going to plug in the Volt at night?
Unless you have a SUPER long extension cord...

I think the term "fleet" can also refer to taxi services, delivery services, etc. which could be a good fit for E-Flex (lots of stop and go). Especially if there is a swappable battery pack. Just make 40 miles worth of deliveries and then head back to the warehouse for a new battery pack, then they charge the old one while you drive around some more.

 

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

So what nobody can make a TV ad except GM? I mean come on. Writing letters to Rick? Why not to the president of Hertz-Rent-A-Car? Where do these ideas come from?

 

[PMC the 1st]

There wasn't a time in the not-too-distant past when rental cars were frowned upon. And, in the not-too-distant past, most rental cars were domestics. Terms to describe a cheap interior went by the quoting, "Interior shiny plastics scream rent-a-car!"
Oftentimes, organizations who work for Toyota and Honda would test a domestic car, stating, "The 2002 Chevrolet X-Car has an interior that's embarrassingly cheap; almost borderline offensive. So bad, in fact, it's got the cheap quality of a rental car..."
(I'm not naming names, but CR did say that the 2002 Impala interior was so cheap it was "borderline offensive...")

At around that time, the import fanboys (90% of the posters) at www.caranddriver.com were all complaining that GM's problems can be solved if and only if they wouldn't sell fleet sales to the rental car companies, since engaging in this practice cheapens GM's image.
I responded by saying, "In the not-too-distant future, gentlemen, the rental car companies will have lots filled with Toyotas. What will you guys say then? That Toyotas are cheap, and that's why they're in the rental car lots? Or that Toyotas are so reliable, and so well-built, that rental cars abandoned domestics in favor of imports like Toyota?"

Needless to say, my prediction is coming true in every sense of the word. Corolla's, Camry's and now Prius's are dominating the rental car lots.

 

[kilcher]

The Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle you can rent from Hertz. When gas is $4.10 per gallon, it makes sense to advertise that.

Hertz is just trying to make money.

I agree. And if a rental company commercial were to "feature" a GM product the same people would probably be complaining about that. OMG fleet sales!!!!!!1

 

[prowlerjc]

haha i was thinking the same thing.

So was I.

 

[Michael_S]

I agree. And if a rental company commercial were to "feature" a GM product the same people would probably be complaining about that. OMG fleet sales!!!!!!1

Here's the letter we should write to Rick:

Dear Overpaid Idiot:
It has come to our attention that Toyota has been getting a free pass from the press for non-existent environmental excellence for 8 years now, by selling a few ten thousand small hybrids per year alongside many ten thousands of light trucks and SUVs. We consider General Motors' inability to bring to market an equivalent environmental "Get Out of Jail Free" card and halo vehicle for the green press in that eight year period as a sign of gross incompetence. Get ****ed.

Sincerely,
Diehard GM fans everywhere.