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Automatic car rental

km
August 3, 2010 12:16:44 AM CEST

Hi,

I only know how to drive an automatic car, but it seems most car rentals here are stick shift. And any automatic cars seem a lot more expensive.

Does anyone know a cheap place for automatics?

Thanks!
veldrin055
August 3, 2010 12:24:22 PM CEST

1 - What does this have to do with Americans?
2 - Where do you live?
ouloveit1
- 4310 posts
August 3, 2010 2:42:22 PM CEST

Umm I understand what the OP means - I am American.

In The States, 100% of the cars you rent will be automatic cars. When you rent a car - you would have to specifically request a 'stick shift' or 'manual' car if that is what you want.

Here in Europe it is completely the opposite. 100% of the cars you rent will be manual and you have to specifically request an Automatic car.

My car was just serviced and I specifically requested an automatic car to use while my car is in the shop. Yep, they sent a manual one .. so I had to make them turn it all around .. as I could never drive home in that car.

You can get a Automatic - especially if you rent from the airport. However, a cheap automatic? Now that would be a contradiction in terms. I think that would hard to come by.
osita
- 2284 posts
August 3, 2010 3:16:21 PM CEST

According to this webpage, Easycar (a spin off company from low cost airline Easyjet) do both Automatics and Manuals. They tend to be reasonably priced.

The other lower-cost firm I've found is Europcar, but I have no idea if they'd do automatics - over 95% of cars in Europe are Manual so they probably cater for this: there's no point in giving you the numbers for small local dutch hire companies for the same reason
pepec
- 2359 posts
August 3, 2010 3:38:31 PM CEST

We always use SunnyCars: http://www.sunnycars.nl/
It is a very reliable German company, rental broker. Everything is included, all insurances, no hidden costs. And if you enter "STUDENTENKORTING" as voucher code you will get 5% discount. They also have automatics.
veldrin055
August 3, 2010 3:41:38 PM CEST

ouloveit1 (Aug 3 2010, 12:42 PM) said: > original post
Umm I understand what the OP means - I am American.

Umm I understand what the OP means as well. I am Australian. Most of our cars are auto as well.
That said, I went with Ouke Baas in Amsterdam to rent a van when moving. They were very reasonably priced.
ouloveit1
- 4310 posts
August 3, 2010 4:26:47 PM CEST

Yes, but ... you were the one that asked what the question had to do with being .... American.

So if you knew what the OP meant ... why did you ask that question?
Deleted Member
- 7373 posts
August 3, 2010 4:28:23 PM CEST

ouloveit1 (Aug 3 2010, 02:26 PM) said: > original post
Yes, but ... you were the one that asked what the question had to do with being .... American.

Exactly...because automatic cars are common in Australia and Canada as well.

Not just America.
gavin_stok
August 5, 2010 12:18:03 AM CEST

veldrin055 (Aug 3 2010, 12:41 PM) said: > original post
Umm I understand what the OP means as well. I am Australian. Most of our cars are auto as well.

Umm, actually no they're not. They're mostly manual. You pay a premium for the auto ones, though they're always available.

I know because, well, I'm manually-challenged.
veldrin055
August 5, 2010 12:25:11 PM CEST

gavin_stok (Aug 4 2010, 10:18 PM) said: > original post
Umm, actually no they're not. They're mostly manual. You pay a premium for the auto ones, though they're always available.

I know because, well, I'm manually-challenged.

Eh? I don't know anyone that's not a petrolhead that's had a manual for years.
ouloveit1
- 4310 posts
August 5, 2010 1:33:19 PM CEST

gavin_stok (Aug 4 2010, 09:18 PM) said: > original post
Umm, actually no they're not. They're mostly manual. You pay a premium for the auto ones, though they're always available.

I know because, well, I'm manually-challenged.

No they're not ...

I used to be an IT Consultant where I flew to a new city pretty much every week for 7 years straight. My company always used Hertz or Avis or whatever had the best corporate rate in the city I visited. So I was all over the 9.5 million square kms of America from NY to LA and never once did I arrive at a city and find that I was rented a manual car.

Not once - and there was nothing in my profile that indicated that I preferred an automatic car.

If manual cars were so common - surely I would have hit upon one of them in all that time.

Cost? Not my issue as I am sure I got a corporatre discount so whatever they gave me .. from a Golf to a Mercedes .. I accepted.

Outside of that - I have never heard of anyone - like my co-workers getting struck with a manual car.

Now if they requested a manual car .. they often got stuck with an automatic car.
gavin_stok
August 9, 2010 10:30:16 PM CEST

ouloveit, you quoted my response which was in regards to Australia, so perhaps all those American fumes got to your head.

Veldrin055, guess I'm not a petrol head hey?