Car rental?

This gets asked all the time. It has been 3 years since our last trip to St. Maarten. We have no personal favorite but would like to know what car rental is a good one to use. Fair, honest and reasonable. Not too much to ask. And it has been so long since I have used the forum I forgot how to run the ticker. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I have been using Hertz SXM for the last 18 years without a glitch. Others all have their favorites and will post accordingly.

I think I used Hertz last time I was there. I'll have to check back and see.
I finally remembered how to do the ticker.

I would like to suggest Leisure Car rental- close to the airport and very good rates with great service.,

If all else fails, go to the top of the page and click on the sponsors listing. They're all pretty reliable though there can always be glitches. Send emails with the details of your dates and the type/size of car you're wishing to rent and ask for an inclusive quote for the rental and tax and see who and how quickly they get back to you. That's always good for starters. We have a preferred company as do most who return regularly but on a few occasions when he wasn't available we've had success using that approach. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

All seem to be very much the same. I'm sure all are about the same to deal with.??

If you mean the sponsors? Yes

When it comes to a car rental, I base my decision on price, convenience, condition of vehicle and response to initial customer inquiry and all questions/issues that may arise during rental. I have rented from more than one agency in the past but for the last 5 years have found the one that consistently excels in all categories and it is Leslie at Kenny's Car Rental. Very honorable man and service.

I second Moontide. Kenny's car rental. Leslie is honest, upfront. Great service. Used several before but last two times...Kenny's was my choice and will continue to be.

Been using Michael & Joseph at Unity since 1998....never disappointed.

Moti is the Best! Have used him for three years and is cheap and awesome!

We've used Automax for years, always gives us a exact quote with no hidden charges, nice cars and drops off and picks up where ever we want, very fair and honest.

I noticed Empress car rental is not a sponsor any longer. I'm not surprised at all. I though I'd like to give them another try after Marvin left. What a mistake, I had a blowout our last day and the spare was flat after that they tried to make me buy a tire. What a joke. Empress is finished for Marvin and us.

I was not aware of the changes. First was eliminating the complimentary liability insurance for longer rental periods. Last time I tried to book with them, I was on the late AA flight from Miami getting in at 11 pm. There site said they closed at 10, so I emailed them to see if they'd wait the extra hour. They said they opened at 7 am the next morning. I then asked if they offered a drop-off service to Oyster Pond and they didn't bother to reply. Finally went with Michael from Unity.

I rented a car for the first time last year, and researched it to death. I read a lot of rental horror stories which scared me. I settled on Automax simply because i could not find a bad word about them. Louis and his wife met us at the airport with no hassles at pick up or drop off. We are using them again this year. Nice people!

We rented through 3rd party Argushire with AVIS as provider. Good price and the only issue was a $25 dollar fee added because we picked the car up 2 hours earlier than the contract (flight change). AVIS originally said it was an airport fee. We would still use it again.

Where can I find a link to Automax? Thanks.

This should be it. http://www.rentautomax.com/en/

Nothing easier and/or more reliable than Kenny's.

I also heard Kenny's was good, and was probably my second choice. Pretty much a coin flip!

I couldn't agree more but one word of caution - because he and his services are so much in demand, he often books up early for the more popular travel dates.

Kenny's is one of the best!

I know I shouldn't base it on price alone but has anyone used value car rental? Tricia sent me an estimate much cheaper than anyone else. We're talking several hundred dollars cheaper.

While I can't speak for Value Car rental, a friend who is on the island now had booked a REALLY cheap rate with someone. I am not sure who they bookled with but upon arrival the rate was "not available" and they had to scramble for another rental. They even had their email conformation but the company would not honor the quote. They were still able to get a decent price with another company but that is the last thing you want to deal with after arrival.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true!

We have used AAA for the last 25 years and have many of our friends he is always there for you , any trouble just a call absolutely great service . Would recommend his company in a heart beat !

How long are you renting for? Car rentals in general on SXM are not that high by comparison to so many other destinations, and to be several hundred dollars cheaper on an apple to apple comparison, personally speaking, I'd recheck with her on her figures. A hundred dollar variance maybe, but several?

We'll be there almost 3 weeks.

I just got my confirmation today from Hertz for a Corolla for four weeks for $700.53 which included Liability and all taxes and fees. Same as last year.

What i found in my research, was some of the cheaper companies use older cars, and have had breakdowns, tire issues with no spare tire and jacks, etc. Also there seemed to be a game of claims you damaged the car and they want compensation. I found no issues with companies like Automax, Kenny's, AAA and some others that where mentioned here. I love a great deal as much as the next guy, but piece of mind swayed me on this deal! Word of mouth is the best advertisement!

That sounds like a great deal!

I have used both Kenny's and Empress (when they were a sponsor) no bad experiences with either. But I prefer Kenny's.

I understand cheapest is not always the best. They are a sponsor on TTL. I just was wondering if anyone on here had ever used them (Prestige Value Car Rental)? It doesn't mean I'll use them, it just means I'm checking on them first before anything is being finalized is all.

We have used Francine's ( used to be Budget) since 1999. Good prices & the cars are worn in just enough to suit us-we don't want to worry about minor dings, etc.
We have had 2 major things happen to the cars over the years, and Francine's has always been fair & honest.
In 1999, during a hurricane, a retaining wall where we were staying, collapsed & totaled our car. Our credit card insurance covered the cost of replacing the car & we left the island without having to pay any money.
A few years ago, we had our windshield shot by a BB gun while we were driving to dinner one night. We made a full report to the gendarmes. We returned our car to Francine's and she had us pay for a replacement windshield, with the promise of refunding our $$$ when our insurance paid the bill. True to her word, every penny we paid her was promptly returned to us.
It's a nice family business, run by some nice island people!

Just because they are a sponsor doesn't necessarily give them an endorsement. I don't believe there is a criteria they have to meet. They just pay to be a sponsor.

I understand. I used some sites like Trip Adviser for help. Sometimes, you have to wade through the BS and take it for what its worth. A site like this is probably more reliable with lots of island regulars to lean on. Good Luck and let us know how your experience was. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

So, I take it that no one has used them that frequents this forum. I'll keep checking as I still have time before my arrival.

Although I would be hesitant to recommend a car rental, I can tell the one I will not use again. It is Progressive due to high price and poor customer service.

Just got back from a 3 week holiday. Another seamless rental from Lesley Bruce. Out of the airport in 5 minutes. Thanks again Lesley.

I got some info back from Michael at Unity. One of the best prices next to Value Car Rental. Has anyone dealt with Michael? Thanks.

Michael is excellent. Great to do business with. I usually request a 'beater' and never had a problem and it always has cold A/C.

We only use Michael, at Unity. We have used him for years
and is service is perfect. Always waiting for us at the airport and greets us with giants Hugs!

We are using Value car rental in May. I'll give a report on them after. We got a great price for 10 days. Hope it works out.

We have been renting our cars from Jimmy and Jackie Fitzpatrick at Leisure twice a year for the last 7 years. They are always on time for pick-up and always have clean, reliable cars for us. The price is also very good.

I find it really funny how I asked the same question awhile back, I was told to due a search because this question has been asked so many times. Now this answer is 5 pages long!

People felt sorry for me because they knew I was a nobody. But you gracie are far from that. They knew you could do it. They didn't have any confidence in me.

Clearly all the recommendations above you've received are good to follow. We found our last rental via Expedia or kayak and the cheapest came up ACE. Did some quick looks and found mostly good and we did use them. They share a counter/office with safari. Price as advertised and car worked fine. Quick transfer from/back to airport.

I always use Kenny's. Looking forward to seeing Lesley in 2 weeks

Thanks Scotty, you made me laugh...I was starting to get a complex

No surprise, Gracie. Most of us knew that as a woman you could easily figure it out. Guys, on the other hand - we know they often need all the help we can give them. But we love them all regardless! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Pat,

And just think gracie, if they wouldn't have helped me, then this topic would have not continued, and I would not have been able to help you with your complex.

Just got back and had a car from Michael at Unity. Good price and for a Rav4 because we had 5 adults. The car wasn't pretty but it ran great.

It had a faint cigarette smell but not bad. They were waiting for us and no problems.

Do you have the link to Hertz? Thanks.

Yes. I responded to your PM but here it is also.
http://hertz.sxmrentacar.com/contact-us/

Thanks.

Scubaman.....I reserved a Nissan Tiida with Hertz is that what I will get or is it something else? It was the cheapest option. Are the cars fairly new?