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No Prius' in Mississippi!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by berylrb, May 28, 2006.

  1. berylrb

    berylrb Member

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    Just wanted to give a word for my recent experience driving a Prius in MS. Well actually, I didn't get to drive one because Hertz at the Jackson airport didn't have any to rent! I called ahead to ask and the rep didn't even know what a Prius was, his exact words, "Is that one of them electric vehicles, we can't charge the batteries." So I rented an Escape non-hybrid, and by the time I got to the Marriott hotel I saw one or two Prii, but nothing like the density in the Bay Area.

    Second observation: it is an urban myth that CA drivers drive too fast, friends, Mississippians got lead foots too ... I was doing my normal 70-75 and getting passed just like here in the Bay.

    Gas price, whoa nellie, y'all have it good in the south - $2.639 MS filling up the rental today @ 8:39 AM got home and filled up my Prius which was sitting at SFO for four days at 5:23 PM - $3.279, quite a difference.

    The Escape is OK but what's up with Hertz in the Ol' Miss, one Prius on the lot can't hurt business, eh?

    Lastly, what's up with all the bridges and freeway ramps, Jackson with a population of what 170,000 has more bridges than the entire city of San Francisco, LOL!

    b
     
  2. ElvisThePelvis

    ElvisThePelvis New Member

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  3. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    A car rental company is only going to have cars they think their customers want. If only one person a month is going to request a Prius, they will lose money having one sit on the lot. Mississippi is not exactly known as a hotbed of environmentalism. In addition, they'd have to train all their people to drive it. With conventional cars, every kid they hire off the street can drive them.

    On the other hand, the high re-sale value makes the Prius a good choice for a rental company. But only in a location where the customers will rent them.

    Finally, with all the disinformation floating around out there, a poorly-informed rental-company executive might have a lot of (incorrect) reasons not to buy Priuses.

    It's coming though. Slowly, but it's coming. Higher gas prices and more exposure will gradually increase the demand.
     
  4. BoosPrius

    BoosPrius New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 29 2006, 08:54 AM) [snapback]262331[/snapback]</div>

    There may be another reason why it's hard to find a rental car company with a Prius on its lot. I know someone who is a district manger for a major, very well known rental car company. He told me they buy Priuses at a big fleet discount and then can turn around and sell them for a good bit more than what they paid for them. He said if they do rent them out, they only do so for about 6 months, then they sell them.

    Gary
    2006 Super White
     
  5. berylrb

    berylrb Member

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    Y'all have some awesome backroads Elvis! I drove from Clinton to Raymond and turned around, I guess about a 5 miles at 30-40 got passed by one car, ... wow one car! The trees are incredible, I've forgotten what life was like before suburban developers rip and scrape. You could pulse-and-glide until the cows come home in MS.

    That reasoning does make sense BayouBulldog resale is a major income stream for rental companies. I was really surprised to see a Lexus and Infiniti dealer in Jackson, I guess I bought the hype that the land of "Bubba Gump Shrimp" is a Ford F150 kind of town ... of course, splattered with the occasional Cadillac Escalade, LOL. Will Elvis be spotted in a Lexus Hybrid, in the near future :rolleyes: !

    My sister told me that Nissan built a plant outside of Jackson too.

    I'll be in New York in a few weeks, I think I'll take a cab.

    b
     
  6. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ May 29 2006, 06:54 AM) [snapback]262331[/snapback]</div>
    So where can I go to get one? Not Columbus Ohio, Not NY NY, Not St Luis, Not anywhere I go. Every time I call they offer me a Hummer!
     
  7. berylrb

    berylrb Member

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    Have you tried Enterprise or Hertz in San Francisco? they always have one or two available to rent at least.

    b
     
  8. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas @ May 29 2006, 05:26 PM) [snapback]262517[/snapback]</div>
    Patience, Henry. Gas prices may have to go up before there's enough demand that more rental places have them.

    When I was in Hawaii I almost couldn't rent any car! I never borrow money, and until I came home from Hawaii I never had a credit card. Just debit cards. They'll rent you a car on a debit card if you have a good credit history; they'll rent you a car on a credit card without a credit history; but they won't rent you a car on a debit card if you have no credit history. I'm not taking a bad credit history. I've never paid a bill late in my life. But I've never borrowed money. So they would not rent me a car. Finally found one company (I forget which one) that would rent me a car, but it took an hour, what with finding them and filling out the second set of paperwork. And that was after 2 hours to report my lost luggage. Now I have a credit card, but I use it like a debit card. I pay off my balance in full before the bill comes, and should the date sneak up on me, it gets paid in full automatically out of my checking account. Hawaii, BTW, was nice, but over-rated. Canada has better hiking and Mexico has better beaches with warmer water and friendlier people. Unless you're a surfer Hawaii isn't worth the time you have to spend in an airplane.
     
  9. Soylent

    Soylent The v isn't a station wagon! It's just big boned

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    Hundreds of Priuses on the lots here in Florida