Rental car or no?

[miiipilot]

Hey guys,

I'm taking a little road trip next week.

Going from Cleveland, OH to Raleigh, NC to Hilton Head, SC.

Probably @3000 miles in total. When all said and done.

Poll: Take the 135 or rent a car? Cost of the unlimited mileage rental from 9/23 to 10/2 is b/w $215 (fusion) and $262 (maxima).

Thoughts?

[SpeedOften]

Are you worried about putting miles on your car? Why are you considering a rental? Honestly, if I were you, I'd take a detour to the dragon on the way to Raleigh, so the 135 would be a must...

[Tom K.]

My wife has a 2010 Fusion SE. It's a nice car for the money, but we take one of my Bimmers on trips.

Break-in trip for my 128i was 8,000 miles with no issues, and it has since been on other tours with non-RFTs and a compressor in the trunk. But if you can't feel comfortable taking your 135i on a short 3,000 mile trip, maybe you should trade it in for a Fusion or Maxima.

Tom

[JimD]

I like the idea of the dragon too but it will significantly lengthen your trip if you do it.

I'm only a couple hundred miles away but I drove my 128i to Hilton Head in July. I often take rental cars on business trips. For the Hilton Head trip taking my own car and getting paid mileage was cheaper for my employer so I did that. For my more typical business trip of a couple days to Birmingham or Wilmington the rental is cheaper. I'd rather take the 128i.

I am not aware of a rental car company that will guarantee you a specific vehicle. All the ones I have used just guarantee you a class of car. A Kia Optima is the same class as a Fusion for a lot of them. An Impala might be in the same class as a Maxima. Unless you are renting from a firm I am unfamiliar with, I would not factor in getting a specific rental car into the decision - because you will likely get something similar but not that car.

I don't really enjoy any rental cars versus my bimmer. I've had fusions and Maximas and they are OK. But Ford controls are unusual which is annoying. No automatic lights except on super premium models, washer controls on the wrong side, no gas cap, etc.. Maximas are nicer and have more typical controls but the seat was pretty flat with little side support. Acceleration is similar to my 128i but not close to a 135i. OK for crusing. Camrys and Optimas are both worse than either of these and more typical for my experience. I also rented a big Lincoln earlier this year and it had some nice features but accelerated and handled poorly.

Rentals are basic transportation vehicles, at least all the ones I get are. They usually work but I prefer to drive something nicer that I am more familiar with.

Jim

[tuco44]

Why in the world wouldn't you take the 135?? You bought it to drive, I assume, and road trips are some of the best driving.

I don't begin to understand why this is even a question..??

[Section147]

Originally Posted by tuco44

Why in the world wouldn't you take the 135??
I don't begin to understand why this is even a question..??

I agree 100%. Some of our favorite trips are from this area (NE OH) to OBX each year.
Chart a nice route off the beaten path and enjoy your BMW!
"The journey is the destination."

[panoz7]

If you're just trying to get to HH as fast as possible then I'd probably go with the fusion. Better gas mileage, a spare tire, less wear and tear on the bimmer, and probably almost as comfortable. If you're planning on detouring any (especially in WV or VA) then that's a different story.

PM me if you want any restaurant recommendations in Raleigh. If you're in to BBQ I'd highly recommend hitting Lexington on your way into Raleigh. It'll add about 15 miles to the trip, but the BBQ is fantastic, and 64 is prettier than 40/85.

[Top Gon]

if you plan on having fun on the way to your destination or when you get there, take your BMW. if you're just gonna do freeway miles then just take a rental. no reason to add miles to your car if it's not for fun