Car rental UK Auto vs Manual

Darwin007

Hi first post here.

Is there anyone out there who can shed a bit of light on a car rental conundrum I have had for some time.

Little backgound first. I have a false leg so must drive an auto. I live in North Scotland, my parents live in South England, so sometimes the only convenient way to get home is to fly, and then hire a car.

Onto my conundrum. Why do all car rental firms charge more for an auto than a manual? Sometimes it's just double (Enterprise mostly) and sometimes it's up to 3.5 times the equivalent manual car (well done Budget that make sense).

Aha say you the initial purchase price of an automatic is higher.

To which I counter (figures correct today Weds 19/10/11 15:30)

New Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec Manual OTR from Ford price list £17,500 and for the auto 1.6 Zetec £18,750. A difference of £1250.

Move to the used car market where hire cars end up.

A black 1.6 Focus Zetec manual with 14,841 miles on the clock will cost you £9295. A black 1.6 Focus Zetec auto with 14,991 miles will cost you 11,999. That is £2704 almost £1500 greater difference than the brand new OTR costs In other words there is less depreciation on the auto. You can deduct from this £15 as the auto is £15 more expensive to tax for a year. Insurance differences for a consumer are negligible however I have no way of checking for fleet insurance.

So can anyone give any sensible suggestion as to why automatic drivers are ripped off when it comes to car hire, as the maths just suggests that car rental firms are bagging massive extra profits for autos.

Strider590

Because they (auto drivers) have no/little choice. Just think of the money to be made from say holidaying Americans, etc etc.

It's no different to theme parks where they don't allow you to take in your own food/drink, then charge £20 for a bag of greasy chips and £5 for a can of Cola.

Gloomendoom

Car rental firms get huge discounts from manufacturers when they buy their fleets. They buy less auto cars so the discount they get is a lot less. They pass the extra costs on to their customers.

Just my thoughts.

fivetide

Complain. Say the policy actively discriminates against you as a disabled person.

Bet there would be some support for that.

5t.

slyracoon

Supply and demand. ITs basic economics.

Autos are in less demand which means they will have less of them and be able to charge a premium to those that want them. If you went to the US you would find the opposite, e.g. if you wanted a manual you'd find it was more expensive than an auto which are commonplace over there.

missile

I have noticed that auto cars are very rare and expensive at hire companies. I find it hard to understand the justification for the huge differential in the rental rate.

Do you have your own car and why do you not park that at the airport? How far do you live from the airport? Is it possible to use public transport / or a taxi? Some councils offer a dial a bus service for disabled / elderly people.

Idiophreak

missile wrote: »

I have noticed that auto cars are very rare and expensive at hire companies. I find it hard to understand the justification for the huge differential in the rental rate.

In most walks of life "very rare" = "expensive"

Darwin007

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Car rental firms get huge discounts from manufacturers when they buy their fleets. They buy less auto cars so the discount they get is a lot less. They pass the extra costs on to their customers.

Just my thoughts.

This is possible, however it also falls down in light of the fact that autos fetch a premium when the hire cars sell them back into the manufacturers used cars food chain.

fivetide wrote: »

Complain. Say the policy actively discriminates against you as a disabled person.

Bet there would be some support for that.

5t.

This I do, and about 50% of the time I get a reasonably employee and manager and they do me a discount. I have before now had an auto for the manual price. However it ends up taking me 2-3 times a long to make a simple booking as it would otherwise.

I merely ask the question to see if anyone has any insight into the industry who can properly explain the often HUGE disparity in hire charges.

slyracoon wrote: »

Supply and demand. ITs basic economics.

Autos are in less demand which means they will have less of them and be able to charge a premium to those that want them. If you went to the US you would find the opposite, e.g. if you wanted a manual you'd find it was more expensive than an auto which are commonplace over there.

I get that, but I fly into Heathrow, and if anywhere is going to have a good supply of autos to cater for foreign tourists it's going to be there. There is also a very simple argument that all people with a licence can drive an auto, but some can only drive the auto, the same is not true in reverse, so as a catch all surely having plenty of autos makes more sense.

missile wrote: »

I have noticed that auto cars are very rare and expensive at hire companies. I find it hard to understand the justification for the huge differential in the rental rate.

Do you have your own car and why do you not park that at the airport? How far do you live from the airport? Is it possible to use public transport / or a taxi? Some councils offer a dial a bus service for disabled / elderly people.

I do own a car, and I do drive it to the airport. It's 40 miles from home. The issue is the other end, where my rents are 2 hours drive from the airport. And public transport is just a joke for. I looked into National Express from LHR to my parents (as said 2 hour drive), it would have taken me 9hours. :-O

vikingaero

One other problem is that the OP hires from an airport location which = huge rack up on rates to pay the BAA rents so any premium for an automatic car is compounded.