Enterprise Car Rental Upgrades its GPS Fleet

Enterprise Car Rental has announced that they are continuing their relationship with Garmin to offer its GPS navigators in the Enterprise fleet of vehicles as an optional item for rent. The new offering will be a Nuvi 265W - an easy to use unit that offers two key features that I believe make a big difference in the overall user experience: 1) Text to Speech, and 2) Widescreen. Good move on both Garmin and Enterprise's part. get yours for about $10 a day, or simply buy one yourself.

Full Press Release after the jump......

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, North America's largest rental car company, announced today that it is now offering a new Global Positioning System (GPS)-based navigation device - a customized version of the Garmin® nuvi 265W - at most major U.S. airport locations.

"The portable GPS option is very popular with our customers, who expect up-to-date, reliable, and affordable technology from Enterprise," said Rob Hibbard, Vice President for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. "GPS devices not only help travelers avoid unnecessary hassles, but they also guide them more efficiently and quickly to their destinations. It's no wonder we continue to see double-digit growth in customer demand for GPS units every year."

The Garmin nuvi 265W operates with advanced technology that guides both frequent and occasional drivers to their destinations quickly and effortlessly. Enterprise offers the device for only $9.95 per day, one of the most competitive rates in the car rental industry.

The customized Garmin nuvi 265W can instantly modify directions if travelers change their plans or make a wrong turn. Additional features include:

Text-to-speech feature that mentions street names, rather than just distances, e.g., "Turn right on Main Street in 500 feet" (rather than "Turn right in 500 feet")

Choice of route set-up, including fastest time and shortest distance

A route avoidance function to avoid highways and tolls

A "Where am I?" feature that allows travelers to find the nearest hospitals, police stations, gas stations, intersections, latitude and longitude coordinates, and even local Enterprise branch offices

Bright, high-resolution touch-screen for easy viewing both day and night

Hands-free calling with Bluetooth® wireless technology

More than 30 languages.

"We know how much our out-of-town customers value their time and money, whether they're on family vacations or business trips," said Hibbard. "So we're especially pleased to provide this latest technology at such an affordable price-point."

The Garmin nuvi 265W is one of several new options now available at Enterprise Rent-A-Car's airport locations. Enterprise also recently expanded its fleet of gas/electric hybrids at 27 U.S. airports, including some of the most popular destinations for business travelers: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Hybrids - which can achieve greater fuel economy, use less gasoline and have fewer emissions than traditional vehicles - can be reserved online at www.enterprise.com or by calling 1-800-RENT-A-CAR. Rental costs at Enterprise's specially designated airport sites vary according to market conditions and geographic locations. Customers can choose from several makes and models of hybrids, including the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, Ford Escape, and Toyota Camry.

Another popular option for Enterprise airport customers is the car rental industry's first carbon offset initiative. The Enterprise Rent-A-Car program enables customers to offset CO2 emissions from their rental cars by paying $1.25 per rental to fund certified offset projects through TerraPass. In addition, Enterprise's charitable foundation matches customer contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million.

"From the latest GPS devices to the largest hybrid fleet to the first car-rental customer carbon offset program, Enterprise continues to respond to customer demands for newer technology and environmentally friendly alternatives at airports from coast to coast," Hibbard explained.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has ranked highest in customer satisfaction among airport rentals in nine out of the past 10 years, according to J.D. Power and Associates Rental Car Satisfaction Study. "We are very proud of our reputation for superior customer service," said Hibbard. "We carefully listen to customer feedback and suggestions - and we always will."

February 22, 2009

Enterprise Car Rental Upgrades its GPS Fleet