I remember when I first became a National Car Rental Emerald Club member. That status gave me the privilege of booking a midsize car and being able to rent any vehicle parked in the Emerald Aisle. No more having to take the car they assigned me. I had the power to pick whichever car I wanted.
I remember renting an Oldsmobile Bravada just because I could.
OK, stop being jealous. Who wouldn’t want to rent this car?
In today’s car rental world, National is no longer the only company that offers a “pick your own car” experience. Several brands have rolled out their own versions—some with true aisle-style selection, others that work more like an app-based swap or upgrade. The catch: availability varies by location, and some programs still depend on what class you booked, whether you’re enrolled in the loyalty program, or what the airport has on the ground that day.
Here are some current “choose your car” policies (or variations of them) from major rental brands:
National Car Rental
Reserve a Midsize car at participating locations and skip the “take whatever we give you” routine. With the Emerald Aisle (and Executive Area, where available), you can choose any size, color, make, or model that’s parked in the eligible aisle/area and still pay the Midsize rate. Keys are typically in the car, so it’s one of the fastest “grab-and-go” setups when the lot actually has inventory.
Hertz
At participating locations, Hertz’s “pick your own car” setup (often called Ultimate Choice) generally works like this (and may require reserving a mid-size or larger vehicle, depending on the location):
- Go to the car zone listed on your Hertz reservation (or follow the signs for your eligible row/zone).
- Choose from the available vehicles in that designated area.
- Scan the vehicle’s QR code in the Hertz app or enter the license plate manually.
- Get in and go (or stop at the exit gate if required).
Avis
Avis Preferred Select & Go is less “wander the lot and grab anything” and more “swap or upgrade with fewer steps,” usually at participating/connected locations via the app. It typically gives you the option to:
- Keep your pre-assigned vehicle
- Exchange for another eligible vehicle option (where available)
- Upgrade to specialty vehicles for an added daily fee (selection varies by location)
Dollar
Dollar’s “choose your car” experience is usually more limited than a true “aisle” system and can vary by location. In many cases, you reserve the car class you want, then if you’d prefer a different vehicle, you can request a swap within the same class (subject to what’s on the lot). Some locations make this easy; others still route changes through an agent.
Thrifty
Thrifty’s version is typically called Choice Service at participating locations. The general idea is: reserve the car class you want, pick up your rental agreement (or follow the pickup instructions for that location), and then choose from the available vehicles in your reserved class. Like all of these programs, the “choice” is only as good as the inventory on the ground that day.
I dread picking a car
The option to choose a rental car from the aisle is not very useful if there are no cars available. In such a situation, one has to wait for others to return their cars, which can be unpredictable. However, waiting can also be advantageous as one can get a significant upgrade without paying extra money.
Do you imagine picking a car to be something like this picture from Hertz:
Instead, you’ll often find a mostly empty lot with three or four vehicles in the area you’re allowed to “pick your own car” from.
On a trip to Austin, TX, Hertz’s setup meant I could usually head straight to the lot (or kiosk) and pick from the eligible area—no traditional counter line required.
Walking to the lot, I had three cars to choose from. Wait, someone’s already in that car. Make that two cars. It’s Texas in the summer. Check the interiors. Both vehicles have black leather interiors.
Sigh.
I go with the black Nissan Altima and check for the only other determining factor. The Sirius XM radio is still activated. OK, the decision was made.
At this point, is having “my choice” of a car a selling point? I had a choice of two cars, and neither of them was what I booked, which was a VW Jetta or something similar. I should have paid more attention to the caveat (Make/model not guaranteed).
Final Thoughts
It’s time to realize that the gimmick of picking your car from the aisle isn’t for the customer. It’s a system that allows rental car companies to allocate cars to whichever area they need, depending on the demand. More frequent renters mean more cars in those sections. Not enough cars in the regular sections? Drop a premium car down there and make someone think they’re getting an upgrade.
Choosing a car can be stressful. What if I pick a lemon? I once rented a car that had a “Front radar unavailable due to obstruction” warning every time I started driving. Turns out it’s a known problem with Nissan Altimas. I told Hertz about the problem on Twitter, and their response was to tell the agent when returning the car, or to contact them to arrange a replacement vehicle.
I didn’t complain because I felt it was partially my fault. I picked this car. It wasn’t assigned to me. My wife Sharon says that’s because I was raised with guilt. Whatever.
Part of me likes the rentals where I am told to go and get my car from space A-113 (and congrats if you get that reference). There’s no pressure. I get in the car and leave the lot with no worries or regrets.
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