Question: In looking through the ConnsIrelandCarRental.com website, filling out the Hertz widget and getting the quotes for the different car categories, I find that automatic transmission cars are much more expensive than manual transmission cars. Here in the USA when I rent a car, it is always an automatic. What gives?
Answer: You may be aware that here in the USA, car rental companies either lease or buy cars from car manufacturers and then keep them in their fleet for a period of time and then sell them off through car dealers as Program Cars, Executive Cars, etc. Some rental car companies have a used car lot near every one of their locations and sell them there. They look at ROI (return on investment). Here in the USA most folks drive automatic transmission cars so the car rental fleets are primarily automatics. That way the 'used' cars can be sold more readily.
In Ireland, the average person drives a 'manual' transmission car for the increased gas mileage. So consequently, they will NOT BUY an automatic transmission car from a car rental company or a car dealer. They have to wholesale them off to Britain or another country where they use right hand drive. To meet the demand of automatic cars for TOURISTS, the car rental companies have to price those higher to meet that ROI. Then the law of Supply and Demand comes into play during the those peak times in the year when the demand is greater than supply and the difference in price between automatics and manuals is greater.
Answer: You may be aware that here in the USA, car rental companies either lease or buy cars from car manufacturers and then keep them in their fleet for a period of time and then sell them off through car dealers as Program Cars, Executive Cars, etc. Some rental car companies have a used car lot near every one of their locations and sell them there. They look at ROI (return on investment). Here in the USA most folks drive automatic transmission cars so the car rental fleets are primarily automatics. That way the 'used' cars can be sold more readily.
In Ireland, the average person drives a 'manual' transmission car for the increased gas mileage. So consequently, they will NOT BUY an automatic transmission car from a car rental company or a car dealer. They have to wholesale them off to Britain or another country where they use right hand drive. To meet the demand of automatic cars for TOURISTS, the car rental companies have to price those higher to meet that ROI. Then the law of Supply and Demand comes into play during the those peak times in the year when the demand is greater than supply and the difference in price between automatics and manuals is greater.