Renting a Tacoma?

I need to take a trip from SE Tenn, up to Chicagoland to prep our house there for sale. This seemed like a great excuse to goto the Enterprise place in town and rent a Tacoma for the trip. Sadly it looks like Enterprise doesn't have any, nor Hertz, Avis, etc. Bummed out, I tried "Toyota Tacoma Rent" in google and to my surprise, Toyota themselves rents them.

Has anybody done this? Do they just pull one of the vehicles from their used lot?

Contacted the two closest participating dealers, both promised to get back to me "real soon now".

 

Not sure why they care, but "Try before I buy" is one of the choices you make on the web site. "Business/Leisure" and something to the effect of "Repair" were others. I wonder if you get a different rate based on this selection?

It is a great way to pull potential buyers in... that's exactly where I'm at. I test drive one, but ya know, you can't really get a feel of how the car "fits" you in that short time. My wife's Prius, a friends Honda, all feel great until you're driving them for a while, then its: "Hmm, where's my arm go? The window ledge is too low... the seat just isn't hugging my butt right...

 

Hmm, one dealer did write back - the reply that they didn't have any now, but would in a couple months (a couple months?) makes it sounds like they don't just pull one off the used lot, but have a specific one.

Well, fingers crossed for the other dealer to respond

 

The dealers I have been to in houston area, usually rent the their loaner cars/trucks. Even when they give you a loaner vehicle. They will charge you per day, when you don't return it as your vehicle is done.

 

Well... it seems they don't allow you to tow. So they don't have the tow package. bummer

 

Lol most rental companies don't allow tow. Unless they have one set aside for it.

 

I'm in the same boat. I too have been trying to rent one from a Toyota Rent A Car branch at the dealers in my area (there are only 3 participating dealers within 50 miles of me!). I want to test drive one on my terms and without a dealer breathing down my neck! The Toyota Rent a Car seems to be totally separate from the sales department, with a separate fleet of rental Toyota and everything.

The problem is, I can't seem to get my hands on a Double Cab (since that's what I'd be buying) - no one will rent one to me, since they are set aside for Tacoma and Tundra owners going through a re-framing.

However, Hertz DOES rent Tacomas. Hertz has some dedicated parking spots at my work, and I noticed there is a DCSB parked in one of them. Problem is, they probably will say that you can reserve a truck, but they won't promise that it'll be a Tacoma.

 

Interesting. You must be in a MUCH more urban area, there are only 4 participating dealers in the whole state of TN! Happily, the nearest one does have a double cab (also what I'm looking for) so that's good.

I am surprised about Hertz tho, when I looked on their web site, there was no mention of Tacomas. I would bet if they are right there in the lot, you could just tell the agent there that you want to specifically rent one of them and they could accommodate you.