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Car rental reservations - need tips?

In the past I've been cheap and used the discount car rental places. But when you go to pick it up, they don't have that one available. I wasted my time making a reservation for something I didn't get. Do any of the pricier companies guarantee your reservation? Like can you say I want a Ford Taurus, and you actually get a Taurus? If so, which ones are best? Or are you better off just hitting the counter when you get to the airport? If it matters, we may be flying to Denver. tnt - excellent point! I didn't think of that.

Public Comments

1. I always make a reservation with the cheapest car, at the cheapest rental place. You are right in that they never have the car you requested, but I do this purposely because I then make a small fuss and get upgraded free and usually get a discount coupon for my next rental. I try and travel cheaply and don't really care what I drive but this always seems to work for me. If you are specifically looking for a vehicle then it might be a different story but I'm sure you can talk them down into giving you some kind of bargain, voucher or upgrade.
2. With VERY few exceptions, all that you are guaranteed when you make a car rental reservation is that you will pay the RATE your reservation states. There are certain times when the company may not have ANY cars and will send you to a competitor in order to provide you with transportation. NEVER wait til you get to the counter -- you will pay the highest rate. Best time to get your choice of cars? Friday and Sunday afternoons. These are the times when the most cars are on the lots. All other times are a crap shoot.
3. I've always used the bigger companies and then reserved the cheapest thing that they had. Upon arrival at the place that i was going to actually rent the car I would walk around the parking lot for a couple of minutes checking out what was available I would then walk up to the rental counter , start the paperwork and then say something like "I was just wondering how much more that Mustang Convertible out there would be ? and then wind up with a much better price for the car I really wanted then I would have gotten had I just reserved it. I also know that rental agents get a piece of the pie when they sell you an upgrade or lot of extra insurance . The only drawback to that is if you really need a popular vehicle >like an SUV in Denver > and then you absolutely must reserve it
4. rent a hybrid