Rental Cars

[Lawrence Bardfeld <LB6116@PITCAIRN.com>]

I was visiting Arizona last weekend.  (Main purpose of the trip - 
which expanded into a first-time tour of the Grand Canyon -  was to 
attend a reception at which my cousin received the French Legion of 
Honor.  For his service during WWI.  But that's a different story.) 
 When I wasn't jealous of western residents who can enjoy their Audis 
and other fun vehicles on the wide open expanses of highways, I was 
lamenting the experience of driving a Ford Crown Victoria from Hertz. 
 There must be a better choice.  I realize Hertz, Avis, etc. don't 
rent Audis, but may I ask whether q-listers who have occasion to rent 
cars in the U.S. have found any decent rental selections that they can 
steer me to (so to speak), or generally just give up, like I did, and 
select by cost and size (which makes me feel much like I'm furnishing 
a room and forced to select a $15 "sofa-sized" painting)?  I'll be 
renting a car in Las Vegas next month, driving back and forth to Palm 
Desert, and I'd sure like to rent something better than a wallowing 
Ford.

Larry Bardfeld