Where have all the little cars gone?

It was hot in the Enterprise car rental office last Saturday and I'm not just talking about the lackluster air-conditioning.

There was a bad vibe from the moment I walked in, starting with the cranky guy at the counter. He wanted a full-size car just like he'd ordered but did they have it? No.

"I have clients," he told the beleaguered employees. "If I wanted a truck I would have used my own."

The situation turned into a stand off. Mr. Cranky sat down opposite Enterprise agents and glared at them while they made attempts to find the sedan of his dreams.

Meanwhile, my car was there, but it wasn't there. In other words, I would get the compact I reserved online but it was at some mystery location. All would be resolved in a few minutes, they promised.

So I waited and watched the next customer's fate. He came in smiling, all set to drive to Detroit in an economy car.

Mr. Detroit's smile quickly faded when he was informed the fuel-efficient model he booked wasn't there but he could be upgraded to a gas-guzzling SUV.

"This is like 'Seinfeld,'" Mr. Detroit informed the staff, who sucked up the abuse stoically.

I snickered, recalling the classic episode where Jerry, after learning the rental company ran out of cars, opines: "You know how to 'take' the reservation, you just don't know how to 'hold' the reservation and that's the most important part."

But my good humor wilted away as the room got warmer, Cranky man sulked and I thought, I've been here before.

Not at Enterprise but at a Budget car rental in the middle of a snowstorm Dec. 23. I showed up on time but the SUV I'd reserved to handle the bad weather was AWOL. I had to come back hours later, take the ice-encrusted vehicle that had just come in and be grateful.

And wait - what about last summer, when we confirmed an economy car and got a goofy Dodge Caliber crossover? Whatever happened to walking in and walking out with the car you booked?

Give it up, advises Chris Brown, editor of Auto Rental News.

Booking a reservation doesn't guarantee you get the class of car you ordered, Brown said, and that's partly because auto rental companies don't require a credit card deposit or impose penalties for last-minute cancellations like hotels do.

But the shortage of cars out there in rental-land is also a function of the economy.

"It's the fallout from the credit crunch," Brown said, explaining that rental companies are suffering from high-interest rates and a decline in manufacturing because of the auto industry slump. As as result, car rental fleets have diminished.

Customers are also more educated about mileage. "After what happened last summer with gas at $4 a gallon, no one wants to upgrade," Brown said.

Travelocity Senior Editor Genevieve Shaw Brown commented in an e-mail that, "there are two things going on here - the first is that people tend to reserve economy-class cars rather than higher-end cars, which means there's more competition for those vehicles. It is possible that because of the economy, people are less likely than even before to reserve a higher-class car, putting more pressure on the economy-class inventory."

Enterprise spokesman Ned Maniscalco said the company "does guarantee you will receive one of the cars from the class you request or you'll be given an upgrade to a larger vehicle at no additional charge. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a specific make, model or vehicle feature. We do our best to have the car you want ready for you."

So what's the answer? Experts advise booking early and calling ahead to make sure you won't get a surprise. Brown also suggested reserving with multiple agencies to ensure satisfaction.

Shaw Brown suggested consumers tell rental agents about their fuel economy concerns and see if that results in any cost reductions.

Odds and ends

• Will opposition from Springfield derail dreams of high-speed rail trains zipping between Chicago and St. Louis? U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin vowed no, even though a meeting Friday with him, IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig, Union Pacific and local leaders failed to reach a Kumbaya moment. Springfield officials oppose the proposed downtown location for the route, saying more trains will tie up traffic and hurt economic development. Durbin said an application to the federal government due Oct. 2 for Illinois' share of $8 billion in high-speed rail stimulus money will go ahead - but admitted there's "fierce competition" and consensus would help.

• The Active Transportation Alliance is urging people to participate in the inaugural Chicagoland Car-Free Day on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Commuters are urged to take Metra, Pace, CTA or bike to their workplaces. Those pledging to go auto-less will get $1 off large drinks at Caribou Coffee. For more info, visit www.chicagolandcarfree.org.

• September marked the arrival of Etihad Airlines at O'Hare International Airport flying between Chicago and the United Arab Emirates. It's the first nonstop commercial service between the Midwest and UAE and it features a 247-foot long Airbus, one of the longest in the world.