I used to use Rustoleum primer, and also Walmart's house brand of automotive primer. They both covered well, though they were a little grainier than primers made specifically for scale modeling (like Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer). But that wasn't a big problem, because you can easily give the surface a swipe with something like rough paper towel or coffee filters, or green scouring pads to knock it back if necessary.
The problem I had was that both brands changed the nozzle cap on their cans, and both the nozzle and the neck of the can where the nozzle inserts would clog. I could clear the nozzle easily enough by a soak in SuperClean and some fine brushes and needles. But I couldn't clear the neck of the can. I wound up with half a can of paint that I couldn't get out of the can. And it wasn't worth it to me to deal with that, so I stopped using those products.