How to Save When Renting a Car
Here’s what to know before you book your next trip
Rental car prices have gone down nearly 20 percent from their peak in 2021, according to NerdWallet, but you may still be overpaying.
Rental companies almost always push expensive insurance coverage (sometimes more than $30 a day). Most of us probably don’t need it, though: The Insurance Information Institute says personal auto policies usually include liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage on rental cars in the U.S.
Cheaper Cars Can Cost You
Cars with the lowest rates often come with strings attached. Many rental car companies and third-party sites like Priceline offer big savings in exchange for paying in advance and/or choosing a "mystery car." We recently found we could save nearly $300 on the cost of a weeklong rental at Hertz in Los Angeles by choosing the mystery car option. But these deals might not include free cancellation, so if your plans change, you could lose your payment. You might also end up getting an electric vehicle, which means you’ll need to find a place—and the time—to charge it.
Third-party vendors such as AAA, Costco, and Priceline may offer the lowest rates, but if you need to extend your rental or make any other changes to your booking, you’ll probably have to do it through their website. That could be more fraught than dealing directly with the rental car company.
Be Prepared When Renting an EV
Electric vehicles can be the least expensive rental car type, which can make them a tempting choice (and you may get one anyway if that’s what’s available). But before you opt for electric, remember that charging takes a lot longer than gassing up: A DC fast charger will typically add about 150 miles of range in 30 minutes; Level 2 chargers are more common but will add only 10 to 20 miles in the same time frame. Many hotels offer EV charging, but if yours doesn’t, you can find charging stations on Google Maps or by using an app such as ChargeHub or PlugShare.
"If you rent an EV, your best bet is probably a Tesla, which has the biggest, easiest-to-use network of fast chargers," says Alex Knizek, associate director of auto test development for CR and an EV expert. Don’t expect that adding juice to the battery before drop-off will take just 5 minutes. To save time, pay the fee companies charge to do that for you ($35 at Hertz, for example).
Using Alternative Rental Cars
Short-term rental companies like Zipcar allow you to rent by the hour (starting around $11) and have cars available throughout many cities. This might be a less expensive option if you need a car for only part of a day. To use Zipcar, you’ll need to become a member, which costs $9 a month or $90 a year, plus a $25 application fee. (AARP members receive $20 off the annual fee.) Beware the laundry list of extra charges you can rack up, for everything from returning the car late to leaving the tank low on gas.
Peer-to-peer car rental services, such as Turo, let you rent cars directly from car owners. You may find low prices on peer-to-peer rental platforms, but their biggest advantage is making it easy to rent a classic or exotic car. If you want the latest safety features, check the model year to avoid renting an older vehicle that may lack them.
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the July 2024 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
