# What rental car company to choose? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816 "2010-06-03T19:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/1 "2010-06-03T19:13:42Z")
I’m going on a trip to San Francisco (well, Mountainview) in July and we need to rent a minivan from the airport. Thrifty, Dollar, Avis and Budget all offer what we need (Hertz doesn’t seem to offer American cars and a member of our group is averse to foreign cars, so there you have it). All of these places, aside from Budget, are quoting me $1005 for the week. Budget is quoting about $100-150 less. We’ll be traveling with a 1-year-old so speed of pickup and dropoff are most important. Next important is the absolute availability of the car we need. Nobody wants to drive anything bigger than a minivan, we’d like 7 seats (when we meet up with our friends there will be 7 of us) but if we get bumped down a level to a roomy sedan we’ll live - our friends will just have to drive their own car when we go on trips around SF. Third importance is price - I can live with price fluctuation if they are going to get me a minivan but I don’t necessarily want to get screwed. Any help choosing the right company for us would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/2 "2010-06-03T19:24:24Z")
I usually rent from Budget, but that’s mostly because my sister worked there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/3 "2010-06-03T20:05:27Z")
Usually large cars are a LOT cheaper to rent than minivans. Also, rental agencies tend to bump UP, not down. For those reasons, I’d consider reserving a large car instead. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/4 "2010-06-03T20:07:23Z")
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any real difference in service between the major car rental companies. I’m not familiar with the car rental arrangements at SFO, but I assume they have a centralized area. The first thing I would do is eliminate any that are off-airport and require a shuttle bus ride. After that - if convenience trumps price, I’d probably go with anybody but Budget. I’ve been in situations where I had to wait in a long line for whichever company had the best prices that day, while all the other rental counters were quiet. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/5 "2010-06-03T20:12:57Z")
To illustrate my point, it looks like weekly rental prices for Thrifty and Dollar (usually the same price) at SFO: Minivan: $1003 Full-size car: $463 Another option is a full-size SUV. It’s $517. Some of these prices might be lowered if you have a discount such as AAA. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/6 "2010-06-03T20:23:09Z")
The deal with the minivan is that we’re going to have 5 adults and 2 car seats when we’re all together. I don’t think I want to be driving something as big as an Explorer or larger… I’ll keep those prices in mind, though, if my traveling partners balk at the price of the minivan. Thanks for the tip about the location, **twoflower**. I never thought to look. I just looked at the SFO map and ALL rental cars are outside the terminal, accessible only by bus. So that’s not ideal, but it’s reality. Unfortunately that means that it doesn’t help trim down my list. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/7 "2010-06-03T20:50:13Z")
Rental car companies are like cell phone companies. If you wait long enough, you’re going to hear angry stories about all of them. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/8 "2010-06-03T20:53:48Z")
YMMV, but they’re all about the same in my experience. I use [carrentals.com](http://carrentals.com); they’ll run your request through everyone and find you the best price. I’ve gotten cars for as low as $12 a day. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/9 "2010-06-03T20:58:46Z")
Make a reservation now at the best price you can find but when you get closer to the time of arrival (within 2 weeks) check [National Car Rental](https://www.nationalcar.com/). They normally have “:Last Minute Specials” in their “Specials to Go” section. Like right now you can rent a mini-van for the week out of SFO for $224 weekly rate. ETA: If you get a lower price closer to your trip, just cancel your current reservation. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/10 "2010-06-03T21:33:28Z")
Although my company mandates renting from Avis or Budget, when traveling for personal reasons (and not using accrued benefits from Avis) I always select Enterprise. Their vehicles are clean, well-maintained, and typically about half the cost of Avis. And the service is vastly superior. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/11 "2010-06-03T23:34:58Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any real difference in service between the major car rental companies. > > I’m not familiar with the car rental arrangements at SFO, but I assume they have a centralized area. The first thing I would do is eliminate any that are off-airport and require a shuttle bus ride. > > After that - if convenience trumps price, I’d probably go with anybody but Budget. I’ve been in situations where I had to wait in a long line for whichever company had the best prices that day, while all the other rental counters were quiet. At SFO all rental cars are located at the Consolidated Rental Car Center, which is a little ways from the terminals. You take the AirTrain automated transit system to get there. See this map: [http://www.flysfo.com/web/export/sites/default/download/about/news/pressres/maps/artwork/key\_map.gif](http://www.flysfo.com/web/export/sites/default/download/about/news/pressres/maps/artwork/key_map.gif) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/12 "2010-06-04T03:05:53Z")
I talked to my friends and now we’re willing to get a full-sized sedan too. So now Enterprise is in the mix as well. Good and bad stories are welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/13 "2010-06-05T00:41:21Z")
Since you are flying to San Francisco and renting a vehicle, you will be paying premium rates. On the other hand, if you are meeting friends who live there, get them to rent a vehicle (local rental _not_ from the airport) and you can save as much as 50 percent off whatever rate you are quoted (even officially discounted rates). We had friends visit us last fall and we needed a large vehicle. We reserved the rental online and made it clear we were local folks renting locally (sounds weird but there’s a method to the madness). All the local rental places are geared towards airport non-resident renting. For a week’s rental for a 7-passenger SUV, the standard rate (including usual discounts) was around $500 among all the rental agencies. As a local rental, the actual charge was around $250. The lady who explained it to us said the price difference is due to hidden airport charges, taxes, surcharges, etc. When we asked further we were told: [ul] [li]You know that free shuttle bus from the airport to the rental place? It’s not free.[/li][li]You know that simple service to reserve a vehicle and then just pick any vehicle out of the lot and drive off? It’s not free.[/li][li]You know that Enterprise “we’ll pick you up!” jingle? It’s not free.[/li][li]And so on.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/14 "2010-06-05T11:43:09Z")
It’s off topic, but why is one of your group averse to foreign cars? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/15 "2010-06-06T01:29:32Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > It’s off topic, but why is one of your group averse to foreign cars? Eh, it’s me. My dad worked at Ford for 38 years. I’ll be the one renting and driving. It’s a thing that’s Just Not Done. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/16 "2010-06-06T02:11:14Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Since you are flying to San Francisco and renting a vehicle, you will be paying premium rates. On the other hand, if you are meeting friends who live there, get them to rent a vehicle (local rental _not_ from the airport) and you can save as much as 50 percent off whatever rate you are quoted (even officially discounted rates). This is a good idea. However, your friend will need to drive the car back from the airport. After that, stop by the office and add your name to the rental agreement as an authorized driver. (If you don’t do this, and there’s a problem while someone else is driving, it will start to get really expensive.) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/17 "2010-06-06T12:29:47Z")
I usually get the best rate through Costco. Even if you’re not a member, you can click through their website and see if it’d be worth it to join. Ditto for Sam’s Club, AAA, AARP, etc. If you work for a corporation, some allow you to use their company code for personal travel. I got a huge discount off my rental in Big Island using my corporate code. Sometimes it’s worth it to take a shuttle to/from the hotel and then rent the car away from the airport. Inventory will be different as well. Instead of using a consolidator, check out each rental company’s website for “Hot Deals” and/or sign up to get their emails. They have occasional great deals. Don’t forget “Priceline”. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rental-car-company-to-choose/541816/18 "2010-06-06T12:58:27Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any real difference in service between the major car rental companies. I second this. I’ve never noticed any major differences, in fact as others have said, the only real difference I noticed was the waiting in line