# Why would someone choose Zipcar or Car2Go over a traditional rental? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875 "2013-01-02T20:33:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875/41 "2013-01-04T22:32:22Z")
I used zipcar with a friend in San Francisco. We had mostly cabbed around but wanted to take a few hour trip to the bridge plus he wanted to drive down Lombard. We got a Mini Cooper and had a blast. It was quick, easy and fun. Lots simpler than a traditional rental for our needs that day. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875/42 "2013-01-05T00:29:35Z")
> [@Sevencl](#): > > I meant the rental car costs the company, not the end user. I was asking why it’s cheaper for the end user to get a taxi, when these guys (the rental company) probably need special insurance. I don’t drive but I know that a lot of the time insurance only covers a specific driver, and to insure a car for anyone to drive it is expensive. Sorry for being glib before, but I think I’m pretty confused by what you’re saying. Before, I thought you were saying that it is cheaper to rent a car than get a taxi, and you were surprised by that. And then you pointed out that taxis have to pay the driver, and I said that’s why rental cars are cheaper. Now, it seems like you’re saying that it is cheaper to get a taxi than to rent a car, and you are surprised by that. I’m confused by that statement, because the opposite is true: it is much cheaper to rent a car than it is to get a taxi. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875/43 "2013-01-05T00:38:55Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Sorry for being glib before, but I think I’m pretty confused by what you’re saying. > > Before, I thought you were saying that it is cheaper to rent a car than get a taxi, and you were surprised by that. And then you pointed out that taxis have to pay the driver, and I said that’s why rental cars are cheaper. > > Now, it seems like you’re saying that it is cheaper to get a taxi than to rent a car, and you are surprised by that. I’m confused by that statement, because the opposite is true: it is much cheaper to rent a car than it is to get a taxi. Yeah, I was just trying to list all the expenses for both. Paying a driver is a cost on top of car maintenance, insurance, gas, tax, while whatever special insurance I assume these rental places I need is a cost on that. I’m amazed that the rental works out cheaper, even despite the need to pay a taxi driver. But what someone said about storing the cars makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875/44 "2013-01-07T06:00:22Z")
> [@Sevencl](#): > > Yeah, I was just trying to list all the expenses for both. Paying a driver is a cost on top of car maintenance, insurance, gas, tax, while whatever special insurance I assume these rental places I need is a cost on that. I’m amazed that the rental works out cheaper, even despite the need to pay a taxi driver. But what someone said about storing the cars makes sense. I understand now. I’m not surprised. In the long run, insurance should cost about the same amount as the actual damage insured against (plus a few percent for insurance company profit and overhead). If car renters did, on average, a full time wage in damage while renting cars, that would be a tremendous wake of destruction left behind rentals. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-someone-choose-zipcar-or-car2go-over-a-traditional-rental/645875.md?page=2)