Who’s Offering The Best Car Rental Deals In 2020?
Yahoo! Finance sums up what the big players are offering
While we’re only into the second month of 2020, Yahoo! Finance has already determined which car rental company offers the best bang for the buck in terms of rates and other amenities. It’s a pretty bold declaration since rates do vary from city to city. In 2019, Orlando boasted the lowest average rate among competitors at $36 a day, while Cleveland broke wallets at a daily rate of $84. To be fair though, the assessment didn’t mention specific fees in its assessment.
The piece picked Enterprise as providing the best bang for the consumer buck, largely due to price quotes that don’t contain hidden fees that might otherwise creep onto a bill. It’s also millennial-friendly, charging half as much for that demographic than most of its competitors, while the company’s loyalty program offers plenty of perks, especially at times when a major promotional campaign is underway.
Not far behind was Avis, which offers more discounts for business clients than family vacationers, a major criticism in the report. However, since the bulk of Avis clients rent for business purposes, they benefit from frequent rate deductions, especially small-business folks who can save up to 30 percent on fees. There was high praise for the company’s service that picks up customers and takes them to their rentals, although the article bristled at the $13 fee.
Of the five companies profiled, Dollar provided the lowest rates, plus discounts for young drivers and AAA members as much as 10 percent, as well as 15 percent for prepaid clients. The fleet isn’t exactly eclectic, since you’re more likely to find economy cars on their lots, but that’s in line with the company’s mission statement of providing affordability. Additionally, Dollar has considerably fewer offices across the nation, making the effort to rent in person more inconvenient compared to competitors.
Like Dollar, Budget is also heavily geared towards a client base that places high value on savings, and to that end, some of its offers are irresistible. Prepaying customers can save up to 35 percent on a rental, while additional discounts are available for war veterans and subscribers to Amazon Prime. Economy cars comprise much of the fleet as well as a few trucks and SUVs, which occasionally go for a 20 percent discount when promoted accordingly. The biggest negative according to Yahoo! Finance, however, was the additional driver surcharge of $13.
Finally, relative newcomer Sixt has offices in only 13 states and focuses more on luxury vehicles from Jaguars to Range Rovers. So even though Sixt’s fees are higher based on the models in its fleet, they still do offer discounts of up to five percent for active military personnel and veterans. The company sometimes promotes mid-week deals up to 20 percent off.
Still, when it comes to how car rentals determine fees, it’s the old-fashioned, free market maxim of supply in demand. If an office lot has much of its fleet parked outside, you have a better chance of landing a deal than at a location where the lot’s empty.
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