Which Car Rental Company is the Cheapest?

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Budget, Hertz and Dollar are among the most cost-effective car rental companies. In our analysis of average car rental prices, National Car Rental was the most expensive, followed by Alamo Rent a Car. When it comes to finding the lowest prices for car rentals, is Thrifty really so thrifty? Will Budget be the best way to help you meet your budget? To answer these questions, we conducted a study based on rents at a combination of dates over the next three months, and on central and airport locations in the regions that house the 10 largest airports in the country. The results of our study showed that booking rental cars in advance often doesn't save you money.

Most major car rental companies have loyalty programs that allow you to get free rentals and upgrades. The prices analyzed in this study were based on the cheapest possible option (usually a small sedan) that allowed you to pay at the counter (rather than in advance) and included taxes and fees. If you're looking for a car rental company that offers shuttle or pick-up services from John F. Kennedy International Airport, you can choose from Advantage, Budget, Avis, Dollar, Hertz, Alamo, Thrifty, Enterprise, Payless and National.

AutoSlash also provides a lot of useful information about additional fees per driver, fees for underage drivers and other add-ons that could affect the rental price. Hotwire is a great resource for finding the best car rental companies in New York City such as Budget Car Rental New York and Hertz Car Rental in New York. SilverCar works with an application-based model and gets a lot of praise for its Audi fleet, but the prices are fixed and relatively high, and the pickup process usually involves going off-site. If you're looking for a more convenient car rental experience with newer cars and shorter lines, then it's worth considering companies that offer express rental programs so you can choose your own car and take it out of the parking lot without having to wait at the counter.

Just be aware that there are a lot of one-way streets and smaller alleys that can be difficult to navigate with a larger car.