Car Rentals -- Any good tips?

[mikephoen]

So I need to rent a car in Hawaii in June. I haven't rented a car in 20 years or so... Any tips on getting a good deal? If I want to rent a BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc, is there any rental companies that specialize in that? My googlefoo must be weak, as I'm not having much luck finding what I'm looking for and the prices seem higher than I would have expected.

I'm betting there are lots of people here who travel all the time and have some tips they can share!

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

So I need to rent a car in Hawaii in June. I haven't rented a car in 20 years or so... Any tips on getting a good deal? If I want to rent a BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc, is there any rental companies that specialize in that? My googlefoo must be weak, as I'm not having much luck finding what I'm looking for and the prices seem higher than I would have expected.

I'm betting there are lots of people here who travel all the time and have some tips they can share!

I always just rent though Costco.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

I always just rent though Costco.

Hmm, I didn't even know that is a thing. I haven't had a Costco membership in years, but I'll look into this. Thanks!

[gasman]

For Hawaii these guys were the best. You still end up getting through avis or discount, but it was way cheaper. At least it was 8 years ago

https://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com

[Derek Sutton]

Book a less expensive model and negotiate a better deal for the upgrade when you are picking it up, this has worked good for me. When you pick it up the person at the counter will usually try to up sell you, that is when you can get the better deal. Say No and they drop the price, say no and they drop it again, trow out a ridiculous offer and see where it goes, works good in touristy areas where they have many luxury cars.

"For another $25 I can get you into a xxxxx"

"Okay...... Wait, thats $25 per day? Thats too much"

"Well for $20 a day then"

"Nope, still too high"

"Well how about for only $15/ day?"

"Nope. how about $5/ day."

"I can do it for $7"

"Yep I'll take it."

And thats how I turn my Nissan Maximas and Toyota Avalons into BMW's in Las Vegas.

Also don't ever count on getting what you book, alos don't let them try to pawn some cheap POS off on you. This happened to me in Toroonto, booked a Full Size SUV, Tahoe or similar arrive in T O, "

"heres your SUV Mr Sutton"

"....Uhm I need something bigger then this Santa Fe, theres 5 of us al with luggae, I booke a Tahoe..."
"Oh wait let me see.. We do have a Tahoe but it just got returned"
" I'll wait".

You can also try booking with your air miles.

Check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered for rental vehicles, if so tak a copy of your insurance card with you.

[Amethyst]

When I went a couple years ago at spring break, even renting through Costco was ridiculously expensive. I ended up renting using my Air Miles instead.

Also, I rented through National, which is a smaller operation in Maui and there was one person ahead of me in line. My friends rented through Budget and they were in line for an hour, because they wanted to upgrade. Depending on where you are going, you may not be allowed to drive on all roads with your rental (in Maui you can't go past Hana with most rentals).

[sureLoss]

Best piece of advice I have is to make sure your insurance in Canada will cover rental cars in the USA and Canada. If your current policy doesn't, you will probably want to consider adding it.

Adding insurance to your rental cost is a big money maker for car rental companies in the US. They can charge up to $20 to $30 per day for this insurance and some places will try and pressure you into buying it. I have heard of a few places that will tell you they won't rent the car to you unless you buy their insurance in lieu of written proof of insurance from your insurance company.

There are two type of insurances they will try to sell you.

1. Vehicle replacement cost. Most Visa cards will already cover this, check with your bank.

2. Liability insurance. Your visa won't cover this, but your auto insurance in Canada can and will probably be a lot cheaper than what the car rental company will offer.


Just be armed with the info to know if you are covered or not so they don't talk you into or bully you into insurance you don't need.

[DylanScores]

+ 3 for Costco. No additional charge to extra driver. I also think that you will have additional insurance coverage added on to your rental if you use your Costco credit card.

[snootchiebootchies]

Yes, I find Costco has the best rates and they partner with major car rental companies (Alamo, Avis, National, etc.) so you're certain you will be getting a car from a reputable company. Booking through Costco will also allow you to add a second driver for free.

The prepaid blind bookings on Hotwire can sometimes seem very attractive but you can get stuck with one of those bush-league crappy rental car companies (e.g., Advantage, Payless) which often have terrible service. If you're looking for sport or luxury cars, I've heard good things about Sixt. Not sure if they are in every market though.

[Ryan Coke]

My advice...book, but keep checking. Rental car pricing fluctuates wildly, so when you find a cheaper rate then book that and cancel the first.

I have a booking for a convertible for 10 days coming up, first booking was 550ish. I rebooked a couple of times to get it down to 450. Checked last night and it was over 1100. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if it drops down again.

Keep checking, and at different days and times. I’ve scored the best deals late at night a couple of times.

As for premium German brands, I’m not sure if there are Sixt outlets in Hawaii, but they do a lot of Mercedes, Audi’s, and BMW’s.

[Ryan Coke]

Just to add, obviously I don’t recommend ever doing a pre paid option.

[calgarygeologist]

As others have mentioned, Costco seems to have the best discounted rates. You can book either directly through the Costco Travel website or use the corporate codes and book on the car rental companies website. I book directly with the companies using the codes because on one of my recent rentals my Budget Fastbreak number wasn't passed onto Budget from the Costco reservation. I showed up at the airport and couldn't get my car through the Fastbreak process and instead I had to wait in line for an hour to get my vehicle. It sucked big time.

If you want a luxury car I find that Avis has the best selection in BMW, Audi, MB, Volvo and Jaguar. Their prices are ridiculously expensive though. I only used Avis once when a business was paying for my rental on a trip. They exclusively used Avis and I was shocked when I saw that the daily rate for my vehicle was about three times more than what Budget or National would have been. I really don't understand how Avis prices their cars.

[Sylvanfan]

What Island are you going to? From my experience's driving in Hawaii...I'd save my money and rent a Hyundai. Most cars aren't that different in bumper to bumper traffic.

I also endorse Costco.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

4 years ago the Avis/Budget at OGG had terribly long lines. I go to anyone other than them now.

[Calgary14]

If it's Maui you're going to there is a rental place that is used cars, off airport and cheaper prices. Might be worth checking out (not sure of the name). Costco is usually one of the cheapest as a few have mentioned. Make sure you have sufficient insurance through your personal insurance and/or credit card to avoid buying insurance from the rental company.

Turo is another option for significantly cheaper rentals, they are available in Calgary but not sure about Hawaii.

Also - Budget overbooks their rentals during peak times. I was in Palm Springs and was in line for Thrifty (only two people in line) and the lineup next to us was Budget. It probably had 40-50 people in it. I asked the service agent (thrifty) why the big lineup at Budget was huge and didn't seem to be moving at all. He said it was because they had slightly lower prices but that not everyone in the line would be able to get a car because they routinely overbook. Very frustrating for anyone who was planning their trip around getting a rental car when they landed

[Ryan Coke]

^^^^ Kihei Rent a car probably.

They are great just for cheap wheels, but that didn’t sound like what the OP was really looking for.

[RockLicker]

Has anyone tried Turo? I've contemplated using it a couple times but chickened out and always rented some Pos from enterprise or whatever wrecker lot was easiest. The impression is its a lot like airbnb, where if you find a guy who rents a dozen cars as a business it's easy and good, but if you are renting a Porsche from some 29 year old idiot who's behind on his payments and needs to make a few bucks to keep the repo man away, you're gonna have a bad time.

Sorry for the semi derail. I need some help to work my courage up to try it. Take a look?

[#-3]

i would say check with your employer, most companies have a deal with a rental company, and all you need is the customer number to extend their rates to you credit card.

[Northendzone]

While i can understand the allure of booking a higher end vehicle, it seems like such a waste, unless the rental price is similar.

I would suggest looking at the discount website like Hotwire and such, and then try booking it directly thru the rental company for the same price. To me it always is better booking thru the source then if you have an issue you are not dealing with a third party.

[snootchiebootchies]

Originally Posted by RockLicker

Has anyone tried Turo? I've contemplated using it a couple times but chickened out and always rented some Pos from enterprise or whatever wrecker lot was easiest. The impression is its a lot like airbnb, where if you find a guy who rents a dozen cars as a business it's easy and good, but if you are renting a Porsche from some 29 year old idiot who's behind on his payments and needs to make a few bucks to keep the repo man away, you're gonna have a bad time.

Sorry for the semi derail. I need some help to work my courage up to try it. Take a look?

My understanding of Turo is that it can be a great experience unless something goes wrong, and then it can be a nightmare as customer service is apparently non-existent (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/turo.html). I looked at Turo for my most recent winter vacation and decided against it. It really isn't much cheaper than traditional rental car agencies once you take into account the cleaning fees that are often tacked on. Many vehicles on Turo also have a limit on the miles you can put on the vehicle, and some even require you to wash and vacuum the car before returning it. And the option of airport pickup, which was initially the big draw for using Turo, is disappearing from many Turo markets. In the end, why bother?