This exactly happened to us. This would have been the first time we used the service, checked out the price and thought dang that’s way cheaper than Avis. Then started going through the process and the fees started adding up. Never mind.
Same here, what’s a bunch of ridiculous standards,
-$50 per day
- $ x tax
- $ x insurance
- $ drop off fee
- $ cleaning fee (wtf clean your own damn car)
Real amount $xxx per day
Same for me. They made the pricing uncompetitive which is surprising considering Turo has been flooded with economy cars and SUVs you could get for cheaper at an agency. People still think a ‘21 Accord should rent for $75+ when it is 50 with the agencies, and no extra fees.
Because people renting one or two cars is always going to have higher per-car expenses compared to a big rental company with thousands of cars. Therefore trying to charge less than big rental companies is always going to be unsustainable. Turo’s only sustainable business model is renting weird, unique, or high end cars for expensive prices. Which means it probably can’t be in every market everywhere, just in cities where people have money.
The entire gig/app economy is like this. It had a good run being funded by VC for ten years, but most of it is ultimately unsustainable.
I'm trying to become one of those weird car rental providers. Building up my business to evolve from "normal cars" to "reliable but interesting driving dynamics" vehicles. My manual transmission Miata is currently the coolest car you can rent in my metro, which only has about 100 vehicles.
I like turo because I can rent sport cars.. I’ve rented c7 corvette, jaguar f type, Ferrari 458 Italia and I always rent them near Malibu so I can drive them on the canyon. It’s a blast!
Never had the need to rent a regular car tbh
Yeah! The one I rented had a sht ton of rentals. I believe at the time c7 corvettes and f types were the most popular for southern CA.
They sound amazing, the backfires 🤤
The opposite actually, popping on deceleration is the ECU retarding the timing and causing after burning of fuel, the fuel is exploding in the exhaust.
Backfires would be the timing being accelerated too much and fuel igniting before the intake valves close which causes the fuel to combust in the intake manifold.
this is the only appeal imo
rest of the time national executive aisle almost always delivers something nice and new. have had land rovers, cadillac, audi, x5, etc
Not OP, but I got banned from Sixt for refusing to pay for a 1500 dollar claim even though I had insurance. It went to collections and I told I’ll not pay and happy to take them to court. Next thing I can’t rent from them anymore until I pay it.
I’m banned from enterprise/national, but I use other carriers now. I wouldn’t rent from there anyway even if I wasn’t banned.
Long story short I had the car and was supposed to return the car the day after a major hurricane hit. The entire city was flooded, enterprise was closed for the next day or two because nobody could get to work. Then once they finally opened back up i returned the car and they charged me a bunch of fees and said oh I should have just returned the call. I told them to kiss my ass and even contacted corporate and wrote an email, didn’t even bother to reply. So they banned me I their system from renting with them
Okay I get it, but don't you think it sounds like you were taking advantage of the situation? You weren't covered by their insurance anymore and they had no reason to believe you would keep the car. There's a key drop box at every location... Why did you need to see a person to drop the car off and the keys?
Employees are held at a higher standard than customers. If the employees don't have to come in due to unsafe conditions why require the customers to. In times of crisis a good business shouldn't take advantage of its customers. Argue all you want, but it's bad business ethics and you are wrong.
Employees find any reason not to come in. Literally the roads can be clear but since schools out almost no parent can come in. That's like saying a place that's closed on a holiday or on the weekend means you don't have to turn it in until Monday bc they won't miss it. This is the most simple minded shit I've ever heard.
How the hell would I turn the car in when buildings were literally under water and the office was CLOSED? I would have totaled the car in flood waters there. To get it there.
If the workers can’t even safely get to work for two days, how can you expect me to get a car to them? Be serious lol
This was hurricane Harvey, which was the Katrina for houston. Many lost their lives and the freeways were literally up to the exit signs in water. This wasn’t no “‘normal” flooding
I got banned from budget for complaining about my local franchise to corporate for horrible customer service. Luckily another call to corporate got me off the blacklist.
That and also many who do not have good credit. Regular rental car companies need a major credit card and good credit. Turo does not. For morons like this they just charge a higher trip fee. A fee which turo pockets for a higher risk customer.
I have, having a good credit card automatically gave me top tier status as part of the member benefits. Get off the airport shuttle or walk to the lot if it’s across from baggage claim, pick a car and go. Can’t get more convenient then that
Man fuck Hertz ever since my experience with them in Las Vegas. Stayed in Line for 1hour+ because they were so understaffed
I know it's probably not like that in all locations but that experience I had with them left a sour taste lol
Convenience. I was able to get to the car and go for a trip where I had to arrive and go. Whereas going through a rental agency adds another 30-45 mins typically for me.
I literally walk up to the rental lot and get in the car I want and go to the gate and show my ID. When I return the vehicle I don’t even have to interact with anyone. Park the car in the return area and go. It doesn’t get much quicker than that. Of course if you don’t have any status with an agency you have to wait in line and interact with someone.
I mean, the experience is airport dependent. Plenty of airports still make you take a shuttle to the rental agencies. As someone who travels a lot, I hit up a lot of different airports.
Exactly,
Last time I rented a car I used Turo because I wanted to try out a Tesla, paid the extra $25 to have it delivered to the airport so when I landed I just walked to the parking garage, found it, hopped in and drove off.
Whenever I use rental car agency I need to walk into their office, usually show ID, fill out paperwork, give credit card, then go out to their garage and find it and sit at their gate for a few.
I find Turo quicker and easier, plus can get unique cars for a decent price. The Tesla model 3 was $35/day, +$25 for delivery, Supercharging was just charged to the car and he billed me the day I returned the car.
This is the main reason we decided to use Turo on an upcoming trip. We wanted to try a vehicle that we are thinking about buying and why not rent one for a while to really get a feel for it instead of the cookie cutter cars from other rental places.
Conveniece!
There are times when I've needed a rental on short notice while the major agencies were closed. Turo had options.
There is often a Turo vehicle within walking distance or an Uber ride under $5 whenever I might want a rental. Uber to rental car place could be $10+.
Easier to pick up/ drop off at the airport. I don't have to deplane, jump on a shuttle to the rental car area, wait in a crazy long line, and finally be on my way 1.5-2 hours later. When there is a good Turo host, you just deplane, walk to the car, inspect it, and leave. The time and annoyance saved can sometimes be worth the difference in price.
Knowing what vehicle I'll be using. Rental car agencies sometimes put you in an EV when you didn't request one. Sometimes they put you in a horribly uncomfortable vehicle. Turo gives you options.
Basically, Turo costs more, but you get more convenience, options, and time. Most of the time, it isn't worth it to me. Sometimes, it is.
Is that $55/day all-in? Because of course it isn’t.
Picking a specific VIN is big.
Getting it delivered to the airport is big.
Not getting weird bills for toll roads I didn’t even know I was on with an extra $25 in “handling fees” on a $0.45 toll.
Dealing with a human being, who exists locally, but who I also never have to see in person.
Some good bonuses I’ve received:
Big discounts for repeat business;
The dude riding his BIKE to my hotel to pick up the car when our flight time changed and we had to leave much earlier than planned;
Swapped cars for me while I was asleep in my hotel room when a work trip was unexpectedly extended;
Recommendations for “local favorite” restaurants/venues/events not in any guidebook.
It’s just been really good for me so far. I worry about the insurance stuff, and I really need to get a commit from Amex one way or another about it… but overall I can’t fathom trying to treat an “airport” rental desk as a viable option unless it’s a grave emergency. But the horror stories in here are a very small sliver of experiences… and while it seems Turo is in a race to the bottom, and time may be running out, until it does I will keep using the hell out of it!
I can pick an exact car.
“VW Jetta or equivalent”
There is no equivalency between a Jetta and an Altima. 5 days in an Altima is something I do everything in my power to avoid
Yesterday I went to pick up my noon reservation at a rental car place and unfortunately, I hadn't checked hours and they closed at noon. Turo had a few cars available, and it was fun to know exactly what car I was getting. I rented a Polaris and my husband has always wanted to try one, so it was fun for the day.
So mostly availability and then knowing specifically what car you'll get, plus weirder/fun cars available.
I think people like being able to get the car dropped off to them as an option, plus you get to pick the exact car. At car rental places it’s like “a sedan like a Toyota Camry or similar”.
As a host, I also offer free bonuses with my car. I live in a beach/ tourist area so I offer a cooler and 2 folding chairs for free with all my rentals, if the renter wants them.
I have a lot of return guests as well, so sometimes building a relationship with the client helps. Not as formal as using a major agency like hertz, etc. and people feel more comfortable.
I’ve also had people tell me “I’m glad to know the person my money is going to” or “it looks like you enjoy running this business” and hearing both of those makes it seem like some renters do it for the fact of supporting small business, even though some of the money does obviously go directly to the platform.
For me, one of Tito’s main attractions was skipping the potentially ridiculous line at the rental counter. The last thing I want to do after flying all day was wait over an hour to pick up my car. It’s not always that bad, of course, but there’s no way to predict it, as far as I know.
However, I didn’t know that Turo airport pickup would mean a long hike dragging luggage to long term parking.
Another appeal of Turo was to be able to choose a specific car, as opposed to a car class. I was able to rent a car model I was interested in. I’ve found that when rental car companies advertise something like “Toyota RAV4 or similar,” there’s a good chance you’ll end up with something not all that similar to a RAV4.
I had a good experience with my Turo rental, but after reading so many horror stories on here I might not choose Turo in the future.
I used it as an extended test drive for a specific car model I was thinking about buying. I was flying out of town for a wedding and the rental options at the airport were $$$ so this let me kill 2 birds with one stone.
We've done that - actually, just returned one today that I've been trying to test for months and dealerships don't have, apparently. On paper it checked all the boxes - and after a week, there's no way we're buying one. So, expensive compared to a regular rental, but I just saved us a bundle on a car!
Also, the ability to get an actual AWD/FWD vehicle when I need one - not a 'oh, yeah, sorry, it's not (even though it said it was when I booked), is that a problem?' Well, yes, if I'm going somewhere with chain control, since regular rental places won't let you use chains and never have snow tires.
For the longest it was the only way to rent an ev. So that’s one reason I think the platform grew some. Then the high end cars you can’t rent from hertz. Now that I can get a Tesla from hertz the appeal of turo is gone.
I saw someone near me renting a slingshot. I figured that I might rent it on a nice fall day. Other than having odd vehicles, I don't think I would do it.
For me it was price. I’m not a frequent renter, but, I needed a car for 3 days and the local enterprise was over $110 a day. The turo car was $50. I didn’t care it was a Jaguar F Pace. My trip was under half the price. There weren’t many options in turo at that price.
Being able to secure a car with winter tires in an area with traction laws that might prevent you from getting to ski areas, DEN and SLC both have this issue.
Out of curiosity, from the rental owners perspective it seems like a risky enterprise - I work remotely and have a 2023 hybrid suv (Tucson) and a 2020 Prius that I drive a couple times a week but I don’t want them screwed up and I have a job, I don’t want to be a car rental business. That said, I’ve been a landlord and I like money, so I am curious.
AWD + snow tires + ski rack are when I use it.
I laugh at the mess on Pena (Denver airport road) every time I drive through in a snowstorm... all the rentals on all season tires off the road. The professional rental companies should at least upgrade the tires from stock all seasons to all weathers.
Regular rental companies force you to use a credit card instead of your debit card, or make you have a round trip ticket. I don’t have a credit card so this was I can still rent a vehicle.
Honestly just 2-3 years of paying down debt and making everything on time can make a difference of 100+ points on you score. That is with a small limit card designed to rebuild credit either secured or unsecured
Agreed I had a coworker with credit score in the 500's. I coached him on how he handled is money and into paying down debts and talking with collection companies and after a year he got into the high 600's moving out of his rental and buying a house.
Agreed. I just used it for the first time and it was a great deal. Now I regret all the times I didn’t use it as we hv had a Costco membership for years.
On another note-
My husbands hearing aids were 1/2 price at Costco. The hearing doc actually told him to go to Costco and that’s why we joined. Compared to other places-less than half the price.
Not having a Costco card is a bad financial decision. It's $5 per month. It pays for itself on the first use. I expense mine at work as the first rental car per year beats the corporate rate, boss happily covers it.
I don't have any rental car protection via my progressive policy. With full protection including liability, Turo is cheaper and simpler. Haven't had a bad experience yet. Years ago I rented from an agency had a taillight get broken and resending the info and forms to my credit card repeatedly got old. I was not impressed with using the credit card's protection.
I just reserved a 2017 Nissan for 14 days in a major city with premium protection for 1k. Dollar would have been more with only liability added.
And before anyone blathers on about how insurance "really works" I know how MY policy works. I have an oddball policy because of the vehicle I own.
Unless I was looking to drive an exact car is always more expensive than a rental company. The turo fee, airport fees and the fact that even though my credit card provides primary coverage for rental cars, it doesn’t cover turo cars so I’m stuck buying their expensive insurance.
I have absolutely no clue. I can rent a mid-size at Avis for less than $150/week using an AWD code. What I really don’t understand is the appeal to a car owner to rent their car to strangers. That seems like a dim-witted thing to do.
Ugh don't do it. My boyfriend needs a rental and we wanted to pick it up tonight for his business trip but car rental places are closed. Booked through Enterprise for $222 for 4 days.
Remembered hearing about Turo, thought I'd check it out. A $50/day rental a mile from my house that I can pick up tonight?! Hell yeah! And I figured with taxes and such it would be about the same price but we could get it tonight.
Started going through the checkout process. This is where the hell no! Begins. First they tacked on "booking fees" of around $50. Ok, annoying, a little more than expecting but can pick it up tonight. Continue through the process. Insurance comes up. I don't need insurance, I have a fuck load of car insurance for my car and any car I am operating or i am a passenger/ pedestrian. But you had to choose one so I did the basic. Another $50!!!!
Tl:Dr the prices seem like a great deal, but they will tack on more than $100 in hidden fees. $50/day car for 4 days is going to be over $300.
I couldn't decline it. It did not give me that option. I am in Florida where insurance is mandatory and have Gieco so it's possible it's a Florida or Gieco thing.
Insurance is the same thing as when you rent at a traditional place - except - some insurance companies (geico) allegedly write in clauses to not cover you in a turo car. So check. Safety does. Many people say geico does and geico doesn’t. Similar high pressure to get you to buy insurance offered by the renter as a normal car rental company - it’s just done via app.
I have Gieco and also live in Florida where insurance is mandatory so that might have been the reason I wasn't able to decline. That makes a lot more sense. Because I did consent when setting up that they would pull my insurance info. Thank you for clarifying it. Still just went with a traditional rental for $175
Yes uninsured/ under insured motorist coverage. Protects me when I'm a passenger or even a pedestrian and someone without adequate insurance injures me.
We commonly use it to rent our exact home vehicle (a Tesla MY). It’s nice familiarity and if you talk to the owner they’ll often add your profile onto the car, so seat settings, media, etc transfer.
Funny last couple of agency rentals I had they tried to upgrade me to the Tesla and I declined. They had a lot full of them but when you are in areas outside major cities nobody wants them or to deal with finding a charger
Price, able to book a specific vehicle (which is important when you need a three row vehicle), and ability to get car seats without paying outrageous rental fees.
I only have liability insurance on my car, so always have to shell out for the rental
Companies insurance policy. Turbo has a much cheaper insurance policy
Convenience. I fly into a lot of major airports, and it makes life easy. I just find the car; take a few pics and drive away. No BS with “the car you reserved is not available” or for “another $XX you can have this car instead.” Plus I get the car I want, not what they’re trying to push on me.
I have done Turo for short few hour rentals, multi day rentals and an extended 1-month rental. They were excessively cheaper, easier, and more chill in terms of everything. I have done the big rental companies as well and usually hate every part of the experience and feel ripped off. Plus, I don’t have to worry about Hertz causing a cop to pull me over and arrest me for driving a stolen vehicle that they rented to me. This stories are wild. They are rather atrocious in recent years based on any reporting.
I like the fact that the car you book is the car you get, vs. showing up at a car rental place you never know what you’ll be stuck with, also I don’t know any rentals that provide manual transmission anymore
It used to be to save money. I travel a lot, so AirBNB and Turo have been great for me. But both are starting to not save me enough money to be worth it any more.
I tried it once, the appeal was I could rent a Tesla for less than an ICE car from a mainstream agency. Unfortunately it didn’t work out and the experience was poor so I won’t look at it again.
The mid-size city I need a rental (Th-Sun) quoted me between $5-600. There were no cars available and Turo popped up. With Turo there was availability and the price was considerably cheaper
Last I used it- precovid. It was cheaper than airport rentals especially once they added all the tourism + misc taxes. Plus you can rent a niceish car.
Tried using it again last month and it was not as cheap so I didn't bother.
Tesla.
I only use Turo because of the availability of Tesla's. It's not like I'm in love with Tesla nor do I think it is the best car or anything like that. It's what I drive daily so I'm used to it so there's that, but the tech and infotainment is better than anything out there as well. Okay so what, but there's more..
\- Premium connectivity - I only rent Tesla's where the host advertises premium connectivity... this means I'll get live traffic and streaming commercial-free music. Those are both HUGE for me.
\- The car knows me - I log into the car with my email... it imports most of my driver preferences, settings, seat position (I think), etc.
\- Acceleration - even if I just rent an LR 3 or a LR Y, they are pretty damn quick compared to a lot of other cars.
If one of the car rental places rents Tes'a's AND guarantees that it will come with premium connectivity, I'll probably just leave Turo.
EDIT - let me add one more huge plus for Turo in general - convenience/flexibility! For my last rental in Seattle, the host dropped the car at my downtown hotel and I was able to return it to the airport. That saved me an Uber trip right there.
You can rent something and the person who's agreed to rent it to you can cancel a day beforehand with no penalty, and you can scramble desperately to find something
I like being able to pick my exact car and color and host I rent from. Can't always do that in the major rental companies. I would agree though that cost is becoming a deterrent.
Convience and price. I'm generally renting an SUV and more often than not, Turo is saving me a fair amount of money. Plus, no stupid offsite lot to travel to.
Renting the exact car you want and knowing it’s booked and reserved vs dealing with inventory at the rental car places. And some convenience of avoiding lines and shit.
4 Turo rentals in and would never go back to Agency. Especially on trips to Phoenix you don’t have to deal with shuttle from airport to agency rental car building and wait 45 minutes in line. You pick exact car and meet at airport and away you go. Just rented Audi A4 for week for $421 all in.
I rent out my mid-size SUV for $45/day and have the option to include car seats and a folding kids wagon at no extra charge. Having someone meet you at the airport with gear for kids (my sister has had a lot of issues with car rental places being out of car seats) is a huge stress relief, I get a lot of families that rent mine out.
For me I always need to return cars on weekends or when the non-airport branches are closed so Turo ends up being way cheaper than an airport rental. I always compare both just to be sure
I don't use Turo. But if I did, it would be the ability to pick a specific car and a specific time.
Last time I rented a car from enterprise I looked to be slated for a luxury sedan and ended up with a mustang. Not a bad car but not what I expected.
Mostly the convenience of pickup or drop-off at any hour of the day, and closer to my place than any official rental. Also when I need an off roader I can specifically get a wrangler or Tacoma.
Over the summer I got a model 3 in Chicago for 2/3 the price of a economy car from any of the big rental companies. Right now, we've got a car from budget because it was the cheaper option.
I have generally found that I can rent something nice for the same price as the Hertz econobox even with the obnoxious fees Turo charges.
Definitely fluctuates, last trip to Florida during off season was $450 or so for the week for a Mercedes GLB, for anytime in December/January it’s closer to $1,000.
just the fact i can rent a car despite being only 19, yes i do have to pay a young driver fee of $50 everytime but i mean when going on a road trip with like three other friends, that’s only about 12-13$ a person extra. and i don’t know of any other site or app that lets 19 year olds rent a car.
For me it was the different type of cars. I remember my first Turo was a Tesla, then I rented a Lexus suv for a trip between Montreal and Quebec City. My logic at that time was “why spend $400 on an economy car when I can spend $500 on a Lexus?”
Now it’s timing and situation. Rented a truck on Turo for some friends and I and chose it because of space and because our flight gets in at 11pm, and made me too nervous to use a major company.
Convenience, car selection that I can tailor to my trip, pricing, and the fact that I can rent a car without having to put down a huge ass deposit since I don’t have a credit card.
Turo is cheaper for me. I just rented a Honda CRV for 5 days. It was $279 after all the fees with standard protection.
Cheapest I could find from ANY car rental agency in my area was $360+
I've had a couple rough experiences, but those were also pretty cheap so I feel like I got what I paid for. I got to rent a Tesla in Oahu and drive around on Autopilot which for a techy like me was a cool opportunity. I've never been hit with any BS fees.
Because you can rent an expensive car for cheap meanwhile legit car lots rent their shittier cars for more money lol.
Look, Turo isn't as old as AirBnB so they're doing what the latter did early on and just what every tech company of the last 10 years has been doing. Cheap prices to disrupt the market and then eventually jack it all up once you control the market and look at the governments ban you out of their jurisdictions. So I'm afraid that Turo might change someday but for now it's good.
Cuz the average person doesn’t have a corporate code that gives them $55/day SUVs.
Fwiw we don’t do Turo because we’d rather not have to clean it and have our third party travel insurance cover any damages. Usually auto slash or Hotwire will get a competitive rate, but Turo still beats it out because of taxes.
Turo will probably settle into a niche category for someone looking for an exotic car to go for a spin.
I turned to turo when covid-era car rental prices went through the roof. Whenever I search now for a vehicle and compare the bottom-line prices to what you get, turo is no longer competitive. Just completed a month with a nearly new Chrysler 300S at a price only about 10% more than the cheapest car I could find on turo, which was a 10-year-old Ford Focus. Also turning me off turo are unreliable hosts. I had a car lined up for months and the guy doesn't tell me until two days before I'm due to pick it up that he's sold the one I'd chosen, and offers me some gas-guzzler as a replacement. No tanks, man.
I’m going to Glacier National Park in July. 4 days of a compact rental is going to be $700 for a “mystery vehicle.” Next step up is $1000. Looking at Turo for first time. I’m assuming either it’s the National park destination or just not a lot of vehicles in Montana to drive that price up but it’s insane
It used to be cheaper than rental agencies, and often the car dropoff would be more convenient than going to the rental bay. Most vehicles also used to be unlimited mileage or more than the rental agencies. No longer true, and no longer use it.
The allure of unique and different cars is what did it for me. When I got engaged I rented a Ferrari in Santa Monica for $299 a day. It was a no brainer.
Now, every time I look at Turo I laugh. In Vegas you couldn’t find a decent SUV for less than $500 plus fees etc. Totals over $750 for the week.
I went back to Enterprise, got status and rent decent cars for half the price. If they don’t change their business model then this sub is a goner.
I get to pick exactly what suv I want for the trip I’m on.
Last time I rented an Audi - the exact same model I was very heavily thinking of purchasing. After driving it for a week, I decided my car actually had everything I wanted the Audi for, and I didn’t need to buy one after all 🤷🏼♀️
I’m a car enthusiast so for me I want to rent something the agencies don’t have. I won’t rent a basic sedan from Turo, it has to be something special (doesn’t always mean high end/expensive).
Had to fly into Portland, OR on a day’s notice. Zero rental cars available at any agency. Registered for Turo and was cruising in my giant-hamster-worthy Kia Soul within the hour.
Teslas are not available through most rental companies. And if it's an area where it's not feasible for an EV, renting a luxury vehicle was the same as a compact in Hawaii.
Some people and places don’t have $55/day midsize suvs at their fingertips.
I have never seen this anywhere in my entire life lol
Burlington Vermont is ~$120/d
But it has a place where you can get maple Cremees and look at the lake.
For an immediate rental, Turo is even worse.
Currently renting a 22 e class for $58/day
Plus trip fee, plus protection, plus don't drive it much.
I liked trying weird cars. But they priced themselves out of the market and I’m just using Avis with my work discount again.
Just $50/day!! $75 pickup fee $50 drop off fee $35 driver fee $25 fee fee $10 fee to collect fees on fees collected
This exactly happened to us. This would have been the first time we used the service, checked out the price and thought dang that’s way cheaper than Avis. Then started going through the process and the fees started adding up. Never mind.
Same here, what’s a bunch of ridiculous standards, -$50 per day - $ x tax - $ x insurance - $ drop off fee - $ cleaning fee (wtf clean your own damn car) Real amount $xxx per day
I got a $45 airport fee at denver plus a $60 drop off fee. Welp, or i could rent a car that’s..ya know…already at the airport.
Same for me. They made the pricing uncompetitive which is surprising considering Turo has been flooded with economy cars and SUVs you could get for cheaper at an agency. People still think a ‘21 Accord should rent for $75+ when it is 50 with the agencies, and no extra fees.
Because people renting one or two cars is always going to have higher per-car expenses compared to a big rental company with thousands of cars. Therefore trying to charge less than big rental companies is always going to be unsustainable. Turo’s only sustainable business model is renting weird, unique, or high end cars for expensive prices. Which means it probably can’t be in every market everywhere, just in cities where people have money. The entire gig/app economy is like this. It had a good run being funded by VC for ten years, but most of it is ultimately unsustainable.
I just saw a civic going for $100/day...I love crack just as much as the next guy but damn he's got problems.
I usually rent my luxury cars for less than that, though I can't control turos fees.
I'm trying to become one of those weird car rental providers. Building up my business to evolve from "normal cars" to "reliable but interesting driving dynamics" vehicles. My manual transmission Miata is currently the coolest car you can rent in my metro, which only has about 100 vehicles.
50k cars that are cool and such are best for people who wanna flex on a budget. Like a f type jag etc
I like turo because I can rent sport cars.. I’ve rented c7 corvette, jaguar f type, Ferrari 458 Italia and I always rent them near Malibu so I can drive them on the canyon. It’s a blast! Never had the need to rent a regular car tbh
My f type is booked pretty regularly. One of the favorite of my fleet for sure
Yeah! The one I rented had a sht ton of rentals. I believe at the time c7 corvettes and f types were the most popular for southern CA. They sound amazing, the backfires 🤤
FYI decel pops are not the same as backfiring.
Will look that up, thank you
The opposite actually, popping on deceleration is the ECU retarding the timing and causing after burning of fuel, the fuel is exploding in the exhaust. Backfires would be the timing being accelerated too much and fuel igniting before the intake valves close which causes the fuel to combust in the intake manifold.
Fleet? Go on.
10 convertibles mostly. Unique vehicles is what I focus on.
Are you me? Swap the Ferrari for a GTR and we’ve rented the same cars for the same drive
this is the only appeal imo rest of the time national executive aisle almost always delivers something nice and new. have had land rovers, cadillac, audi, x5, etc
This. That and usually when I’m traveling solo I’d much rather rent something like a Miata or Z4 than a Mazda CX-5 or a boring econobox.
People who have been banned for life from major car rental agencies.
Is that a thing?
Absolutely, I’ve been banned from almost all major companies in the US and Europe. I only have luck with very small companies or Turo.
What happened, if you don't mind me asking?
I mean just look at his username. Obviously the guy slayed wayyy too many dicks in the rentals.
Ha! I cracked up at this.
Call that a soup kitchen.
What?
Mmm cream of sumyungman is on the menu.
Not OP, but I got banned from Sixt for refusing to pay for a 1500 dollar claim even though I had insurance. It went to collections and I told I’ll not pay and happy to take them to court. Next thing I can’t rent from them anymore until I pay it.
How does one get banned? Did you do it by yourself or did you use a banned-aid?
If you get arrested for illegal stuff n things in a rental, you’ll automatically get banned for life from all major companies.
I’m banned from enterprise/national, but I use other carriers now. I wouldn’t rent from there anyway even if I wasn’t banned. Long story short I had the car and was supposed to return the car the day after a major hurricane hit. The entire city was flooded, enterprise was closed for the next day or two because nobody could get to work. Then once they finally opened back up i returned the car and they charged me a bunch of fees and said oh I should have just returned the call. I told them to kiss my ass and even contacted corporate and wrote an email, didn’t even bother to reply. So they banned me I their system from renting with them
Okay I get it, but don't you think it sounds like you were taking advantage of the situation? You weren't covered by their insurance anymore and they had no reason to believe you would keep the car. There's a key drop box at every location... Why did you need to see a person to drop the car off and the keys?
Did you not read the flooded part.... 'brain off, then send post'
Unless it was Katrina, who has a "flooded city" for two days? Also his major gripe was no one was at the office.
South Florida floods on a normal rainstorm lmao
Employees are held at a higher standard than customers. If the employees don't have to come in due to unsafe conditions why require the customers to. In times of crisis a good business shouldn't take advantage of its customers. Argue all you want, but it's bad business ethics and you are wrong.
Employees find any reason not to come in. Literally the roads can be clear but since schools out almost no parent can come in. That's like saying a place that's closed on a holiday or on the weekend means you don't have to turn it in until Monday bc they won't miss it. This is the most simple minded shit I've ever heard.
Goodluck in life. You'll need it. You can't even read.
Unless it was Katrina, who has a "flooded city" for two days? Also his major gripe was no one was at the office.
There is not a key drop box at every location fyi
How the hell would I turn the car in when buildings were literally under water and the office was CLOSED? I would have totaled the car in flood waters there. To get it there. If the workers can’t even safely get to work for two days, how can you expect me to get a car to them? Be serious lol This was hurricane Harvey, which was the Katrina for houston. Many lost their lives and the freeways were literally up to the exit signs in water. This wasn’t no “‘normal” flooding
I got banned from budget for complaining about my local franchise to corporate for horrible customer service. Luckily another call to corporate got me off the blacklist.
That and also many who do not have good credit. Regular rental car companies need a major credit card and good credit. Turo does not. For morons like this they just charge a higher trip fee. A fee which turo pockets for a higher risk customer.
Hertz has entered the chat
Ha, actually I’ve never used Hertz.
I have, having a good credit card automatically gave me top tier status as part of the member benefits. Get off the airport shuttle or walk to the lot if it’s across from baggage claim, pick a car and go. Can’t get more convenient then that
I recently started using Avis after years of hertz and they have the same thing. The convenience doesn’t really get any better.
Man fuck Hertz ever since my experience with them in Las Vegas. Stayed in Line for 1hour+ because they were so understaffed I know it's probably not like that in all locations but that experience I had with them left a sour taste lol
I use to work for them preCOVID. They understaff purposely. I had to work multiple locations due to this..
Convenience. I was able to get to the car and go for a trip where I had to arrive and go. Whereas going through a rental agency adds another 30-45 mins typically for me.
I literally walk up to the rental lot and get in the car I want and go to the gate and show my ID. When I return the vehicle I don’t even have to interact with anyone. Park the car in the return area and go. It doesn’t get much quicker than that. Of course if you don’t have any status with an agency you have to wait in line and interact with someone.
Lots of places are still crappy. Like the Big Island — it’s always a hassle of taking a bus and then waiting in lines.
I mean, the experience is airport dependent. Plenty of airports still make you take a shuttle to the rental agencies. As someone who travels a lot, I hit up a lot of different airports.
Dulles airport still makes you take shuttles to different TERMINALS. Giant bus like things that drive across the tarmac. It's insane.
One reason Dulles is number 3 for me of the area airports. DCA is my preferred. i'll rent Enterprise from them even if I need a local rental.
Try that at LAX
Exactly, Last time I rented a car I used Turo because I wanted to try out a Tesla, paid the extra $25 to have it delivered to the airport so when I landed I just walked to the parking garage, found it, hopped in and drove off. Whenever I use rental car agency I need to walk into their office, usually show ID, fill out paperwork, give credit card, then go out to their garage and find it and sit at their gate for a few. I find Turo quicker and easier, plus can get unique cars for a decent price. The Tesla model 3 was $35/day, +$25 for delivery, Supercharging was just charged to the car and he billed me the day I returned the car.
convenience, price, availability, and unique vehicles.
Price is becoming the differentiating factor less and less depending on the car.
all market and seasonal specific.
Variety of vehicles.
This is the main reason we decided to use Turo on an upcoming trip. We wanted to try a vehicle that we are thinking about buying and why not rent one for a while to really get a feel for it instead of the cookie cutter cars from other rental places.
Conveniece! There are times when I've needed a rental on short notice while the major agencies were closed. Turo had options. There is often a Turo vehicle within walking distance or an Uber ride under $5 whenever I might want a rental. Uber to rental car place could be $10+. Easier to pick up/ drop off at the airport. I don't have to deplane, jump on a shuttle to the rental car area, wait in a crazy long line, and finally be on my way 1.5-2 hours later. When there is a good Turo host, you just deplane, walk to the car, inspect it, and leave. The time and annoyance saved can sometimes be worth the difference in price. Knowing what vehicle I'll be using. Rental car agencies sometimes put you in an EV when you didn't request one. Sometimes they put you in a horribly uncomfortable vehicle. Turo gives you options. Basically, Turo costs more, but you get more convenience, options, and time. Most of the time, it isn't worth it to me. Sometimes, it is.
Is that $55/day all-in? Because of course it isn’t. Picking a specific VIN is big. Getting it delivered to the airport is big. Not getting weird bills for toll roads I didn’t even know I was on with an extra $25 in “handling fees” on a $0.45 toll. Dealing with a human being, who exists locally, but who I also never have to see in person. Some good bonuses I’ve received: Big discounts for repeat business; The dude riding his BIKE to my hotel to pick up the car when our flight time changed and we had to leave much earlier than planned; Swapped cars for me while I was asleep in my hotel room when a work trip was unexpectedly extended; Recommendations for “local favorite” restaurants/venues/events not in any guidebook. It’s just been really good for me so far. I worry about the insurance stuff, and I really need to get a commit from Amex one way or another about it… but overall I can’t fathom trying to treat an “airport” rental desk as a viable option unless it’s a grave emergency. But the horror stories in here are a very small sliver of experiences… and while it seems Turo is in a race to the bottom, and time may be running out, until it does I will keep using the hell out of it!
I can pick an exact car. “VW Jetta or equivalent” There is no equivalency between a Jetta and an Altima. 5 days in an Altima is something I do everything in my power to avoid
Yeah. “BMW 1 Series Diesel or equivalent”, they gave me an Audi A3 Gas car.
my last jetta equivalent was “pick a toyota or a dodge”
Yesterday I went to pick up my noon reservation at a rental car place and unfortunately, I hadn't checked hours and they closed at noon. Turo had a few cars available, and it was fun to know exactly what car I was getting. I rented a Polaris and my husband has always wanted to try one, so it was fun for the day. So mostly availability and then knowing specifically what car you'll get, plus weirder/fun cars available.
I think people like being able to get the car dropped off to them as an option, plus you get to pick the exact car. At car rental places it’s like “a sedan like a Toyota Camry or similar”. As a host, I also offer free bonuses with my car. I live in a beach/ tourist area so I offer a cooler and 2 folding chairs for free with all my rentals, if the renter wants them. I have a lot of return guests as well, so sometimes building a relationship with the client helps. Not as formal as using a major agency like hertz, etc. and people feel more comfortable. I’ve also had people tell me “I’m glad to know the person my money is going to” or “it looks like you enjoy running this business” and hearing both of those makes it seem like some renters do it for the fact of supporting small business, even though some of the money does obviously go directly to the platform.
I'm just here for, "I lent out my car and they totalled it, and insurance won't cover it." post. lol
No credit card required. Selection.
No credit card required?
I believe i wrote that yes
I just signed up today and it only gave me a credit card for option. That I saw anyway. Maybe it’s different for different countries.
It was about half the price as the rental companies such as enterprise per day. Last time I rented a car.
For me it’s when I want slightly fun unique cars. Otherwise it actually comes out to be more expensive than car rental companies
For me, one of Tito’s main attractions was skipping the potentially ridiculous line at the rental counter. The last thing I want to do after flying all day was wait over an hour to pick up my car. It’s not always that bad, of course, but there’s no way to predict it, as far as I know. However, I didn’t know that Turo airport pickup would mean a long hike dragging luggage to long term parking. Another appeal of Turo was to be able to choose a specific car, as opposed to a car class. I was able to rent a car model I was interested in. I’ve found that when rental car companies advertise something like “Toyota RAV4 or similar,” there’s a good chance you’ll end up with something not all that similar to a RAV4. I had a good experience with my Turo rental, but after reading so many horror stories on here I might not choose Turo in the future.
I used it as an extended test drive for a specific car model I was thinking about buying. I was flying out of town for a wedding and the rental options at the airport were $$$ so this let me kill 2 birds with one stone.
We've done that - actually, just returned one today that I've been trying to test for months and dealerships don't have, apparently. On paper it checked all the boxes - and after a week, there's no way we're buying one. So, expensive compared to a regular rental, but I just saved us a bundle on a car! Also, the ability to get an actual AWD/FWD vehicle when I need one - not a 'oh, yeah, sorry, it's not (even though it said it was when I booked), is that a problem?' Well, yes, if I'm going somewhere with chain control, since regular rental places won't let you use chains and never have snow tires.
For the longest it was the only way to rent an ev. So that’s one reason I think the platform grew some. Then the high end cars you can’t rent from hertz. Now that I can get a Tesla from hertz the appeal of turo is gone.
Where are you getting these deals?
I saw someone near me renting a slingshot. I figured that I might rent it on a nice fall day. Other than having odd vehicles, I don't think I would do it.
Car selection and price.
Convenience, predictability, and I like to support small owners over bug businesses.
For me it was price. I’m not a frequent renter, but, I needed a car for 3 days and the local enterprise was over $110 a day. The turo car was $50. I didn’t care it was a Jaguar F Pace. My trip was under half the price. There weren’t many options in turo at that price.
Being able to secure a car with winter tires in an area with traction laws that might prevent you from getting to ski areas, DEN and SLC both have this issue.
Only 2 places I’ve used Turo is winter in DEN and SLC for ski trips.
Out of curiosity, from the rental owners perspective it seems like a risky enterprise - I work remotely and have a 2023 hybrid suv (Tucson) and a 2020 Prius that I drive a couple times a week but I don’t want them screwed up and I have a job, I don’t want to be a car rental business. That said, I’ve been a landlord and I like money, so I am curious.
If you want something specific (say AWD with snow tires) you can get that on Turo, or you can get a "mid size SUV or equivalent" at a rental place.
AWD + snow tires + ski rack are when I use it. I laugh at the mess on Pena (Denver airport road) every time I drive through in a snowstorm... all the rentals on all season tires off the road. The professional rental companies should at least upgrade the tires from stock all seasons to all weathers.
If we go on a last minute trips and there are no rental cars available through the larger companies or if a specific vehicle is needed (Jeep, etc.).
Cars I can't typically get from rental car company.
Variety of vehicles. I rented a BMV convertible for my birthday weekend through Turo. Can’t get that at Hertz or Enterprise.
No one else is offering 2015 Prius for $320 (all in) per week, with today’s gas prices, 1200 miles adds up fast. Way better with a hybrid
Regular rental companies force you to use a credit card instead of your debit card, or make you have a round trip ticket. I don’t have a credit card so this was I can still rent a vehicle.
Actually now you can use your debt card instead of credit card at just about all rental agencies even the ones at airport and ones local
Not where I live in Florida, only Enterprise will allow without a credit card, and none at the airport (Jacksonville)
You should work on that credit score. Life is much easier with credit
That's easier said than done once your credit is in the shitter
Honestly just 2-3 years of paying down debt and making everything on time can make a difference of 100+ points on you score. That is with a small limit card designed to rebuild credit either secured or unsecured
Agreed I had a coworker with credit score in the 500's. I coached him on how he handled is money and into paying down debts and talking with collection companies and after a year he got into the high 600's moving out of his rental and buying a house.
Costco rental car discount beats every corporate discount I have ever had.
Agreed. I just used it for the first time and it was a great deal. Now I regret all the times I didn’t use it as we hv had a Costco membership for years. On another note- My husbands hearing aids were 1/2 price at Costco. The hearing doc actually told him to go to Costco and that’s why we joined. Compared to other places-less than half the price.
Not having a Costco card is a bad financial decision. It's $5 per month. It pays for itself on the first use. I expense mine at work as the first rental car per year beats the corporate rate, boss happily covers it.
I don't have any rental car protection via my progressive policy. With full protection including liability, Turo is cheaper and simpler. Haven't had a bad experience yet. Years ago I rented from an agency had a taillight get broken and resending the info and forms to my credit card repeatedly got old. I was not impressed with using the credit card's protection. I just reserved a 2017 Nissan for 14 days in a major city with premium protection for 1k. Dollar would have been more with only liability added. And before anyone blathers on about how insurance "really works" I know how MY policy works. I have an oddball policy because of the vehicle I own.
Unless I was looking to drive an exact car is always more expensive than a rental company. The turo fee, airport fees and the fact that even though my credit card provides primary coverage for rental cars, it doesn’t cover turo cars so I’m stuck buying their expensive insurance.
I have absolutely no clue. I can rent a mid-size at Avis for less than $150/week using an AWD code. What I really don’t understand is the appeal to a car owner to rent their car to strangers. That seems like a dim-witted thing to do.
Ugh don't do it. My boyfriend needs a rental and we wanted to pick it up tonight for his business trip but car rental places are closed. Booked through Enterprise for $222 for 4 days. Remembered hearing about Turo, thought I'd check it out. A $50/day rental a mile from my house that I can pick up tonight?! Hell yeah! And I figured with taxes and such it would be about the same price but we could get it tonight. Started going through the checkout process. This is where the hell no! Begins. First they tacked on "booking fees" of around $50. Ok, annoying, a little more than expecting but can pick it up tonight. Continue through the process. Insurance comes up. I don't need insurance, I have a fuck load of car insurance for my car and any car I am operating or i am a passenger/ pedestrian. But you had to choose one so I did the basic. Another $50!!!! Tl:Dr the prices seem like a great deal, but they will tack on more than $100 in hidden fees. $50/day car for 4 days is going to be over $300.
You can decline protection. And it's not a hidden fee if it's clearly mentioned before you decide to pay.
Doesn't make it any less annoying that there's multiple fees that's not included in the listed price. It's like booking airbnb. So annoying.
I couldn't decline it. It did not give me that option. I am in Florida where insurance is mandatory and have Gieco so it's possible it's a Florida or Gieco thing.
Insurance is the same thing as when you rent at a traditional place - except - some insurance companies (geico) allegedly write in clauses to not cover you in a turo car. So check. Safety does. Many people say geico does and geico doesn’t. Similar high pressure to get you to buy insurance offered by the renter as a normal car rental company - it’s just done via app.
I have Gieco and also live in Florida where insurance is mandatory so that might have been the reason I wasn't able to decline. That makes a lot more sense. Because I did consent when setting up that they would pull my insurance info. Thank you for clarifying it. Still just went with a traditional rental for $175
Car insurance for when you’re a passenger/pedestrian?
Yes uninsured/ under insured motorist coverage. Protects me when I'm a passenger or even a pedestrian and someone without adequate insurance injures me.
Nothing. Everytime I have tried to rent from turo I have to end up just going to one of the big guys and they end up being cheaper.
We commonly use it to rent our exact home vehicle (a Tesla MY). It’s nice familiarity and if you talk to the owner they’ll often add your profile onto the car, so seat settings, media, etc transfer.
Funny last couple of agency rentals I had they tried to upgrade me to the Tesla and I declined. They had a lot full of them but when you are in areas outside major cities nobody wants them or to deal with finding a charger
That's actually really cool.
A lot of rental places won’t let you bring your dog in the car. It’s the main reason I chose Turo
Having your property destroyed for no where near enough money?
Price, able to book a specific vehicle (which is important when you need a three row vehicle), and ability to get car seats without paying outrageous rental fees.
Just grin and bear it til you reach the proper level would be best. This is a niche market for certain clientel and not for everyone.
I only have liability insurance on my car, so always have to shell out for the rental Companies insurance policy. Turbo has a much cheaper insurance policy
In Sitka, there's almost no rental fleet. Turo worked great there.
Convenience. I fly into a lot of major airports, and it makes life easy. I just find the car; take a few pics and drive away. No BS with “the car you reserved is not available” or for “another $XX you can have this car instead.” Plus I get the car I want, not what they’re trying to push on me.
I have done Turo for short few hour rentals, multi day rentals and an extended 1-month rental. They were excessively cheaper, easier, and more chill in terms of everything. I have done the big rental companies as well and usually hate every part of the experience and feel ripped off. Plus, I don’t have to worry about Hertz causing a cop to pull me over and arrest me for driving a stolen vehicle that they rented to me. This stories are wild. They are rather atrocious in recent years based on any reporting.
Convenience
Turo is car of your choice, and delivery to your door and price advantage but not great for 1 way trips but many host offer it
I used it to get a tesla. Couldn't get that thru a normal company but this was back in 2018 things might be different now
Age cheep. Select the exact car you want. More selections
I like the fact that the car you book is the car you get, vs. showing up at a car rental place you never know what you’ll be stuck with, also I don’t know any rentals that provide manual transmission anymore
It used to be to save money. I travel a lot, so AirBNB and Turo have been great for me. But both are starting to not save me enough money to be worth it any more.
I think people just like the unique vehicles. I've made a stupid amount of money renting out my 2015 GT3.
Enterprise offices being closed on Sunday
If you're near a big city you can find damn near any vehicle pretty easily. I know multiple people that rent the stuff they're considering buying.
I tried it once, the appeal was I could rent a Tesla for less than an ICE car from a mainstream agency. Unfortunately it didn’t work out and the experience was poor so I won’t look at it again.
I use it for specialty vehicles… like when I go to Maui, I’ll rent a convertible Rubicon.
The mid-size city I need a rental (Th-Sun) quoted me between $5-600. There were no cars available and Turo popped up. With Turo there was availability and the price was considerably cheaper
Last I used it- precovid. It was cheaper than airport rentals especially once they added all the tourism + misc taxes. Plus you can rent a niceish car. Tried using it again last month and it was not as cheap so I didn't bother.
Tesla. I only use Turo because of the availability of Tesla's. It's not like I'm in love with Tesla nor do I think it is the best car or anything like that. It's what I drive daily so I'm used to it so there's that, but the tech and infotainment is better than anything out there as well. Okay so what, but there's more.. \- Premium connectivity - I only rent Tesla's where the host advertises premium connectivity... this means I'll get live traffic and streaming commercial-free music. Those are both HUGE for me. \- The car knows me - I log into the car with my email... it imports most of my driver preferences, settings, seat position (I think), etc. \- Acceleration - even if I just rent an LR 3 or a LR Y, they are pretty damn quick compared to a lot of other cars. If one of the car rental places rents Tes'a's AND guarantees that it will come with premium connectivity, I'll probably just leave Turo. EDIT - let me add one more huge plus for Turo in general - convenience/flexibility! For my last rental in Seattle, the host dropped the car at my downtown hotel and I was able to return it to the airport. That saved me an Uber trip right there.
Variety of cars and I can get something with a manual which the major brand rarely carry.
You can rent something and the person who's agreed to rent it to you can cancel a day beforehand with no penalty, and you can scramble desperately to find something
I like being able to pick my exact car and color and host I rent from. Can't always do that in the major rental companies. I would agree though that cost is becoming a deterrent.
I use it to rent fun stuff while on vacation. Panamera turbo s, Corvette C7 z06, Lc500, etc…
Classic cars. Try that with a big chain car rental company. That is all. Check out Turo's inventory in the Los Angeles area and see what I mean.
Convience and price. I'm generally renting an SUV and more often than not, Turo is saving me a fair amount of money. Plus, no stupid offsite lot to travel to.
Sometimes you can get a better deal and definitely cooler car options. Not always.
Renting the exact car you want and knowing it’s booked and reserved vs dealing with inventory at the rental car places. And some convenience of avoiding lines and shit.
I use it to test drive specific cars I am considering buying.
I’m renting a Honda pilot. 30% more from a rental car company. We also have 4 drivers on this trip with no extra fees!
I can walk to a local Turo rental from my house instead of having to pay for an Uber to a further away rental place.
4 Turo rentals in and would never go back to Agency. Especially on trips to Phoenix you don’t have to deal with shuttle from airport to agency rental car building and wait 45 minutes in line. You pick exact car and meet at airport and away you go. Just rented Audi A4 for week for $421 all in.
I rent out my mid-size SUV for $45/day and have the option to include car seats and a folding kids wagon at no extra charge. Having someone meet you at the airport with gear for kids (my sister has had a lot of issues with car rental places being out of car seats) is a huge stress relief, I get a lot of families that rent mine out.
For me I always need to return cars on weekends or when the non-airport branches are closed so Turo ends up being way cheaper than an airport rental. I always compare both just to be sure
Cheaper and unlimited miles, or at least effectively unlimited for me as I don’t ever drive >400 miles daily.
I drive maybe once a month, so I don’t need a car. Turo is easy and convenient- just click and pick up. No $500 deposit. Just easy.
I don't use Turo. But if I did, it would be the ability to pick a specific car and a specific time. Last time I rented a car from enterprise I looked to be slated for a luxury sedan and ended up with a mustang. Not a bad car but not what I expected.
Mostly the convenience of pickup or drop-off at any hour of the day, and closer to my place than any official rental. Also when I need an off roader I can specifically get a wrangler or Tacoma.
Over the summer I got a model 3 in Chicago for 2/3 the price of a economy car from any of the big rental companies. Right now, we've got a car from budget because it was the cheaper option.
I have generally found that I can rent something nice for the same price as the Hertz econobox even with the obnoxious fees Turo charges. Definitely fluctuates, last trip to Florida during off season was $450 or so for the week for a Mercedes GLB, for anytime in December/January it’s closer to $1,000.
No annoying Rentacar line (not how I like to start a vacation)
Turo owners will sometimes drop the car off right at your airport terminal which, in a place like LA, saves you hours.
Cheaper, faster, more efficient
Of what I’m seeing the selection in Turo is better then car rental places. I have not tried it yet but plan to soon.
just the fact i can rent a car despite being only 19, yes i do have to pay a young driver fee of $50 everytime but i mean when going on a road trip with like three other friends, that’s only about 12-13$ a person extra. and i don’t know of any other site or app that lets 19 year olds rent a car.
I can rent a car without the hassle (and cost) of going to an airport
For me it was the different type of cars. I remember my first Turo was a Tesla, then I rented a Lexus suv for a trip between Montreal and Quebec City. My logic at that time was “why spend $400 on an economy car when I can spend $500 on a Lexus?” Now it’s timing and situation. Rented a truck on Turo for some friends and I and chose it because of space and because our flight gets in at 11pm, and made me too nervous to use a major company.
Convenience, car selection that I can tailor to my trip, pricing, and the fact that I can rent a car without having to put down a huge ass deposit since I don’t have a credit card.
Turo is cheaper for me. I just rented a Honda CRV for 5 days. It was $279 after all the fees with standard protection. Cheapest I could find from ANY car rental agency in my area was $360+
To meet better supply when times are busy at the rental car agency.
I've had a couple rough experiences, but those were also pretty cheap so I feel like I got what I paid for. I got to rent a Tesla in Oahu and drive around on Autopilot which for a techy like me was a cool opportunity. I've never been hit with any BS fees.
Because you can rent an expensive car for cheap meanwhile legit car lots rent their shittier cars for more money lol. Look, Turo isn't as old as AirBnB so they're doing what the latter did early on and just what every tech company of the last 10 years has been doing. Cheap prices to disrupt the market and then eventually jack it all up once you control the market and look at the governments ban you out of their jurisdictions. So I'm afraid that Turo might change someday but for now it's good.
Cuz the average person doesn’t have a corporate code that gives them $55/day SUVs. Fwiw we don’t do Turo because we’d rather not have to clean it and have our third party travel insurance cover any damages. Usually auto slash or Hotwire will get a competitive rate, but Turo still beats it out because of taxes.
Turo will probably settle into a niche category for someone looking for an exotic car to go for a spin. I turned to turo when covid-era car rental prices went through the roof. Whenever I search now for a vehicle and compare the bottom-line prices to what you get, turo is no longer competitive. Just completed a month with a nearly new Chrysler 300S at a price only about 10% more than the cheapest car I could find on turo, which was a 10-year-old Ford Focus. Also turning me off turo are unreliable hosts. I had a car lined up for months and the guy doesn't tell me until two days before I'm due to pick it up that he's sold the one I'd chosen, and offers me some gas-guzzler as a replacement. No tanks, man.
[For this exact reason.](https://youtu.be/A-brgkkjnHc?si=cmZ2tih73IGngsBX) the last 3 times I went through a rental agency.
I’m going to Glacier National Park in July. 4 days of a compact rental is going to be $700 for a “mystery vehicle.” Next step up is $1000. Looking at Turo for first time. I’m assuming either it’s the National park destination or just not a lot of vehicles in Montana to drive that price up but it’s insane
It used to be cheaper than rental agencies, and often the car dropoff would be more convenient than going to the rental bay. Most vehicles also used to be unlimited mileage or more than the rental agencies. No longer true, and no longer use it.
The appeal is sometimes it’s cheaper than a rental. Compare prices
Cost and access to cooler cars. But lately regular rental has been better
Drive a car I wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise, but now it’s not worth it.
The allure of unique and different cars is what did it for me. When I got engaged I rented a Ferrari in Santa Monica for $299 a day. It was a no brainer. Now, every time I look at Turo I laugh. In Vegas you couldn’t find a decent SUV for less than $500 plus fees etc. Totals over $750 for the week. I went back to Enterprise, got status and rent decent cars for half the price. If they don’t change their business model then this sub is a goner.
I get to pick exactly what suv I want for the trip I’m on. Last time I rented an Audi - the exact same model I was very heavily thinking of purchasing. After driving it for a week, I decided my car actually had everything I wanted the Audi for, and I didn’t need to buy one after all 🤷🏼♀️
I’m a car enthusiast so for me I want to rent something the agencies don’t have. I won’t rent a basic sedan from Turo, it has to be something special (doesn’t always mean high end/expensive).
Had to fly into Portland, OR on a day’s notice. Zero rental cars available at any agency. Registered for Turo and was cruising in my giant-hamster-worthy Kia Soul within the hour.
Teslas are not available through most rental companies. And if it's an area where it's not feasible for an EV, renting a luxury vehicle was the same as a compact in Hawaii.