While having someone drive you around, especially if you’re just visiting can be nice, it can be a better choice to get behind the wheel yourself. While this before meant a good deal of paperwork, probably at least half an hour of waiting and a low quality vehicle, nowadays the game has changed. With Uber and Lyft taking rental car companies to the cleaners, many have decided to strike back with easy apps and better rides. Here, we take a look at 5 of the top apps and websites like Uber for renting out cars.
Starting off our list is the app most like Uber in terms of the social aspects. While with Uber you “rent” the person’s time and car, Getaround allows people to essentially list their car as a rental and drivers to show up and use it at an hourly rate, starting as low as $5 per hour. There is also a daily rate available. For those who lend their cars, the website claims they can make around $10,000 extra a year and have $1 Million in insurance coverage – more than enough to cover if the driver decides to pull a stunt from Dukes of Hazzard. Both the App and the website itself are easy to navigate, and the company offers multiple security and ease of use options for driver and owner alike. While still in its infancy, it looks like Getaround may soon be expanding to many more cities in the near future.
4. Car2Go
Next up is a website that isn’t exactly hiding it’s in competition with Uber. Claiming that you’ll never have to worry about surge pricing, chatty drivers or alternative routes, Car2Go is trying to get you to go over to them. A huge benefit as a rental in big cities, Car2Go offers free downtown parking, and ease of access as main features. Offering three rides, the Smart Fortwo, the Mercedes Benz GLA or CLA, the service charges around 50 cents a minute, $15-19 an hour, or $59 to $79 a day depending on what you need. Without a need to refill the car, or even park it in the original spot, Car2Go offers a good deal of convenience and luxury at a bit of a price.
3. Zip Car
Here’s a car service that one may often see on University campuses and for good reason – If you live on campus and need to do a grocery run, it certainly beats bus service. With hourly, monthly or even yearly memberships, ZipCar allows you to rent a car with the easy motion of tapping your phone to a windshield. With locations that encompass most of the United States, it’s one of the more well developed apps that could beat out Uber in terms of convenience and peace of mind. Unlike the previous app or website, Zip Car does require you to park it in a designated spot, but this can be a non-issue if you live anywhere near an academic or urban center. With 180 miles included in each rental for members, it can be a great deal if you have a lot to do, and little time for much else.
2. Avis Rent a Car
Coming in as a runner up for the best apps and websites that work as a rental car replacement to Uber is Avis, a long time veteran of the car rental field. With some excellent perks to those who plan ahead, including 30% off normal reservations, Avis can be found about anywhere you need it to be. For those who have served with the military, there is another 25% off rentals to make the deal all the better. Though usually reserved online, there is an app which allows for greater control over your rental experience. This includes being able to skip office lines, grab the keys, and get on with your day. Some SUVs can be rented for under $30, and coupons are pretty frequent on the site, making it a great deal for those thrifty renters.
1. Budget Rental Cars
Coming to the top of the list is a company that has been a longtime rival of Avis as well as Uber and a great deal to many. Similar to Avis with the coupon aspect, Budget Rental likewise offers Fastbreak which allows for a skipping of the line with a flash of your ID. The prices are reasonable and online checkout is fairly simple. Budget also rents out moving trucks if you need to get a real move on, and if you find yourself loving a rental, Budget also has a car sales department. With ease of use and frugality being front and center, Budget wins out as a rental alternative to Uber, with literally pages of discounts and locations nearly everywhere.
Do you have a favorite car rental app or website that wasn’t mentioned? Feel free to contribute in the comments to give even more selections to other readers.
Starting off our list is the app most like Uber in terms of the social aspects. While with Uber you “rent” the person’s time and car, Getaround allows people to essentially list their car as a rental and drivers to show up and use it at an hourly rate, starting as low as $5 per hour. There is also a daily rate available. For those who lend their cars, the website claims they can make around $10,000 extra a year and have $1 Million in insurance coverage – more than enough to cover if the driver decides to pull a stunt from Dukes of Hazzard. Both the App and the website itself are easy to navigate, and the company offers multiple security and ease of use options for driver and owner alike. While still in its infancy, it looks like Getaround may soon be expanding to many more cities in the near future.
