Rental cars

[GregH]

My trusty Prius collects dust most of the time now thanks to the new Leaf kicking it out of the garage. I need a long range car maybe 5 or 6 times a year for 30 or so days. I'm trying to decide if I'm better off selling the Prius and renting a car for long trips... Near the Tustin Nissan (a few miles from my house) there is a Hertz rental that says they could get me a Versa-like car for ~$33/day and an Enterprise rental that says they can do ~$23/day for a small compact...(assuming 7 or more days)

Most households have more than one car so this isn't an issue.. But are there any other single folks out there that are going with just the Leaf? And if so, what do you do when you need a car for longer trips?

 

[JPVLeaf]

Where there is a yin, there is a yang. This is a perfect application for car sharing: pairing of a single-car EV owner, and a multiple-car family with an 'extra' gas car.

Our situation is different in that we are the 3-car family with 2 drivers.

Our one gas car now sits idle a vast majority of the time. Being a believer in collaborative consumption, we are contemplating making our gas car available for rental through a peer-to-peer car sharing service such as Getaround.com. This is the kind of car that could benefit single-car Leaf owners such as yourself (not to mention we are also in Irvine). I have already listed my Leaf as available for car sharing (rent) and will soon list our Audi A4. And, since the owner sets their own rates, I'm pretty sure I can beat Hertz's rates.

[EDIT: Will offer 'special' rates for MNL members. Just ask.
See my Audi listed here: http://www.getaround.com/JPs_A4 ]

Nice thing about Getaround’s car sharing program is that private car owners can put their underutilized assets into use and get something back in return. Owners set their own rates, availability and rental terms. Renters get to choose amongst available rental vehicles. Also, insurance coverage is included for both owner and renter through the rental period. Something happens to your car, and you're covered.

 

[LakeLeaf]

It's an interesting question. Certainly the car in the garage is a *major* convenience.

Only you can really do a proper cost analysis to determine if there will be a big savings one way or the other.

As someone who rents a car just about every week because of travel, I do enjoy driving different cars and learning about the various makes and models. The one difference, I usually rent mid-size, large, or premium cars - as those would be the car I'm interested in purchasing. I've rented many of the cheapest car available, but I couldn't see myself buying one of these. I often go for the "more then premium" in order to get a hybrid - I'm very curious how different hybrid compare to each other.

So I guess it all depends on your goal - cost savings, environment savings, new experiences, etc.

 

[abasile]

... we are contemplating making our gas car available for rental through a peer-to-peer car sharing service such as Getaround.com.

This seems like a really good idea. My only hangup is that they require a Facebook membership, which I am not at all eager to establish.

 

[curtegg]

For long trips I rely on my Harley Electra Glide

 

[Hedge74]

My Freinds and I routinely rent cars for trips out of the DFW region, even when one of our own cars would be able to make the trip. There are a variety of reasons. The two that stand out the most are wear and tear on our own vehicle and the chance of mechanical problems Ruining the whole trip. While the chances of mechanical problems are remote. If our rental breaks down for an extended period of time we get another from an area dealer and continue on our way.



Hedge