Best Rental Car Company (2024) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards (2024)

Hit the road with confidence

Best Rental Car Company(2024)
May 15, 2024

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When it comes to hitting the road, whether for business or pleasure, the choice of rental car company can make all the difference. With a plethora of options available, each boasting unique benefits and services, how do you decide which to choose?

From the ease of booking to the quality of customer service, and the condition of the vehicle itself, every aspect counts. With that in mind, an expert panel selected their top picks for rental car companies, then readers voted for their favorites. These are the 10 best rental car companies in the United States.

Photo courtesy of Thrifty

No. 10:

Thrifty

A popular option for budget travelers snagging a vehicle at the airport, Thrifty has amassed a wide range of sedans, SUVs, and trucks since their initial launch in 1958.

Photo courtesy of mixetto / E+ Getty Images

No. 9:

ACE Rent A Car

Founded in 1966, the Indianapolis-basedACE Rent A Car began their operations with just10 Volkswagens. Today, the company has expanded far beyond the Hoosier State, with several hundred outposts currently operating in close to 50 different countries.

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Photo courtesy of SIXT

No. 8:

SIXT

German rental companySIXT made its debut in the state of Bavaria in 1912, ultimately amassing a diverse portfolio of vehicles and a presence across many major U.S. and European cities.

Photo courtesy of Dollar

No. 7:

Dollar

DollarCar Rental made its California debut as Dollar Rent A Car in the 1960s. In the modern era, this budget-friendly rental service now operates all throughout the United States and multiple other countries, offering a wide variety of cost-conscious options to customers.

Photo courtesy of Hispanolistic / E+ Getty Images

No. 6:

Alamo Rent A Car

In business for half a century,Alamo Rent A Car now serves four different continents and the Caribbean, and it even holds the distinction of being the first rental car company to roll out an online booking and check-in system.

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Photo courtesy of gehringj / iStock / Getty Images Plus

No. 5:

National Car Rental

While National Car Rental is available to all forms of traveler, the company is particularly popular with frequent fliers due to theEmerald Club. The loyalty membership allows participants to quickly attain their vehicle without many of the typical steps that come with rental agreements.

Photo courtesy of Paul Bradbury / OJO Images / Getty Images

No. 4:

Budget

For any vacationers in need of a low-cost vehicle, the aptly-named Budget is armed with a large and diverse fleet of cars. Customers can find roughly 2,700 rental locations scattered across more than 120 countries.

Photo courtesy of Ocskaymark / iStock / Getty Images Plus

No. 3:

Avis

Stemming from humble origins with a three-car fleet in 1946, Avis ballooned into the second-largest vehicle rental company in the United States less than a decade later. Today, the enterprise has expanded far beyond North America with a presence in more than 150 different nations.

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See Also

Why Enterprise Is One Of The World’s Best Private CompaniesMietwagen bei Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Indianapolis ab 74 €/Tag | SWOODOOEnterprise Rent-A-Car hire cars in Indianapolis from £40/day - KAYAKCar Rental Indianapolis | Hertz Rent a Car

Photo courtesy of Hertz

No. 2:

Hertz

Operating for more than a century, Hertz has developed into one of the planet's largest car rental companies, equipped with hundreds of thousands of vehicles and multiple rental facilities located on all six inhabited continents.

Photo courtesy of RossHelen / iStock / Getty Images Plus

No. 1:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Equipped with thousands of locations, Enterprise Rent-A-Car serves as the one of the largest vehicle rental companies in all of the United States. Though rentals are available to any form of customer, the company is popular with consumers in need of a replacement vehicle while theirs is in the shop.

Allison Tibaldi

Allison Tibaldi

Allison Tibaldi is a travel and food writer based in New York City. She has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne Australia, Toronto and Los Angeles.She studied early childhood development in graduate school and firmly believes that travel is the best education.She writes for numerous publications including CNN, Travel Channel, HGTV, am New York, Emirates Open Skies, Family Traveller and Travel Weekly.

Chez Chesak

Chez Chesak

‘Chez’ Chesak is Executive Director of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, an adventure travel writer, board member of the Society of American Travel Writers and 22-year veteran of the outdoor and travel industries. While he’s lived all over the U.S. and traveled to more than 30 countries, he has the most fun when he’s exploring with his wife Sally and two daughters. An avid outdoors person, he’s happiest on a trail, on skis, or nestled into a sleeping bag. Learn more about him and his work at www.chezconnects.com.

Jacky Runice

Jacky Runice

Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie is a travel writer who has visited over 50 countries, many of them with her children in tow. She loves visiting everything from theme parks to ancient ruins and packs strictly carry-on-only. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com.

Jenny Peters

Jenny Peters

Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Critics Choice Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).

Kyle McCarthy

Kyle McCarthy

Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations andThe Family Vacationiste-newsletterprovide destination reviews, tips andseasonal roundupsfor all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks@familytravelforum.

Melanie Reffes

Melanie Reffes

Melanie is an island girl at heart . Born in Manhattan, she now lives on the sunny island of Montreal and covers the Caribbean for a variety of publications including USA TODAY 10Best, CaribbeanTravel.com and MarryCaribbean.com.A journalist with a boatload of writer awards under her belt, Melanie's affection for the Caribbean started young when her family vacationed in Puerto Rico. An avid fan of spicy food, Melanie enjoys the diversity of Montreal - especially during the warmer months -when she's not en route to the Caribbean. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto.

Olivia Christine Perez

Olivia Christine Perez

Olivia Christine Perez is an outdoor + travel wellness expert, author, and the creator ofO. Christine: a travel and wellness platform inspiring thousands of people to travel more and get outdoors for their wellness. Living with an autoimmune disease herself, Olivia helps people find wellness through the outdoors, self-care adventures, and mindful travel experiences. You can follow her work atochristine.comandinstagram.com/ochristine.

Rob Taylor

Rob Taylor

Rob Taylor is theauthor ofThe Road Trip Survival Guide(being released May 25, 2021) andthe founder of 2TravelDads, the original LGBT Family Travel blog. Focusing on ecotourism and education, 2TravelDads inspires LGBT families (and traditional families also) to go beyond their usual getaways and use travel to learn about and be part of a bigger world. 2TravelDads blazes the way for other two-dad and two-mom families to travel to previously overlooked destinations or places we as gay people would normally avoid. We share the struggles we've faced and the surprising gems and welcomes we've had along the way. Traveling as a family is one thing, traveling as an LGBT family is completely something else.

Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith,Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director forUSA TODAY 10Best,has a special interest in unique culinary experiences andoff-the-beaten-path adventures.Catherine is the founder ofHer Bags Were Packedwhere shefocuses on helpingwomen release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.

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