For most people in the U.S., Turo is the best app if you want the widest selection and often better prices than traditional rental counters. It lets you choose the exact car, with delivery available in many locations.
which car rental company is best for me?
which rental car service should i use?
Other topics in Vehicle Rental and Sharing Services
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the highest-rated traditional car rental company for overall customer satisfaction. According to the latest J.D. Power North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, Enterprise clinched the top spot with a score of 734 out of 1,000, closely followed by its sister brand, National Car Rental.
Because the "best" company depends entirely on what you prioritize for your trip, the top industry performers are categorized below by their strengths.
Standout Feature : It features the largest vehicle fleet in the industry (over 2.1 million cars) and boasts an unmatched footprint of over 9,500 global locations, making it incredibly easy to find a vehicle outside of major airports.
Perks : Highly praised for straightforward customer service and a very generous three-year point expiration policy on its Enterprise Plus Loyalty Program.
National Car Rental (Best for Frequent & Business Travelers)
Standout Feature : Ranked as the top corporate supplier for 11 consecutive years by Business Travel News.
Perks : The legendary National Emerald Club allows members to completely bypass the counter, walk straight to the lot, and choose any vehicle from the Emerald Aisle.
Sixt (Best for Luxury & Style)
Standout Feature : Tied for third place overall in customer satisfaction and heavily favored by travelers looking for premium European sedans and high-end SUVs without paying traditional boutique luxury prices.
Perks : Features an incredibly sleek, modern fleet and highly optimized digital app tools.
Alamo Rent A Car (Best for Families & Vacationers)
Standout Feature : Consistently ranks in the top tier for smooth pickup and drop-off experiences.
Perks : Excellent online check-in and self-service airport kiosks designed to get vacationing families out of the terminal and onto the road as fast as possible.
Budget (Best for the Cost-Conscious)
Standout Feature : Widely recognized by major travel analysts as the provider with the most competitive baseline pricing among traditional agencies.
Perks : An excellent choice if you want a reliable vehicle from a major global player without paying a premium for corporate lounge speed.
Direct Brand Comparison
Rental Company
Best For
J.D. Power Score
Loyalty Program Highlight
Enterprise
Neighborhood access & reliability
734
Free pickup options & flexible point building
National
Speed & business travel
721
Emerald Aisle (bypass the counter completely)
To give you the most accurate recommendation, could you tell me:
What city or airport are you renting from?
Are you traveling for business or leisure?
Are you looking for the cheapest option , a seamless premium experience , or a specific type of vehicle (like an SUV or luxury car)?
The right car rental app depends entirely on whether you want the reliability of a traditional rental counter, the unique vehicle selection of peer-to-peer sharing, or the lowest price across multiple companies.
The top options are categorized by what they do best:
1. Best for Skipping the Line (Traditional Rental Brands)
If you want a seamless airport experience where you bypass the rental counter entirely and walk straight to your car, stick to the direct apps of major fleets.
National Car Rental (National Car Rental App ): Widely considered the gold standard for business and frequent travelers. Through their Emerald Club, you can book a midsize car, walk past the counter, pick any car from the Emerald Aisle, and drive away at the midsize rate.
Enterprise (Enterprise App ): Scores highest in overall customer satisfaction for traditional rental service. Excellent neighborhood locations and a very reliable app for managing reservations or roadside support.
Hertz (Hertz App ): Strong loyalty program (Hertz Gold Plus Rewards) with great counter-bypass features at major locations.
2. Best for Unique Cars and Local Selection (Peer-to-Peer)
Turo (Turo on Google Play ): The premier alternative to traditional rental companies. You rent specific cars directly from local hosts. It's ideal if you want a specific luxury/fun car, need a vehicle in a non-airport area, or want home/airport delivery options.
Getaround (Getaround ): Great for hourly or daily neighborhood car-sharing where you can unlock the car directly via your phone.
3. Best for Finding the Lowest Price (Aggregators & Comparison)
Kayak or Priceline : Excellent metasearch engines to quickly compare rates across Avis, Budget, Hertz, and smaller brands all at once.
DiscoverCars (DiscoverCars ): Highly rated for international travel, transparent pricing on insurance coverage, and no hidden fees.
To narrow this down, tell me:
Are you renting from an airport or a local neighborhood location?
Are you looking for the absolute cheapest price , or a premium/specific type of car?
I can tell you precisely which app will give you the best deal or experience.
If you want one app to start with, I’d use KAYAK. It compares rates from major rental companies in one place, including Enterprise, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, and Payless, and lets you filter by price, vehicle type, and policies.
A simple breakdown:
KAYAK — best starting point for comparing traditional rental companies and prices.
Turo — useful if you want a specific car, local pickup/delivery, or something less conventional. It's peer-to-peer rather than a traditional rental company.
Enterprise — worth checking directly if you prefer a conventional rental company and physical locations/pickup service.
If you mean in the U.S., there isn't one best rental company for every trip, but current 2026 data points to a few strong choices:
National — particularly strong for frequent/business travelers. Business Travel News rated it highest overall in its 2026 survey, and it has led that survey for 11 consecutive years.
Enterprise — a strong general-purpose option, especially for neighborhood rentals. It ranked first in J.D. Power's 2025 customer-satisfaction study and has a very large U.S. footprint.
Alamo — worth checking for leisure/family trips; ACSI's 2026 study gave it a 79/100 satisfaction score, tied for the highest among the brands measured.
Hertz — another major option, particularly if its price or vehicle selection beats the alternatives; it ranked third in BTN's 2026 survey.
Budget — often worth checking when price is the priority; rental prices vary substantially by location and date, so comparing the final total matters more than the advertised daily rate.
For a typical personal trip, I'd compare Enterprise, Alamo, Hertz, and Budget for the exact dates rather than choosing solely by brand. Taxes, airport fees, insurance, mileage rules, and one-way fees can change the actual winner substantially.
If you're renting around Clifton/North Jersey, I can also compare the actual nearby rental companies and current prices for your dates.
The "best" car rental service depends entirely on what you prioritize—whether that is smooth customer service, premium vehicles, budget pricing, or loyalty rewards. According to major consumer evaluations and industry rankings (such as Consumer Reports and NerdWallet ), the top rental companies break down by category:
National Car Rental(Best Overall Satisfaction) : Frequently ranks highest in customer satisfaction and efficiency. Their Emerald Club lets frequent renters bypass the counter entirely, choose their own car from the lot, and drive off. It tends to be pricier, but travelers praise the speed and premium experience.
Enterprise(Best for Customer Service & Loyalty) : Known for neighborhood locations (often picking you up from home or repair shops) and consistent counter service. It also wins praise for having the most traveler-friendly loyalty program (Enterprise Plus ) with straightforward point earning and generous expiration timelines.
Other good options:
turo.com — Best overall for selection, unique cars, and flexible rentals.
uber.com — Compares major rental companies in one place.
enterprise.com — Best for reliability and customer service.
hertz.com — Good for airport rentals and loyalty benefits.
Note: Getaround no longer accepts new U.S. rentals after winding down U.S. operations.
The "best" car rental app depends entirely on how you want to rent, your budget, and whether you are going traditional or peer-to-peer.
The top options are broken down by category below:
1. Best for Finding the Absolute Lowest Price
AutoSlash: Not a traditional booking engine, but a price tracker and coupon stacker. You book a refundable car elsewhere, plug it into AutoSlash, and it tracks price drops or applies hidden discount codes, automatically rebooking you if a better rate pops up.
Kayak or Rentalcars.com: Excellent aggregators for scanning multiple traditional fleet suppliers (Avis, Hertz, Enterprise) side-by-side to see who is cheapest upfront.
Sixt
Premium & European vehicles
711
Highly modern fleet & upscale experience
Alamo
Self-service convenience
Top 5
5% member discount & smooth kiosk check-ins
Budget
Low rates & deal hunting
Industry Average
Solid baseline savings for standard classes
💡 Pro-Tip: According to data from the J.D. Power Study , consumers who utilize digital check-in to skip the airport counter save an average of 8 minutes and report significantly higher satisfaction overall, regardless of the company they choose.
Hertz — particularly useful if you rent frequently and want to use its loyalty program.
Costco Travel — worth checking if you're a Costco member, since member pricing and waived additional-driver fees can make a difference.
My practical approach: search KAYAK first, then check the cheapest comparable option directly with the rental company before paying. If Turo has a significantly better car/location, compare that too.
If you tell me where you're picking up, your dates, and your approximate budget, I can compare the current options for you.
Alamo(Best for Value/Family) : Owned by the same parent company as Enterprise and National, Alamo targets leisure and vacation travelers with competitive pricing and a relaxed counter experience, often featuring self-service kiosks.
Sixt(Best for Luxury & Style) : Known for a high-end fleet featuring premium European makes (BMW, Mercedes, Audi) at competitive mid-tier prices, though availability is mostly limited to major airports and urban hubs.
Budget / Avis(Best for Budget-Conscious Renters) : Budget regularly scores among the cheapest options for weekly rentals, while Avis sits comfortably in the middle tier with a solid Avis Preferred fast-track rental program.
To help narrow down the best choice for you, tell me:
Where are you renting from (airport vs. neighborhood location)?
What is your main priority (lowest price, speed/skipping the line, or vehicle quality)?
Turo: The largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace. Perfect if you want a specific make/model, need unique local flavor, or want cars delivered directly to you. It bypasses the rental counter entirely, though you need to watch out for host rules and extra fees.
3. Best Traditional Rental Apps (Direct Booking)
National Car Rental: The gold standard for frequent travelers. Their Emerald Aisle lets you bypass the counter completely—walk out to the lot, pick any car in your tier, and drive straight to the gate.
Enterprise: The winner for neighborhood and suburban locations. If you aren’t renting at a major airport, Enterprise usually has the best local network and will often pick you up.
Hertz / Avis: Reliable all-rounders with free tier counter-bypass programs that let you walk straight to your assigned vehicle.
To narrow this down, tell me:
Are you picking up at an airport or a neighborhood/suburban location?
Do you prefer a traditional rental company or a peer-to-peer marketplace like Turo?
