Best Car Sharing Service: Enterprise CarShare vs Zipcar vs Turo vs Getaround

To sustain this free service, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. This doesn’t affect rankings. Our review process.

Best Traditional Car Sharing Service	Visit Website Read Review
Best Peer-To-Peer Car Sharing Service	Visit Website Read Review

Do you live in an urban area or on a college campus where your typical day-to-day routine doesn’t require a car? A car sharing service might be just the ticket if you only need occasional wheels. By now, most major cities have some sort of car sharing service like Zipcar, but there are Zipcar alternatives too.

Article Overview

• Why Use?
• Types Of Services
• Best Company By Type
• Other Brands
• Ways To Be Green On The Go

Why Use Car Sharing Services?

Car sharing is environmentally friendly partially because those who opt for vehicle sharing over ownership are less likely to make one-off trips. In fact, they seek ways to be more time and energy-efficient when they do drive by combining trips to save on gas and to reduce their carbon footprint.

It can also be more convenient and cheaper than going the old-school car rental route if you only need a vehicle for short trips now and then, when your car’s in the shop or if you want to switch up to a luxury ride for a weekend getaway.

Research also suggests that a growing number of millennials are foregoing car ownership in favor of the convenience and lower cost of vehicle sharing and public transit.

What Are The Types Of Car Sharing Services

We first want to point out that there are two types of car sharing services. Similar to travel accommodations, you can get a place to stay from a company like a hotel or rent directly from a property owner through a peer-to-peer vacation rental site.

Best Car Sharing Services

We selected our “best of” picks for each type of service and also include some honorable mentions below.

Best Traditional Car Sharing Service: Zipcar Review

Visit Website

Zipcar, which launched in 2000, is now a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group (rentals), and has grown into the most well-known traditional car sharing service in the United States. Zipcar’s service lives up to its popularity, making it our top choice for Best Car Sharing Service.

Available in more than 170 cities in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Europe and at more than 300 U.S. colleges and universities, Zipcar dominates the U.S. market when it comes to a traditional car share.

With same day reservations, good customer service reviews, insurance coverage and fuel cost included, and hundreds of centrally located spots to pick up and drop off, Zip Car makes not owning a vehicle a lot easier when you do need one.

The only major downside? The minimum rental time is one hour, so if you only need a quick 30-minute trip, you’re locked in for the hourly rate. Of course, you can always tack on another errand to make it worth the full 60 minutes you’ll be paying.

Pros	Cons
Fleet of 10,000+ vehicles – hybrids, luxury, SUVs, pickup trucks, cargo vans Gas and insurance included You can drive up to 180 miles with each rental Mobile apps feature map view, GPS location, and directions to easily find your rental 24/7 roadside assistance Up to 7-day rental option Airport and college campus locations Excellent customer service	Monthly member fee Required to return the car where you picked it up One-hour minimum rental Penalty fees for late returns, low fuel, etc. are higher than other services Poor customer service and reviews on Consumer Affairs

Monthly Rates & Other Fees

Monthly rates:

• $8-$10 per hour (vary by city and car model)
• $66-$78 daily rate (24-hour period)

Other fees (for U.S.):

• $25 sign-up fee
• $7 per month member fee (for monthly driving plan)
• $50-$150 late return fee
• $0.45-$0.55 per mile overage fee (if you exceed 180-mile limit)
• $1,000 damage fee (insurance deductible)

Memberships (Optional):

• The Occasional Driving Plan ($70/year)
• Monthly Driving Plan ($7/month)
• Extra Value Plan ($50/month with $50 in driving credits and discount on driving rate)

Coupon Code

Read Our In-Depth Zipcar Review

Best Peer-To-Peer Car Sharing Service: Turo Review (Formerly Relay Rides)

Visit Website

One of two peer-to-peer car sharing services we review here, Turo (formerly RelayRides) is best suited for longer trips as they only offer daily or weekly rates.

Turo has much more diversity in the make and model of cars than traditional car rental or sharing services. In addition, there’s more inventory and a larger geographic area covered with Turo, which is currently in 5,500 U.S. cities, 300+ airports and 56 countries. 

A great feature is doorstep pick up and drop off (sometimes an additional fee). They can also meet you curbside at the airport to bypass the car rental counter hassle (and shuttle). Car owners can also leave their car at the airport for rent, avoiding long-term parking costs and actually making money while they’re away.

Turo’s major shortcomings? No shorter trips, and you pay for your own gas.

Pros

Cons

No sign-up or member fees Doorstep pick up and drop off Available in many more cities and airports than competitors 850 unique makes and models; wider variety of vehicles to choose from (including luxury cars) Daily and weekly rates are typically lower than competitors Basic bodily injury liability insurance included at the minimum level required by the state in which you rent the car 24/7 roadside assistance Owners are covered for the cash value of the vehicle and $1m liability policy Participating vehicle owners pocket 75% of rental prices and mileage overage fees

No hourly fee — daily rental is the minimum Must pay for your own gas Mileage is set by the owner (on average vehicles include 200 miles per day) and overage fee is a steep $.75 per mile Must be 21 to rent (and renters under 25 must pay “young driver fee”) Cancellation isn’t nearly as flexible as competitors

Rates & Other Fees

Rates vary widely by location, make and model (owner sets their own price).

• No per-minute or per-hour rates
• $18-30 starting daily rates + up to 25% rental fee (26-hour period; rentals start at 5pm)

Other fees:

• No sign-up fee
• No member fee
• $50 per hour late return fee (up to $200)
• $0.75 per mile overage fee (owners set their mileage limits)
• $500-$3,000 damage fee (insurance deductible, depending on plan chosen)
• Optional protection fee
• Extras, e.g., drop-off fees (set by owner)
• 30% on top of trip price, up to $15 for drivers aged 21-24

Coupon Code

Rent The Car; Own The Adventure

Check out this video from a Turo that shows how you can change your point of view from getting from point A to B.

Our sister site, Exploring Life’s Mysteries, has a detailed guide showing you how much money you can make with your car on Turo.

Read Our In-depth Turo Review

Other Car Sharing Services Reviewed

Below are some other car sharing services we reviewed. Although they didn’t make our “best of” list, they are still commonly used services that may be a better fit for you depending on your needs.

Enterprise CarShare | Getaround

Enterprise CarShare Review

Visit Website

One of Zipcar’s competitors in the car rental space is also i the race for car sharing too. Originally part of Enterprise Car Rental’s overall business, Enterprise Car Share has acquired smaller vehicle sharing companies and grown into its own entity, with service in 13 U.S. cities, Canada, and the U.K. and at more than 130 U.S. college campuses.

They come with a big brand name but have struggled in the past with their mobile app capability that came up short compared to other services — a pretty essential feature for busy people on the go. They were late to the game in developing iPhone and Android mobile apps, but they seem to have finally resolved their issues.

Enterprise CarShare’s rates and fees vary widely by city, so it’s hard to compare them to other services. Still, Enterprise CarShare is an affordable alternative, depending on where you live or visit often.

Pros	Cons
Generally lower rates than competitors They customize systems for businesses and government agencies Wide variety of vehicles – compacts, hybrids, luxury, SUVs, cargo vans In Frequent drivers have a no-member-fee option Gas and insurance included Good number of airport locations Mileage allowance of 180-200 miles with Keep It Simple & Road Warrior plans	Required to return car where you picked it up Mobile apps aren’t quite as functional as other services Rates vary by time of day and day of week you rent the car, unlike other services that have set rates A number of customer complaints about cars not being there at reservation time and cars being dirty Reports of unhelpful customer service representatives

Rates & Other Fees

Rates and fees vary widely by city, model, day of week and time of day. Here are a few pricing examples, based on markets:

Tampa

• $25 application fee
• $35 annual member fee
• $8.50 per hour
• $70 daily

New York Metro

Enterprise CarShare offers two separate plans for the NYC market.

Keep It Simple

• $40 per year annual member fee
• Starts at $8 per hour

Road Warrior

• Starts at $50 per month
• Hourly rates start at $6.96

Getaround Review

Visit Website

Getaround is the second peer-to-peer car sharing service reviewed here (similar to Turo). Getaround is available in 300 cities across the world, including San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Portland, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Getaround offers fairly low hourly rates, insurance and other attractive features, so you should consider them as an option. They also offer a variety of car types including convertibles, exotic cars, luxury, snow and SUV, Teslas and trucks. Another great feature is allowing renters to unlock cars using a SmartPhone app in case the owner isn’t available to meet you with the keys.

Like Turo, you’ll be paying for your own gas, and there is some unreliability due to car owners backing out. In addition to fewer cars in their database, the website isn’t as user-friendly to navigate as Turo.

Pros	Cons
Rates as low as $5 per hour Short and long term rentals Insurance included No sign-up or member fees Wide variety of makes and models available – convertibles, luxury, exotic, vans 24/7 roadside assistance Solid iPhone and Android mobile apps	Must sign up for an account to view inventory and availability Drivers under 25 will be charged an additional fee Gas not included

Rates & Other Fees

Rates vary by owner, make, and model.

• Starting at $5 per hour up to $45 per hour to rent
• 3% booking fee (of trip price) for every trip ($1 minimum)
• Daily rates vary by owner

Other fees:

• No sign-up fee for renters
• No member fee for renters
• 5-75% of trip price fee for renters under 25
• $10 initial license fee (for first-time bookings)
• $50 per hour late return fee (up to $500)
• $0.50 per mile overage fee (owners set mileage limits)
• $750-$2,500 damage fee (insurance deductible)
• If you list your car, there is a one-time $99 installation fee and $20 per month subscription for the remote unlocking and tracking system.

Go Green On The Go

Most of the car sharing services use or encourage hybrid cars or other fuel efficient cars like hybrids in their fleet. So in addition to being economical, you can trust you’re also being eco-friendly. If you’re considering joining the car sharing club, we hope our review helps you make a sound choice. Learn more about how to stay green on-the-go with these eco-friendly travel tips.

Have you joined the car sharing bandwagon?

Related Topics:

ReviewsCar Sharing