Key Takeaways

Long-term Car Rentals: Renting a vehicle for several weeks or months, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Company Choices: Options like Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, Turo, Sixt, and Avis offer a range of vehicles and pricing plans.
Considerations: When choosing, consider factors like budget, rental terms, specific vehicle needs, and company reputation.
Rental Agreements: Important to read and understand the rental agreement, including mileage limits and fuel policies, before signing.

What Constitutes a Long-Term Car Rental?

A long-term car rental allows you to rent a vehicle for an extended period. This period can be anywhere from a week or two to a whole year.

Long-term rentals often extend beyond the short-term rental period. You’ll most likely end up paying more for a long-term rental but the price per day is usually lower than short-term leases.

Most long-term car rental companies offer insurance, roadside assistance, and unlimited daily mileage. This is almost impossible to get in short-term leases.

Before renting a car for a short period, you’ll have to go through a credit check, which isn’t the case when renting a car long-term.

Most companies also allow long-term renters to swap in different cars during their rental period so they have more flexibility.

Brett’s Take: Thoughts From an Expert

The biggest issue to consider when finding a long-term car rental is the cost of the vehicle.

While renting a vehicle can be a useful way to bridge long gaps without reliable transportation – like the time it takes to repair a primary vehicle after an accident – the costs usually become excessive after enough time passes.

After all, most car rental companies have a limit to how long you can rent a car before having to re-renew the rental. This is usually 30 days.

I suggest taking a hard look at why you want to rent a vehicle for an extended period of time.

Then, weigh the pros and cons against other options, such as purchasing a low-cost vehicle and reselling it when you no longer need it.

My Suggestion:

If you decide that a long-term rental is the right option, do your best to negotiate deals with the rental companies or car owners.

You can usually get heavy discounts by renting for weeks at a time, primarily if you decide to rent on a peer-to-peer carsharing marketplace like Turo.

The Best Long-Term Car Rental Options of 2024

With several long-term car rental companies out there, it’s challenging to pick the right one. To help you narrow down your options, here are the best platforms to rent out a car:

Budget
Hertz
Enterprise
Turo
Sixt
Avis

1. Budget

Affordable extended rentals
Competitive rates and discounts
Extensive car collection worldwide

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Budget provides affordable extended rentals with a fleet that includes everything from minivans and 7-passengers to standard and premium SUVs.

Budget offers great rates when you rent for longer periods (15 days or more). They also have competitive discounts on LDW, Satellite Radio, and other services.

Budget’s pricing is based on the rental length confirmed by the customer. Rates vary but renters can save money by renting for longer periods.

Pros and cons: Budget offers some of the most competitive rates in the industry, and they have over 5,000 locations worldwide. On the flip side there are fewer luxury car models than other car rental companies and the reward programs aren’t the best out there.
Ideal user profile: If you’re looking for an affordable long-term or monthly car rental company with an extensive car collection to choose from, Budget is a safe option.

2. Hertz

Comprehensive long-term rental packages
Rent to Buy service available
Decent loyalty program

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Hertz offers long-term rentals with options ranging from standard cars to vans, convertibles, SUVs, and luxury models.

Hertz provides comprehensive packages for long-term rentals that feature free delivery and collection, 2000 free miles per month, free monthly valet service, no early return penalties, and more.

They also have a Hertz Rent to Buy service that allows customers to rent a car for up to 3 days to test it before buying.

Hertz offers average prices when it comes to long-term rentals, but you can get discounted rentals for reservations of more than 63 days.

Pros and cons: Hertz has a wide selection of rental cars that fit different customers’ needs. They also have an elaborate rewards program that allows loyal customers to save more on long-term rentals. However, customer service varies throughout locations, and many customers reported poor communication. The cancellation fees are also high compared to other companies.
Ideal user profile: Suitable for frequent travelers who always seek long-term rentals because of Hertz’s decent loyalty program.

3. Enterprise

Unlimited mileage on many vehicles
Over 8,000 locations globally
Flexible pricing with various plans

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Enterprise offers long-term rentals with unlimited mileage on many vehicle types, including SUVs, trucks, luxury cars, and vans.

Enterprise has over 8,000 worldwide locations, so it’s easy to find a branch near you. They also offer unlimited mileage for most vehicle classes on their long-term rentals.

Enterprise has a flexible pricing structure with many plans to choose from such as standard, standard plus, and enhanced plans. Note that plans can vary depending on location.

Pros and cons: You can get generous discounts when renting for more than 28 days, and even though the prices may look high, Enterprise has no additional hidden fees. Now, on the other hand, Enterprise deals aren’t the most wallet-friendly out there, and the customer service is questionable.
Ideal user profile: If you’re booking a car for a short period, Enterprise pops up as an excellent option. But for long-term rentals, you might find better deals somewhere else.

4. Turo

Peer-to-peer car rental options
Specific car type and model selection
Prices set by private car owners

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Turo is one of the peer-to-peer car rental companies that allow renters to borrow cars from private car owners. Options range from convertibles and electric cars to super deluxe vehicles and classic cars.

Turo allows you to search for a specific car type and model, unlike traditional car rental services. The experience is similar to borrowing a car from a friend, which is appealing to many customers.

Prices on Turo are set by private car owners, so you’ll always find a wide range of prices depending on the car model, state, and rental duration just to name a few factors.

Pros and cons: On the bright side, you can find a diverse selection of vehicles on Turo, and contracts have less fine print than other car rental companies. However, there are no one-way rentals and pick-up/drop-off locations may be inconvenient.
Ideal user profile: If you prefer renting directly from car owners instead of dealing with companies, you’ll enjoy renting through Turo.

5. Sixt

Extended period savings
Car rental subscriptions available
Luxurious and high-end vehicles

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Sixt allows customers to rent vehicles for extended periods and save money the longer they rent. They have a diverse range of vehicles that include SUVs, sedans, convertibles, and pickup cars.

Sixt offers car rental subscriptions that allow customers to pay a monthly rate for a vehicle. They also have a wide collection of luxurious and high-end car models.

Rental prices on Sixt depend on the vehicle type, duration of rental, pickup location, and more. But they offer generous discounts for customers renting cars for more than six months.

Pros and cons: Sixt is well known for its extensive collection of high-end cars and discounts on long-term rentals. Their main downside is that they don’t have many locations.
Ideal user profile: Sixt is the go-to choice for people who are after renting luxurious and high-end cars for long periods.

7. Avis

Long-term rentals up to 330 days
Bonuses like zero downpayment
Best Price Guarantee policy

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Avis offers long-term rentals for a minimum length of 15 days and a maximum of 330 days. They provide a wide range of vehicles from standard and intermediate cars to luxurious vehicles and SUVs.

Avis provides a lot of bonuses for long-term rentals. This includes zero downpayment, unlimited mileage, and the ability to swap cars.

Avis has competitive rates for monthly and long-term rentals. They also offer a Best Price Guarantee, meaning they reduce their rates if a customer finds a lower qualifying Avis rate on any other website.

Pros and cons: The main pros of using Avis include the wide selection of vehicles and budget-friendly rates. They also have an appealing rewards program and a Best Price Guarantee. The downside here is that the first pricing on the website doesn’t include additional fees and taxes, which is confusing to customers. Late dropoff fees are a bit higher than other companies too.
Ideal user profile: Customers who need a reliable vehicle for more than 15 days will like using Avis because of the attractive perks offered for long-term rentals.

Comparison of Key Features

Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, Turo, Sixt, and Avis are some of the top-rated car rental companies. Each company stands out for its unique key features, so the final choice comes down to your priorities.