Car Rental Challenge: Zipcar Vs Enterprise
For the Girl's birthday, I took the day off of work and made some plans. Going out to dinner principle among them. Since we're celebrating, I didn't want to get stuck on the T, especially since we're going to Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, which is a heck of a T ride for us (over an hour), even though it's just 7 miles away.
So last night, I rented a Zipcar. I got it on their weekday overnight deal, so I paid 35 bucks plus tax. Normally, that would be a 24-hour rental of around 80 bucks. So, Honda CRV for whatever I want to do with it, insurance and gas included, for 35 bucks.
For today, I thought, "I just want to rent during the day, which is more expensive with Zipcar, so I'll try out Enterprise, which is just one T stop away. I can get an economy car for 45 bucks for the day. Pretty good deal compared to 80, am I right?
Okay, so you have to be 25 years old to get that price. It's 20 bucks more for those from 21-24 years of age. But I'm old, so no worries there.
So I hoof it on down to the rental stop and meet my sales guy (I'm used to the impersonal, set-up-on-the-internet-pick-it-up-from-the-parking-lot style of Zipcar), and I'm not really awake. I don't bring a credit card, but I do have my debit card. But that's not okay. I don't have a car, so I don't have insurance. Need a cc to get the car.
No worries, though, as my rep drives me home to grab the card, then drives me back to pick up the car. We spoke mainly about the difference between the two companies, Zipcar and Enterprise. I defended Zipcar, 'cause I love it.
So I'm filling out my forms, and, as it turns out, I need insurance. I opt out of medical and liability because I'm a good driver. Still, it costs me 20 bucks. NOW we're up to 64.96, plus a few other fees. And that's for the cheapest model. Feh.
Okay, so final result: for 10 bucks more, I could have a CRV from Zipcar, just a few blocks from my house, or a Toyota Yaris, which is a tiny car, good for parking on the streets of JP but bad for the coming snowstorm (which I'd link to, but the links will break as the forecast updates. Suffice to say, 8-12 inches, or more).
In my opinion, get Zipcar for those weekday (especially evening) trips, and Enterprise for those weekend getaways.
