6 Reasons Why I Rent Economy Cars Whenever I Travel – Much of the Time, Anyway

“W hy I'm saying you're foolish should you rent a 'standard' size car, or anything aside from the absolute cheapest car available (usually subcompact) is because rental car companies don't care that which you book. There is a set quantity of cars in a given time, and also you 'get what you get, and you don't throw a fit' (once we always tell our youngsters!)”, Dan Miller of Points With a Crew wrote in the following paragraphs regarding saving cash on renting vehicles. “It has also been my experience that if you rent an economy or subcompact, they never carry any of those, and thus you're going to get a typical car anyways, or at the very least a compact or intermediate.”

Here is really a listing of the 6 reasons why I rent economy cars whenever I travel…

1. Lower Cost to Rent

The car rental companies would like you to believe that it'll only cost you a few dollars more per day to book the next larger size of vehicle – but factor in expenses for example taxes, insurance coverage if you don't have diabetes already, and airport fees, and also the difference in cost per day increases. Solve these questions . determine whether a higher rate – say, $50.00 like a random example – may be worth spending money on a larger vehicle.

As an example, the Mazda2 – a photograph of which is shown at the top of this short article – that we rented in Muscat from Europcar through this Internet site where I saved money was more than adequate for me personally. I paid a total of $141.24 for four days or $35.31 per day – that included collision damage waiver, theft waiver, unlimited kilometers, taxes, and a “premium station surcharge”, whatever that's – and that i had simply no complaints about that car. I am not even sure if it had been things i originally reserved; or if it was a free upgrade. Free upgrades are discussed afterwards in this article.

I have seen car rental companies – Avis, for example – which charge exactly the same rate for any compact car as is charged for an economy class car. Sometimes I will still rent an economy class car anyway for that reasons cited below.

2. Lower Fuel Costs

Economy cars typically consume less fuel than larger vehicles – which often translates into overall lower fuel costs. It isn't really such a concern in the Netherlands in recent weeks using the price of a gallon of gasoline for sale for under $1.70 in certain states; but fuel costs in lots of countries are often more expensive – and those savings could add up.

Remember that fuel in many countries comes through the liter and never through the gallon because it is in the Netherlands; so if you are accustomed to gallons, multiply the price per liter by four – or, more exactly, by 3.785411784 – for that equivalent of the price of fuel per gallon.

Conversely, if you are going to the Netherlands from your home country, a liter is 0.26417052 of one gallon.

3. Simpler to Park

The size of a vehicle might not be much of a factor if you plan on using parking lots on your entire trip; but it is a whole different matter with regards to parking a car on the street.

Having been born and raised in New York, I understand how difficult it is to find an available parking just right the street in Manhattan. I have owned small cars while living in Ny; and that i had this uncanny knack of getting a parking just right the street which other people could not use – usually because their vehicles may be too large; or they might mistakenly believe that they'd be unable to park for the reason that open spot for unkown reasons.

Having an inferior car is generally simpler to park, which time saving – and, obviously, money, if you do not wish to pay $10.00 or $25.00 or perhaps $40.00 to fit inside a garage or parking area overnight. For all those reasons, using a car that is simpler to park isn't a factor that ought to be taken lightly – particularly when staying in a town.

4. Amenities Have Filtered Down

Luxury cars are usually first with being designed with new amenities; and as time passes, those amenities are typically filtered right down to other classes of cars.

There was indeed a period when I'd have preferred not to rent an economy class car since it was not equipped with an invisible where I can hook up a portable digital camera or pop in a concise disc that we recorded with my personal favorite music – and that i have mentioned in this article precisely how important music is to me whenever I travel.

These days, economy class vehicles are equipped with everything I would like – options to be a musician, adjustable seats, climate control as only three of many examples – and also the leg room for me personally is generally ample.

5. Free Upgrades

Jeanne Marie Hoffman of Le Chic Geek wrote in the following paragraphs that “…I believe it is a little dirty once the rental car companies know they are going to upgrade you but pressure you into buying upgrading so they don't have to create it for you free of charge.”

She is true. Generally when renting a car, I have been automatically upgraded in the economy class vehicle at no extra charge – even when I did not want to be upgraded.

Besides, many car rental companies offer a free coupon to upgrade to the next car class if you wish to further be certain that upgrade. It just takes a few seconds of your energy to check out the special offers area of almost any rental car company to find and “clip” that coupon to make use of in your next vehicle rental.

Unlike seats on airlines – and, to a somewhat lesser extent, rooms in hotel and resort properties – vehicle upgrades abound; and when you happen to be part of the frequent renter loyalty program of a car rental company, your automobile upgrade chances increase even more.

6. Accidents Can Happen

While an accident is not likely to happen to you while you rent an automobile, it can happen – and if for whatever reason you are well on the hook to replace the need for the rental car should it be considered an overall total loss because of any sort of accident, the value of an economy class car is usually under those of other cars.

Summary

Renting a car in a higher class category than economy class is worth looking at if you have special needs – transporting a household or hauling cargo are a couple of of numerous reasons – but although there are certainly exceptions, reserving an economy class vehicle is often the best way to save money on renting a car.