Turo — Car rental marketplace 4+

I used Turo for the first time on a recent trip to Kauai (Sept 2021). I couldn’t find a single rental car on the island a few months before our trip and asked friends for advice and one told me there was an app for cars similar to vrbo for houses. I set up my profile and found a car I liked, and then everything went very smoothly on our trip. I now would likely prefer this to a traditional car rental service, or at least will always compare prices and availability in locations with both rentals and Turo. I wish I’d thought of this! The only improvement I can think of is pick up and drop off. We paid extra to have the car brought to our hotel versus picking it up at the airport. We didn’t need it for our entire trip and it was a few hundred dollars a day, so thought we’d save some money. If the “host” lives closer to your drop-off location than the airport, not sure why it needs to cost more. Would seem better for them as well. So seems like there could be up front discussion of location and then fees set only if the requested unique drop-off is less convenient for the host. Also, our host seemed to not be clear that we’d also paid for pick-up at the hotel (although very clear to me in the booking details) and it created a lot of back and forth messages on date of pick up. App needs to make sure host is clear on locations to avoid hassle for the guest when trying to enjoy vacation.

I’m not sure why renting a car before the Turo app was seemingly in the dark ages, but today renting a car through their platform shows that it should have been down this way from the start. You choose the exact car you want, not from a fleet of “Ford Explorer or comparable”. It’s way cheaper than the big guys, by a lot, and this is still including the highest Turo insurance that you can get which covers everything. Many times you can get unlimited miles if you have a lengthy trip. Hosts at this point have many trips under their belts and have reliable reviews that you can trust. Very importantly, the host knows the car and will demo everything in detail instead of just handing over the keys and sending you on your way. Also, while you can get the car delivered, I have not been inconvenienced by a short Uber trip to pick the car up, being that there are now endless hosts using the platform which means a car is never more than a 10 minute drive away. My personal car Is about a decade old and I’d rather not put the wear and tear on it, but I also don’t want a new car payment. My company pays me pretty well per mile when I travel, so using Turo once a month for my longer trips definitely pays off and I don’t mind spending the money being that it really is so affordable compared to chain rental companies. All in all, Turo has really changed the game and you should give it a try!

Due to unforeseen circumstances resulting from life & the pandemic, I needed transportation for work. Turo Agents & Hosts have consistently taken care of my car rental needs. I’ve been a Turo renter on and off since 2017; moreso now since 2021 as I needed the vehicle to commute from Houston to Dallas for work and due to my responsibilities as a Praise & Worship leader at LOV Nation Church. I am pleased with the service and have been made to feel safe in every vehicle I rent. It is clear that Turo cares about the customer’s health & safety as they appear to have made it apart of their guideline for hosts to follow COVID cleaning procedures in order to list any vehicle. I am also pleased with how Turo does everything in their power to resolve issues if they may arise. I highly recommend using Turo. Their rates are competitive, and, thought they shift according to the market like everywhere else, have been at least 30% cheaper than using Hertz or Enterprise Rent-a-car. Of course, you may have your mileage trade offs since not every Host on Turo offers unlimited miles. Just be calculated on those types of rental parameters to ensure that rental best fits your need or adjust your life according for the duration of your trip. I enjoy this service. Thank You Turo and to every person who has graciously hosted me. I look forward to enjoying renting more vehicles as time goes on for leisure & business! I highly recommend using Turo!