Pros and Cons of Renting a Vehicle for a Road Trip
If you’re planning a summer getaway, you’re got a lot of decisions to make. Between lodging, dining, and picking points of interest, you’ll also have to consider your vehicle. Is it better to rent or drive your own car? Here’s a look at the pros and cons of renting a vehicle for your road trip.
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Pros of renting a car for a road trip
The latest tech tools
When you rent a car, you’ll be getting a recent model with the latest safety, infotainment, and navigation features. That said, this can be a source of confusion or distraction for less-tech-savvy drivers, so consider this factor before you spring for a rental.
Get a car that’s suited for your trip
A mid-size sedan might be the right size for commuting to the office, or a heavy-duty truck might be the right fit for your contracting business. But if you need a vehicle with more space or better gas mileage for your journey, consider renting a vehicle for your trip. More storage space (or lower fuel costs) could be just what you need to the make the adventure more enjoyable.
Avoid putting mileage on your car
Whether you drive an older car that could run into issues, or you want to avoid putting a ton of miles on a newer vehicle, you can avoid wear and tear by renting a car for your road trip. This factor also makes renting a particularly good deal for lessees who want to hit the open road. Lease deals impose mileage limits on you, which means you’ll likely face some fees if you plan on taking a cross-country vacation in your leased vehicle.
Cons of renting a car for a road trip
Age restrictions
If you’re under 25, expect to pay extra for a rental vehicle (if you are able to rent one at all). If you’re renting a car at an international destination, the same goes for older drivers. While the majority of car rental agencies in other countries don’t charge seniors extra, some impose fees on drivers over age 70. Others simply won’t rent to drivers over a certain age. If you’re traveling overseas, do some research on the rental company before you dole out your money.
Pet fees
Looking to bring a four-legged friend along for the ride? Make sure your rental agency allows pets in the vehicle, and set some time aside to thoroughly clean and vacuum your rental before returning it. If the company finds the vehicle to be in unsatisfactory condition, you’ll be hit with a heap of cleaning fees.
Hidden costs
As alluded to above, you could get stuck with some hidden fees when you rent a car. In addition to well-known factors like cleaning costs and fees for returning a car without a full gas tank, you could rack up quite a bill for driving on toll roads, for instance. According to AARP, if your rental vehicle has a toll transponder, you could pay a set fee for each day you pay a toll, along with the highest undiscounted toll for the road you’re using. Rental agencies could also attempt to upsell you on a pricier model of rental car.
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Want to learn more about the ins and outs of renting a vehicle? Check out our article on returning your rental car.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.