Given up on Turo
 

After about a year of considering a Turo rental and trying to make one work for one of my trips, I think I have given up trying to make it work and will no longer bother considering trying a turo rental. So yes i've given up without ever even trying one, here is why:

• No credit card coverage
• Inconvenient pickup options
• Low standards for vehicles
• Low mileage restrictions
• Horror stories

Why does anyone actually use Turo?
As someone with credit card coverage, 25+, travels frequently, Gold status with Hertz (low bar, but better than nothing). I haven't ever come over an instance in my travels where I could make it work. I usually rent from airports (most cars i would rent have an additional fee, or only available during business hours). If I care about what car I am getting, it's usually because I plan to drive somewhere and actually use the car (PCH in CA, Grand Canyon in Vegas, etc) and they never came with enough mileage. If I'm only doing a few miles and don't care what I drive, traditional rental companies have always been cheaper and more convenient for me. With Hertz, you have ultimate choice options which I've gotten some decent upgrades from, and it's super convenient to walk the aisle choose a car, get in and drive out without ever having to visit a counter.

So I've given up on truing to rent a turo on one of my trips. It just doesn't make sense to me.

The nail in the coffin for me is my trip to CA in a few months, I want to do PCH drive from LA to Bay area and back (round trip). That alone makes it cost prohibitive because of miles, even before I consider my 11:00pm flight arrival and the additional costs for insurance.

It seems a Convertible (Mustang or similar rental) is a much better option for less cost also.

When does Turo ever make any sense?

I am using Turo to rent an all electic car while in Southern California that has car pool stickers so I won't waste as much time in traffic. The car is only $15/day ($18.75 after fees. I spoke with my car insurance (since my CSR won't cover Turo), and they said I am covered as a driver.

LA to Bay Area? Turo uses private people's own cars. I highly doubt a one-way would be possible. I think the intended use case was someone flying in for a local simple roundtrip.

Another use is local rental of a SUV or truck for picking up things. Take transit to owner, drive away and return later and take transit home. My son has done this in NYC.

Like most Silicon Valley startups, it's a half-baked concept that's rushed to market and will either be bought out or go bankrupt.

True, especially since the big car rental companies gobble up or destroy competition.

I am trying Turo. I have doubts. The reason for trying it is costs. The cheapest rental I can find is a Hertz Manager's Special for $378 for a few days I need the car. Autoslash is slightly more with Fox Rent a Car, which has complaints. Other companies, such as Hertz (not a Manager's Special), Avis, Thrifty, National are all around $400 or higher.

In contrast, Turo has a $205 rate for a 2012 car. They also have quite a few mid-$200's. A 2018 BMW X1 goes for $400.

My doubts are the car will be in poor condition, that there may be surprise charges, or the owner will not meet me or have a lockbox. The owner has about 15 reviews and two cars for rent.

Turo can be an interesting alternative when prices for traditional rentals are high, but I would recommend re-checking rates, or even better, make a pay-later booking and track it with AutoSlash. Prices can and do fluctuate (sometimes significantly), so by pricing out a rental once on a single day/time, you are likely not seeing the lowest rates available.

If you do go with Turo, please do report back on your experience with them.

I use Turo and have had great experiences for the past several years. However, I only use it when I’m looking for specific vehicles (usually luxury), and I only rent current model year vehicles when I’m trying a host for the first time. I’ve met a few hosts with decent sized selections that I would go back to for vehicles that are a couple of years old.

I rented from Turo last week. Was kind of forced into it in the Phoenix area because airport taxes/fees are so high and it was going to be like $500 or something silly for a midsize car. Turo was $200 for 6 days.

It was a less-than-ideal experience. The car died after 4 days, leaving me stranded. Turo reimbursed 1 day + the cost of an Uber but said it was at the discretion of the host to reimburse a 2nd day. The host refused. I left a 1-star review but it doesn't matter: it's one of those fleets where they have 40-50 cars and most of them are 3 to 4 stars (out of 5).

Basically, Turo seems to have bifurcated into two markets: (1) ultra-high-end cars, which hopefully are in great shape and have good hosts and (2) cheap, janky old jalopies that probably aren't worth your time.

I may come back at some point if I want a truly unique ride for a day. Bentley, Maserati, various models of Porsche, the higher-end Teslas....many at more reasonable rates than I would have expected. Didn't see Ferrarri or Lambo, but everything one step down from that was there. But I won't come back for someone's beat-up Sentra again... Lesson learned.

Turo has its niche but there's only so many specific situations where it makes sense. In my case, I rented a late model WRX STi on it. It was expensive with the insurance but memorable. In that mid-sized city, the most exciting option from the major car rental companies would've been a Volvo wagon or a Chrysler 300. Some situations where Turo makes sense:

• You want to rent a manual transmission car. Extremely rare to find otherwise in the US and Canada.
• As one comment noted, an EV could make sense for carpool access or because gas is very expensive and the hotel might have complimentary charging.
• You're looking for something extremely specific or a guaranteed vehicle. Yes, car rental companies might have a 4Runner or Wrangler, but some guy on Turo might have one actually equipped for offroad adventures rather than having bare minimum winter tires.
• Like Airbnb, Turo prices fluctuate less for peak/off season. In some cities, the majors want extreme rates or don't even have any cars available.

Turo is going public... https://www.autorentalnews.com/10133...al%20Getaround

I took a Turo for a Tahoe trip, because non of the rental agency websites would guarantee AWD/4WD or decent tires.

Now here I am in the Tahoe area with a flat. I'm not looking forward to this experience, or the prospect of spending more on tire replacement costs than potentially the whole trip.

You may be able to get it plugged at a local tire store or garage if there isn’t a tear in the tire. Not all flats necessitate a tire replacement.

Have to do what the owner wants...

They're all pretty worn out though but this is going to be a ~$1400 fight over liability.