Strongly recommend Turo. I tried it recently after a similarly terrible experience with Hertz. Never going to turn back to traditional car rental companies -- it's so much easier, saves you significant time, and is (sometimes) cheaper.
I have never seen Turo be anywhere close to competitive. Are you comparing to rack rates or something?
I'll take unlimited mileage and the lack of weird car rules any day, also. I don't understand the other convenience factors either -- car rental places tend to be located on-site at the airport or the train station?
It's also a lemon market for customers. Turo gets all of the people who aren't qualified to rent at the major car rental places, and the prices are adjusted accordingly.
That hasn't been my experience with Turo at all. I've rented via Turo several times in San Diego this past year, having started at the suggestion of a friend. Why? Because Turo can usually use short term parking, and that is always faster and more convenient than going through the rental center. Consider these scenarios:
Traditional airport car rental: Exit baggage claim and catch shuttle to rental car center. Stand in line (almost always), deal with hassles (upselling agents, car not ready, car given to someone else, different car available, etc. Find car in lot, then wait in security/checkout line to leave garage/lot. All that takes 30-60 minutes.
Turo: AirBNB-style app-based car rental with in-app comms with the vehicle owner or rental service (more and more, Turo rentals are via car rental services rather than individual owners). Show up at airport having pre-arranged where the car will be. Exit baggage claim and either pick up the car at the curb or (more typically) in short term parking. The retrieval process is so simple: car will be unlocked with keys in it, and you just get in and drive away. The only thing you have to do is message the owner through Turo that you have picked it up. The return process is just as easy: drop it in short term parking or arrange for the owner to meet you curbside at Departures. It's 100% frictionless relative to the traditional method.
I've found prices to be roughly on par with traditional rental car companies' rack rates. There are some exceptions, and I've also found that Turo is using VC funding to partially subsidize rentals right now, so it can be a bit cheaper in some circumstances. There's also a much wider range of vehicle options, and if you need something specific (pickup truck, full size SUV, minivan, convertible, exotic) Turo can't be beaten.
I know I sound like a shill, but I suggest you try it sometime. The time savings alone -- especially if you're traveling with kids -- makes Turo worth its weight in gold.
As with all gig economy services, do your due diligence with the user ratings, etc. Whether it is cheaper depends on the area, but that definitely isn't the selling point for me. The selling point is not having to stand in line at the rental car terminal for 2 hours and then haggle with the person at the kiosk over what should have been a simple, pre-paid transaction.
The USP of Turo is that you know exactly which car you are getting. So, for instance, if you're going somewhere snowy you can be certain that you will get a car with 4 wheel drive and snow tires (rather than the 2WD jeep on old summer tires that I have sometimes ended up with from airport rentals). If you are renting a car to move a large item, you can look up the measurements and be sure it will fit rather than be stuck with a cargo van or a car much bigger than you need.
When Turo worked it was great for me. However, in my most recent experience with Turo my reservation was cancelled by the other party while I was mid-air and I landed with no car and no recourse and had to scramble. It was miserable, bad enough that I’ve gone back to renting Teslas from Hertz (where my experience has been in contrast to other anecdotes here—pretty seamless).
Thanks, I will give them a shot. My experience post pandemic with car rental companies, and Hertz in particular has been abysmal. Any sort of rental status with car rental companies ranks below VIP status with a rundown motel in the middle of nowhere. Credit card companies have been the only saving grace, as customer service for car rental companies is non existent.
