What is Turo and Is It a Good Alternative to Traditional Rental Cars?

With COVID sticking around and the supply chain mess still in full swing, traveling right now has some challenges. Rental car options still aren’t great and rideshares have recently been failing customers. But what if we told you there were other options? One of them is called Turo - here’s what you need to know.

What is Turo and How Does It Work?

Turo is basically an AirBnb for rental cars where people can rent out their own cars. Car owners post their vehicles for rent, creating profiles and setting prices and mileage limits. Travelers, or “guests”, will go on and choose an available car, filtering by price, rating, car type, etc. Instead of going through the traditional rental car suppliers, you rent directly from the owner of the vehicle.

A benefit to Turo is that you get to choose your exact car instead of traditionally choosing the class type (compact, economy, SUV, van, etc.).You can even select a luxury car like a Tesla that isn’t typically available. With Turo you’re also getting a lot more flexibility when it comes to picking up your vehicle. As much fun as it is waiting for a shuttle and having to ride fifteen minutes away to a sketchy lot just to wait in line to pick up your rental car, it’d be nice to have a more efficient option. Renting a car through Turo could save you some money too - prices are competitive and sometimes even cheaper. 

Should you have any problems with your car, you just let your “host” (vehicle owner) know ASAP and contact Turo support, which is available 24/7. You’ll get 24 hour roadside assistance should you need it, but only if you purchase a protection plan when booking. 

What About Insurance?

Dealer’s choice. Or in this case, traveler's choice. 

You can choose to decline insurance coverage, but would be personally liable for any potential damages should something go wrong. 

Turo does provide customers insurance options. Their plans come in three tiers: minimum, standard, and premium. The minimum plan will give you the least amount of coverage, making you more liable for covering any potential damages. Premium will give you the most coverage. Turo provides the cost and coverage of each plan so you can make an informed decision when you’re booking.

Turo vs. Traditional Rental Cars 

For every great experience with anything travel-related, there’s a negative one too. This is no different with Turo and how it stacks up against traditional rental cars. Turo has some great benefits and can be a really great alternative given how expensive and tough to find rental cars are right now. Plus, it might breathe some life into your business trip to drive around a more upscale car to get around to your meetings. But you should also keep in mind that if something goes wrong, it could be more difficult to reach your host than it would be to reach a rep at Enterprise or Hertz, for example. You also don’t know for sure what the car quality will be - going the traditional route guarantees a certain standard. Plus, maybe the pickup location is much more out of the way than that sketchy car rental lot.

If you’re taking a business trip and having a tough time securing a rental car, check out Turo. It may not be for you, but you could end up saving some money and time going that route. Either way, if you need assistance booking a car or want to learn more about your options, let us know - we’re ready to help!