re: How do rental cars work?

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Took one to Yellowstone last year and kept it an extra week so the mileage wasn't suspicious and they never said anything or cut the car off.

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Wait, you paid an extra week's rental so the mileage wouldn't look suspicious? Did you even read your rental agreement? These agreements aren't based on suspicion.

You rent the car, and they give you a key. The key starts the car. You start the car, and put it in drive or reverse. Go that direction.
Once you arrive at your destination, you put the car in park and turn off the key. When you are finished with your rental car, return it to the rental car facility and leave.

Hertz unlimited miles. Go with them.


Also, why are you making a thread about this? I don't understand why you wouldn't just go to a rental car website and do a couple scenarios.

Isn't it illegal to take a car?

Just came back from a trip to Canada in a rental car (trip was work related). Rental company (Hertz) had no problem with it. However going across the border with Florida plates in a rental car on 4/20 set off all sorts of red flags for Canadian Customs. PITA.

I rented recently on Grand Cayman, the car rental agency represents that they will disable a rental taken off the island (via ferry or other means) unless the rentor has specific written permission from them to do so.

With OnStar and GPS tracking hardware/software being as advanced as it is, rental companies would be foolish to not take advantage of the advances to secure their property and limit their exposure. Rental cars have been know to vanish and then get chopped up and resold in bits and pieces.

Two different times my friends and I rented a car in new Orleans and drove to Anchorage AK and back. Unlimited miles are unlimited

Pretty much like any other car. Put the key in the ignition, start the car, put car in gear, then go. Piece o' cake.

See if you can find a rental fleet of six cylinder camaro's. Those things will run 14.30 on the nose all day long. Practice your launch and then go find yourself a bracket race. Profit?

Just rent one from Enterprise or Avis with unlimited mileage (most have this).

I put at least 1400 miles on a brand new Malibu last year when I visited Seattle, Portland, Astoria, and Salem. Drove it on the beach near cape Disappointment and up salt covered roads to Mt Hood.

It either rained or snowed the whole time and the car was pretty muddy and nasty when I returned it. I thought for sure they'd charge me a cleaning fee or something to scrape that road salt off the fenders, but I had no problems.

I actually rent from either Enterprise, Hertz, or Avis almost weekly when I travel. They are all pretty much the same right down to their rewards programs, which offer one free rental day for every 12-15 days of a paid rental. They all have the quick check in and most airports. If you pay for their fuel, Hertz and Avis will charge you for a full tank of fuel regardless of how much gas is in the car when you turn it in.....so skip that and fill it up yourself.

I find that the intermediate sized cars (Altima, Malibu, Fusion, Camry) are usually the best value, but you can also get higher end cars like an Infiniti, Mercedes, or Cadillac. Their sporty cars are mostly V6 Mustangs and Camaros.