(Author’s note: This was originally part of my C7 Corvette Review, but it became so long that I decided to make this a separate post).
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of the so-called “Gig Economy.” I don’t use Uber or Lyft, and I’d rather stay in an actual licensed and regulated hotel than an Airbnb that may or may not be spying on me. However, I’d been toying around with the idea of getting a car from Turo, that peer-to-peer car online rental platform, for years now, and finally decided to pull the trigger this summer while on vacation in Southern California. Turo rental reviews are becoming more common on this site, but no one has ever really explained what it is or how it works, so I put this together for the uninitiated.
In theory, Turo is the ultimate expression of the marketplace economy. Owners compete solely on the merits of their offerings, and consumers are free to shop for the best deal, while simultaneously sticking it to “The Man” of traditional big car rental companies. In practice, as we shall see, you are not really saving that much over a traditional car rental. Moreover, legally speaking you are not actually renting a car through Turo, you are borrowing someone else’s car. This sounds like a subtle distinction, but it can have legal implications for both the borrower and owner.
Still, you can’t deny that Turo gives you access to a much wider variety of vehicles than you would ever get from a traditional rental firm, including classic cars, exotics like Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, and even Teslas. I suspect the variety, and not the cost savings, is why most people rent from Turo.
A sampling of exotic vehicles available through Turo
The Turo process couldn’t be easier – Using their mobile app or their website, you can filter on location, date, vehicle type, price range and a bunch of other options. All the cars/owners have ratings and reviews from previous renters, so you can use these to be fairly guaranteed a good experience. Renters are also rated by owners, so this rating process works both ways, by the way.
Just beware that quoted price on the screen won’t be your total out of pocket expense. For starters, Turo charges a “trip fee” of up to 25% of the cost of the rental that essentially amounts to a booking fee. This is how Turo makes their money, as the actual rental fee itself goes to the owner of the car and not to Turo.
Next is the protection fee, which is a fancy term for insurance. Because you are technically borrowing a car, any LDW or other rental coverage you may get from your credit card likely will not apply. While you can skip the coverage (on most vehicles), you will probably want to pick up one of the three insurance options Turo offers at checkout (Minimum, Standard, or Premiere, each with increasing levels of coverage and a corresponding increase in cost). All are backed by Liberty Mutual. They even provide a printable insurance card.
Costs continue to add up as virtually all owners require you to wash the car before you return it, or pay a cleaning fee. Some will charge a delivery and/or pickup fee if you are not able to pick up or return the car at or near the owner’s residence. And of course, you will need to return the car with a full tank of gas.
Next, be sure to check how many miles are being offered vs. what you plan to drive. Unlike traditional rentals, most cars on Turo do not offer unlimited mileage. Many offer 200 miles per day or more, but most exotics are limited to 100 miles per day (or less), and the over mileage charges can be steep (we’re talking dollars per mile for exotic cars).
In any case, it pays to compare the “all in” price, and not just the base rental fee. Some owners will offer more miles with their rental, and some will waive the cleaning fee. And pay particular attention to where the owner is located, to minimize any delivery fees. In any case, expect to pay at least double the quoted price: I was in for over $200 on my $99 Corvette rental by the time I paid for the least expensive insurance, trip fee, gas, and a car wash. I also had to pick up and return the car to the owner’s home.
While that is about all you need to do for your typical rentals, things get a little more complicated when dealing with exotic cars. Some exotic car owners require you to take the Turo offered insurance, under the (probably correct) assumption that your personal insurance won’t be sufficient to cover a Lamborghini or Ferrari. Most exotic owners will also require you to leave a security deposit that you may not get back until several days after the rental ($500-$1,500 is common). And while the minimum rental age at Turo is 21, many exotic cars are restricted to renters over 25 (Deluxe Class) or even over 30 (Super Deluxe Class).
Once the time comes to pick up your rental, you check in with your phone. Turo requires using their app to take pictures of all four sides of the car, the odometer and gas gauge before you can “check out” the rental. While not required, I recommend taking pictures of the interior as well, along with all four wheels and tires (to note wear and curb rash).
Once you have completed your rental, you simply repeat the process, taking a fresh set of “after” photos as part of the check-in process. You can then leave feedback for the owner, but otherwise you are done at this point.
I found the process smooth and easy enough that I will definitely do it again on a future trip.
Thanks for posting this. I’d wondered about the process since you mentioned it in previous articles, so the background information is welcome. Renting an unusual car for a day always looked intriguing, but the prices were always outrageous, or close to it. This looks like an interesting option.
Let’s see now….download apps, negotiate all kinds of stuff with who-knows-who, PAY for my insurance, take pictures, keep an eye on the odometer, get it washed….then I can bring the Ferrari back?
Nah…think I’ll get off the plane, go to the Hertz(or whoever)desk, say no, no, no. Sign my name and pick up a car and go. Bring it back with a full tank and everybody’s happy.
I’d never heard of ‘Turo’ before reading this. Interesting. It does seem like it’s a bit more complicated than simply going to an established car-rental agency, but I reckon if someone wants to borrow a fancy sports car this is one way to do it.
I wonder if anyone has a Crosley up to borrow! I was reading another thread about the (very) humble Crosley yesterday and if somebody wanted to drive the barest minimum of a motor vehicle Crosley looks to be The One.
I actually have some trips coming up, so I was interested. However, the Turo website crashed my iPad twice, and when it did let me enter a location and range of dates, it never did get around to loading a list of available cars (this was no out-of-the-way place, it was Philadelphia, PA).
Back to Hertz, where I get a corporate discount, a choice of cars upon airport arrival, and paperwork with my preferences all filled in, instantly printed at the exit from their lot.
There is an ad on Facebook up here telling about some millennial who’s making a lot of coin supposedly from renting his cars on Turo in the Toronto area. Not so sure this would be worth investing as I wonder what the consequences would be if my car were wrecked.
As for renting, old me would be like ravenuer, just stick with a normal rental company. As for ride sharing my wife and I had good experiences using Uber on occasion in San Francisco.
I used Turo at LAX a few years ago for a 392 charger. They had set up at a nearby hotel so I could use the hotel shuttle. They had several cars there and even a few of their people to facilitate things. One of the cars they had was a replica of the Silicon Valley aviato escape.
As for hertz well i reserved a zhz vette several years ago at Logan but was denied at pickup because I did not arrive on an airplane. They offered me a v6 (4 liter) mustang instead and I declined of course.
Even after mulling over the airplane thing, still can’t come up for a reason for them to deny you. ?
That was the entire reason. Maybe they thought local renters would abuse the car. I appealed to customer service but “sorry that’s the policy”
Btw no such issue renting a then new 2010 Camaro at Avis right next door
Tom – although the weather in LA has been our traditional “June Gloom”, I hope you enjoyed your visit to LA.
Did you get to visit the Petersen Museum, Nethercutt, etc?
Mornings were gloomy but usually cleared up by afternoon.
Didn’t make it to the Peterson this time, but I did make it to the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance, so I might post some photos later.
I too used Touro to rent an interesting car while on vacation in SoCal. Except I rented a Nissan Leaf. Since then I’ve checked it sometimes when I have needed a car while traveling and have come to similar conclusions. The only reasons to use it are if you are younger than 25, or if you want to try something you can’t rent normally.
For the younger crowd, there are reasonably priced beaters for those in urban areas who increasingly can’t afford a car of their own. You can rent older Japanese sedans or even ex-police Crown Victoria’s for around $20 per day plus fees. There are also vans and trucks for moving that couch for a little more. Many appear to be rented by small car lots who can effectively turn their inventory into rental cars for extra money, and the younger set can save money by not paying for a car full-time. I know a lot of people are down on the Millennials but you try buying a car with $10/hr.
Anyway, the other application for Touro is this stuff. When I rented the Leaf (which I loved), I was initially trying to rent an old Jeep CJ7 (with a four speed) for cruising the beaches but the guy never responded to my inquiry.
Too many unanswered questions.
Would you really trust a stranger with your car? Especially an expensive one?
Who can afford a brand new Corvette and not use it as their daily driver? Does renting it out pay enough to pay for the ownership of the car?
So, when you rented the Corvette, the owner “left the keys on the tire”? How does he know that YOU were the one who picked up the car? How does the owner know you weren’t a part of some scam to steal the car? What if someone saw him place the keys on the tire and took the car before you got there? Now the owner claims you were a part of the theft.
Maybe I’m being too paranoid, but there is no way I would trust total strangers with my car.
My credit card has a feature which will cover damage or theft of a rental car without involving my regular auto insurance. When I called to verify coverage in Europe, the agent stated they preferred that I avoid TURO. When I explained that I planned to use a traditional rental agency, the agent seemed relieved.
@Michael: You’ve expressed some of the same thoughts that I have about these type of rentals. My only reason to use Turo would be the same as Tom’s; to try out something exotic, or that normally wouldn’t be readly available. When I had an account w/ Enterprise, I was always routinely upgraded without asking, because as a certified “car nut”, I had a reputation for ALWAYS returning my rentals in a cleaner condition than received! 🙂