by Markus Hinterberger, Euro on Sunday
Dem Autoland Germany are running out of cars. Not only those who are looking around for a new vehicle, but also those who want to rent a car will find that there are fewer offers and that prices have risen drastically overall. Because of the Ukraine war and the aftermath of the corona pandemic, significantly fewer vehicles were produced. As a result, rental car providers have not been able to replenish their fleets, which have been drastically reduced during the pandemic, quickly enough to meet the renewed high demand. That drove prices up. At the end of 2021, rental cars cost an average of 32 percent more than a year earlier. Compared to the time before the corona pandemic, it was even more than 90 percent more.
But there are now rays of hope. According to an analysis by the rental car broker Sunny Cars, demand was lower than expected this summer, which is why customers were able to benefit from reduced rental rates. The analysts at Sunny Cars do not yet want to report comprehensive price reductions.
So where are there cheap rental cars in sufficient numbers and on good terms? The German Customer Institute (DKI) dealt with this question for €uro on Sunday. To this end, the DKI, together with the editorial team, developed five customer types who rent different cars. They represent a cross-section of the rental car landscape. In addition to the offer and the price, the test was about extras and of course the service. Not only in the specific case, but also in general, the providers were tested with customer inquiries on the various channels.
Overall winner of the test was Sixt. The car rental company from Pullach near Munich confirms the thesis that the best does not always have to be the cheapest.
Not the cheapest, but the best
Sixt can quote the cheapest price for a rental car twice: 30 days for a small car and two days for a medium-sized car. Across all rental car prices, Sixt only offers the fourth cheapest prices, but was able to best meet the specifications of the sample profiles. The other conditions, such as the mileage, were also right. After all, what good is a cheap rental price if expensive extra kilometers are due soon?
A two-day rental period included a total of 600 kilometers, seven days included 1,050 kilometers, the middle-class car even 2,100 kilometers and 3,750 kilometers for 30 days. The prices per additional kilometer vary between EUR 0.37 and EUR 0.57, which is quite normal on the market. Sixt was particularly able to score with the fact that various discount campaigns such as a new customer discount or early bird discount are offered. In addition, rebookings are just as possible as cancellations.
Europcar made it into second place, just behind Sixt. The company, headquartered in Paris, was the cheapest provider for some model customers and, like Sixt, scored well with a wide range and a lot of extras that cost extra with some competitors, which at first glance seem a few euros cheaper.
The results in detail
Now for the results in detail. In the “Conditions” category, which contributed 40 percent to the overall result, it was not only about the price, as already indicated, but also about the costs for extras and location fees. All providers charge additional fees of around 25 percent of the rental price at train stations and airports. Likewise, young drivers have to pay additional fees at all tested car rental companies, except for Budget. These additional fees are due up to the age of 25, depending on the provider and vehicle type. The relevant fees amount to an average of 12.37 euros per day.
The testers noticed positively that rebookings and cancellations are generally possible with all eight car rental companies. With Avis, Budget and Sixt, you can also make unlimited rebookings free of charge.
When it comes to paying, all car rental companies accept payment upon collection, and payment in advance is also possible. With six of the providers tested, customers can choose between the two payment times themselves.
And a few more interesting items that rental car users should know: The prices for an additional navigation device are between 10.50 euros (Buchbinder Rent-a-Car) and 14.99 euros per day (Hertz). The prices for an additional driver vary between EUR 10.00 per day (Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car) and EUR 13.89 per day (Sixt). And for a child seat, vehicle renters pay between 11.99 euros (Enterprise Rent-A-Car) and 19.99 euros per day (Hertz), depending on the provider.
Luxury cars only from the age of 25
With three providers, the minimum age for renting a vehicle is 18 years, with three other providers it is 19 years; with two providers, the minimum age is even 21 years. Depending on the vehicle class, however, the minimum age can vary for all providers. For example, the minimum age for luxury limousines, sports cars and SUVs is 25 for most providers.
With the exception of Alamo and Buchbinder Rent-a-Car, all of the car rental companies tested provide their German customers with an app that can be used to reserve vehicles, cancel or rebook reservations and book additional services. Car rental stations can also be found via the app.
A few more words about the service: On average, the testers spent three minutes and 54 seconds on hold before a call was answered. Enterprise Rent-A-Car answered the calls the fastest – after an average of one minute and 31 seconds. All providers can be reached via hotline and email/contact form. Interested parties can also contact Avis, Europcar and Hertz via live chat. With the exception of Buchbinder Rent-a-Car and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, online check-in is possible with all providers on the website.
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Image sources: Sixt SE, Alexander Chaikin / Shutterstock.com, Finanzen Verlag, Finanzen Verlag, Finanzen Verlag, Finanzen Verlag
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