Heading to the U.S. to attend my child’s graduation ceremony, I rented a car in a small town near the school. Here’s my experience for everyone’s reference.
1. Renting and returning at the same location can save you some money. Initially, I planned to rent and return the car at the airport. However, after considering how exhausted I’d be after a long flight, the crowded airport environment, and my less-than-confident driving skills, plus the generous offer from the host family who insisted on picking me up, I decided against renting at the airport.
The nearest rental place to my hotel was Enterprise. For five days, I rented a car for 362 RMB, with an additional 30 RMB per day for insurance and other minor fees, totaling 536 RMB. A deposit of 300 RMB was required. This turned out to be the most economical option. If I had returned the car at the airport, it would have cost an extra 200 RMB.
Compared to renting a car in the U.S. ten years ago, this time it was several times more expensive.
2. Unfortunately, the condition of the car wasn’t ideal. My first rental, as shown in Figure 1, was a white Nissan. Its exterior paint was peeling badly, and the car shook excessively while driving. At 45 miles per hour within the town, it wasn’t too noticeable, but once we hit the highway at 70 miles per hour, the shaking became so severe that my legs and feet went numb. I had no choice but to return to the rental company to exchange the car.
They then provided me with a black Nissan, as shown in Figure 3. Interestingly, this car required a key to unlock and start it. If I locked the car and forgot the license plate number, I might struggle to find it when I came back. They mentioned there were no other cars available for exchange, so I had to make do with this outdated model. To top it off, the navigation system wouldn’t connect to my phone, and all they could offer was a phone holder.
3. One advantage of renting a car in a small town is that the staff aren’t overly busy, allowing them to provide detailed explanations about the car’s condition. Despite this, I was quite dissatisfied with the car rental service overall. The car was in poor shape, and the second one even had a lingering cigarette smell. Given our tight schedule after the graduation ceremony, as we were heading straight back home, we didn’t have the time or energy to file a complaint.
5. Regarding returning the car, the rental office in the town closes at 5:30 PM. However, you can return the car at night by parking it in front of the rental company, locking it securely, and dropping the key into a mailbox-like box. We returned the car around 9 PM after the graduation ceremony. The host family accompanied us and kindly drove us back to the hotel. The next day, we took a bus to the airport.
A decade ago, I found myself renting cars twice in the western United States—once in the vibrant city of San Francisco and another time in the lively town of Reno. Back then, the economy seemed to be thriving, and rental companies only offered shiny, brand-new vehicles. I vividly recall my experience with Hertz—it was a Nissan, spotless both inside and out, and in impeccable condition.
That particular trip took me down to sunny San Diego to visit an old friend. Familiar with the local roads, he enthusiastically took the wheel of our rented car and chauffeured us on a shopping spree. He even remarked how exceptional the car performed. Fast forward ten years, and the contrast is striking.
This time around, the cost of renting a car has skyrocketed several-fold, while the quality of the vehicles has noticeably deteriorated. If you’re planning to rent for an extended period, though, you might manage to snag a slightly better deal.
