Anyone who has ever rented a car knows that not all car rental services are created equal. That's why finding the best car rental service is kind of like looking for a buried treasure. It can be a long, trying process with more downs than there are ups – unless, of course, you have a treasure map. In our car rental reviews, Star Reviews discovered National and were impressed by many of their resources. Here's what you need to know about the rest of the service.
What's New?
- Great deals on last-minute specials.
- Earn one free day for every two rentals.
- Free Emerald Club membership available.
Star Reviews' Favorite Feature:
We found the "Specials to Go" section of the National website to be very useful, providing us with information about all of the latest deals and promotions.
The National Website Experience:
We have to admit, we really didn't like the National website when we first landed on the homepage. Nothing we can really put our finger on, just a general "something's missing" feeling we got when browsing it. That being said, once you start to look, there is quite a bit of rental information on the site – you just have to look for it.
When we entered our criteria into the National rental form, it told us no locations were available for our selected city. We would have liked to see the company offer us some alternatives, but it was up to us to find an acceptable substitution. We tried the nearest major city, and were presented with a message telling us that the location we had chosen was sold out. Sold out – as in they didn't have any cars left for us to rent.
At this point, we were a bit frustrated. However, in the traditional Star spirit, we didn't give up. We chose the next-closest major city and struck gold. Let's just ignore the fact the location was about 50 miles away from us. The system confirmed that location did indeed have rentals available and presented us with our options.
How National Measured Up:
The chart below illustrates how National measured up to the other car rental services in their prices and offerings.
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Alamo
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Avis
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Budget
|
Enterprise
|
Hertz
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National
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Thrifty
|
|
Compact Rate
|
$60.90
|
$41.99
|
$35.99
|
$28.79
|
$49.99
|
$76.95
|
$44.99
|
|
Standard Rate
|
$62.90
|
$49.90
|
$40.99
|
$32.39
|
$53.99
|
$78.95
|
$50.39
|
|
Full Size Rate
|
$67.90
|
$51.99
|
$45.99
|
$35.09
|
$55.99
|
$81.95
|
$50.39
|
|
Standard SUV Rate
|
$63.90
|
$62.99
|
$88.99
|
$53.99
|
N/A
|
$68.95
|
$67.99
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Standard Rate Plus Tax & Fees
|
$76.97
|
$58.12
|
$43.45
|
$38.45
|
$60.88
|
$95.92
|
$56.95
|
|
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