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• Car Rental Companies: Finding the Best Car for Rent Deal

Car Rental Companies: Finding the Best Car for Rent Deal

This article was originally published on February 19, 2018 and was updated on November 4, 2019.

Looking for the cheapest car rental service in the Philippines? Here’s the thing about saving money when renting a car: the price isn’t the only thing to consider when choosing the best rent-a-car company. Cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Of course, you need to stay within your budget. But you also have to look at other things that drive car rental prices: service, vehicle selection, hidden fees, inclusions and limitations, and other terms and conditions. The car rental provider’s garage locations and vehicle safety features are important considerations as well.

Check these things between different rent-a-car service providers. There has to be a balance between the price and the quality of service that a car rental company provides.

In this guide, we’ll compare some of the top car rental companies in the Philippines.

Car Rental Locations

When shopping around for car rental companies, the first thing you have to check is each provider’s pick-up and drop-off points. You want to make sure that the car rental location is accessible to you. Ideally, it’s located nearest your home, at the airport where you’ll arrive, or at the hotel where you’re staying. This way, you won’t be as hassled when picking up and returning the rental car.

Car Rental in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Other Cities

As you can see in the table below, most companies provide car rental in Manila. Quite a handful of them also offer car rental in Cebu and Davao, as well as key locations in the rest of Luzon. A few others serve only within Metro Manila.

Car for Rent Services

Car for rent services cater to a variety of purposes, though most companies provide self-driven and chauffeur-driven car rentals as their main products. Long-term leases are also available for personal and corporate transport needs.

However, there may be occasions when you need to rent a vehicle for an event, like a wedding or anniversary. Or you need a car that will take you from or to the airport. Look for a car rental company that offers the exact service you need.

Car Rental Service Comparison

Here is a table to give you a glimpse of the common car rental services in the Philippines.

Vehicle Selection

Narrow down your choices by finding out which companies have the vehicle type you need. But first, determine the kind of vehicle you want to rent. Driving alone around the city? You need a small car such as a compact hatchback or sedan. Need a big vehicle for the whole family or your company team-building? You need an SUV or a van for that.

What’s the Right Vehicle Type for Your Needs?

To give you an idea of what exactly matches your needs, here are the different vehicle types available for rent in the Philippines and their seating and luggage capacities:

• Hatchback – Five persons and one to two luggage
• Sedan – Five persons and two to three luggage
• SUV – Five to eight persons and three to four luggage
• AUV – Seven persons and three to four luggage
• Pickup – Five persons and five to six luggage
• Van – Eight to 15 persons and four to eight luggage
• Minibus – 10 to 26 persons

Vehicle Selection Comparison

Now, look at the vehicle selection of each company you’re considering to check if it has the car make and model you have in mind.

Note: Exact vehicle makes and models are subject to availability.

Vehicle Condition and Features

The last thing you’d want to happen while on the road—whether it’s your own car or not—is a car breakdown. To avoid that stressful situation, make sure to rent a car in good to excellent condition. Ideally, it’s a newer model not earlier than 2016 year models.

On their website and social media accounts, car rental companies would claim that all their vehicles are in prime condition. But don’t just take their word for it. If it’s possible, visit the garage of the providers you’re considering to inspect the unit you wish to rent.

Take note also of the features available in the rental car. For instance, most companies offer vehicles with automatic transmission. If you prefer to drive a manual, check if a provider’s car rental lineup includes units with manual transmission.

Safety is also a key consideration when choosing a car rental company. It’s best to rent a car fitted with a GPS tracking device to prevent car theft. Traveling with a child? Be sure to look for a rental company that includes a child safety seat in its package.

Although not exactly an in-vehicle safety feature, some car for rent companies offer an extra driver for an additional cost, which is a good add-on to consider for long road trips. For example, if you’ll travel from Manila to Baguio (which can take up to six hours) and will get a chauffeur-driven service, it’s good to have two drivers taking turns behind the steering wheel, so one of them can take a rest while the other is driving.

Car Rental Prices

Some companies have their car rental price list posted on their respective websites. Others have flexible pricing, so you’ll have to call or email them to ask for a quote.

What Affects Car Rental Prices?

Car rentals are priced on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. While daily rates look cheaper than weekly and monthly rates, you’ll get to save more when you choose a weekly rate, especially if you need to use a car for at least one week.

The car make and model you’ll rent also affects the price of your vehicle rental. For example, renting a hatchback or a sedan costs lower than a bigger vehicle like an SUV or van. Premium or luxury cars like BMW and Mercedes Benz, obviously, are the most expensive vehicles to rent.

Prices also depend on the service type you choose. Chauffeur-driven comes with an added service of a driver, which is why it costs higher than a self-driven car.

How to Compare Car Rental Rates

When comparing the car rental prices, make sure to do it apples to apples. Meaning, you don’t mix up daily rates with weekly rates or compare rental prices for different vehicle types. If, for example, you need to rent an Innova, compare prices of the same vehicle model (or at least a different model but of the same vehicle type.)

You can create a car rental comparison table similar to the one below. Let’s say you’re looking at daily and weekly rental rates for an economy sedan, like a Toyota Vios or a Ford Fiesta, with manual transmission for self-driving around Metro Manila.

Here’s how the car rental prices comparison table will look like:

Note: Pricing information are based on available data on each company’s website and Facebook page. For companies not included in the list, contact them directly for quotation requests.

Based on the table above, Reserve Car Rentals has the cheapest 24-hour car rental service. But if you’ll rent a car for two days, MIAS has the lowest rate. If you’ll use a rental car for a full week, you’ll get the most savings from Juzzr Car Rental.

Package Inclusions and Exclusions

What services are included in the price? Which ones aren’t part of the package?

The best car rental deal includes all the services and other things you need at the lowest price possible.

Many rent-a-car services come with full or partial insurance coverage such as personal accident insurance, third-party liability bodily injury or property insurance, comprehensive insurance for own damage and theft, and collision damage waiver.

If you’re frequently traveling and need to rent a car from time to time, consider getting car insurance with car rental coverage.

Read the fine print, too, so you know the limitations of a car for rent service. For instance, most car rental companies exclude toll fees and parking fees from their rates.

Extra Fees and Charges

Be on the lookout for any hidden fees that might be charged for certain usage or condition:

• Security deposit/bond
• Additional hourly fee for every hour in excess of the basic package
• Refueling surcharge (if the vehicle is returned with less fuel)
• Pre-payment fee
• Out-of-town charge
• Cancellation fee
• Automatic transmission add-on
• Cleaning fee (for any smoke odor, pet hair, and dirt found in the returned car)
• Penalty fee (for violation of terms and loss or damage to the vehicle)
• Waiting time fee (for chauffeur-driven cars)
• Overtime fee for driver
• Stopover fee (for chauffeur-driven cars with multiple stopovers)
• Driver’s meals and board-and-lodging (for chauffeur-driven cars)

Final Thoughts

Whether you need to rent a vehicle for your weekend road trip with the family, a big event you’re organizing, or just getting around the city (if you’re a foreigner traveling to the Philippines for business or pleasure), research and compare your options so that you can find the best car rental package that will provide value-for-money service.

Sources:

• (1) Anis Transport
• (2) Avis Philippines
• (3) Budget Rent a Car
• (4) Diamond Rent-a-Car
• (5) Europcar Philippines
• (6) Hertz Philippines
• (7) Juzzr Car Rental
• (8) MIAS Car Rental
• (9) Enterprise Car Lease Philippines, Inc.
• (10) Reserve Car Rentals