Cheap car rental places?

[krissstybee]

Damn this hobby! Okay now that I've got that out of they way,

All the good MPs seem to be out of the downtown Toronto area. Being without a car, my only solution is to rent one to get my regular Massage fix (or waste several hours of my day using public transit). I've did some research on car rental prices and all the big ones like Budget, Avis, etc, have a pretty high rate for weekdays ($40 and up per day).

Can anyone recommend me any cheap car rental places? A place that offers hourly rates would be great!

 

[TIM_TAM_09]

I rent from Avis quite extensively. You are right. Most mid-week prices are in the $40+/day, usually closer to $49+/day. One way get to cheaper pricing is to (if you can or have the desire to ) limit your visits to Monday mornings or Fridays afternoons.

For the Monday visit example, go to the Avis dealer around 12noon or 1:00 Pm and ask for the weekend rate which should still apply at that time. It is typically around $32-$35/day. You are permitted a 1 hr grace period upon return. Hence, you don't need to be back to Avis until 1 - 2 PM.

To get a rental for anything less, good luck. If you do, its probably a beater.


PS

If you put the rental charge on a credit card, like Aerogold, don't forget to waive the insurance coverages. You are covered for car rental insurance under some Visa/MC cards.

 

[johnny trash]

Thanks for the post fellow downtowner. I was already aware of the tips you gave, but I appreciate the post! I was hoping for cheaper than that and I wouldn't care if it was a "beater", as long as it gets me where I neeed to go and back =)

The insurance coverage on gold credit cards saves quite a bit since the insurance carrental places offer can be as hgh as $20/day! I believe an aeroplan card also gives you a dicsount at certain car rental places.

 

[Carl Fredrickson]

I have always found Enterprise to be the best place to deal with. Them or maybe Discount. Ask for the "insurance rate" and prices general start at $32/day for a small car, which should be fine to get you from a to b.

always decline the insurance. What a rip off that is. Your own insurance on your car at home generally covers you for any accidents you may have.

 

[Lakota]

Dunno about declining the insurance; may be off topic for this board, but I had to rent a car to drive to New Liskeard in January (spitting distance from Kirkland Lake), took the damage waiver, make a long story short, car got totalled and no questions asked. Maybe my insurance would have covered this, but for my piece of mind (okay, it was on my expense report) it was worth it. Boy, was it ever.

 

[muzammil]

Shouldn't this thread be placed in the General Discussion area?

 

[rodeohottie12]

You might try a U-RENT place. They rent vans & pickups for moves. I've seen vans driving around with a big $19.95/day painted on the side.

 

[Eduardo]

19.95 plus mileage..... You also might want to check Rent a wreck, dunno if they are still in business but its a place that rents out used vehicles 3 yrs old and older. They are pretty reasonable considering that to rent a suv from budget is 75 bucks a day now....

 

[Mayomysoync]

i know a lot on jarvis. for an extra $20 the owner will throw in a bbbj with the rental

 

[neutreno 3000]

Here's a suggestion you might want to consider: Take the subway to Finch Station then grab a cab (there's usually a dozen parked outside) if you want to hit the MP's in the Beaver Creek area. Return cab fare plus TTC will likely cost less than a rental. If you go early afternoon, you'll also miss rush hour traffic.

 

[Lucy Blue]

$20 for a BBBJ is pretty cheap. BP is a great place to go and is easily accessible by the TTC.

 

[Ivory]

Yes, this should be in the General Discussion area.

But, in the interest of greater happiness all around, here's your answer,

www.autoshare.com

An environmentally correct friend of mine uses this service and swears by it. You pay a membership fee, and then you can use a car by the day or hour for pretty cheap prices. The more you use it, the cheaper it is. They supposedly have lots all around town, and you can access the cars 24 hours per day. I have a car, so I don't use it, but it seems like a good idea.

LJ

 

[Bad Mother F*cker]

Hey everyone,

Sorry if I posted in the wrong forum. I thought I would post in the Massage section since it would be the massage hobbiests who might need a car to get out to the various mps.

LuckyJackson, I saw the autoshare site but there's a $500 membership fee!

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions guys!

 

[Hank Hill]

There is a place on the west side of Dufferin, a few blocks south of Lawrence that rents used cars for $99 per week. The cars are 4-5 years old, but seem to be in good condition. Also, if you are only looking for a few hours rental, you can sometimes negotiate with some of the companies such as Discount if you visit their lot at a slow time such as weekends and they happen to have extra cars available. I have found this easier to do in person than over the phone.

 

[margaret m]

Sounds like taking a cab is cheaper...