The term “rental car” usually conjures images of ordinary 4-door sedans, SUVs, and minivans used simply as a means of conveyance by business travelers or people on vacation.
While commonplace vehicles represent the vast majority of most mainstream rental-car fleets (and most customers are just fine with that), a few of the major rental companies have recognized some customers’ desire to tool around in something special, be it for vacation, impressing clients on a business trip, or just fulfilling a dream.
In our quick web searches of the most recognizable car-rental agencies, we discovered a few that list on their websites high-end vehicles and even some near-exotics available for pay-and-play.
Most rental companies have a Luxury Car category. From what we’ve seen on their websites, this can include the Buick LaCrosse, Infiniti G37 Sedan, Cadillac ATS and CTS, Lincoln MKZ, and other vehicles of that type. The same goes for Luxury SUVs: Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, and even the Chevrolet Suburban fall into this category. Most also have a Convertible category, populated by the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and, in the case of Hertz, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder. But, some companies go even higher on the premium and sporty scale.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car tops the list (with the selection seen on their website, at least) with 43 luxury, performance, and even some exotic vehicles.
These are part of the company’s Exotic Car Collection:
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- Aston Martin Vantage
- Audi A5 Convertible
- Audi A7
- Audi A8
- Bentley Continental GTC
- BMW 3-Series Convertible and Sedan
- BMW 5-Series
- BMW 6-Series Convertible
- BMW 7-Series
- BMW M3 Coupe
- BMW X5
- BMW Z4 Convertible
- Cadillac Escalade
- Chevrolet Camaro Coupe and Convertible
- Chevrolet Corvette Coupe and Convertible
- Dodge Challenger
- Jaguar XJ
- Jaguar XF
- Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Land Rover Range Rover
- Lexus IS Convertible
- Lexus GS
- Lexus RX
- Lincoln Navigator
- Maserati GranCabrio Convertible
- Maserati GranTurismo Coupe
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, Convertible, and Sedan
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
- Mercedes-Benz M-Class
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Porsche 911
- Porsche Boxster
- Porsche Cayenne
- Porsche Cayman
- Porsche Panamera
Hertz also has an impressive list of 33 vehicles from which to choose. They are divided into a few different categories: Prestige Collection, Adrenaline Collection, Special, and “Other Reservable Models.”
The Prestige Collection includes:
- Cadillac ATS
- Cadillac Escalade
- Cadillac SRX
- Infiniti FX
- Infiniti G37 Sedan
- Infiniti JX
- Infiniti QX56
- Lincoln Navigator
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan and Convertible
- Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
- Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
- Volvo C70 Convertible
The Adrenaline Collection includes:
- Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe and Convertible
- Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
- Dodge Challenger R/T
- Ford Mustang GT Premium
The Special category includes:
- Audi R8
The “Other Reservable Models” class contains:
- BMW M3 Convertible
- Cadillac CTS-V
- Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
- Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
- Mercedes-Benz G550
- Mercedes-Benz SL550 Convertible
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
- Porsche 911
- Porsche Boxster
- Porsche Cayenne
- Porsche Panamera
- Tesla Model S
Budget Rent A Car’s Street Fleet includes:
- Chevrolet Corvette
- BMW 5-Series
- BMW 7-Series
- BMW X3
- BMW X5
- Cadillac XTS
- Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe and Convertible
- Ford Mustang
- Lincoln Navigator
- Mini Cooper
Avis Rent A Car advertises just a few high-end vehicles. On its website, the Signature Series includes the Cadillac XTS, BMW 3-Series, BMW 5-Series, BMW X3, and BMW X5. They also rent the Smart ForTwo. But, unlike any other rental agency, you can also rent a driver, too; the Avis Chauffeur program offers chauffeurs hourly, daily, and weekly.
With ordinary, workaday vehicles, most rental agencies will advertise a certain vehicle, and will include a statement to the effect of “This car or similar.” This allows the company to substitute what it feels is an equivalent vehicle based on the cars it has at the time. This practice usually works out fine; many renters probably have no preference and couldn’t tell the difference between a Dodge Avenger and a Toyota Corolla anyway. However, many rental agencies grant renters of these specialty vehicles the option to reserve exactly the car they want. Enterprise even lists on their website the cities in which each car is available.
While rental rates undoubtedly vary from location to location and from vehicle to vehicle, these lux rides certainly won’t be for those looking to get the best deal on a car rental. Additionally, there are certain restrictions, too. To rent certain vehicles—those assigned “Dream” status by Hertz (Tesla Model S, BMW M3 Convertible, Mercedes-Benz G550, Mercedes-Benz SL550 Convertible)—there are rigid requirements: four forms of ID (acceptable forms include driver’s license, credit cards, passport, etc.) and a deposit of up to $10,000.
Other rental companies may have special vehicles for rent, but, from our observations, they don’t advertise them on their websites. Inquire by phone with your rental company of choice.
Besides the big rental agencies, there are many independently operated specialty car-rental agencies that specialize in exotic cars such as Aston Martins, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis, so poke around the Internet to locate one if you can’t find the vehicle you want at any of the major rental-car companies.
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