With more than 3,000 neighborhood locations in the US, Hertz is one of the largest and best car rental sites around. What is more, it has a global presence around the world, offering business rentals and even car sales should you be looking to buy rather than rent. And if you're in need of a vehicle that is even larger, perhaps because you're moving home, you can rent a moving truck or van from Hertz too.
Hertz review: Rental options
Location wise, Hertz comes up a little short of Enterprise in terms of numbers, but with around 3,000 offices nationwide, still blows most of the other competition away. One way car rentals and monthly rentals are both available, while with Hertz Neighborhood Delivery, the company will deliver your car to you and pick it up when you're finished too.
In terms of car options, almost everything is for hire, from SUVs for family getaways to sporty sedans if you need to get somewhere in style. There's even the option to rent a Porsche. For most people, however, a compact or economy car will usually suffice, with brands including Chevrolet, Nissan, Volkswagen and Toyota all usually available in its budget-friendly range.
Hertz review: Price
Hertz’s primary drawback is the daily rental price – it’s one of the more expensive services we reviewed. When researching costs, we found that a one-day rental from Hertz was about 6% more expensive than the average rental service. Balancing this out, its weekly rates tended to be far more competitive, and in some instances beat the average by as much as 24%. So, essentially, short trips via Hertz are a no, and longer trips are definitely worth a look.
There's also a special offer section on the website to keep an eye on, with younger renters (20+) able to hire for no extra cost - most car rentals charge a premium for younger drivers. Hertz's Pay Now and Save scheme also means you can secure a discount by paying straight away as opposed to when you collect.
Hertz review: Rewards program
Standing out from the crowd, however, is the Hertz Gold Plus program, which lets you earn points for each dollar you spend on approved car rentals. You also earn points on other optional services like fuel purchases, car seats, Sirius radio and GPS.
Gold Plus is free to join, so even if you only rent sporadically, you get benefits. With the rewards program you have access to the Gold counter, so you can skip the regular line and get your car just by showing your license. Hertz also has expedited return. Gold members can return cars, fill out a slip and get a receipt emailed to them. Those who use the Hertz Gold app are eligible for free upgrades, while the additional driver fee will be waived if you want to add your spouse or domestic partner.
Make 12 rentals or spend $2,400, and you'll reach the Five Star membership, which allows you to accumulate points at a faster rate of 1.25 points for every $1, and provides the chance of upgrades if available. Hit 20 rentals or $4,000 spend, and you're part of the President's Circle, where $1 equals 1.5 points, you're guaranteed an upgrade, and you'll qualify for additional exclusive benefits and rewards, including travel experiences and events.
While cashing in your points on the standard rewards program will see black out days apply, these can be avoided if you're happy to spend twice as many points as usual.
Should you choose Hertz?
Hertz has the scale and location options to better most other car rental services, while the rewards program on offer is the best that there is. Sometimes letting it down is the relatively high price of daily rentals that it often charges, but if you're renting for the longer term, or find a special offer in its discounts online, Hertz can offer a rewarding drive.
