You’re in the market for a car, but not for the long-term. You only need to rent it for a few days, maybe a week tops. After calling every rental service in town and finding out they’re booked, you’re getting desperate. Can your local car dealership help by issuing you a rental?
Car dealerships usually offer rentals, especially Lincoln, Ford, and Toyota dealerships. You might even enjoy perks such as roadside assistance and unlimited mileage. If you like the car enough, you could buy it later!
In today’s article, we’ll talk more about renting a car from a local dealership, including the perks of doing so. This is always a good option to have handy, even if you don’t need a rental right now, so make sure you keep reading!
Can You Rent a Car at a Dealership?
Sure, when most people need groceries, they go to the grocery store, but that’s not the only place to stock up on produce, canned goods, and cereal. Big-box department stores like Walmart and Target sell groceries, and even convenience stores have some food.
Renting a car is much the same. This content is owned by moc.sotuaytsur. Most people who need to rent a car will usually try a car rental service, but you can go beyond those services as well, such as car dealerships.
More than likely, you have several car dealerships in your neck of the woods. Depending on which vehicles your dealership services, you may or may not be able to rent a car there.
Car Dealerships That Usually Offer Rentals
The following car manufacturers are known for offering rentals, so a dealership that sells these cars is a good place to start your quest for a rental vehicle.
- Toyota
- Subaru
- Nissan
- Lincoln
- Kia
- Hyundai
- Honda
- GMC
- Ford
- RAM
- Jeep
- Dodge
- Chrysler
- Chevrolet
We must note that just because these dealerships usually offer car rentals doesn’t mean that’s always going to be the case. Before you walk in and ask a dealership attendant about renting a vehicle, it’s not a bad idea to call first and determine if that’s even an option that’s on the table.
Car Dealerships That Usually Do Not Offer Rentals
Maybe the above car brands don’t really tickle your fancy. Well, sadly, if you more prefer the following brands, you typically cannot rent a car at their dealerships.
- Volvo
- Volkswagen
- Tesla
- Mazda
- Lexus
- Jaguar
- Infiniti
- Fiat
- Cadillac
- Buick
- BMW
- Acura
This list makes sense when you think about it. Many of these brands are considered luxury cars. By issuing the car out via rentals, if something happened to the vehicle, the repair costs would be higher. It’s better to save the luxury cars for serious buyers only, not renters.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Car at a Dealership?
You’re glad to know that you can rent a car from a dealership. You even called your local dealership and checked if they offered this service and were delighted to hear that indeed, they do.
How much are you going to spend on your vehicle rental? The prices vary by dealership. Geographics can also play a role, as if where you live is a more expensive area, then rightfully, it will cost more to rent a car.
Most dealerships will offer daily or weekly rental prices. Here are the averages of what you may pay to rent from a variety of dealerships. Keep in mind these prices are estimates only and not set in stone.
Toyota
If you want to drive a Toyota truck, SUV, crossover, minivan, or hybrid, it costs between $35 and $90 for a single-day rental. You can rent a Toyota for seven days for $200 to $500, which isn’t bad!
Subaru
Are you ready to get behind the wheel of a rented Subaru Outback, Forester, or Crosstrek? Some drivers have reported paying as little as $15 a day for a Subaru rental, but most dealerships charge between $40 and $80 for one-day rentals. If you want a weekly rental, the costs would be between $200 and $500.
Nissan
Rent a Nissan Versa, Sentra, Rogue, Pathfinder, Altima, and more for as little as $40 a day and up to $125 daily depending on the make and model. The weekly rental costs are between $250 and $800.
Lincoln
One of your only chances to rent a luxury vehicle is through Lincoln. To rent models like the Navigator, MKZ, MKX, or the MKC, the daily rental costs are between $60 and $80. You might pay up to $500 a week for a rental.
Kia
If you like Kia models such as the Soul, Sorento, Rio, or Optima, you can rent one at most Kia dealerships for as little as $25 a day. Daily rentals might cost up to $50. For a weeklong rental, the cost is around $150 to $250.
Some Kia dealerships even allow for monthly rentals, with fees totaling $500 or $600 for 30 days. That’s a great deal!
Hyundai
A Hyundai Santa Fe, Sonata, or Elantra could be yours, at least for a little while, if you rent at your local dealership. The daily fees are $40 to $50. For a weeklong rental, you might pay $300.
Honda
Head on by to your local Honda dealer and ask about renting an Odyssey, CR-V Fit, Civic, Accord, or other models. The price isn’t bad, with daily rentals costing between $35 and $80 and weeklong rentals between $200 and $500.
GMC
Cruise around town in a rented GMC Terrain or Acadia for about $50 per day. A weekly rental would cost roughly $300.
Ford
Whether you’re into Ford trucks, cars, or SUVs, you can rent models like the F-150, Expedition, Explorer, Escape, Fusion, or Focus for between $30 and $70 a day.
Chrysler
Chrysler dealerships might offer RAM trucks, Jeep SUVs, and Dodge and Chrysler sedans for rent for up to $80 a day. The weekly rental costs might be $200 to $450.
Chevrolet
If you’re a Chevy lover, you might be able to rent the Traverse, Silverado, Impala, or Malibu for between $20 and $70 each day. Weekly rentals are as low as $100 and up to $400.
What Are the Benefits of Renting a Car at a Dealership?
If renting a car through a dealership is in your immediate future, you might be able to enjoy the following benefits.
The Chance to Drive a Brand-New Vehicle
It’s not every day you can get behind the wheel of a brand-spanking-new car, truck, or SUV. Unlike a quick test drive at the dealership like you usually get, with a rental, you can take the vehicle around town. Drive it to work, the gym, the grocery store, home, wherever you want! (Within reason, of course.)
You Can Usually Select the Make and Model You Want
Most renters have preferences for the make and model they’re going to rent. They may be used to a certain brand of vehicle, and they want to rent another vehicle from that brand so they don’t have to spend an hour learning the dashboard or adjusting to the car’s handling.
Dealerships can usually accommodate you better than a rental service if you want a specific vehicle. That said, even dealerships might not always have every make and model in stock, but you can at least drive off with a vehicle from your preferred brand.
Dealerships Often Throw in Rental Perks
Car dealerships that offer rentals usually do so hoping that the rental experience might convince you to buy the vehicle. Thus, they’ll make the experience of renting and driving the car as enjoyable as possible.
For example, you might get free 24/7 roadside assistance or even unlimited miles so you can take the rental where you need to go without worry.
You Like It, You Buy It!
The best part of renting a car from a dealership rather than a rental company is you can buy or lease the car if you like driving it that much. At a rental agency, even if you fall in love with a car, you still have to give it back at the end.
Conclusion
Car dealerships often rent out cars, but it depends on the dealership. With daily, weekly, and sometimes even monthly rental plans available, you can get a feel for the car at your leisure. When you’re done with it, a dealership is usually happy to sell the vehicle to you!
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- About the Author
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John Cunningham is an Automotive Technician and writer on Rustyautos.com. He’s been a mechanic for over twenty-five years and has worked for GM, Volvo, Volkswagen, Land Rover, and Jaguar dealerships.
John uses his know-how and experience to write fluff-free articles that help fellow gearheads with all aspects of vehicle ownership, including maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.