Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

National Named Best Car Rental Company of 2023

According to an analysis by Trips to Discover, National Car Rental has been ranked as the best rental car company for its transparency, customer satisfaction, and no cancellation fees.

National Named Best Car Rental Company of 2023

According to Trips to Discover’s analysis, National Car Rental charges the least amount of fees in proportion to the total checkout price.

Image: Tripstodiscover.com

3 min to read


National Car Rental took the number 1 spot for best car rental company of 2023, according to a ranked list by Trips to Discover, a travel discovery platform.

Trips to Discover did a month-long analysis of the nation’s eight largest car rental companies. The ranking system included price, transparency, average fees, cancellations costs, availability, pay-now discounts, car class, size, and baggage space. The company analyzed 176 mock rental car bookings at the five largest U.S. airports. Rental durations ranged from three to nine days.

Ad Loading...

For National Car Rental, an average daily cost for a rental car (AVG) is $132.37. Average fee percent (of total price) is 14.4%. It has no average max cancellation fees and no pay-now discount. According to the analysis, National is the second most expensive option, but it ranks high on the other 12 metrics, including transparency, customer satisfaction, and fees. National charges the least amount of fees in proportion to the total checkout price.

Alamo Rent a Car comes in second place with an average daily cost of $111.39 and 16.08% for average fee percent of total price. According to the analysis, Alamo has a lower daily cost than National, but it does charge cancellation fees for no-shows and last-minute cancellations.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car comes in third place with an average daily cost of $119.03 and an average fee percent of 15.19%. Dollar Rent-a-Car takes fourth place with an average daily cost of $114.18 and average fee percent of 15.24%.

Thrifty Car Rental takes fifth place with an average daily cost of $110.34 and an average fee percent of 17.65%. Avis Car Rental comes in sixth place with an average daily cost of $136.60 and an average fee percent of 14.81%. According to the data, Avis charges the highest cancellation fees at $496.50 per booking.

Finishing out the list, Hertz takes the seventh spot and Budget Rent a Car finishes in eighth place. Hertz has an average daily cost of $131.02 and an average fee percent of 14.70%. Hertz charges cancellation fees for “pay later” options. Budget’s average daily cost is $121.63 and its average fee percent is 16.04%. Budget has one of the highest cancellation rates averaging $492.90, and it offers one of the lowest prepaid discount rates (average of $40.85).

Ad Loading...

When trying to find the cheapest rental car company, Trips to Discover calculated the average total checkout cost of all bookings for each of the eight rental companies. When looking at the average checkout price, Alamo has the least expensive rental rate at $495.60 while Hertz has the most expensive rate at $613.30. For calculating actual daily average rate, Thrifty provides the best deal at an average of $110.34 per day while Avis has the most expensive daily rate at $136.60.

For average rental car fees, the analysis found that Alamo charges the least amount of fees, averaging $78.01 per booking. Hertz charges the most fees at $89.34 per booking.

At an average of $131.24 per booking, Dollar offers the highest average discount for booking a prepaid rental car, according to the analysis. Alamo provides the smallest average discount at $23.85 per prepaid rental car booking.

More Rental Operations

an exotic car wrapped in an insurance policy
Rental Operations•October 1, 2026

The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals

Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.

Read More →
globe of world and drivers license from UK
Rental Operations•September 28, 2026

The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?

For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.

Read More →
Scenes from Car Rental Shows past
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 23, 2026

ICRS 2027 Opens Call for Papers

The International Car Rental Show seeks session proposals on the business, operational, and technology issues facing car rental operators. Submissions are due Jan. 15.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
hand holding phone and Turo logo
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 21, 2026

Turo to Launch Vehicle Delivery Service

Turo Delivered will let travelers search for vehicles that hosts can deliver directly to hotels, homes, airports, train stations, and other locations.

Read More →
plane, palm trees, car rental sign
Rental Operations•by Chris Brown•September 15, 2026

Palm Beach Airport Code Change Creates Car Rental Distribution Gap

A test of rental searches under the old PBI and new DJT airport codes returned largely different sets of brands and vehicles, highlighting a potential distribution problem for rental operators.

Read More →
Team members of U-Save's new franchise
Rental Operations•by Staff•September 15, 2026

U-Save Continues Dominican Republic Expansion with Launch in Punta Cana

The new franchise location builds on U-Save’s existing Santo Domingo operation and will begin taking reservations for October 2026.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A traveler searches for rental cars with an AI bot
Rental Operations•September 14, 2026

When AI Books the Rental Car, Who Controls the Sale?

As AI moves from comparing rental rates to completing transactions, operators need to understand how travelers find, interpret, rank, and ultimately see their offers. (Part 2 of 2.)

Read More →
map of europe and summer car rental rates
Rental Operations•September 11, 2026

European Booked Car Rental Rates Fell 5%, Results Varied by Country

Ireland, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom saw steep declines, while booked rates rose in Poland and Hungary.

Read More →
thumbnail of Chris Brown and Mike DeLorenzo with title Time to Rethink Rental Categories?
Rental Operations•by Chris Brown•September 8, 2026

Is It Time to Rethink Rental Categories?

As traditional economy and compact cars disappear from the market, longtime rental operator Mike DeLorenzo asks whether the industry’s familiar vehicle categories still make sense — and what operators need to rethink along with them.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Woman receiving car rental rates on computer from AI agent
Rental Operations•September 1, 2026

Who Owns the Rate? AI Is Creating a New Distribution Problem for Car Rental

Generative Engine Optimization asks whether AI can find a rental company, but operators also need to know whether the agent inspected enough of the market, compared equivalent offers, and presented a rate the traveler can actually book. (Part 1 of 2)

Read More →
Ad Loading...