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

map of europe and summer car rental rates
Rental OperationsSeptember 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 Operationsby Chris BrownSeptember 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 →
Woman receiving car rental rates on computer from AI agent
Rental OperationsSeptember 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...
map of globe with regional corporate car rental rates
Rental Operationsby StaffAugust 25, 2026

U.S. Business Travel Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise Up to 2%

Improved fleet supply should limit pricing gains in 2026-27, while insurance, repair costs, and softer residual values continue to pressure rental operations, according to Amex GBT.

Read More →
Sixt H1 financial results
Rental Operationsby StaffAugust 14, 2026

Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026

Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.

Read More →
Bobby Klyce in memoriam image
Rental Operationsby Chris BrownAugust 13, 2026

In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend

The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Vibe coding webinar promo image
Rental Operationsby StaffAugust 12, 2026

How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]

A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.

Read More →
Globe image with Text: GBTA Business Travel Forecast

Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027

Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.

Read More →
Car rental sign with financial graph in background
Rental Operationsby Chris BrownAugust 2, 2026

Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations

Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
car rental booking engine on computer screen with text: Bookings aren't the whole story
Rental OperationsAugust 1, 2026

Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day

A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.

Read More →
Ad Loading...