What would you do with an extra seven minutes and 57 seconds tacked onto your next vacation or business trip? 

That’s the average amount of time rental car customers gain by skipping the airport car rental counter and going directly to the lot to fetch their vehicle, according to the J.D. Power 2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study released Oct. 8. 

Despite the time savings and a better overall customer experience, however, 80% of airport rental car customers still visit the counter first.

Overall satisfaction among customers who bypass the rental counter is 704 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared to 662 among those who stop at the counter. 

Additionally, bypassing the counter — compared with visiting the counter — also results in notably higher satisfaction with the pick-up/drop-off experience (722 vs. 667, respectively) and ease/convenience of securing the rental (722 vs. 663, respectively). The study also finds that customers who skipped the counter saved time, with an average time to complete the rental pick up of 14 minutes and 6 seconds, compared to 22 minutes and 3 seconds for those who visited the counter.

“Given options of loyalty programs, kiosks, and rental car company apps, there are more ways than ever to bypass the rental car counter, and customers who take advantage of that added convenience are enjoying the benefits,” said Azari Jones, rental car practice lead at J.D. Power, in a news release. 

“But for one reason or another, many customers are choosing to take the extra time to engage with representatives at the rental car counter. The key for rental car companies looking to maximize customer satisfaction is to clearly communicate the value of direct pick-up for time-pressed travelers, and to add value at the counter by delivering personalized service and more fully addressing customers’ questions and concerns.”

Enterprise Leads Study Rankings

In J.D. Power’s annual assessment of major car rental companies, Enterprise ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction with a score of 734. National Car Rental (721) ranks second. Advantage Rent A Car and Sixt rank third in a tie, each with a score of 711. 

The North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study examines the customer experience with rental car companies across seven core dimensions (in order of importance): ease of rental; pick-up/drop-off; level of trust; vehicle; staff; value for price paid; and digital tools. 

It is based on responses gathered from 8,263 business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport during the past year. The 2025 study was fielded from August 2024 through August 2025.

More information:North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study