Survey: Millennials Would Rather Give Up Social Media Than Lose Use of Vehicles
When faced with the prospect of losing access to a vehicle for an extended time, millennial drivers in particular say they would rather go without social media for a week (50%), according to a survey by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
When faced with the prospect of losing access to a vehicle for an extended time, millennial drivers in particular say they would rather go without social media for a week (50%), lose an extra hour of sleep each day (41%), and skip one meal a day (39%), according to a survey by Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
“Many drivers might not know it, but if they’re involved in one of the millions of auto accidents per year and their car needs to be repaired, the average repair time is two weeks,” said Mary Mahoney, vice president North American insurance replacement division for Enterprise. “What would you do without access to a vehicle for two weeks? And how would it make you feel? That’s a question we wanted to explore as a way to shed light on the importance of rental car reimbursement coverage – insurance coverage that pays for the cost of a rental when your car is in the shop. It turns out that drivers would go to great extremes to maintain access to a vehicle. But there’s a simple action they can take today to eliminate that risk. They can call their insurance agent to make sure they’re covered for rental car reimbursement.”
Only 32 percent indicated that they are “very confident” that they are aware of everything in their auto insurance policies, and fewer than four in 10 say they are familiar with the term “rental reimbursement coverage,” according to the survey. In addition, more than half of U.S. drivers (53%) say they do not read their entire policy before purchasing auto insurance.
Among millennials, one of the biggest barriers to obtaining rental car reimbursement coverage may be the fact that they view it as an “adulting” activity. And when it comes to adulting, nearly two out of three millennials say they procrastinate as often as possible. Additionally, a third (32%) of millennials say that adulting makes them feel exhausted, according to the survey.
Other findings from the Enterprise survey include:
- More than half of millennials (52%) admit that if they lost access to their vehicle for an extended period of time, they’d be forced to beg their friends and family members for rides.
- Nearly half (49%) of millennials say the ability to drive to work is the thing they value most about having access to a vehicle.
- More than one-third (34%) of U.S. drivers say they drive an average of three to four places per day.
- When asked how they would feel if they had to borrow a friend or family member’s car for an extended period of time, top responses among U.S. drivers were: “awkward” (51%) and “anxious” (35%).
- Anxiety associated with borrowing a friend or family member’s car over an extended period of time also decreased with age: 45% of those ages 21-34 indicated they’d be anxious compared to 30% of those ages 45-54.
More Rental Operations

Turo and Tesla Take the Next Step Toward Autonomous Car Rentals
The partnership brings Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology into the rental experience, offering a glimpse of how increasingly automated vehicles could change car rental.
Read More →
How Rental Operators Can Navigate Personalized Pricing Rules
As regulators scrutinize the use of customer data in pricing, rental operators need to know whether they can explain why one renter pays more than another.
Read More →
Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
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 →
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 →
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 →
