You and short-term car rental

Overall satisfaction is good and, if we go into detail, the average scores even approach 9/10 for the condition of the vehicle (8.9 for its operation and 8.7 for its cleanliness). What does bring the score down a little, however, concerns the collection and return processes. Moreover, the problem encountered most frequently by respondents is a poorly carried out inventory, more than one in five have encountered this (22%).

Technical problems and damages poorly handled

16% of respondents to our survey experienced a technical problem, an accident, or damage to their vehicle (scratches, impacts, etc.). In these cases, 1 in 2 people felt the rental company’s response was unsatisfactory. 37% even considered it very unsatisfactory. Some rental companies even withheld part or all of the deposit, for 8% of respondents. Under these conditions, the satisfaction rating logically plummets to 3.8/10 for those affected.

The waltz of prices

Among traditional rental agencies, there are significant price differences, particularly for city cars. For example, across the five locations surveyed, renting a city car from Sixt costs an average of 63% more than from Rent a Car. Ada also stands out for its competitive prices. For more high-end cars, the differences are smaller, but Sixt still remains the most expensive.

But be careful, the more affordable prices of Rent a Car and Ada have an impact on the options offered or the rental conditions. Thus, unlike their competitors, the number of kilometers included in the rental is not unlimited. Only 700 km are included in the base price, and you have to pay to increase this distance. For a city car, you have to add on average between €5 and €10 for every additional 100 km. For a compact SUV, it’s generally between €10 and €15.

The franchise is expensive

For a city car, the excess averages €1,700, but can reach €2,500 at Ada, while it’s only €1,200 at Rent a Car. For a compact SUV, the excess increases to an average of €2,500. Rent a Car once again has the lowest excess (€1,500), unlike Europcar (€3,000).

To waive this excess, you need to take out specific insurance. 28% of respondents to our survey did so. In this case, the average price is €150, which adds nearly 35% to the basic rental price! The very low price of insurance at Sixt partially offsets the high cost of rental. Note that Budget does not offer an excess buyback option on its website, and that at Ada and Rent a Car, the excess is lowered but does not disappear entirely: in the event of a claim, the renter will therefore still have to pay the costs.

Larger stores are cheaper

Several major retail chains offer car rental services, such as E.Leclerc, Système U, and Carrefour. In our survey, they received very high satisfaction scores, nearly a full point higher than those of traditional rental agencies. The main reason? Very competitive prices: at E.Leclerc, the brand with the most developed rental network, rates are on average 33% cheaper than at agencies. The gap even reaches 42% if we focus on city cars.

However, the offerings at these companies remain more limited, and most importantly, rental points are not located near train stations and airports, unlike traditional agencies. Furthermore, their location generally does not allow easy access by train and requires taking a taxi.

Private rentals are popular

An alternative to professional rental companies is peer-to-peer rental, a practice that’s gaining popularity. In France, the two main players in the market are Turo (formerly Ouicar) and Getaround. The latter also includes professionals who don’t have physical agencies and who offer cars with an autonomous door unlocking system via an app. Thanks to their very competitive prices, both rental sites receive a very high satisfaction rating (8.8). It must be said that the rates, which vary greatly, are between 30% and 40% cheaper than those charged by traditional agencies, for vehicles offered at airports or near train stations. The downside: you’ll generally find older vehicles that aren’t always shiny.

How did we do it?

1,606 readers responded to our survey, sent from March 13 to 23, 2025 by newsletter and on social networks, concerning the use and satisfaction of renting a private vehicle (excluding utility vehicles) over the past 5 years.

We also carried out in March 2025 a price survey for a one-week rental (from April 26 to May 3) in 3 train stations (Paris-Gare-de-Lyon, Lyon-Part-Dieu, Marseille-Saint-Charles) and 2 airports (Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, Nice-Côte d’Azur) for a city car (Fiat 500, Twingo, etc.) with a 500 km package and a compact SUV (Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur, etc.) for 1,000 km (with supplement where applicable).

Prices were collected from 10 professional rental sites (Ada, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, E.Leclerc Location, Rent a Car, Sixt) and two sites connecting individuals (Getaround and Turo).