Zipcar v. Flexcar

[HoyaSaxa03]

how do you flexcar people like the new variable hourly rates?
 
 we're thinking about ditching the car and joining one of these two, and both have multiple cars within a couple hundred ft of our apartment, thoughts on which service is better?
 
 one thing i did notice is that flexcar gives you 150 miles and $.20 for each extra mile and zipcar is 125 miles and $.35 for each extra

[ratioci nation]

I love flexcar, but I cant really compare it to zipcar because we dont have it out here.  But the new variable rates havent really affected me yet.  To tell you the truth though, if I needed a car for more than a few hours I would probably just get a car from enterprise, I think flexcar is really only good for when you need a car for a couple of hours.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  I love flexcar, but I cant really compare it to zipcar because we dont have it out here.  But the new variable rates havent really affected me yet.  To tell you the truth though, if I needed a car for more than a few hours I would probably just get a car from enterprise, I think flexcar is really only good for when you need a car for a couple of hours.

well, we travel around the area to visit family, and it would be nice to not have to metro to the airport to pick up a rental, drop the rental off, then metro back ... the convenience of having two cars in our back alley and three in front of the house probably outweighs the extra cost of a daily rate on flex/zip v. rental car

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  I love flexcar, but I cant really compare it to zipcar because we dont have it out here.  But the new variable rates havent really affected me yet.  To tell you the truth though, if I needed a car for more than a few hours I would probably just get a car from enterprise, I think flexcar is really only good for when you need a car for a couple of hours.

it turns out that enterprise has a branch two blocks away from us, but rates are around $50/day for the cheapest economy-sized car, is similar to PDX?

[ratioci nation]

I think is usually under $30 a day for enterprise here, while flexcar is $90 for a full day.  Of course that enterprise does not include gas and insurance while the flex car does.  And Enterprise branches are often closed on Sunday.

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by pdx pollard:
  I think is usually under $30 a day for enterprise here, while flexcar is $90 for a full day.  Of course that enterprise does not include gas and insurance while the flex car does.  And Enterprise branches are often closed on Sunday.

yeah the Enterprise branch here is only open from 9am - 12pm on Saturdays and totally closed on Sundays, which really defeats the purpose of having a local branch like that
 
 as I understood it, Flexcar and Zipcar are about $60/day in this area ... which makes it competitive (and probably cheaper, when factoring in gas/insurance) with Enterprise
 
 economy rentals start at about $30/day with taxes and fees at National Airport, but i don't think the hassle of getting out there and back would make that worthwhile unless we were going on a real roadtrip

Damn, but there are some big spenders on this bboard!

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by Dupek Chakra:
  Damn, but there are some big spenders on this bboard!

how much do you spend on insurance, gas, parking, and depreciation on your car?

Originally posted by Hoya Paranoia:
  how much do you spend on insurance, gas, parking, and depreciation on your car?

Why do you have you always point out the pertinent facts in an argument?  Point to Hoya.

[georgewendt]

Having tried both Zipcar and Flexcar during a period of auto outage, I find the clear winner to be Zipcar.  Reservations are easy and pricing doesn't make you wince, but, most importantly, better cars.  That means newer and better cared-for cars.
 Either way, I love the idea of these services.  You can even use them when visiting other cities.

[vansmack]

My employer offers us Zipcar to use for company business and I like them, but I can't offer any help on the cost side as we don't personally pay.
 
 Also, I test drove the 2007 Mini Cooper S this weekend.  Much quicker than the 2006 S and earlier versions.  Simply a better transition between gears, especially in the step-tronic Sport gear package. Just thought I'd share.