There are many car rental companies on the market today claiming that they offer the cheapest rates. Truth be told, no two car rentals are the same. Sometimes, each company is very similar in their car rental rates while other times the difference can add up to hundreds of dollars. This is why it is always important to research your car rental company and do comparison shopping at the time of purchase.

As a generalization, Hertz, Avis, and National offer the best value in car rentals. It is recommended to check all three of these companies first when you are considering the use of a rental vehicle. With all three companies, you have a wide range of vehicle choices, excellent customer service, and typically the best overall rental rates on the market at the time.

Another thing to consider for cheap car rentals is to look at the local rental companies. The companies listed about are large enterprises and offer the best as far as nationwide car rentals. Often times, locally owned rental companies offer prices just as cheap if not cheaper than those listed above in order to compete with the highly competitive market. Be sure if you decide to go this route that you thoroughly research the company. Not all local companies are cheaper and they aren’t all reputable. You can never be assured just what you are going to get when renting locally.

There are other companies out there that are good and occasionally have good rates, so it is advisable to do a quick search before confirming any one rental company. The ones listed above are simply the ones that are most consistently the cheapest.