Zip car rental fee for a day is about 60$ with free 125 miles. But, after 125 miles, we have to pay 20 cents per additional mile. For long distance travel, this seems quite expensive compared to regular rental fee. Would you lower the fee "20 cents per mile"?

-- Anonymous, October 15, 2004

Answers

Zipcar just raised this because gas prices have gone up and stayed up over the past three years. It's still cheaper than a rental car mileage charge.

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2004

I think that for long trips, Zipcar should have an option where you pay a fixed amount for unlimited mileage and the driver is responsible for the gas. The tank could also be expected to be filled upon return, like a regular rental agency.

-- Anonymous, October 20, 2004

I agree that for the daily rentals, there should be an option with unlimited miles. When you rent from a rental company on a 24 hour basis, most of them give you unlimited miles. My other option is to raise the alotted miles. 125 miles for anyone taking a long distance trip is nothing.

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2004

I strongly agree! An unlimited milage rental would be very smart. I end up renting from a Budget or some other place because of the milage. (Hello Zipcar- you are losing business and disapointing customers!!!) It's almost impossible to use zipcar to go from Boston to NY for the weekend without wasting serious money and being over charged. Gas isn't that much, especially when I would take a Prius... (Is a Prius cheaper for extra milage?) Do a weekend trip package with extra milage and a flat rate!!!

-- Anonymous, October 21, 2004

Gas is a lot these days, about 8 cents a mile. Nobody wants to subsidize a Zipcar's weekend trip to Florida with free gas for that unlimited mileage user. And you can be sure that if it was possible, some people would take advantage of it with trips just like that.

Another factor that is often overlooked is depreciation. It works out to about 5 cents a mile on a 3 year old Focus. Then add in mileage-based maintenance costs for oil, tires, tune-ups, etc. 20 cents a mile is a reasonable charge.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2004

To go to southen Vt, I 'have to' rent a Zipcar for a day plus an hour = 250 miles, and about $10 for over-milage. For 2 days and an hour, I get 375 miles. And no $ incentive to use a Prius instead of a Sienna. so a 425 mile trip is about $140.

Pricy, but if you ask [National ?] what all the insurance extras come up to, it turns out to be reasonable. Some Rental Car companies don't offer primary insurance at all.

BEST: you can pick it up when & where YOU specify, instead of working with their office hours & locations.

And >> IF << no-one else has reserved it, you can extend it 30 minutes - or more - with a quick easy phone call. unlike most automated calls, roamingh won't breask you, it knows EXACTLY who you are and what you want, if you DID already list all your phones in your profile. Really impressive.

You could take the $15 + $15 Greyhound, or the chinatown bus, to New York, sleep each way, & pick up a Zipcar there. (I only see 2 cars north of 86th st!) Hourly & daily rates are a lot higher than Cambridge. "Phone garage an hour ahead." to get the car 'unparked' to the street level.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2004