The past year of being an all-star host on Turo has given me a chance to study the Turo market pretty heavily. Turo, otherwise known as “Airbnb for cars,” is a car-sharing program that allows people like you and me to earn some extra cash by renting out their own cars. I and many other hosts are using the platform to earn some extra money on the side by using one of our own vehicles.
As a general rule, the best Turo car will make you more than $10,000 per year, require minimal maintenance, have high reliability, and be enticing to guests. There are other factors every host should consider that make the best Turo car such as the ROI, or return on investment of your vehicle, how long it may take to clean it, and the wear and tear that will inevitably happen.
After doing lots of market research, I purchased a new vehicle that is dedicated to my Turo business. I have been able to achieve an all-star host status and made thousands last year in just a few months. However, even with the great success and experiences my guests have had so far, I would actually end up buying a different vehicle knowing what I know now.
Let’s look at the best Turo cars for these categories: Highest daily revenue, quickest return on investment (ROI), lowest maintenance, the best guest experience, and what I think is overall the best Turo car.
Best Turo Car For Highest Daily Price
As you can imagine, renting high-value sports cars on Turo can be pretty expensive. My family and went and drove some supercars in Las Vegas and even for just a few laps it was more than $1,000. Fortunately, you get to keep the car for more than a few laps around the block for that kind of price.
According to my own original search, here are some of the most expensive daily revenue cars.
Rolls Royce Cullinan 2021
Rolls-Royce cars have a long history of luxury and innovation so there’s no shock that they are being rented for top dollar.
To no surprise, one of the most expensive vehicles to rent is the Rolls Royce Cullinan 2021 which can be rented for more than $1,600 per day. It has several reviews which prove that people are renting it and paying that price tag.
Wow.
This car has a price tag of $348,500 which could mean monthly payments of more than $6,500 per month based on a 60 month. However, if you look at how much revenue you could make it’s very motivating.
Most cars on Turo are rented at least 50% of the month of they are listed full-time.
$6,500 X 15 days = $97,500
Wow, again.
Although possible, it is very unlikely this would happen. Most supercars on Turo aren’t rented out every day and maybe rented once every few weeks or months.
This listing has been on 6 trips as of writing and its first visible review is from October 2021. Assuming each guest paid for 2-3 days, my guess is that this host earned just over $100,000 before Turo fees since listing it in 2021.
That puts you at a 3-4 year return on investment.
A word of caution: If it doesn’t ever get booked, you are stuck with a hefty car payment.
Here are some other cars with the highest day rates:
Bentley Bentayga 2021
The Bently Bentayga 2021 is available to rent for $1,000 per day and starts at $177,000 for a new build. This isn’t quite the expense as the Rolls Royce, but the day rate isn’t as high either.
This listing also looks like it has had several bookings. It is also listed in Beverly Hills, CA where the demographic is more wealthy than most neighborhoods.
Not every city you’ll find a supercar like these. For example, in the small town of St. George, Utah, the most expensive car to rent on Turo here is…
Jeep Wrangler 2023
A new tricked-out Jeep Wrangler comes in at the top price where I live. It even surprised me that there aren’t more exotic cars available to rent, especially with many Rivians I’ve seen down here lately.
Market research is SO important and has a direct impact on how much you can make as a Turo host.
Down here in St. George, a Jeep is more rented because of the offroading available nearby. If you are just getting started on Turo or maybe are looking to purchase or lease a vehicle just for Turo, you will probably want to look at the cars with the quickest ROI.
Best Turo Car for Quickest Return on Investment (ROI)
If you are looking to get the quickest ROI possible to pay off your Turo car you will want to stick to the $10,000-$30,000 range of car prices. Buying a used car that’s just a few years old can help you reach ROI much quicker than buying brand new.
Besides, it’s easier to not worry about a used car being rented out than a brand-new car.
These cars are some of the best Turo cars for the quickest ROI:
(Below are estimates based on Turo data)
Fiat 500
Fiat started to expand into the Americas and other regions when it bought Chrystler in 2014. Since then, they are seen on the road almost everywhere it seems.
Guests often are looking for a small sedan with good gas mileage and the Fiat 500 fits the bill. You can buy one of these used for as low as $12,000! On average, you will pay around $2,500 in loan payments each year and could earn more than $7,000.
Used car price: $12,512
Annual earnings: $7,009
ROI: 1.7 years
Being able to pay off a car in 1.7 years sounds amazing!
Chrysler Voyager
This minivan is perfect for people traveling in groups or even a family that needs room for car seats for their little ones. It is also a very budget-friendly option with a used Voyager’s costing around $20,000. This is also a great option because guests will often need a big vehicle like this for several days compared to just a short trip.
Used car price: $20,733
Annual earnings: $10,438
ROI: 1.98 years
Once you have paid off your vehicle, you essentially have a free Minivan for you to use or to sell and buy another car to use for Turo.
Kia Rio
The best ROI vehicles are small and compact cars that you can buy for a decent price. The Kia Rio is no different.
The Kia Rio is small and affordable for guests and also gets up to 40+ mpg. Similar to the Fiat 500, guests often need these cars to run quick errands or to cruise around town if it’s just 1 or two people.
Used car price: $14,946
Annual earnings: $7,177
ROI: 2.1 years
There are some other factors to consider other than ROI. Reliable can play a huge roll in your profitability on Turo.
Click here for more tips on being profitable on Turo.
Best Turo Car For Lowest Maintenance
Fiat 500 may be one of the best cars for the quickest ROI, but it doesn’t have a track record for being the most reliable. Having a reliable car is CRUCIAL to having a successful Turo business. If your car breaks down, you could be out for days, weeks, or even months with no revenue coming in!
If you are a mechanic or handy with cars then maybe reliability isn’t as big of an issue. However, for people like me who can barely do an oil change, reliability is very important.
Here are some cars you shouldn’t have to worry about them breaking down as much.
Toyota Corolla
One of the most reliable cars is the Toyota Corolla. Not only would it be reliable for Turo rentals, it would also be reliable for you once it’s paid off. If you’ve ever owned a Toyota, you probably know how reliable they are. We have had Toyota’s in my family for decades and I’m amazed with how smoothly they run.
In fact, my stepdad and a co-worker both drive old Toyota Corollas as their daily drivers.
Although the ROI might take several more months to break even compared to the previously mentioned cars, the reliability is peace of mind. These Turo calculations above don’t include expenses which can vary drastically from car to car. Even though the Fiat 500 is the best Turo car for the quickest ROI, reliability issues could eat into your profitability.
Used Toyota Corolla price: $17,370
Annual earnings: $6,132
Another car you’ve seen all over is the trusty Honda Civic.
Honda Civic
One of the reasons the Honda Civic would make a great car for Turo is because of its great reliability and its easy maintenance. Popular cars like Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics are very basic cars that have many after-market parts and Youtube videos on how to fix or replace just about anything.
Even if you aren’t a mechanic but are willing to spend a few hours with Youtube by your side, you can fix most problems that come your way.
Used Honda Civic price: $21,754
Annual earnings: $5,891
Now, there is definitely a market for electric vehicles on the list of best Turo cars.
Tesla Model 3
Electric vehicles have a fraction of as many moving parts as cars with internal combustion engines (ICE). Due to the physical difference, there are much fewer problems with electric vehicles.
No oil, gas, transmission fluid, radiator fluid, timing belt, alternators, and so many other parts that aren’t needed with an electric vehicle.
Guests LOVE Teslas on Turos, but almost too much to the point where the market has become very saturated. Just in the past few years, the daily price of Tesla’s has dropped quite a bit. However, it’s still a popular car that is most likely guaranteed to get rented out a bunch.
Used Tesla Model 3 price: $45,000
Earnings per year: $13,955
If I were to put a Tesla on Turo, it would be the Model Y or Model X due to extra space for guests. Larger vehicles are often rented for longer periods of time which means more cash in your pocket.
There are also some other electric vehicles, while not the quickest ROI, can provide some of the best Turo experiences.
Best Turo Car For Guest Experiences
Some guests want to utilize Turo to have a memorable experience for occasions such as a wedding, parties, surprise date nights, birthdays, and many others! Guests have rented out my vehicle for their wedding getaway car, surprising their spouses for their birthdays, and many date nights.
Here are some vehicles that make for a great experience on Turo.
Rivian R1T
Rivian, a new automaker that produces electric trucks and SUVs, recently released the first electric truck in the market. It’s insanely fast, and powerful, and is an offroading machine.
There are several Rivians on Turo already for up to $256+ per day! A family member of mine just rented a truck on Turo to go camping for the weekend and the Rivian R1T would be a great option for guests wanting to go camping, hiking, or exploring national parks.
Rivian R1T price: $73,000
Daily rental price: $265 per day
My wife asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday later this month and I would love to rent a Rivian on Turo….but there aren’t any near me available to rent. One day!
For those that aren’t into the modern electric era, there is a classic and vintage category on Turo.
Ford Shelby Cobra 1965
The Ford Shelby Cobra is just one of many vintage and classic cars available on Turo. Thanks to Turo’s policy, cars that are at least 25 years old and in good mechanical condition can qualify for being listed.
Cars like this create a phenomenal experience for guests because of the unique skills that it may take to drive one of these.
For instance, this Shelby Cobra states that it is a manual transmission with tons of power that doesn’t have traction control like modern cars do. The host requires you to drive it around the parking lot to pass a quick test to ensure you know how to drive a manual transmission.
Instead of providing a normal car, hosting a vintage and classic car allows you to provide an awesome guest experience for those who want to go down memory lane.
If you have good weather most of the year, you may want to consider hosting a Vanderhall on Turo.
Vanderhall Venice
Vanderhalls are one of the best Turo cars you can have. They don’t take very long to clean, they are relatively low maintenance, but can still earn a fairly high day rate for guests. As a host, adding a Vanderhall to your fleet could bring in a lot of 5-star reviews.
A Vanderhall Venice can go from 0-60 in 4 seconds, sounds fantastic, gets good gas mileage, and is so much fun for guests to drive. After being founded in 2010, Steve Hall worked on many prototypes to get a vehicle produced. Several years later, Vanderhall Venice and Vanderhall Carmel were born.
There’s nothing quite like driving a 3 wheeled vehicle on the freeway and your guests would love it.
Purchase price: $30,000
Daily rental price: ~$150 per day
However, when it comes down to it, many of us aren’t in a position to go out and buy a new car. In those instances, using our personal car, if it qualifies, is the best Turo car option.
Click here if you want to learn more about what it’s like to have a Vanderhall on Turo.
The Overall Best Turo Car
As you can see, there are a lot of cars that would do very well on Turo. Surprisingly, the best Turo car is probably the one that you own.
As long as it meets the requirements found in this article, you should qualify for Turo.
Your personal vehicle is the best Turo car for several reasons:
- Requires no purchase or large investment
- Perfect for getting your feet wet in the sharing economy
- Establish your Turo profile foundation.
- A great side hustle for when you aren’t using your car
- Turo can help you pay off your car faster
Although leveraging debt can be very successful, it’s always good to not take out a loan if you don’t have to. If your current car is paid off, then even better! Then, once your car is paid off, you can start to have extra side money for whatever you want!
There are also several hosts that use Turo as their full-time job and make more than $100,000 per year. Before buying a fleet of cars, starting out with your own car is the best Turo car.
As long as your personal car is in good mechanical condition, has high reliability, and your listing can appear enticing to guests, your personal car could earn you more than $10,000 per year.
