The peer-to-peer sharing company Turo, or the “Airbnb for cars,” started booming in late 2020 when contactless pickup became more vital than ever. Rental trips were booming for the carsharing company while traditional rental car companies were selling off their cars amid bankruptcy. This carsharing business has now launched in several companies but that doesn’t mean using its platform goes without imperfections and some annoyances.
Overall, Turo has competitive perks for anyone looking to rent a car but also some downfalls. These downfalls include the anxious feeling that comes when driving someone else’s personal car, renting older cars that might not be as reliable as newer cars found in traditional car companies, and having mileage restrictions. Although Turo is constantly updating their platform with new policies and app features, there is some room for improvement.
Turo has rolled out some great updates lately, especially if you are a power host, but there are still some areas in that Turo needs to improve its platform. I have seen several of my guests share concerns about mileage included in the trip, being nervous to drive my vehicle since it belongs to me and not a big corporation, and only having a roundtrip option available. Below are the top three downfalls that I have heard from my guests and seen as a host myself.
#1 Driving Someone Else’s Personal Car Is Nerve-Racking
The feeling of picking up a rental car at a Hertz parking lot vs someone’s house or street. When you pick up a car from a big parking lot full of cars and other renters, renters may feel anxious about driving someone’s personal car.
Being extra cautious when driving a Turo car can be good for the host but may take away some of the experience of your Turo rental trip. Although when people drive my Vanderhall, I am sure they can’t resist flooring it a time or two.
However, if you get good Turo insurance or protection plan, you will be able to be less anxious knowing you can be nearly fully covered. Especially since not all cars on Turo are brand new.
#2 Older Cars Are Allowed On Turo
Cars that are up to 13 years old and have less than 130,000 miles on them are eligible to be listed on Turo. Once they are listed, they can go past those two thresholds as long as they don’t break down constantly. For example, you could rent a car more than 13 years old and has 150,000 miles on it. This is a very big difference between Turo and a traditional car rental company such as Hertz or Alamo.
When you pick up your car at a traditional rental car company you will see much newer cars to choose from. The reason is that newer cars tend to have better reliability. Cycling through newer cars instead of hanging on to cars for a long time means less maintenance is needed on each vehicle. However, Turo hosts can keep their cars on the platform as long as they don’t break down often due to a lack of regular maintenance.
The good news is that Turo will fine hosts that have cars that break down due to a lack of regular maintenance. Fines can range between $100-$200 when hosts don’t follow the rules for maintenance. Luckily, Turo has a phone number to call if you ever break down or accidentally damage a Turo car. Hopefully, you never need to call that number on any of your Turo trips.
#3 Mileage Restrictions. No More Cross-Country Road Trips.
Another major difference between Turo and traditional rental car companies is mileage limits. Although hosts have the option to offer unlimited miles, many hosts don’t (like myself) but instead offer it as an add-on. Many hosts have had guests that drove their car across the country in just a few days and really racked up the miles on their Turo car.
In fact, several guests have reached out to me and asked questions about the mileage limits. Not only have several guests gone over the mileage allotment, but a few guests have been confused about what the mileage limit means. Some think that they don’t have to pay for any gas if it’s within the mileage limit.
Even though most hosts often have a mileage limit of 200 or 250 miles per day, it is most of the time plenty of miles for guests. I have only had two guests go over the mileage limit and they only had to pay $3-$4 for additional miles. Even with a mileage limit of 250 miles, guests that have rented my Vanderhall have enough miles to go to Zion’s National park and other state parks without going over the limit.
Turo also encourages hosts to offer unlimited miles on a trip as it has proved to increase bookings. Unfortunately, all it takes is one guest and a cross-country trip to add several thousand miles to your vehicle. Most of the time guests use your car for local trips so it isn’t usually a problem.
Turo Is Worth Using Despite Its Differences From A Traditional Rental Car Company
A good rule of thumb is to find a good host before booking your rental car. Hosts with good reviews, several cars in their fleet, with quick response times are most likely going to give you however much support you need. Alternatively, if there is ever a problem with your Turo car you can call Turo directly for help.
Other than these top three annoyances of using Turo, it is a great platform to rent a car or even host your car as a side hustle. If you can get over the anxiety of driving someone else’s personal car, driving an older car, or having mileage limits, Turo is a fantastic platform for finding a rental car.
