Renting a car can be a great way to explore new cities and towns. But before choosing the right company, you’ll want to compare the two most popular brands: Avis and Budget.
Both companies offer comparable services at competitive prices but are not identical.
So, I’ve compared the differences between them to find the winner. Let’s get started:
Avis & Budget: The Basics
When it comes to car rental, there are already a lot of big players in the market.
There are big names like Hertz, Alamo, National and relatively smaller names like Avis Budget Group and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. These brands have been around for decades, and they’re both good options if you need a rental car while traveling.
Avis and Budget offer similar services: from regular sedan cars to SUVs with plenty of room for luggage, minivans, and hybrid vehicles for families who want something different from another SUV.
They also offer luxury cars in many locations worldwide—and if you don’t see what you want on their website (or if your desired vehicle isn’t available), ask about renting other kinds of cars at the location where you pick up your vehicle!
Both companies have an excellent reputation among customers—they’ve earned high marks from Consumer Reports year after year since 2012, with Avis coming in at number two behind Hertz due to superior customer service, according to TripAdvisor reviews.
While Budget comes in third place behind Alamo & National Car Rental due to its cleanliness level being slightly lower than average but still within acceptable limits according to both publications.”
Rental Companies Comparisons
When comparing Avis vs Budget, there are many similarities to consider. Avis and Budget are two of the largest car rental companies in the world, and both have a variety of locations worldwide.
However, there are also some critical differences between them that you should remember when deciding which one to choose for your next trip.
Avis vs Budget: Size & Locations
Budget car rental has over 7,000 locations with a presence in over 175 countries. On the other hand, Avis has only 2,000 locations in over 100 countries.
Avis is smaller than Budget but still has a large footprint globally. If you’re looking for one specific location and don’t want to use a global service like Uber or Lyft, then you’ll be fine with either choice here, but if you want to travel internationally, then Budget might be your best option.
Avis vs Budget: Variety of Cars
Avis provides a lot of options to its customers, with the option of luxury vehicles from popular automobile companies.
This doesn’t mean Budget has nothing to compete with, as they’ve started including luxury vehicles in their daily rides.
Avis vs Budget: Prices
The prices for Avis and Budget are comparable but not identical. The price will depend on where you pick up your car, the time of year you travel, and the vehicle you want to drive.
For example, if you pick up at an airport like JFK or LAX during peak season (summer), they’ll charge more than the off-peak season (winter). You’ll also pay extra for luxury vehicles and SUVs/minivans.
Avis vs Budget: Discounts and Promotions
Both Budget and Avis offer discounts on select days and times.
Budget offers up to 25% off weekly rentals with the code SAVEMORE, as well as a discount for members of the National Car Rental loyalty program.
Avis offers a discount for members of their Avis Preferred program, which allows you to unlock additional savings on your next car rental by comparing rates online or through an app before you book.
Avis vs Budget: VIP Programs & Memberships
If the convenience of a car rental is something you need on your next trip, it’s essential to know what services are available and which companies can provide them.
From VIP programs to memberships, these two car rental companies have a few different ways they can make your experience more enjoyable.
Avis Preferred
This program is for you if you’re looking for an easy way to get discounts on Avis rentals. With Avis Preferred, you’ll receive up to 25% off base rates for every reservation made through Avis. You also receive free upgrades when available and one free day on each reservation, as well as other benefits, including:
- No additional driver fees if only one person is renting your car (and no additional administrative fees).
- No drop fee if picking up or dropping off at an airport location (though this may vary by location).
- 24/7 roadside assistance services—this includes tow trucks (for those times when things go wrong), jump starts (if your battery dies), gas delivery service (to get back home safely), and more!
Avis vs Budget: Customer Service
Both Avis and Budget have a reputation for providing excellent customer service. One of the reasons for this is that both companies are owned by larger corporations that have ensured that their car rental divisions adhere to strict standards of quality.
However, Budget has had its fair share of scandals and lawsuits involving customers and employees. For example:
- In 2016, a woman named Donna Smith filed suit against Budget after allegedly being refused service because she’s black (she also claims that the company discriminated against her based on disability). She won her case in 2017 when an appeals court ruled in her favor—Budget agreed to pay $1 million in restitution fees and legal fees associated with the case!
- Also in 2016—this time at an airport near Atlanta—a man named Johnny Brown went viral after he filmed himself demanding his money back from Budget because they’d lost his rental agreement during his trip from Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport!
Avis vs Budget: Reservation & Cancellation Policies
Avis and Budget allow you to cancel your car rental reservations without fees if you do so at least one day before your scheduled pick-up time. If you cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled pick-up time, Avis will charge a $25 fee. This policy is fair if you compare it with other companies like Hertz and National Car Rental, which have similar cancellation policies.
Budget also has similar policies when it comes to cancellations; they allow customers to cancel their reservations without any fees if they do so at least one day before their scheduled pick-up time, or else they’ll charge them $25 per reservation if canceled within 24 hours of the scheduled pick up time.
Reservations and Reservations Changes Through Third-Party Websites
Avis and Budget allow you to make reservations online, but they have different policies for making changes.
You can make reservations and changes through third-party websites such as Expedia or Hotwire, but keep in mind that the rental companies will not be able to help you if there is a problem with your reservation once it has been made elsewhere. The Avis website says, “it’s easy and fast to book your car rental online from any device 24 hours a day.”
Budget allows you to change your reservation online 24 hours before the pickup time, while Avis will allow the exact change up until 30 minutes before pickup time (if no one else has reserved the vehicle).
Conclusion
With all these considerations, it’s easy to see why many people choose Budget and Avis for their car rental needs. Both companies offer great prices, and their fleets of vehicles are available at airports worldwide.
If one thing sets them apart, it is probably size: Budget has over 1,500 locations, while Avis has only about 600 locations in total (and no presence in Africa).
They also differ in how they manage reservations online through third-party booking sites like Expedia or Travelocity,
Whereas Booking Budget allows you to cancel or change your reservation up to two hours before pick-up time without penalty.
