Turo is a peer-to-peer carsharing service that connects car renters with vehicle owners. Anyone with a qualifying car can list it for rent on the Turo platform.
Turo has been around for many years, and despite some predictions, it hasn’t turned the rental market upside down. Hertz, Avis, and all the other big-name rental agencies are still running strong.
It turns out that the best rentals on Turo are luxury and specialty vehicles, the types of cars that traditional rental agencies don’t have.
Sure, you can rent a late-model economy car or SUV on Turo, but the best reason to use Turo is for a unique rental.
That could mean a sports car you’ve always wanted to drive or a Sprinter van that Avis and Hertz don’t have in stock.
For my own experience, I rented a BMW convertible in Los Angeles and documented the entire process from beginning to end.
I found that Turo has a wide variety of vehicles with fair and competitive pricing. Overall was a good experience that I would recommend to enthusiasts.
Summary of my experience renting a car on Turo
- Turo is a peer-to-peer car rental service that connects renters with car owners
- I used Turo to rent a BMW 135i convertible in Los Angeles
- Setting up the rental on Turo was easy
- The rental cost around $100 for a 24-hour rental
- The price was on-par with traditional rental agencies
- The pickup and drop-off process can be a hassle, but Turo offers vehicle delivery or convenient pickup locations
- Turo has a wide variety of specialty cars to rent
When is Turo better than a traditional rental?
- For renting unique sports cars, luxury cars, utility vehicles, and classic cars
- When traditional rentals are too expensive or not available
- When the vehicle host is close and convenient
- If Turo can deliver the rental to a convenient location
How Turo works: The rental process from beginning to end
- Download the Turo app or go to Turo.com and make an account
- Select the dates you need a car
- Find a vehicle in the area that you are visiting
- Select an insurance plan to cover your trip
- Arrange pickup: Either meet the owner or pay to have the vehicle dropped off
- Drive!
- Fill the car with the same amount of gas or charge as pickup
- Return the vehicle after your trip is over
Start by creating an account and selecting a car
When I heard that anyone could rent out their car on Turo, I got an idea: Why not rent an awesome car and head to the beach?
I started the rental process by creating an account and giving Turo my driver’s license number. You have to be 21 or older to create an account on Turo, and you have to show Turo that you have two full years of driving experience if you’re younger than 25.
Some vehicle owners may require even older drivers. For example, a Porsche listing in my area required renters to be 30 or older.
Next, I set the dates and times I needed the car. Even on short notice, I was able to find a lot of listings nearby. I browsed a map of cars for rent in my area and started shopping around.
Have you ever wanted to drive a convertible for a day? Or a sports car? Turo is great for that. I’ve always wanted to rent a convertible, but it never seemed easy or affordable enough to do that from a typical rental agency.
With Turo, I found an awesome BMW 135i convertible for rent in my area that was only going for $78/day, and all I had to do was set the dates I wanted to rent it and send in my rental request.
Related: Renting your car out on Turo? Here’s how it works
Browse for rentals and pick a car!
Basic costs and mileage limitations of my rental
How insurance works: Select a protection plan or use your own insurance
You have several options for auto insurance on Turo rentals: You can choose to pay for a protection plan from Turo or decline coverage and use only your personal insurance.
If you have insurance, Turo’s liability insurance supplements your personal coverage. Liability coverage is up to $750,000 in the US.
Most Turo rentals offer a Minimum and Standard protection plan.
Minimum protection has a $3,000 maximum out-of-pocket. With standard protection, the maximum is $500.
The cost of protection depends on the vehicle that you rent. More expensive cars will have more expensive protection plans, and economy cars will have cheaper protection.
Does your personal auto insurance cover a Turo rental?
You should contact your insurer to ask if your policy covers Turo rentals. While personal policies typically cover traditional rentals, they may not cover peer-to-peer rentals.
Turo has a strong warning about using your own auto insurance: “Unless you’re confident that your personal insurance will cover you, we strongly advise that you select a protection plan when booking your trip. Some insurance companies exclude coverage for peer-to-peer car sharing. And your credit card company may not provide coverage for a Turo trip. It’s best to check with your insurer or your broker before making your decision””
Protection is a must-buy, but it’s easy to skim through this and miss the details
Submit your rental request and complete the booking
Like Airbnb, Turo allows vehicle owners to accept or reject rental requests. After I selected the vehicle and a protection plan, I submitted my rental request along with a brief (optional) message to the owner.
Turo told me that this owner usually responded to requests within 48 minutes, but a reply came after only 20 minutes.
The owner approved my request, and I was given the owner’s phone number and exact location.
How do you get the vehicle? Pickup and delivery options
So, how do you actually get the car? You can either pick it up from the host or pay to have it delivered.
Picking up the car at the host’s location is free. But that’s not always convenient or even possible, especially when traveling without a car.
If you prefer to have the vehicle delivered, filter your search for hosts that offer delivery. Deliveries will be only at partnered locations, usually hotels and airports.
And hosts can choose where they deliver to, so make sure to check that your host can deliver to your preferred location.
IMAGE: MAP OF DELIVERY LOCATIONS
Delivery costs around $15–$80, depending on the location and how much the host chooses to charge for the delivery service.
Airport delivery is the most expensive option. For example, delivery to LAX was $80, but delivery to a nearby hotel was only $15.
Free pickup or pay for delivery
Pickup or delivery? I chose pickup
Pick up the car and take the keys!
Around an hour before my rental was set to begin, Turo sent me a reminder text letting me know that my trip was about to start and that I should prepare to meet the owner in the agreed-upon spot.
I sent the owner a quick heads-up that I was going to Uber to his address to pick up the car. He sent me a thumbs-up.
I arrived at the owner’s address and texted him when I was outside. He came down, said hi, and pulled his beautiful car out onto the street.
He told me how to use the push-to-start ignition and how to raise and lower the convertible top. Then he handed me the keys, shook my hand, and sent me on my way.
Fast, beautiful, and clean. The owner was very nice
Drive! Then return the car
The car was mine to drive and keep for the full 24-hour rental. So I took advantage of the time I had with my rental by driving up and down PCH in Malibu, through the Topanga Canyon, then back to LA.
I took it to dinner on the Sunset Strip, then picked up donuts and coffee with it in the morning.
Around one hour before the trip ended, Turo sent me a reminder text informing me that the trip was about to end and that I needed to prepare to return the car and fill it with as much gas as I had used.
I drove the car to the owner’s address, called him, and handed off the keys. He wanted to know how the trip went, and we spent a few minutes talking about the car.
The entire experience felt more like borrowing a car from a friend than renting from a rental agency.
My review: Was Turo worth it?
My trip with Turo was a great experience. I got to drive one of my dream cars for a relatively low price without much hassle.
Selecting the car and booking it online felt more seamless than average car renting, and meeting with the actual owner was much more social than meeting with the front desk person at a rental agency.
How much did Turo cost me?
- Rental price: $78/day
- Turo fee: $7.80 (10%)
- Basic protection: $11.70
- Fuel expenses: $20.74
- Total cost: $118.24
I paid for a specialty car, so my trip cost was higher than it would have been if I had rented an ordinary economical car.
Many of the listings on Turo range from $$50–$100 per day, which closely matches typical rental agency prices.
Turo strengths
- Huge variety of cars, from economy to sport to luxury
- Easy to shop around and find a car nearby
- Easy-to-use app and website with great communication features
- It feels more fun and personal than standard rental services
Turo drawbacks
- Finding the car and coordinating with the owner may be more work than standard rentals
- Insurance and protection may require more research than typical rental agencies
- Delivery can add significant cost
- Hidden costs: The protection plan, fees, delivery, and gas can add up. But that is true for other rental agencies too
Turo vs. Zipcar vs. Getaround
Turo isn’t the only peer-to-peer car rental service, and it’s not the only way to get access to a vehicle for a short term.
Getaround and Zipcar are two other good options for short-term rentals.
| Getaround | Turo | Zipcar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $6/hour and up | ~$25/day and up | ~$11/hour, ~$80/day |
| Rental Period | Hourly or Daily | Daily | Houry or Daily |
| Mileage Limit | 20/rental hour, 200/day max | Set by owner. Typically 200/day | 180/day |
| Minimum Renter Age | 19 | 21 | 21, or 18-20 if affiliated with a University |
| Insurance | Liability and collision included. $3,000 deductible, or $500/$250 with Plus/Premium rentals | Liability included. Collision available with $3,000 deductible or $500 for additional cost | Liability and collision Included in rental cost. $1,000 deductible |
| Membership Fee | None | None | $8/month, $80/year |
| Vehicle Pickup | Renter travels to car | Renter travels to car. Owner can drop the car off for extra charge | Renter travels to car |
| Vehicle Drop-off | Renter returns car to pickup location | Renter returns car to pickup location. Owner can pick up the car for extra charge | Renter returns car to pickup location. One-way trips available in some cites |
| Fuel Expenses | Fuel costs not included. Renter returns fuel to original level. | Fuel costs not included. Renter returns fuel to original level. Fuel costs not included | Zipcar covers fuel expenses. Renter uses Zipcar gas card to buy fuel |
| Late Fee | $50/hour | $50/hour | $50 |
More information about other car rental services
If you’re an auto enthusiast, definitely try Turo. It’s the easiest way to test drive dream cars and speak with real owners who can tell you what owning a specialty car is really like.
Mohammad Haq Nawaz says
Your article is excellent & thought provoking. In my opinion since Turo is a different type of rental. Turo must advise owners about a weblink that can check the Driving License & Liability Insurance genuiness.
In case there is misinformation by the renter Turo must impose a reasonable but surely palpable financial impact to discourage renters about irresponsible behaviour.
In case of delay in pick up or drop off Turo must make an enforceable strict policy.
Jim says
In Massachusetts I can not rent a car without a real credit card. I can use a debit card to pay for it, but I must have a real credit card. so I can’t rent a car from a major car rental place.
can I rent a car with turo with just a debit card with a visa logo on it.
DougH says
Thanks for the info. It’s not always clear what exact type of payment method you need for these services.
Roy Wilkie says
I’ve been using Turo for a while and it’s been alright, except that it’s now having issues – has reduced my rentals to zero – and nobody’s getting back to me from their support email. So, basically the system works fine until it requires any human interaction on their part. They seem pretty lazy; the contact form tries to redirect you about 4 times to knowledge base articles, then enforces a 5 SECOND MANDATORY WAIT before your email is finally sent.
I’m sick of it. Losing money with zero help from them! Looking for another rental service.
DougH says
It seems like support is where all of these apps run into big problems. The can’t/won’t pay for good service departments.
Dan says
All was well with Turo until I actually booked my car. The money came out of my account. I was talking to the car owner and making plans around drop off/pick up. The next day I received an email letting me know my account was cancelled, my car rental was cancelled and I could no longer sign into the app. I am $1200 down, their support is not helpful. You c an only text their support staff, who only send back templates as responses. I am $1200 down, no car, no explanation of my membership cancellation. I have a valid drivers license, I am 30yo, no explanation given. Terrible customer service. Do yourself a favour and go to a traditional hire car company. I was very excited to choose a nice car via Turo. I will never use this service again and I will 100% never recommend a company that does not offer good customer service to anyone I know. Terrible experience. There is no structure to their customer service, no manger to handle my case. DO NOT HIRE through Turo. I am an australian travelling to LA for a holiday. If you’re from overseas and feel hesitant about using an app like Turo. You should!! Don’t do it.
Milan says
Did you get your money back?
I found Maseratti in L.A. that I would like to rent but I am scared now.
Ooz says
Is the mileage per day or for the entire trip? I just rented a Audi with 1000 miles includes for 6 days I plan on travelling to Texas with it. Is it 1000 miles I get each day or for the entire trip here and back?
DougH says
It’s for the entire trip
Koffie says
Can u go out of state with this app
DougH says
Yes. But there are usually mileage limits.
Henry says
I was 35 minutes later than the scheduled return time and informed the owner. The reason I was late was because there was a major accident on the freeway and I had to detour to find a tesla supercharger to ensure it was in the same charge I received it at.
The owner didn’t seem upset or mention i had inconvenienced him.
Then I get a message from Turo that the owner had indicated I was late & I was charged $50 and a further $25 “processing fee” by Turo.
When I queried the owner he informed me that all he did was enter the return time and “Turo did the rest”.
I wouldn’t touch Turo again if you paid me! From the registration process and then the clear value in their business model for them is to encourage disputes between owners and renters. The only pleasent experience in all this is when I dealt with the owner himself rather than these cowboys at Turo!
Avoid like the plague! Put a message out on message boards to find the car you want and deal directly with the owner if possible. These guys are the “estate agents” of the digital car rent world!
Sasha says
I did not have a good experience with Turo and would not recommend.
My trip was canceled with less than 12 hr notice – 8pm, the next day I was scheduled to pick it up at 7am. The reason was because of ‘bald tires’. Now I know wear and tear happens, but the owner and Turo should be transparent about the maintenance and quality of the car. If the car has a 1000 mi limit, and the tires look like they need replacing contact the Customer before this occurs. I would have dealt with it much better than hours before my trip. I don’t believe Turo is transparent in their practices, they just say Oh well, good luck finding a new car. So there was no time to find a new replacement. Turo support didn’t really care about my predicament only saying they would refund me. Sure that’s nice, but to get a new rental the day of cost 5X the amount I originally reserved it for.
Also the delivery and drop off locations where not the same places that are listed in the app. After I got a confirmed reservation the owner said the car was not available at my pickup location and that I could take an Uber to get the car at the airport. Addtl 45 min away.
And yes same as above, they basically said to deal with it between me and the owner.
DougH says
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve been cancelled on last minute too.
Gurdas says
That is highly unusual. Did you leave an appropriate review for this owner? Turo works on community feedback and reviews for owners (and their cars) and renters are upfront. Further, Turo’s cancellation policy is setup to discourage frivolous cancellations:
https://turo.com/policies/cancellation
Gurdas says
From the comments here, it may seem your experience is common but the data tells a different story. The average rating of owners (by renters) is 4.9 out of 5. I doubt renters give that rating when they see unexpected costs, irrespective if the owner played a deliberate role or not. I am a Turo listed car owner and I have rented other Turo cars, and on both counts my experience has been stellar. My first Turo experience was in 2012 and after a couple years I went dormant due to unavailability of my car, and recently have become active again.
Regarding “their business model for them is to encourage disputes between owners and renters”, that is also not true base on the vast majority of user experience. All the changes in Turo’s platform have been to reduce the disputes. More disputes simply mean more support time and poorer ratings for Turo, neither of which is a good for business. As an example, starting October 1, 2017, Turo requires owners to take multiple pictures of the car at pickup and return. Why? Because they want to reduce disputes where owner says car was damaged or is returned dirty, while renter says it was not.
Overall, it is important to remember why and when Turo works. It is not better than big business rentals for every need, but for many needs.
Steve says
I had a similar experience where I rented a Tesla from an owner who requested I return the car dirty rather than take it to an unknown car wash that could damage the car. The owner told me upfront this would be about a $30 charge. I detail my own cars so understood and agreed to the owners request. We had the car for the day and drove a bit over 100 miles. The car was returned essentially clean but with some dust that we tracked onto the floor mats. I still expected to receive a cleaning charge. A week after the trip I get an email from Turo stating my account has been charged $35 for a cleaning fee and $25 for the associated administrative fee. A link to Turos extra fees was provided. Im very upset with the administration fee as it cannot possible cost close to $25 to process the transaction. i let the car owner know that I was charged this administrative fee and he was very surprised and will look into it on my behalf. It is not so much the money but the deception by Turo and all the potential additional fees and penalties that a renter can incur that turned what I initially thought was a great experience into one of distrust. I guess the old sayings apply, “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is” and “buyer beware”.