Car Rental Brand Comparisons
The brands competing for your booking often share a parent company, a fleet, and a terminal. What they don't always share is the same counter experience.
Three groups own almost every brand you'll see at a US airport. Hertz owns Dollar and Thrifty — all three share infrastructure, with Dollar typically the cheapest of the three. Enterprise owns National and Alamo — same fleet at most airports, but meaningfully different pickup experiences. Avis owns Budget — premium brand and value brand from the same company.
If you already know which two brands you're choosing between, the comparisons below go straight to the verdict. If you're still at the "which company is even worth considering" stage, start with the brand that matches your priority: Enterprise or National if airport pickup speed matters, Hertz or Avis if loyalty program points matter, Dollar or Thrifty if price is the only lever.
Knowing which brand to pick is only part of it. Knowing what to expect at the counter, which fees are optional, and which airports have a rougher track record — that's what turns a cheap booking into a trip that actually goes smoothly.
Published comparisons
Both brands are value-tier, both owned by Hertz. The differences are in fee structure, counter experience, and location scores — and they do differ. Here's where.
Read comparison → National vs Enterprise: Which One Should You Book?Same parent company, same fleet, same fees at the desk. What differs is the pickup experience — and it only kicks in when you understand Emerald Club.
Read comparison →In progress
How the comparisons are built
Airport by airport
Brand-level averages aren't useful if you're picking up at O'Hare. Every comparison breaks down performance by location — so you can check the specific airport on your itinerary.
Fee structure, side by side
Young driver surcharges, additional driver fees, fuel options, toll pass rates — for both brands, qualified where they vary by market.
What actually goes wrong
What complaints cluster around for each brand, whether the pattern is consistent or concentrated at specific airports, and whether it's avoidable with preparation.
A straight verdict
When one brand genuinely edges the other, it's named. When they're close enough that price should make the call, that's the verdict.