Turo Car Rental Review [2024]: A Better Rental Service?

Do you know the expression "planes, trains, and automobiles?" Sometimes it feels like you come across all of them when planning your travels. Today, we're going to be focusing on the automobile part of it.

In many places, it's easiest to get around by car.

One of the only options in the last decade was to rent through a traditional car rental agency, like Enterprise or Budget rentals. Those who have rented cars from these agencies will know that you almost never know which car you'll be getting. Plus, many rental agencies are known for charging hefty hidden fees.

In comes Turo, a peer-to-peer car rental platform that connects local car owners with renters without the hassles of dealing with an agency. But is Turo legit, and are they worth using for travelers looking for car rentals?

Read on for our review about what it is, how it works, the cost, and if it's worth it!

What is Turo?

Turo advertises itself as the largest car-sharing marketplace in the world and allows you to book a car wherever you want. 

Turo has thousands of hosts spread out all over the US, Canada, and the UK. You can rent virtually any type of car you may want and from hundreds of different locations in those select countries. They offer run-of-the-mill vehicles all the way up to fancy, Deluxe, luxury cars. 

In addition to being online, they also have an app on the App Store and the Google Play Store. Downloading the app makes check-in and managing reservations easier, although this can all be managed through the website. 

How does Turo work?

Similar to renting accommodation through providers like Vrbo or Vacasa, renting a car through Turo starts with entering the location where you're traveling and the dates you'll be there. This generates a list of local hosts and available cars during that period. 

Once you find the perfect vehicle, you can book online or using the app. Both options allow you to choose add-ons and communicate with your host as you finalize your booking. 

You then either have the car delivered or pick it up from your host. Check in, grab the keys, and you're good to hit the road!

One big perk of renting with Turo is their free cancellation policy up to 24 hours before your rental starts. This is a nice feature that gives drivers some flexibility, especially with ever-changing travel restrictions.

Another perk is that you'll only have to be 21 to rent with Turo, while many car rental agencies require you to be 25 years old.

Turo Vehicles

One of the biggest attractions of Turo is the range of vehicles available. Aside from knowing exactly what car you'll be getting, you'll be able to pick on a selection of different vehicles that matches your needs.

In addition to being able to rent jeeps, vans, convertibles, luxury cars, or plain cars, you can filter features, including:

• Accessible cars
• All-wheel drive
• Backup camera/driving assistance
• Heated seats
• GPS-Integrated System
• Ski rack attachments

If you prefer a certain kind of car or know exactly what you're looking for, you can even filter by vehicle, make, or year. You can also select manual or automatic cars, and there's even a price filter to ensure your rental fits within your budget. 

How much does Turo cost?

Like booking a multi-night stay in a hotel, you may find your daily rate for your car rental is the same across your whole trip, or it may vary daily. 

Your total trip price will be the vehicle's rate multiplied by the length of your trip. You'll also be charged a trip fee, security deposit, protection plan, delivery fees (if applicable), taxes, and any extras you may have decided to buy. 

Turo Insurance

Since Turo involves renting and driving a car, you should have some form of insurance. Turo offers them in the app, but here's the gist of it.

How does Turo insurance work?

Turo offers three levels of physical damage protection: premier, standard, and minimum. Each has a different daily rate between $10-14, and they provide different amounts of coverage in the case of an accident. It's important to note that premier plans are unavailable to drivers below 21. 

You may also be able to decline additional protection, which means you'll be responsible for all costs related to any damage. Depending on the host and terms of the rental, you may be unable to decline protection. 

How old do you have to be to use Turo?

As with any kind of rental service, Turo has age restrictions. These vary from country to country and depending on what car you're hoping to rent. In the US, you must be at least 21 to rent a car with all hosts on Turo. This age limit rises to 25 for Deluxe Class cars and 30 for Super Deluxe Class cars or specialty vehicles. 

Drivers aged 18-25 will pay an additional Young Driver's fee when renting a car through Turo. Regardless of age restrictions, you must be a licensed driver to drive a Turo car. 

For the full age restrictions across the US, Canada, and the UK, head here! Be sure to check age restrictions for the country you're renting in, as Canada differs from the US.

Turo Customer Service

While we hope your rental process is smooth from start to finish, it never hurts to know how to contact customer support if the need should arise.

Turo has an excellently detailed online help center, but what about speaking with an actual person? Fortunately, there's an option to do an online chat using the "contact us" bubble at the bottom right of their website, and this seems to be the method of support they prefer.

They also have a phone number in the US available 24/7 that you can call if you want to speak with an agent. 

Turo Reviews

Turo holds an average rating of 4.6/5 stars from over 24,000 online Turo reviews, with 82% of those reviews being excellent. 

Turo receives high praises from guests for the ease of booking, the quality of the cars, and the smooth process of using their service. 

It's important to note that some travelers have commented on difficulties with hosts, but these problems are somewhat independent of Turo. 

Others have complained about hidden fees such as being charged to pick up or drop off the car at the airport. Still, these negative reviews are relatively few compared to the mostly positive reviews they received. 

Is Turo worth it?

If you're looking to travel and need to rent a car, Turo is a great option to explore. Being able to pick the exact car you want to rent and not having restrictions normal car rental agencies impose on you is definitely a huge perk.

Their hosts are located in top travel destinations, and their delivery service means you can pick up a vehicle from virtually anywhere. Turo also offers many different makes of cars so that you can find something for any adventure, at any price point.

However, if you're not located in the US, CA, and UK, you might be out of luck with Turo. As the app grow though, they might expand to other countries! Turo is very similar to how Airbnb operates, so keep in mind all of the similar drawbacks Airbnb has when renting through Turo.

Our rating: 4.2/5

Pros:

• Cars available in US, CA, & UK
• All types of Vehicles for travel
• Variety Protection plans
• Delivery service (for a fee)
• Easy to use
• 24-hour Free cancellation

Cons:

• Limited availabilities
• Individual hosts vs. company-backed
• Young Driver's Fee under 25 y/o

Let's hit the road and get planning!

Whether your next trip is a cross-country road trip or just driving around a new place, Turo is a great resource for finding vehicles wherever your travels may take you. 

As you plot out your routes, be sure to use Pilot to keep all your stops and itinerary details in one place!