Zipcar Redefines the Rental Car

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Michael of OR comment from Feb 2009 is wrong. You don't pay for gas yourself. Gas and insurance is included in the hourly rate. Every car has a gas card; if you're the one driving and the tank is less than 1/4 full, you are responsible for filling it up using the gas card, not your own card.

Joel of MA 6:51PM October 08, 2009

I used Zip car in NYC for 2 years. It makes a lot of sense in case of following:
The trip is quick but of long distance. For instance dropping off my daughter to Stony Brook took about 3 hours or around 30 bucks. It was the fantastic deal.
If the trip takes a lot of time, you end up paying a lot of money. Or if the distance is short, you are better of taking a cab.
Also, timing is important - late night rentals to drop of my daughter were better than doing the same thing during the day.

VKM of NY 3:47PM April 11, 2009

notes on what the zipcar agreement entails:
you do have to pay for yuor own gas. as a matter of fact you must return it iwth at least 1/4 tank of gas, other wise they charge penalties.
you do have to worry about parking , because it is just liek any normal car.
you do have to get it back in time, late fees start at 50.- dollars.
its expensive, and high tech. if you plan and are a responsible person, and a capable person, that drives safely, this is an interesting service. use caution on the road, and have a safe time.

michael of OR 3:28AM February 25, 2009

i just reserved a mazda miata convertible
for 69 dollars a day
well see how this goes. its just seems incredible
yeah its expensive, but the control you get, and power over reservation times, and the responsibility, is very well done. i own two cars back at home but this is a trip far away, and i will need a car
just too good to be true. the different models they have waiting for me, brand new cars, incredible.
they have like 10 models of cars for portland oregon here
its gonna be a lot of fun. i have a nice clean and tidy driving record for over 10 years so they let me into their program.
you have to have a credit /debit card to get in, and it costa 50 dollars plus 25 just to get the membership
it will be just fine, i think. hope everything works out

michael of OR 3:23AM February 25, 2009

At least for me....
I don't know where the other individuals are coming from, but I recently began using Zipcar and have loved the service so far. If you need a car everyday, it's not ideal. However, for the city dweller who just needs to run some errands it is absolutely perfect.
See my review here for Zipcars in the DC area: http://itsalldicta.blogspot.com/2009/02/zipcar-review.html

BT of DC 3:20PM February 20, 2009

zipcar has a few plans... i am on the infrequent driver plan
all i do is pay for the hours i schedule it for
i think it's a great deal... cheaper than a cab and renting a car for a day
the car i use is 2 blocks away, is a hybrid and is almost always available if i reserve it the day before
i don't have to pay for gas, insurance or worry about parking
once or twice a month i schedule it for shopping and errands
i have had the misfortune of have crumbs left behind by a previous driver... not the end of the world...
i even got a credit for referring a friend
i think the biggest problem is racing back to get the car back in time
plan ahead wisely

blac of WA 3:27PM January 13, 2009

Yea it has reached a tipping point - I am a 4 year member that is hanging it up this year - it is cheaper now that insurance has come down and cars are cheaper than ever - we bought a used subaru and it will cost us half the price that zipcar cost us in the last 3 years... there goes their "model" - it's mostly college kids using the cars and they do all the things they are not supposed like smoking and cat hair all over the car or the trash they leave behind and NOW MORE THAN EVER I get into a car to find it on "E" - then I fill it up and the next time I use the same car it's empty again - thanks for the fun zipcar but our time has come to say goodbye...

joe of CA 12:04PM August 27, 2008

Yea it has reached a tipping point - I am a 4 year member that is hanging it up this year - it is cheaper now that insurance has come down and cars are cheaper than ever - we bought a used subaru and it will cost us half the price that zipcar cost us in the last 3 years... there goes their "model" - it's mostly college kids using the cars and they do all the things they are not supposed like smoking and cat hair all over the car or the trash they leave behind and NOW MORE THAN EVER I get into a car to find it on "E" - then I fill it up and the next time I use the same car it's empty again - thanks for the fun zipcar but our time has come to say goodbye...

joe of MA 12:01PM August 27, 2008

Seems like a great idea. Anyone know how many miles the average Zipcar member actually drives in an hour of rental time? Weighing that against other options is interesting.

Aaron of NJ 6:13PM August 17, 2008

I used to work at Zipcar's main office in Cambridge, and this is hard for me to say, because the concept is so solid. The company is really much more outwardly fun than it is to work for. It felt almost like a fraud actually. The CEO drove a huge Ram pickup truck, and was often yelling at employees publicly, and always talked about how much b.s. the environmental face of the business was. The culture was stodgy at best, and I finally left because I didn't like feel we were an honest company. Maybe I am a little utopian, but it would be great if the people leading a company actually believed in the mission.

Wishful Thinking of MA 7:31PM June 17, 2008