A rental car can add great convenience to your travels. You have the reliability of knowing that you can move around freely and on your own steam (so to speak) rather than having to rely on rides from friends, rideshare companies, or public transportation. Hertz car rental is one company that is known around the world. After all, the company has been around for a century. 

Hertz Car Rental was founded in 1918, providing a few Model T Fords on a rental basis. Over the years, the company expanded worldwide, and extended their brand to include Thrifty and Dollar as well. 

Today, you can rent a car from any of Hertz’s 10,400 locations in 150 countries throughout North America (3,700 rental offices in US), Latin America, Australia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, New Zealand and Europe. Hertz is the most popular airport rental company in the US.

One of the benefits of a large company like Hertz is that they have many locations, which means renters are not limited to renting from airport locations. Although it’s convenient to rent directly from the airport’s car rental office, it’s important to note that it can be up to 10% more expensive due to the concession fees.

The free pick up and return service is offered by Local Edition (HLE) locations in the United States. When you select this service from a participating location, you will be guaranteed of a hassle-free experience. Best of all, it’s free and so easy. A Hertz representative will collect  you (within a 15-minute drive) and take you to the rental location. Now there’s no need to exchange cars. 

The pickup and return service is limited to four passengers and is available an hour after the opening time of the location, and not later than one hour before closing time. The pick up and return service is not available at airport locations due to concession agreements. 

Instant Return Service

Hertz offers an instant return service during peak travel periods. That means that a Hertz agent will meet you by your rental car when you return it, and use a handheld computer terminal to supply your fully computed receipt, complete with rental charges and your frequent traveler number. This process takes a minute.

Yet another benefit of renting a car from such a large company, is the sizable inventory and the range of choices available to you. Hertz offers a range of vehicles to match your preferences, in a variety of classes, namely:

• Standard Cars range from Chevrolet Spark to VW Jetta, Buick Regal, Mazda 3 $-door, Dodge Challenger and Ford Focus or similar vehicles. 
• Green Traveler Collection includes the Ford Fusion Hybrid or similar vehicles.
• Estate collection includes the Hyundai Santa Fe of similar.
• Promotional range includes the Volkswagen Passat or Nissan Versa or similar cars. 
• Prestige Collection features the Infiniti QX30, Mercedes CLA250 or Audi A3, Mercedes SLC or SLK Convertible, Range Rovers, Rover Discovery, Cadillac Escalade and Infiniti Q60 or similar vehicles.
• People Carrier, SUV or 4WD include Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Transit, GMC Yukon, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Rogue, Chevrolet Equinox, Dodge Journey, Chrysler Pacifica and similar vehicles.
• Adrenaline Collection includes exciting options such as the Chevy Camaro SS Convertible, Mustang GT or Camaro SS. This range also includes two guaranteed models, namely the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Hertz 100th Corvette Z06 – restrictions apply.
• Convertible options include the Ford Mustang Convertible or similar vehicles.
• Dream Cars range includes a vast selection of guaranteed models, such as the Porsche Panamera, Tesla Model S, Range Rover Sport, Mercedes G550, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche  Cayman, Porsche Boxster, Porsche 911, Mercedes C63 AMG, and Nissan GT-R.
• Vans include options such as the Promaster 2500, Dodge Ram 1500, Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, and Nissan NV200.
• Other options include the Jeep Wrangler 2 or 4 door. These models are also guaranteed.

Hertz car rentals are some of the more expensive when it comes to daily rentals, but their weekly rentals work out significantly cheaper. That makes it a good choice for longer trips.

Rental rates are calculated based on a number of factors, but come to approximately:

• $93 daily or $228 weekly for an economy car.
• $94 daily or $234 weekly for a compact car.
• $101 daily or $291 weekly for a full-size car. 

They charge approximately $14 per additional driver. Drivers aged 20-25 (or 18-24 in New York and Michigan) are charged an age surcharge of $30 per day.  

You can rent additional equipment, such as child seats or booster seats for around $13 per day plus surcharges and local tax. Other equipment include GPS and vehicle snow equipment.

If you opt for a package with limited mileage, you will be charged an additional $0.25 per additional mile. 

To sweeten the deal, Hertz offers a great rewards program that will benefit you even if you don’t frequently rent a car. As a member of the Hertz Gold Plus program, you earn points for every dollar you spend on approved car rentals, as well as on optional services, such as GPS, Sirius radio, car seats and fuel purchases. You need to earn 550 points to redeem a free car rental of one day. 

Another benefit is that as a club member, you have access to the Gold counter. That means you don’t have to stand in the regular line. Also, you don’t have to pay for additional drivers. Download the Hertz Gold app and get free upgrades. 

Standard Mastercard Cardholders benefit from discounts of up to 10% at participating Hertz offices worldwide. As an American Express cardholder, you are entitled to:

• Up to 10% off Hertz car rentals around the world.
• Free additional driver.
• Upgrades (subject to availability) on 5+ day rentals.

For your convenience, Hertz offers three refueling options:

• Refuel the tank at standard pump rates immediately before returning it.
• Purchase a full tank of gas to save time when returning the vehicle. This option is charged at standard gas pump price minus $.15 per gallon. (No refunds are issued for unused fuel).
• Let Hertz refuel the car at pump price plus a $6.99 refueling fee per transaction. 

Select the refueling option that suits you best. The full-to-full option makes the most sense, as you only pay for what you use. You will receive the car with a full tank, and simply refuel whatever you have used before you return it to the rental location.

Hertz offers an optional Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) at a small additional charge to relieve you of any financial responsibility in the event of loss or damage to your rental car. 

Additionally, they offer Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) and Personal Effects Coverage (PEC) to protect against the expenses of accidental death and accidental medical expenses, as well as theft or loss of your personal belongings during the rental period.

It is recommended that you check your own personal car insurance policy to see whether it includes rental car cover. Also, many credit card providers provide a secondary insurance option which may provide sufficient cover.

To rent a car from Hertz, you must be a licensed driver. Your license must be valid for the entire car rental period. Individuals who wish to rent a full size van need a Commercial Driver’s License in order to transport groups for commercial or non-profit use. However, this is not required for personal rentals. These vehicles may not be used to transport passengers for hire.

The minimum age to rent a car from Hertz is 20, however, drivers between 20-24 age charged an Age Differential Charge of between $27-$35 dependent on the location. People younger than 25 may not rent cars from the high performance, Prestige and Adrenaline Collections. 

Customers typically choose Hertz for extended rentals, due to their daily rates being higher than that of other companies, and their weekly rates structured to be much more competitive. 

When it comes to customer reviews, the company has the following ratings:

Consumer Affairs: 3.3 / 5 (697 votes)

Rental Cars: 7.9/10 (100,000 reviews)

Naturally, service levels will differ by location. 

Ultimately, Hertz is a big company that has been around for a century. That’s usually a good indication of commitment to customer satisfaction.