I'd be grateful for any info from Bay Area Prius types about rental companies offering Prius. I'm planning to visit San Fancisco on vacation this summer and would like to rent a Prius (I own one here in the UK). Two Toyota dealers in SF haven't replied to email requests, so any local info would be appreciated. Cheers Martin
Hi Martin, I just picked up my new Prius last week. I rented one for a few days from San Francisco Toyota about a month ago. Before I did that, I checked local rental companies. Enterprise told me that Toyota bought back their Prius fleet (at least in this area). Fox Rent A Car has the Prius. I didn't rent from them, because they have 2005 models, & I specifically wanted to check out the 2006 model prior to purhcase. They have locations at SFO, as well as the Oakland & San Jose airports. Check them out at http://www.foxrentacar.com/ Mike A.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Apr 22 2006, 07:11 PM) [snapback]243808[/snapback]</div> I rented an Escape hybrid from Fox Oakland, and noticed they had loads of Prii, and many of them had HOV stickers. Look around for online discounts. I think I paid 225 for a week, which i thought was very reasonable.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Apr 22 2006, 07:11 PM) [snapback]243808[/snapback]</div> Check with your Toyota dealer, many rent Prius (and other new cars) so you can really tell if you want to buy one. My local (Oregon) dealer even wrote off the rental cost when I purchased.
Hi Martin, I retned a second gen Prius from Fox at San Jose airport in December. The first one they rented me had a nearly dead auxillary battery (auxillary battery is used to start the car). I got it going enough to return the car for another and had a good three days with it. Stealthgirl
I have been actively looking for a rental Hybrid for when I go to Texas for 4 dys, but I have not located any... looks like Ill be driving the taurus anyways...... I guess it doent really matter the taurus has unlimited mileage and will only cost $150 + all the hidden costs... <_< :blink: I would think rental car companies would stock a small fleet of Hybrids for when the gas starts climbing....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusguy04 @ Apr 23 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]244009[/snapback]</div> I was in Houston in August, and the car that left the rental lot ahead of us was a Prius. This was at Hertz at IAH -- the lady checking us out of the lot told us you have to call the local office and specifically ask for it. Had we known they were available, we might have avoided being the recipients of an unrequested "upgrade" to an SUV that got crap mileage. Lucky us!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pixgal @ Apr 24 2006, 09:21 PM) [snapback]244620[/snapback]</div> wow thanks pixgal, i'll call tomarrow and inquire about it.. any idea how much??
I rented a Prius from zipcar (www.zipcar.com) on Sunday in San Francisco. It is an hourly/daily rental, so it worked better for us than keeping it for the entire trip. The Prius was $8.50 an hour and they are all over the place. It includes insurance, gas, parking, etc...
As another poster has said- in CA try Fox Rent a car- there are usually discount coupons also on their websites. We rented vans, etc. from them in the past with good results. They also have the Honda Hybrid in addition to the Prius.
Back in November, I rented a brand-new fully loaded Prius from Toyota 101 in Redwood City for $40/day. -Adriano
Okay, thanks everyone for your tips. I'll certainly try Fox. It would be nice to continue Prius driving on vacation. It's hard enough remembering to drive on the wrong side of the road without having to learn a new car... Martin
I'll unnecessarily add another recommendation of Fox. I rented 2005 Priuses twice (second time, it had HOV stickers) and a 2005 HCH once from them. According to their website, they even have Escape Hybrids available for rent now. Definitely a great opportunity for anyone in California.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Martin Lewis @ Apr 22 2006, 12:29 PM) [snapback]243686[/snapback]</div> Toyota 101 in Redwood City (10 miles south of SF airport) rents them for $50.00 per day. Just make sure to call them at least 3 days in advance. Toyota 101 Hwy 101 & Whpple Ave, Redwood City, 94061 - +1 650 365 5000
As for Prius' in the Houston area, Toyota Rent-A-Car rents them, but most locations currently don't have one. I got lucky and my local location is getting a new one that I'll be picking up on Friday. They charge $30/week day and $30/full weekend.
i know this thread has been lost for a couple years, but this is the subject i have a question on. i actually found foxrentacar.com in searching for hybrid rentals. they look like they offer the best pricing. here's my question: i will be in l.a. for a week and will be driving a lot everyday. the farthest drive will also include a day trip to san francisco. the pricing they offer on a civic and prius differs by about $60: civic (including all fees and unlimited miles): $320.60 prius (including all fees and unlimited miles): $381.37 is paying the extra $60 going to save me a lot more on gas while i'm there? i know the prius gets like...7 or so extra mpgs or something, but i don't know if it's really going to end making a difference overall. can someone help me out with this? (i know this is a prius site, so i can imagine there will be some prejudice toward the prius, but i'm just trying to be realistic. i will go with whichever car is going to benefit my specific situation.) thanks so much.
Enterprise also has Prii at some of their Green Rental locations. You have to call for pricing. The Prius may not save you much in gas although if you drive with a light foot you might save a few bucks over the week. The hybrid shines in city driving over other cars. Also its a offers a little more room for the back seat and luggage. It is a peppy, fun car to drive. I rented a Prius for our vacation in August because the Prius we have on order hasn't come in yet. And our current cars are Honda's. Me. I'd go with the Prius.