Turo

• Variety of Vehicles Available
• Simple Sharing Process
• Rental Prices and Fees
• Insurance Coverage 

Variety of Vehicles Available

To cater to individual preferences, the company offers over 800 different car models to choose from. Renters can choose from cars, SUVs, minivans, trucks, convertibles, hybrids, and vans. One can also filter by rental period for long-term rentals, the vehicle make, features like all-wheel drives, and more.

Simple Sharing Process

Turo has an easy, user-friendly, and customizable rental sign-up. In order to sign up for car sharing, create a Turo account by simply signing in to your Facebook or email account.

The first time you sign up for a car, all you have to do is enter some general information, choose a car, rental date, and time. You can either decline additional insurance or purchase the Basic or Premium option, each with varying physical damage and liability protection.

In order to get the car and the keys, all the renter needs to do is meet the Turo host and show them their driver's license. Some owners will even deliver the car right to the renter. Returning the car is simple, as the renter just needs to return the car with a tank full of gas to where it was initially picked up.

Rental Prices and Fees

Turo rents vehicles priced approximately 35 percent lower than other car rental options. The price ranges depending on what car one gets. There is no membership fee and cars generally go for a flat rate of $40 per day.

In addition to rental fees, buyers may be charged fees for additional miles, parking tickets, and cleaning fees. To get the car's trip price, one must multiply the relevant trip rate advertised on the vehicle by the duration. There are also the following fees:

• Trip Fee — 10% of trip price
• Protection Fee — varies by if one chooses a premium (40% of car's rate), basic (15% of car's rate), or the decline option
• Young Driver Fee — 20% fee of the trip price for people under age 25
• Delivery Fee — varies based on owner's settings
• Airport Fee — 10% fee of trip price if the rented vehicle is involved in the Turo Airport Lot program

It should also be noted that payment information, including debit card and credit card payments, is made through the Turo app or website, not the rental host.

Insurance Coverage

With Turo, there are private and commercial hosts. When it comes to Turo's insurance, owners can either use Turo's policies or decline coverage to be eligible for a commercial, third-party insurance policy.

When owners decline Turo's insurance coverage, they are considered a Commercial Host. As such, they must have their commercial rental insurance policy verified by Turo prior to renting any of their vehicles.

Turo's originally offered three different tiers of protection for owners to choose from. The Premium, Standard, and Basic plans (available before July 1, 2020). All three plans came with $1 million in liability coverage and physical damage protection that covers the value of the car, up to $125,000. From there, the plans differ in host deductible, cost, and other amenities.

As of July 1, 2020 Turo offers five vehicle protection plans: the 60 Plan, 70 Plan, 75 Plan, 80 Plan, and the 85 Plan.

All five plans provide up to $750,000 in third-party liability insurance (offered by Liberty Mutual) and varying levels of contractual reimbursement (reflected in the plan names) from Turo for physical damage and theft. However, bear in mind that the level of available reimbursement will vary depending on the chosen plan.

We recommend consumers thoroughly read Turo's detailed terms and conditions for more information regarding Turo's car insurance.

Guest Protection

Just as you would when you rent a car with other rental car companies, before you complete your booking, you have to choose which protection plan you want for your trip.

If you choose a commercial host, then the host will provide you with options. None of the guest plans cover mechanical or interior damage.

If you already have personal insurance, Turo's coverage will supplement your existing coverage. Policies differ in the amount of liability insurance, deductible payment required, and damage protection. We recommend you refer to the company's website for detailed information on each plan.

• Car Retrieval
• Variable Restrictions 
• Availability Limitations
• Caring for the Car

Car Retrieval

Since Turo does not operate with clients out of a specific agency, it utilizes car owners that do not use their cars on an everyday basis. Renters must meet the car owner personally in order to pick up the car. Renters may have to go out of their way to retrieve the car if there is not a Turo already at the airport.

Additionally, each renter must show the car owner his or her driver's license, which does have personal information that people may not feel comfortable sharing with a random person.

Variable Restrictions

Since Turo does not own the cars, rules and regulations are inconsistent. Some owners allow renters to drive 200 miles a day, while others allow only 100. Each owner has his or her own set of restrictions, so Turo does not have an overall list of rules for the available cars.

Availability Limitations

Turo does not offer cars in New York. People under 21 years of age cannot rent a car, and people under age 25 have to pay additional fees.

In fact, people under 25 may need to demonstrate at least two years of current U.S. licensed driving history, and potentially can only rent out certain cars because they are considered "high-risk."

Caring for the Car

One thing that is different about the Turo experience is that guests are expected to care for the car as if it were their own. So, if the exterior of the car is significantly dirtier or if it has junk food crumbles inside from a road trip, you have to take it through a car wash and vacuum it out before returning it. If not, you may be charged a cleaning fee between $30 and $250. This is a big difference between standard car rental companies and renting a car with Turo.