Enterprise vs Zipcar  I just did my first Zipcar after doing Enterprise for the last five years. Zipcar is to iPhone as Enterprise is to Blackberry. Marco Arment did a more detailed comparison here: http://www.marco.org/2009/12/29/enterprise-rent-a-car-vs-zipcar but in a nutshell, the benefits of Zipcar over Enterprise are: hourly rental (not daily) 24/7 rental  (you can get a car at midnight and return it at 5am if you want) no salespeople (“you want these extra insurance packages that double the quoted cost, RIGHT!?”) gas is included (you use their gascard) EZpass! (you pay the toll later, but it’s really nice avoiding the slow cash lanes) I’ve always preferred driving home late at night, when the roads are emptier, so being able to return the car at 2am is GREAT. Being able to pick up or return it on Sunday (when Enterprise is closed) is EVEN GREATER (I would’ve used Enterprise SO MUCH MORE these last few years had I been able to get a car Sat-Sun instead of Sat-Mon)…  There’s also a nice techy Web 2.0 vibe going on with Zipcar, whereas Enterprise is about as friendly as a banker. Drawbacks for Zipcar: I had some bird poop on my hood, and syncing my iPhone’s music library with the Ford I rented was a EXERCISE IN FRUSTRATION.  For trips to museums and things, we’ll still use a car service (the parking cost/hassle covers their fee), but trips to the grandparents’ house or to RGZ’s beachouse are now DEFINITELY gonna be Zipcarian. Even if it works out to be 10% more expensive, Zipcar’s a 100% nicer experience. 
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Enterprise vs Zipcar 

I just did my first Zipcar after doing Enterprise for the last five years. Zipcar is to iPhone as Enterprise is to Blackberry.

Marco Arment did a more detailed comparison here: http://www.marco.org/2009/12/29/enterprise-rent-a-car-vs-zipcar but in a nutshell, the benefits of Zipcar over Enterprise are:

  1. hourly rental (not daily)
  2. 24/7 rental  (you can get a car at midnight and return it at 5am if you want)
  3. no salespeople (“you want these extra insurance packages that double the quoted cost, RIGHT!?”)
  4. gas is included (you use their gascard)
  5. EZpass! (you pay the toll later, but it’s really nice avoiding the slow cash lanes)

I’ve always preferred driving home late at night, when the roads are emptier, so being able to return the car at 2am is GREAT. Being able to pick up or return it on Sunday (when Enterprise is closed) is EVEN GREATER (I would’ve used Enterprise SO MUCH MORE these last few years had I been able to get a car Sat-Sun instead of Sat-Mon)… 

There’s also a nice techy Web 2.0 vibe going on with Zipcar, whereas Enterprise is about as friendly as a banker.

Drawbacks for Zipcar: I had some bird poop on my hood, and syncing my iPhone’s music library with the Ford I rented was a EXERCISE IN FRUSTRATION. 

For trips to museums and things, we’ll still use a car service (the parking cost/hassle covers their fee), but trips to the grandparents’ house or to RGZ’s beachouse are now DEFINITELY gonna be Zipcarian. Even if it works out to be 10% more expensive, Zipcar’s a 100% nicer experience. 

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  1. jrocknyc posted this