In the old days you rented a car only in an emergency or when you were traveling for business.  You handed over you company credit card and they handed you the keys to a plain old neutral colored car and you were off to your meeting counting the hours until you were home with your own comfortable and pretty car.  In the last several years, however, the rental car business has become very competitive and as a result, the product to the consumer has become better looking and more affordable. 

Many people today are concerned with rising fuel prices and are buying more fuel efficient vehicles.  The sacrifice the car buyer makes is that many economical cars are not as luxurious or as versatile as many of the more expensive cars on the market.  Instead of piling the family in to a subcompact sedan, many drivers are now going to a car rental agency to rent a car for a short period of time.  In this way, the customer can have that expensive car for a long weekend or vacation without having to worry about the long term cost of running an SUV or luxury car.  In effect, the driver can be a responsible and financial conservative during the week, and still have the luxury and room they want on the weekend.

Most rental car companies today offer discounted rates if you are renting the vehicle for more than a couple days and the selection for most of the major rental companies range anywhere from a cheap car to popular SUV’s and muscle cars.  If you are looking for luxury you can also find a roomy and classy ride.  Almost anything you may be looking for is available.

The bread and butter of the rental car industry is still the business rental.  But, to become more competitive they are continuously adding new cars to their fleet, in the hopes that the business person will also start using their company for more recreational desires.  Some people even use these fancier rental cars to help ease the pain of an accident.  They feel that if they have to have a substitute car while their car is in the shop, it might as well be a great car.

The next time you are struggling with the choice between that cool expensive car or SUV and the economical cheaper priced car there is a way to have the best of both worlds.  The next time you slap down your credit card, use it to get a taste of the good life.