Flexcar vs. Zipcar

[leftyjew]

Ok, so I'm considering ending my personal Zipcar boycott since I'll be approaching my 3rd car rental this year, but I wanted to talk to people and see what options people have considered and why.
My needs:
- rare trips to places the Metro doesn't go (suburbs, Ikea, Baltimore, Shenandoah)
- a bit less rare weekend trips to Philadelphia or New York (though I'd typically take a bus or train).
Renting a car (I'm over 25) is about $80 a day and generally inconvenient (gotta get to the place at the right time, deal with paperwork, etc.
However, they generally give unlimited miles, and Z/F are capped at 125/150 miles a day respectively. They don't pay for gas, which Z/F do.
I guess my questions are this:
1. Can anyone give me estimates for Flexcar rates? They aren't on the website in any detail.
2. If you chose one, why did you choose it?
3. If you did not choose one, but looked into it, why?
4. Do you find it convenient and reasonably priced?

Thanks for your help!
Charles

Comments

why did you boycott?

[kellev.livejournal.com]

Re: why did you boycott?

[leftyjew.livejournal.com]

When i was mugged, ZipCar refused to replace my ZipCard unless I paid $15 (membership at that time was $20 a year with no application fee). I was pissed

[lec210.livejournal.com]

I have Flexcar and my roommate has Zipcar. The rate depends on the car that you get from them. The Honda Accords that are near my apartment were about $9/hour, I think, but I haven't used them in a long time. They max out at a certain price per day but I can't remember what that is. In terms of availability and helpfulness, I'd recommend them, but Zipcar has much better choices of vehicle (ie, there's an SUV, regular 4 door and a truck, all near my apartment, whereas Flexcar has Accords and a mini-van). I can ask my roommate about rates for them if you'd like. I like that I only have to pay for what I use.

I used to take Flexcar to shul and once I locked myself out. They were really great about the on-call person getting right back to me and letting me in remotely.

[leftyjew.livejournal.com]

How much are daily rates on Flexcar?

[lec210.livejournal.com]

I've never used it for a full day, but their website says:

Standard Plan, $8.25 - $10.75/hr or $40 - $70/day

Again, it depends on the car, but judging from the hourly rates, the Hondas are the cheapest.