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Toyota Rental Car
Who Knew You Could Rent a Hybrid From A Local Dealer?
More and more, national vehicle rental agencies are offering hybrid cars for rent. Hybrid fleets at many chains have been expanded considerably in the last few years, and hybrid cars have become easier to reserve and are available in many more branches across the country. Still, availability can be a challenge when trying to rent a hybrid car, especially if you are looking outside a major city or airport. Fortunately, Toyota, a leader in hybrid car manufacturing and sales, has begun offering hybrid rental programs through their dealerships.
The main advantage of renting a hybrid through a Toyota dealership is the number of locations rentals are available. Many dealerships around the country participate in the rental program and an increasing number of those are offering hybrids for rent in addition to standard, full fuel, vehicles. This is great if you are traveling to a smaller city or town, or an airport that is not a major travel hub.
The other significant advantage to a dealership rental is that there may be a greater number of hybrids available for rent. Even in major cities and at large airports, the number of hybrids available for rent from national companies is relatively limited. During busy travel periods, particularly on weekends, these few hybrids are reserved quickly. If this is the case, check the dealerships in the area. Their rental program is less popular and the number of hybrids, if the city has several dealerships, can be greater.
Even if a rental agency has hybrids available for rent, they may not grant you a guaranteed hybrid reservation in advance. While this is changing, the popularity of hybrid rentals and their limited supply has prevented many popular agencies from offering advanced reservations. If this is the case, the Toyota dealership rental program provides an easy, certain, alternative.
Another benefit of renting a hybrid from a Toyota dealership is that there may be more models available for rent. Currently, the dealership rental program has Camry and Highlander hybrids for rent in addition to the ubiquitous Prius. If you are a Prius owner, or have rented several in the past, it might be a great opportunity to try one of Toyota’s other hybrid models.
One disadvantage is that renting from a dealership can be slightly less convenient. While most national rental companies have branches in airports, getting to a dealership to rent a car requires some travel from your landing point. If this is a concern, mention that you will be flying into the city when you make the rental reservation and the dealership will be able to help you make transfer arrangements.
Another disadvantage might be that, unlike rentals from a national agency, Toyota dealership rentals must be returned to the same site they came from. While this is not always a concern, those who need to travel from one city to another, or are leaving from a different airport than that which they arrived should keep this in mind.
Besides a few potential inconveniences, renting a hybrid from a Toyota dealership is a great alternative to keep in mind. And, if you like your rental car so much that you want to buy one, you will already be in the right place.
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