Turo vs. Traditional Car Rentals: My Honest Take

Car rentals are one of those travel chores we’d all love to skip, but usually can’t. For most trips, we just default to Hertz, National, or Avis, the familiar names that have fleets of identical sedans waiting at airports.

Then there’s Turo, which brands itself as the “Airbnb for cars.” Instead of pulling from a corporate fleet, you rent directly from someone’s personal inventory.

On paper, that sounds intriguing. In practice, after giving Turo a try myself, I found there are situations where it genuinely makes sense, and others where the traditional rental desk still has the upper hand.

This is my honest take on how Turo compares to traditional car rentals, and where each option actually makes sense.

Car Selection: Variety vs. Standardization

One of the biggest differences between Turo and traditional car rental companies comes down to car choice.

With traditional car rental companies, you’re usually picking a category, “midsize,” “full-size,” “SUV” and hoping whatever’s left on the lot fits your needs. The fine print phrase “or similar” usually means you shouldn’t count on getting the exact model you pictured.

Turo flips that model. You choose the exact car you want, whether that’s a Tesla Model Y, a convertible for a fancy date, or even something quirky like a Jeep with a rooftop tent for a road trip.

It’s a chance to make the car part of the trip instead of just transportation.

For me, this was one of Turo’s biggest selling points. If you’ve ever thought about buying an EV or upgrading to a luxury car, Turo doubles as an extended test drive.

You get to live with the car for a few days, not just circle the dealership lot for 15 minutes.

Traditional rental companies keep things predictable and standardized (which is sometimes exactly what you want), while Turo opens the door to variety and personalization.

Experience: The Counter vs. The Host

Renting from a traditional company usually means following a familiar routine: line up at the counter, sign the paperwork, decline several insurance upsells, and eventually head to the lot to collect your assigned vehicle.

It’s standardized and predictable, though not always efficient, especially…