Hot wheels: Where to book luxury car rentals
If you want to hit the road in style with sports cars and luxury vehicles, the major car rental companies have your ride. They also have a variety of rewards programs to turn your head.
Here's an inventory of the types of cars you can rent from popular rental companies and the bonuses each rental company offers you for your business.
Read more: 9 rental car rewards programs you need to know about
Hertz
Hertz's Dream, Adrenaline, or Prestige Collections offer high-performance, head-turning cars. Want 750 horsepower of revving thrills? You can reserve the limited-edition 2020 Camaro ZL1, customized by Hendrick Motorsports exclusively for Hertz, at six airports: Charlotte, North Carolina; Fort Myers, Florida; Las Vegas; Miami; Orlando and Phoenix.
Read more: The complete guide to Hertz Gold Rewards
In Hertz's stable, you'll also find sporty cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Porsche Boxster, Porsche 911, Porsche Cayman, and Porsche Panamera. Keep things interesting and hop into a Nissan GT-R, BMW M4, Mercedes- Benz SLC or Tesla Model S.
With Hertz, you can use rewards for daily, weekly, or one-way rentals. Earn points for every dollar spent, but your earning rate changes in .25 point increments between status levels: gold, five-star, and president's circle. With every level, you can pick your car from the fleet, skip the counter, e-return and exit the gate in 30 seconds or less.
How do you level up from gold to five-star or president's circle? With 12 rentals or $2,400, you gain five-star access to a wider selection of vehicles. You get president's circle status for a day after 20 rentals or $4,000 in spend. President's circle gets you a dedicated Hertz rewards line, the widest car selection, and exclusive benefits and rewards. You can also transfer points to airline and hotel partners.
Read more: Several new car rental Amex Offers now available, including Hertz and Avis
Budget
Some like it fast and over at Team Budget you could drive a Dodge Charger R/T, Dodge Challenger R/T, Infiniti Q60, Nissan 370Z Coupe NISMO, Nissan 370Z, Ford Mustang or GT with a convertible option available, or Chevrolet Camaro or SS, also with a convertible option.
Read more: How to get a free 4-hour grace period on your next car rental
The Budget Business program gives you up to 30% off base rates, while earning you a $3 reward credit for every qualifying rental day. Not only do members get a complimentary Fastbreak membership to skip the counter at pick up, but they also get a dedicated support team and access to a members-only website. There isn't a tiered structure for membership, but you get reward certificates mailed to you quarterly in $15 denominations. You can stack up to seven certificates ($105) toward a rental.
Alamo
Read more: 8 common rental car mistakes — and how to avoid them
As an Alamo Insider, you'll have access to the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang Convertible, Ford Mustang GT, Porsche 911, Porsche Cayman, Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti Q60, Maserati Ghibli, and the Aston Martin Vantage.
Alamo Insiders save 5% off their low rates and membership is free. Alamo sends you promotional offers directly instead of a traditional loyalty program with earned points.
Read more: How to never pay full price for a rental car
Avis
The Avis car selection is limited, but the options will start your engine: Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible or SS, Ford Mustang or GT Convertible.
Read more: 10 best ways to redeem your points and miles for a car rental
The Avis Preferred program allows members to skip the lines and use the Avis Preferred Select & Go app. The points program is similar to Hertz for rentals -- you earn points for every dollar spent and .25 point increments for each status level up. Preferred Plus members receive this status after 12 rentals or $5,000 spent. The top level, Preferred Plus, is achieved after 25 rentals or $7,000 spent (this must be done in a calendar year to upgrade your status).
Read more: 52 rental car promotions that will save you money this fall
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
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- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
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