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Why should New Yorkers on two-wheelers get all the fun this summer? Citi Bike isn’t the only transportation-sharing game in town. Car sharing is all the rage for urban dwellers on the go, who look to services like Zipcar to grab wheels for a few hours to zoom around on errands and day trips.
But the veteran service, established in 2002, now has some competition speeding to catch up.
We sent our reporters into the streets to give the new rental rides a spin and see which sharing route is right for you.
ENTERPRISE CARSHARE
Launched this spring after Enterprise took over budding car-share service Mint.com, the company has followed the Zipcar model with locations throughout the city.
Model we drove: 2013 silver Toyota Corolla
Convenience: Getting an account takes a bit more effort than some other car-sharing services. You have to apply online first (for a $25 fee) and get approved, which can take a few days; then you pick up a membership card from an Enterprise office.
Cleanliness: Exceptional
Waiting time to pick up in garage: No wait
Gas: Included. We didn’t have to fill up, but even if we did, there is a credit card in the car for buying gas.
Car options: Varied, but mostly economy sedans
What else you should know: Extending the trip was a breeze; you just log in to the site through your smartphone and choose an extension option. Rides are limited to 180 miles per day.
Cost: Rates vary, depending on the length of the rental, type of car, etc. Pay-as-you-go runs $9 to $12 per hour and $69 to $107 per day; pre-pay options run $50 to $250 a month but waive the membership fee, with discounted hourly and day rates.
Membership fee: $40 after the first year.
ZIPCAR
With some 400 locations and 3,500 rental cars throughout the five boroughs, Zipcar is the reigning king of quickie car rentals, but it’s not always reliable.
Models we drove: A 2012 Mini named “Morenco” and a 2013 Audi A3 named “Josefa.” Yes, Zipcars have cutesy names.
Convenience: When things go as planned, as they did with the Mini, Zipcar is wonderfully convenient. The Audi was a different story. I had originally reserved an inexpensive Nissan, only to get an e-mail a few days before pickup that my reservation had been changed to an expensive BMW. When I went to get the Beamer, the parking attendant informed me it wasn’t in the garage. The closest available car was an Audi nearly a mile away in another lot.
Cleanliness: Both cars were clean and shiny.
Gas: Fuel is included in the rental cost. A credit card is provided to gas up the car.
Car options: Plenty, from eco-friendly Toyota Priuses and Honda Insights to luxe Mercedes C300s.
What else you should know: Roadside assistance and insurance are also included in the rental price, but the included insurance has a $750 deductible. Members can pay an additional $50 per year to bring the deductible down to $375, or $79 per year for zero deductible. One-hundred-eighty miles are included in a day rental; after that, there’s an additional fee starting at 45 cents per mile.
Cost: Cars can be as cheap as $9.25 an hour and $84 per day, but are often much more. For a weekend rental, I paid $166 per day for my A3 and $131 per day for the Mini.
Membership fee: Two options. The occasional-driving plan is $60 per year, plus a one-time $25 application fee. Frequent drivers can enroll in the extra-value plan for $50 per month, plus the application fee — but it gives you a 10 percent discount on the rental.
CARPINGO
The Brooklyn-based company was started by the president of All Car Rent-a-Car, and launched in August.
Model we drove: 2012 silver Ford Focus
Convenience: A mixed bag. It’s a Kings County venture for now, with two vehicles in Long Island City. Booking online is fairly straightforward. One potential drawback is that some of the cars are kept at an All Car outlet, meaning you can’t just jump into your ride and go. Another problem: Like many car rental outlets in Brooklyn, this one wasn’t open on Sunday, the day I was scheduled to return the car. “What should I do with it?” I asked the counter clerk. “Um,” she said, unsure. “I guess just drive it up on the sidewalk and leave it.” So I did.
Cleanliness: No problems. The exterior and interior looked good.
Gas: Fuel is included in the rental cost. A credit card is provided to gas up the car.
Car options: Everything from the modest-size Fiat 500 to sedans to a Toyota Sienna minivan
What else you should know: Insurance is also included in the rental price, with $10,000 of liability coverage and a $500 deductible. One-hundred-eighty miles are included in a day rental; after that, there’s an additional fee, starting at 29 cents per mile.
Cost: Depending on the plan, cars can be as low as $4.25 an hour (from midnight to 6 a.m. only) and $65 a day on weekdays or $99 on weekends.
Membership fee: Four options are tailored to how much driving you plan to do throughout the year. A pay-as-you-go option has a $25 application fee and no monthly charges, but cars start at $8 an hour. The “Pro Saver” plan requires users to pay the application fee, as well as $75 upfront each month toward car rentals. Vehicles on that plan start at $6.50 an hour.