Hertz vs Avis vs Europcar: Which Rental Company to Choose in 2025?
A complete comparison of the 3 global leaders in car rental: prices, services, insurance and customer reviews. Find out who truly offers the best value for money.
Hertz, Avis and Europcar dominate the global car rental market. Together they account for more than 60% of rentals at airports and stations across Europe and North America.
But which one should you choose? Are the prices really different? Does service quality vary? We compared these 3 giants across 7 essential criteria to help you make the right choice.
🎯 Our verdict in 1 minute
- 🥇 Hertz: Premium quality, excellent service, but 15-20% more expensive
- 🥈 Avis: Good value-for-money balance, reliable, dense global network
- 🥉 Europcar: Best value for money, 10-15% cheaper, decent service
1. Price: Who is the cheapest?
The #1 criterion for 80% of customers
💰 Real example: Compact car (Peugeot 208) - 7 days at Paris CDG
Europcar
The cheapest
Avis
Mid-range position
Hertz
Premium service
📊 Price gap: Europcar is 12% cheaper than Avis and 21% cheaper than Hertz
🥇 Europcar
Aggressive pricing to compete with low-cost rivals. Excellent value for money.
🥈 Avis
Median market price. Frequent promotions for loyalty members.
🥉 Hertz
Premium positioning justifies the 15-20% premium. Superior service quality.
2. Fleet Quality and Age
Recent, well-maintained cars
🚗 State of the fleet
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent - Constant renewal
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very good - Recent fleet
⭐⭐⭐ Good - Older but well maintained
💡 Good to know: Hertz renews its fleet every 6-12 months to maintain its premium image. Europcar keeps its vehicles up to 2 years, which explains the lower prices. In all 3 cases, maintenance is thorough.
3. Network and Global Coverage
Availability at airports and in cities
10 000+
Hertz
150 countries
🥇 World leader
5 500+
Avis
165 countries
🥈 Very dense
3 800+
Europcar
140 countries
🥉 Strong in Europe
🌍 Regional strengths
- Hertz: Dominant in the USA, Canada and Dubai. Present at ALL major airports.
- Avis: Excellent everywhere, leader in Asia-Pacific. Booking.com partner.
- Europcar: King of Europe (France, Spain, Italy). Less present outside Europe.
4. Customer Service and Assistance
Responsiveness and help when problems arise
📞 Support availability and quality
🥇 Hertz Gold Plus Rewards
- ✅ 24/7 assistance in English, French and Spanish
- ✅ VIP line for Gold members (wait time <3 min)
- ✅ Guaranteed vehicle replacement within 2h
- ✅ Live chat + high-performing mobile app
Customer rating: 4.2/5 ⭐
🥈 Avis Preferred
- ✅ Multilingual 24/7 assistance
- ✅ Average wait time: 5-8 min
- ✅ Effective mobile app
- ⚠️ Roadside assistance sometimes slow (1-3h)
Customer rating: 3.9/5 ⭐
🥉 Europcar Privilege
- ✅ 24/7 assistance (English, French)
- ⚠️ Variable wait time: 8-15 min
- ⚠️ Less responsive than competitors
- ✅ Lower prices make up for it
Customer rating: 3.6/5 ⭐
5. Insurance and Excess
Coverage terms and prices
🛡️ Insurance comparison (7-day example)
| Coverage | Hertz | Avis | Europcar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic CDW (included) | €1200 excess | €1000 excess | €900 excess |
| SCDW (€0 excess) | +€140 | +€120 | +€100 |
| Theft Protection | +€35 | +€30 | +€25 |
| Total Peace-of-Mind Pack | +€175 | +€150 | +€125 |
💡 Reminder: Visa Premier / Mastercard Gold already cover the excess. Check before purchasing SCDW.
🏆 Winner: Europcar offers the lowest excess and the cheapest insurance. Hertz makes up for it with premium service and extended guarantees.
6. Loyalty Programs
Perks for regular customers
🥇 Hertz Gold Plus
- ✅ Skip the counter (direct check-in)
- ✅ Free upgrade when available
- ✅ Points convertible to flights/hotels
- ✅ 10-25% member discounts
- ✅ Five Star service (VIP)
Free | Most rewarding
🥈 Avis Preferred
- ✅ Express pickup (no queue)
- ✅ Choose your car within the category
- ✅ 5-15% member discounts
- ✅ Points accumulation
- ⚠️ Fewer perks than Hertz
Free | Decent
🥉 Europcar Privilege
- ✅ 5-10% member discounts
- ✅ Loyalty points
- ⚠️ Less developed program
- ⚠️ Few VIP perks
- ✅ Not really needed given low prices
Free | Basic
7. Customer Reviews and Satisfaction
What users really say
⭐ Average ratings (Trustpilot + Google Reviews)
Hertz
Based on 145,000 reviews
4.1/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Avis
Based on 128,000 reviews
3.8/5
⭐⭐⭐
Europcar
Based on 89,000 reviews
3.5/5
⭐⭐⭐
👍 Hertz strengths
- • Spotless cars
- • Courteous service
- • Fast counter
👎 Weaknesses
- • High prices
- • Pushy paid options
👍 Avis strengths
- • Good value for money
- • Reliability
- • Dense global network
👎 Weaknesses
- • Sometimes inconsistent service
- • Counter wait
👍 Europcar strengths
- • Competitive prices
- • Strong in Europe
- • Decent cars
👎 Weaknesses
- • Customer service could improve
- • Older cars
🏆 Final Verdict: Which One to Choose?
🥇 Choose HERTZ if:
- ✅ You want the best service and spotless cars
- ✅ You travel for business (expenses reimbursed)
- ✅ You are a Gold member enjoying free upgrades
- ✅ Price is not your priority
- ✅ You rent in the USA, Dubai, Canada (dominant)
💰 Budget: +15-20% vs competitors | Premium service
🥈 Choose AVIS if:
- ✅ You want a good value-for-money balance
- ✅ You travel in Asia, Australia, Oceania (dense network)
- ✅ You book via Booking.com (advantageous partnership)
- ✅ You want a reliable, international brand
- ✅ You are a Preferred member (decent perks)
💰 Budget: Average market price | Guaranteed reliability
🥉 Choose EUROPCAR if:
- ✅ Price is your #1 criterion
- ✅ You rent in Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal)
- ✅ You accept decent but not premium service
- ✅ You want to save €50-100 over a week
- ✅ You rent for a family holiday (optimized budget)
💰 Budget: -10-15% vs competitors | Best value for money
💡 The Smart Alternative: Elynor Tours
Why choose between these 3 companies when you can get the best of each? Elynor Tours negotiates with Hertz, Avis, Europcar AND other rental companies to offer you:
🎯 Our Advantages
- ✅ Negotiated rates: 10-30% off public prices
- ✅ Full transparency: no hidden fees
- ✅ FREE baby seats (vs €50-70/week)
- ✅ French-speaking support 7/7
- ✅ Free cancellation up to 24h before
🌟 Why Us?
- 🤝 We compare ALL rental companies for you
- 💰 You pay the BEST price (guaranteed)
- 🛡️ Personalized insurance advice
- 📞 Support in French (vs English at the rental desks)
- ⭐ Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back
Conclusion
Hertz, Avis and Europcar are all 3 reliable rental companies with their strengths and weaknesses. The choice depends on your priorities:
- 💎 Premium service: Hertz (but 20% more expensive)
- ⚖️ Good balance: Avis (reliability, global network)
- 💰 Best price: Europcar (ideal in Europe, limited budget)
Our recommendation: Don't limit yourself to a single company. Systematically compare all 3 (+ Budget, Sixt, Enterprise) to save up to 40%. That is exactly what Elynor Tours does for you!