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I’ve used Silvercar once in my life and I loved the experience. It was probably one of the best rental experiences of my life but, because I’m a cheap when it comes to car rentals, I have never been back for more.
The truth is that I don’t rent cars domestically all that often and, when I do actually have to rent a vehicle, I’m usually either renting in locations where Silvercar doesn’t have a presence (Hawaii) or I have the luxury of booking so far in advance that Silvercar cannot compete with the rates I’m locking in (especially as I don’t really ever need a “nice car”…it just needs to work).
In my experience Silvercar works best in situations where prices at all the usual rental agencies (Hertz, Avis etc…) are high and it makes sense to pay a small premium to enjoy the Silvercar experience – it’s considerably better than any of the regular rental agencies I’ve used.
With 19 airport locations….
- Austin
- Charlotte
- Chicago (ORD)
- Dallas
- Denver
- Fort Lauderdale
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Newark
- Orange County
- Orlando
- Phoenix
- Salt Lake City
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Washington Dulles
….and 6 in-town locations…
- Miami South Beach
- NYC – Brooklyn (x2)
- NYC – Columbus
- NYC – Manhattan
- San Francisco
….Silvercar covers a fair percentage of the US population so, if you’re ever looking at regular rental rates and wondering which of your organs you’ll have to sell to be able to afford a car, take a look at Silvercar – you may as well get a nice car and good service if you’re going to splash out.
Silvercar only rents out Audis (although that’s always been the case although it has only actually been owned by Audi since 2017) and, up until now, it has only had one type of SUV on offer – the Q5.
If you don’t like cars or don’t actually need an SUV the Q5 is probably OK for you but, generally speaking, it’s not a good car at all – it’s thirsty, mostly underpowered and not all that big on the inside.
It’s a lot like BMW’s pointless SUV – the X3
Now, however, things are about to get better. Silvercar is adding the Audi Q7 to its lineup…and this will be a big improvement.
The Q7 is thirstier than the Q5 but it’s a better car in all other respects – it’s nicer to drive, more powerful and it’s actually the right size for an SUV.
It’s not a car built for driving around towns and cities (although no doubt some will use it for just this purpose) but it’s great for families and is a very nice ride for long journeys – I used a Q7 to drive from LA to Vancouver in a day a few years back and I didn’t have a single aches or pain when the journey was finally over…..and I can’t pay the car a bigger compliment than that.
The Audi Q7 will be available to for rent from select Silvercar markets from 15 February….
- Denver – DEN
- Phoenix – PHX
- Salt Lake City – SLC
- Los Angeles – LAX
- Miami – MIA
- Fort Lauderdale – FLL
- Orlando – MCO
….but I’d expect it to be rolled out to other locations given a bit of time.
Bottom Line
When regular rental prices are high Silvercar is definitely worth checking out as the quality of cars and service is noticeably better than what you’ll find at most mainstream rental companies.
The A4 is probably the best all round car that Silvercar offers but if you’re looking to drive a long distance (and can afford the gas) then the Q7 should be a very nice option to have.
