Let’s be honest. Renting a car at a major airport usually involves riding packed buses to the off-site facility, long lines to get your paperwork, limited options to choose another car, and a premium if you want to drive something nicer than a Chevy Impala. Even returning the vehicle can be a hassle, depending on the location. This was my life, until I learned of Silvercar, a fairly new company that claimed it was turning the rental car industry upside down.
Unlike a major car rental company with fifty different kinds of cars, Silvercar rents just one; The Audi A4.
On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was attending an event that was located 45 minutes from the airport, so a rental car seemed like the best option. Though I have President’s Club status with Hertz, I recalled an article I had recently read about Silvercar and decided to give them a try.
The reservations process was one of the most straight-forward I have dealt with. With just one vehicle type available, all I had to do was select the location, pick-up/drop-off dates & times and then add my flight information.
Twenty-four hours before my arrival, I received a text message that asked me to contact Silvercar when I landed. The following day, I contacted the number upon my arrival. Within minutes, I received a text from Jenny, one of the Silvercar reps, asking where I was located. Less than ten minutes later, Jenny pulled up in the Audi A4 that I would be driving.
On the drive over to the Silvercar office, Jenny took the time to explain all of the features that the car has to offer, as well as the very small amount of “paperwork” that we would have to complete. Because this was my first rental with Silvercar, Jenny had to scan my drivers license and credit card on her Silvercar app. Once completed, I was directed to open the Silvercar app on my iPhone, scan the QR code in the windshield to pair the vehicle to my reservation, and I was off. Less than thirty seconds of paperwork for a rental. I knew I could get use to this!
The next morning, I fueled up the car and then drove back to the Silvercar office (pre-programmed into the GPS). Jenny was on hand to close out my reservation and then she drove me back to LAX for my flight home to Kansas City. On a scale of 10, I would absolutely give Silvercar a 10/10. They exceeded my expectations on every part of the reservation and definitely made me feel like they valued my business more than Hertz does as a President’s Circle member.
Silvercar Locations
Although Silvercar isn’t as prominent as a major rental company, they do a pretty good job of covering most major cities. Rentals are available in the following locations:
- Austin – AUS
- Chicago – ORD
- Dallas – Love
- Dallas – DFW
- Denver – DEN
- Ft. Lauderdale – FLL
- Los Angeles – LAX
- Miami – MIA
- New York City – Manhattan
- Phoenix – PHX
- San Francisco – SFO
Earning Points on Silvercar Reservations
Silvercar does not have a loyalty program, though never fear, there is a way to earn points from your rental! Partnering with Virgin America, Elevate members can earn 500 points on their first, 1000 points on their second & 2,000 points on their third rental. On additional rentals, Elevate members will earn 4 points per dollar spent.
Earning Elevate points is easy! Just enter your Elevate number under the profile section of the Silvercar website and you’ll be rolling in points in no time!
Silvercar goes above and beyond and allows every renter the opportunity to hand out your personal referral code. Unlike an Uber referral that offers up to $20 off your next ride, the Silvercar referral pays out $25, by PayPal, for each first-time renter that uses your code. The first-time renter also receives a $25 PayPal payment, which is a nice off-set on the price of a rental.
