Once you’re a member, the reservation and check-in time is negligible as long as you can make it to a location without much hassle. The concept of ZipCar makes the most sense if you need to move a couch, pick up groceries or go on a date. Plus, if you travel more than 180 miles, the cost of fuel goes on your bill. If you want to take a road trip, you’re better off renting, as the daily rate at ZipCar can be as high as $100. With ZipCar, you have to keep in mind that pricing is based on short-term urban driving. For a basic car - a 2007 Volvo S40 - this set me back $9.25 an hour.
Pricing varies depending on the plan you choose, but in my case I went with the Occasional Driving plan that required no money down. It’s available in 12 American cities, and most have more than 100 remote locations - no storefronts - where you can pick up a vehicle (D.C. ZipCar allows city-dwellers to rent a car for a few hours without the hassle of ownership, insurance or fuel costs. Let’s begin with the basics: What is ZipCar? So began a four-hour odyssey that would take me from a downtown ZipCar location, across the city of Chicago, and back to that same ZipCar location (Michael Bay, the film rights are still available if you’re interested).
As car-sharing service ZipCar grows in popularity in major cities around the world, KickingTires wanted a first-hand account of what it’s like to drive a ZipCar.