Best and Worst Rental Car Companies in America
Enterprise is the strongest current national starting point for airport rentals, while Dollar sits at the bottom of the latest complete public ranking. In the 2025 J.D. Power North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, Enterprise scored 734 out of 1,000, followed by National at 721. Dollar scored 641, with Fox Rent A Car at 643 and Payless at 650.
That is a ranking of one measured experience, not a permanent verdict on every counter or car. The study covers airport rental car services in North America and reflects responses from 8,263 business and leisure travelers who rented at an airport during the previous year. It was fielded from August 2024 through August 2025. Your rate, route, vehicle class, local franchise, and pickup time can change the practical result.
How we ranked the companies
The organizing rule is simple: the 13 profiled brands appear from highest to lowest overall satisfaction score in J.D. Power's published 2025 chart. The study measured seven dimensions, in order of importance: ease of rental, pickup and drop-off, level of trust, vehicle, staff, value for price paid, and digital tools. J.D. Power also cautions that numerical differences are not necessarily statistically significant, so a one- or two-point gap is not proof of a meaningful performance difference.
How to read the list: higher scores are stronger national airport-rental signals for the study period. They do not prove that the top brand will offer the lowest total price or that the bottom brand will fail at your location. Compare the final checkout total, counter or direct-to-lot process, cancellation rules, deposit or card hold, mileage, fuel policy, toll plan, added-driver terms, and vehicle availability before choosing.
1. Enterprise — 734
Best starting point for: travelers who put the broad rental experience ahead of finding the absolute lowest advertised rate. Enterprise ranked first overall, 13 points ahead of National and 43 points above the 691 study average. That lead spans the combined experience measured by the survey; it is not a promise about one airport branch.
Put Enterprise on the comparison list, then price the exact airport, dates, vehicle class, and extras you need. A top satisfaction result can justify confidence in the shortlist, but it does not tell you whether a particular reservation includes the best cancellation terms, shortest shuttle ride, or lowest all-in cost.
2. National — 721
Best starting point for: frequent airport renters who value a strong overall experience signal and are willing to compare the final rate with the market leader. National placed second, clearly above the study average. The result supports a serious look for both work and pleasure trips without establishing that National wins every price or location comparison.
Check the actual pickup instructions before booking. The 2025 study found that customers who bypassed the counter completed pickup faster and reported higher satisfaction than those who visited the counter, but the available process can depend on the reservation, airport, and renter profile.
3. Advantage Rent A Car — 711
Best starting point for: travelers who find a competitive Advantage quote at an airport where the pickup logistics work for their schedule. Advantage tied Sixt for third at 711, 20 points above the study average. The tie matters: the public evidence does not support inventing a separate third- and fourth-place performance verdict.
Compare the address and shuttle instructions as carefully as the daily rate. An off-terminal counter can still be a good choice, but transfer time, operating hours, and return procedures belong in the decision when a late arrival or early flight leaves little margin.
4. Sixt — 711
Best starting point for: renters whose preferred car class and airport location are available at a competitive total price. Sixt shares the 711 score with Advantage, so its placement at No. 4 is only a display order within a tie. Both brands recorded the same overall satisfaction result.
Do not treat a vehicle-category label as a guaranteed make or model unless the reservation terms say so. Confirm luggage and passenger needs using the booked class, then review deposits, coverage choices, additional-driver rules, and return requirements before payment.
5. Hertz — 702
Best starting point for: travelers who want an above-average national satisfaction signal while comparing convenience and total price. Hertz scored 702, 11 points above the study average and nine points behind the third-place tie. That puts it in the stronger half of this dataset.
The useful question is whether the local offer preserves that advantage. Read the airport-specific instructions, confirm the counter or lot hours, and save the reservation terms. If a loyalty profile or digital option changes the pickup path, make sure every driver and payment detail is complete before arrival.
6. ACE Rent A Car — 701
Best starting point for: renters who find ACE available at their airport and want another above-average option in the quote set. ACE finished one point behind Hertz. Because J.D. Power warns that rankings are not necessarily statistically significant, the evidence supports treating those results as effectively close rather than declaring a decisive difference.
Location details deserve extra attention whenever brands operate through a mix of local facilities. Check the legal operator named in the reservation, the pickup address, shuttle, hours, after-hours procedure, and the contact channel you would use if a flight delay changes arrival time.
7. Alamo — 695
Best starting point for: travelers who want a result near the study average and find the right combination of price, class, and airport process. Alamo scored 695, four points above the 691 average. That is a respectable middle position, not evidence of a universal bargain or a poor choice.
Use the quote to settle the decision. Compare identical dates, taxes, airport fees, coverage selections, mileage, fuel terms, equipment, and drivers. A small score difference cannot compensate for a large price gap or a reservation that does not fit the trip.
8. Avis — 672
Best starting point for: renters who value a specific Avis location, corporate arrangement, or rate enough to investigate a below-average national result. Avis scored 672, 19 points below the study average. That gap is a reason to compare rather than a prediction of your individual experience.
Ask what would make the reservation worthwhile at your airport: a direct pickup path, a clearly better total, suitable hours, or vehicle availability that alternatives cannot match. If there is no concrete advantage, higher-scoring quotes deserve priority.
9. Budget — 669
Best starting point for: price-sensitive renters who compare the completed checkout total and find a meaningful saving. Budget scored 669, three points behind Avis and 22 below the study average. Its name is not evidence that the final bill will be cheaper than competitors.
Airport surcharges, taxes, fuel options, toll programs, equipment, coverage products, and additional-driver fees can change the comparison. Keep every quote on the same settings and dates. If a low base rate grows at checkout, compare the total again rather than anchoring on the first number shown.
10. Thrifty — 658
Best starting point for: travelers who find a strong all-in rate and can confirm the location's pickup and return details. Thrifty scored 658, below Budget and above Payless. The national result calls for closer scrutiny, but it does not justify claiming that every Thrifty rental is poor.
Time has a cost at an airport. Check whether the facility is on-terminal or shuttle-served, how late it stays open, and what happens if the flight is delayed. A cheaper quote can stop being the better value when the process adds risk to a tight itinerary.
11. Payless — 650
Best starting point for: deeply price-sensitive renters who find a genuine all-in saving and are comfortable checking every location-specific detail. Avis Budget Group describes Payless as its deep-value brand. Payless scored 650 in the 2025 study, 41 points below average and 84 points behind Enterprise.
The old version of this article made broad allegations about fleet condition and complaint handling that the current public evidence used here does not establish, so they have been removed. What can be verified is narrower: the official Payless US location directory shows a mix of airport and non-airport locations, along with corporate and licensee operations. Policies and availability can therefore vary by location.
Before booking, compare the total price with at least two higher-scoring brands and open the exact location page. Confirm operating hours, shuttle instructions, payment and hold requirements, mileage, fuel, tolls, additional drivers, equipment, coverage products, and roadside options. A lower price can be rational; the point is to verify that the saving survives checkout and still fits the trip.
12. Fox Rent A Car — 643
Best starting point for: flexible renters who see a substantial total-price advantage and have time to verify the airport process. Fox scored 643, two points above Dollar and 48 points below the study average. With a gap that large, price and fit should be concrete rather than assumed.
Read the reservation confirmation immediately. If the pickup requires a shuttle or has limited hours, calculate the realistic transfer time and make a backup plan for delays. Save screenshots or a PDF of the rate and terms so a later change can be compared with what you accepted.
13. Dollar — 641
Best starting point for: renters who receive the list's lowest-ranked brand at a compelling total price and can tolerate more uncertainty in exchange for the saving. Dollar placed last in the published 2025 chart at 641. “Last in this study” is the accurate conclusion; “worst everywhere” would overstate what the data can prove.
Compare the Dollar offer with Enterprise, National, and at least one close-price alternative. If the saving is small, the higher satisfaction evidence may be worth more. If the saving is large, examine the same practical details—location, wait and shuttle risk, hold, fees, vehicle class, fuel, tolls, coverage, and return rules—before deciding.
How to choose a rental car company at your airport
- Search the same trip. Use identical airports, dates, times, driver age, vehicle class, and membership status.
- Compare the total, not the teaser. The Federal Trade Commission's rental-car guidance warns that advertised rates may not show the true final price. Review taxes, airport surcharges, fuel, tolls, mileage, equipment, additional drivers, underage fees, and one-way charges.
- Check the pickup path. J.D. Power found that customers who went directly to the lot averaged 14 minutes and 6 seconds to complete pickup, versus 22 minutes and 3 seconds for customers who visited the counter. Confirm whether your reservation actually qualifies for a faster path.
- Review coverage before the counter. Check personal auto insurance, employer coverage, credit-card benefits, and any auto-club protection. A collision or loss damage waiver is not the same as liability or personal-property coverage, and exclusions still matter.
- Inspect and document the car. Photograph the exterior, wheels, glass, fuel or charge level, mileage, and existing damage before leaving the lot. Test lights, tires, warning indicators, climate controls, and basic safety equipment.
If a trip has you thinking beyond the rental counter, our dependable cars and SUVs guide explains why model-level survey evidence never replaces checking a specific vehicle. Our auto insurance comparison also shows how to separate a national satisfaction signal from the policy and price available to one driver.
What the ranking can—and cannot—tell you
The best and worst rental car companies in America are not fixed labels. The 2025 evidence makes Enterprise the clearest national airport-rental starting point and places Dollar last among the 13 profiled brands. Between those endpoints, several scores are close enough that price, airport logistics, vehicle class, and written terms should decide.
Use the ranking to order your search, not end it. A high score cannot rescue the wrong vehicle or an impractical location. A low score does not erase a large, verified saving when the local process and terms work for you. The disciplined choice is the reservation whose evidence, total cost, and trip requirements line up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best rental car company in America?
Enterprise ranked highest in the 2025 J.D. Power North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, with 734 points out of 1,000. Treat that as a strong national airport-rental signal, then compare the exact price and location for your trip.
What is the worst rental car company in the United States?
Dollar placed last among the 13 brands in J.D. Power's published 2025 airport-rental ranking, at 641. That does not prove every Dollar location or future rental will perform worst; it describes the study's national result for its fielding period.
Is Payless a bad rental car company?
Payless ranked 11th of 13 in the 2025 study, at 650, so the evidence supports extra scrutiny. It may still be a rational value choice when the completed price is substantially lower and the specific location, policies, pickup process, and vehicle class fit the trip.
Sources and verification
Scores, brand order, sample size, study dimensions, fielding dates, counter-bypass findings, and statistical caveat were checked on September 22, 2026 against the official J.D. Power 2025 press release and ranking chart. Payless positioning was checked against Avis Budget Group's current public company materials, and its footprint was checked against the official Payless US directory. Fee, card-hold, fuel, toll, coverage, and complaint guidance was checked against the Federal Trade Commission. The next J.D. Power final release is scheduled for October 2026, so repeat the ranking check after publication.
