R E N T A L C A R S.
It's always a crapshoot with rental cars, isn't it? You select a vague type and size of car, you agree to the right price, and you show up at the airport hoping it ticks all the logistical boxes you need to haul your family around and isn't also mortifyingly embarrassing to be seen in. Maroon minivan, anyone?*
Or you could jazz up your road trip with a stylish car from Silvercar.
If you haven't heard of Silvercar, the rental car company has only silver Audis in its fleet. Initially, the company started out with silver A4s. But recently, it expanded its offerings to include silver Q5s and silver Cabriolets.
The Audi Q5 is obviously the best choice for families. It can seat five people, although the second row is best for three children and not three adults. There is no third row (until Silvercar adds the Audi Q7 to its fleet) but Silvercar will add carseats from Peg Perego and ski/surf racks at no extra charge. The cars also come with free WiFi and XM Radio.
But what makes Silvercar delightful is that you can do it all from the app—make a reservation, choose the car, and even unlock the car by scanning a QR code on the window. Once inside, you'll find a proper set of keys to use during your rental session. We like that!
There are a few caveats to renting a Silvercar. The biggest one is that Silvercar, since it's not a major rental car company, often requires you to go to an offsite location to pick up the car. When you've arrived with children after a long flight and several pieces of luggage, that's far from ideal. HOWEVER, we have heard that at some airports, a Silvercar rep will meet you at the airport with your ride. We suggest getting on the horn with Silvercar after you make your reservation to ensure that happens.
The other issue is that while Silvercar has lots of locations, including several in the New York area, it's not everwhere, like Maui where we are heading next week and where we'll probably rent a minivan.
Lastly, Silvercar is not super cheap. It's about $80 a day for the Q5 and about $50 a day for the A4. Yet, we just noticed that right now Silvercar is offering 20 percent off for first-time riders from now through September 30. Get it! (And tell us how it was!)
Read all about Silvercar and how it works right here.
*For the record, we always rent a minivan on vacation since we don't have one in real-life. It can be pricey and completly unsexy, but the extra space is glorious.
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