I've had some car troubles in the last month or so which has meant that my car has spent a lot of time at the mechanic. My partner and I share the car and thus we've been carless on quite a few occasions.
Last week we simply couldn't go without a car and thus renting was our only option. Looking quickly at the prices of the standard car rental brands (Hertz, Thrifty) was not a positive experience. Too expensive and a terrible user experience.
My partners mum and dad recommended Car Next Door. I was a bit of a sceptic at first but turns out I was very wrong.
I wanted to write here about how positive my experience using the service was. The web app and iOS app are both excellent pieces of software. It presents all the information you need and the booking process is extremely smooth.
Actually picking up the car was also extremely easy. You basically rock up at the location, get instructions to find a lockbox to access keys, take photos of the car (so you're not liable for damage already caused) and you can drive off. Such a seamless process.
I drove a 2015 Volvo V40 Cross Country which was extremely nice. Volvo has a lot of nice touches in how they do interior.
I can understand how people who don't drive much could live with just a Car Next Door car. It would be especially convenient with a shared vehicle parked in your street (ideally only a few houses away). You could rent a car for an hour to do the shopping. You could rent a car for the holiday weekend getaway.
There's no insurance of registration costs. You're even reimbursed for fuel. You just pay for your time and the kilometres you drive (there's usually a rate of around 35 cents per kilometre).