Thrifty Review

Thrifty Car Rental is another cheap car rental company that doesn't seem to satisfy too many customers. Although some Thrifty reviews on Yelp say counter staff in the Los Angeles location are courteous and pick-up and drop-off are relatively painless, other Thrifty reviews complain about pressure tactics to upgrade the car or buy insurance, and about poorly maintained vehicles. Comments by consumers in Thrifty reviews on Rateitall.com have a similar ring; one user reports getting a ticket in Miami for driving with expired tags and being charged by Thrifty for an administrative fee on top of the fine. Other Thrifty reviews note vehicle availability that doesn't match the reservation request, rude representatives, persistent pushing to buy insurance, and a range of final charges that were unexplained. One Thrifty review on CarReview.com says the company was uncooperative when a car developed mechanical problems and another customer reports an initial $20-a-day fee for a monthly rental seemed cheap until dropoff time, when the driver was hit with $500 in extra fees. Overseas locations are roundly panned in Thrifty reviews on a variety of review sites; Puerta Vallarta seems to be one exception.

Like other cheap car rental companies, the Thrifty website is relatively user-friendly. There are drop down menus for deals and locations, and a "wild card" deal that promises a mid-size car, minivan, or SUV, at lower rates if you let the location choose the vehicle.

We didn't find much discussion about quoted prices in Thrifty reviews, but complaints about surprise charges and tussles over insurance make us reluctant to suggest Thrifty as a good cheap deal.