Enterprise Rent-A-Car ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among car rental companies in the J.D. Power 2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study. The company had a score of 734, followed by National Car Rental (721), Advantage Rent A Car and Sixt (tied at 711).
The survey also found that customers who bypassed the counter and went straight to the lot to pick up their vehicle had an overall satisfaction rate of 704 (on a 1,000-point scale) compared with 662 among those who stop at the counter.
Additionally, bypassing the counter — compared with visiting the counter — also results in notably higher satisfaction with the pick-up/drop-off experience (722 vs. 667, respectively) and ease/convenience of securing the rental (722 vs. 663, respectively). The study also finds that customers who skipped the counter saved time, with an average time to complete the rental pickup of 14 minutes and 6 seconds, compared with 22 minutes and 3 seconds for those who visited the counter.
Despite the time savings and a better overall customer experience, however, 80% of airport rental car customers still visit the counter first.
Azari Jones, rental car practice lead at J.D. Power, said, “Given options of loyalty programs, kiosks and rental car company apps, there are more ways than ever to bypass the rental car counter, and customers who take advantage of that added convenience are enjoying the benefits.”
But for one reason or another, said Jones, many customers are choosing to take the extra time to engage with representatives at the rental car counter. The key for rental car companies looking to maximize customer satisfaction, said Jones, is “to clearly communicate the value of direct pick-up for time-pressed travelers, and to add value at the counter by delivering personalized service and more fully addressing customers’ questions and concerns.”
The study examines the customer experience with rental car companies across seven core categories (in order of importance): ease of rental; pick-up/drop-off; level of trust; vehicle; staff; value for price paid; and digital tools. It is based on responses gathered from 8,263 business and leisure travelers who rented a vehicle at an airport location during the past year. The 2025 study was fielded from August 2024 through August 2025.
