The J.D. Power 2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study is ranking the top rental car companies according to customer satisfaction. It also finds that rental car customers who skip the airport counter are a lot more satisfied and experience shorter pick-up times. The new study found that customers who went straight to pick up their vehicle at the rental car lot saved seven minutes and 57 seconds. Still, researchers say most people - 80 percent - visit the counter first.
Here's a look at the difference in overall satisfaction (on a 1,000-point scale):
Additionally, bypassing the counter—compared with visiting the counter—also results in notably higher satisfaction with:
The study found that customers who skipped the counter saved time, with an average time to complete the rental pick up of 14 minutes and 6 seconds, compared to 22 minutes and 3 seconds for those who visited the counter.
“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,” said Azari Jones, rental car practice lead at J.D. Power. “But for one reason or another, 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 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.”
Rental Car Rankings
Last year, National ranked highest, followed by Enterprise and Sixt.
About the Study
J.D. Power's North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study examines the customer experience with rental car companies across seven core dimensions (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.
Editorial credit: Solarisys / Shutterstock.com. Miami Airport (2018).