Renting a car through Uber is worth it when you will actually drive: several days, long distances, a road trip with stops nobody planned in advance. Uber Rent lets you compare cars from third-party rental companies and book them in the app, and in Los Angeles Uber's own page put the average weekly rental at about US$296. Few ways of getting around are cheaper per day.
It is not worth it when most of the trip is an airport, a hotel and a few addresses in the city. Then the rental sits in a garage while you pay to park it, and the jobs it does are the ones a chauffeur or an app ride does better. The honest answer depends on how many hours you will spend behind the wheel, so this guide prices both, trip by trip.
Is renting a car from Uber worth it?
Yes, for multi-day trips with real driving, such as a coast road or several towns in a week, where Uber Rent's averages are low. No, for airport transfers and city days with meetings, dinners and parking, where a fixed-price chauffeur or a single app ride costs less in time and often in money. Many trips work best as a mix.
The question is really three questions, because Uber now sells three different things that sound alike. Uber Rent books a conventional rental car from a third-party company. Zipcar through Uber rents a car by the hour or day from a dedicated parking spot. Uber Hourly is not a rental at all: it is a driver who stays with you for at least an hour. Each has a different sweet spot, and each compares differently with a chauffeur booked in advance.
What Uber Rent actually is
According to Uber's Los Angeles car rentals page, Uber Rent lets you browse vehicles from rental companies, from economy cars to SUVs for up to seven people, and pick up at Los Angeles International Airport or another location. You complete the reservation in the app or online and can pay in advance or at the counter. Uber partners with third-party vehicle companies, so the car, the counter, the insurance terms and the return rules are the supplier's.
The same page sets out the practical rules for Los Angeles. You must be at least 18 to rent through Uber Rent there, and a Young Driver Fee may apply under 25. If you pay at the counter you can cancel free for any reason; in-app reservations can be cancelled free up to 48 hours before pickup, with fees and rules depending on the supplier. The page gave an average of US$296 a week in Los Angeles, and Uber notes that car size, season and length of rental all move that figure.
Zipcar through Uber is the short-rental version. Uber's page says you can book a Zipcar by the hour or by the day, unlock it from your phone, and that gas and insurance are included when you book Zipcar through Uber, with the car returned to its dedicated spot. For a two-hour errand across town, that is a tidy answer.
The costs that are not in the headline
A weekly average is the starting line, not the total. Before you compare it with a chauffeur, add the things the rental price does not include.
- Fuel. Included with Zipcar through Uber; on a conventional rental, you buy it.
- Parking. Uber's own Los Angeles page notes metered street parking, public garages and residential permit areas, with enforcement times that vary by area.
- Tolls. The same page reminds drivers that Los Angeles toll roads use FasTrak and that renters should check with the rental company whether the car is equipped and what extra fees apply.
- Time. Getting to the counter, the paperwork, the inspection and the return before your flight. At LAX, app rides and taxis are already routed to LAX-it, a pickup lot next to Terminal 1, and the airport's ground-access projects keep changing the kerb.
- Fatigue. After an overnight flight, an hour on the 405 in a car you have never driven is a real cost, even if it never appears on a receipt.
None of these make renting a bad idea. They just mean the fair comparison is the rental plus everything around it, against a chauffeur price that already includes the driver, the vehicle, taxes and the standard gratuity.
Four Los Angeles trips, priced honestly
Here is how the options compare on trips our desk books every week in Los Angeles. Elly8.net prices are fixed, all-in and per vehicle, from our Los Angeles car service page.
| Trip | Uber Rent or Zipcar | Uber Hourly | Elly8.net chauffeur | Our honest pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAX to a Beverly Hills hotel, then no car needed | Rental for the stay, plus parking | Not available for airports | US$170 Business Sedan, US$225 Business SUV | Chauffeur or an app ride |
| A week touring the coast and inland towns | About US$296 a week on Uber's LA average, plus fuel and parking | Not designed for it | Full-day chauffeur US$775 per 8-hour day | Rent |
| One day on Malibu and the Pacific Coast Highway | One rental day plus fuel | Within the service area only | Malibu day trip, 8 hours, US$775 Business Sedan | Rent if you enjoy driving; chauffeur if you want the views |
| Dinner and a show, five people | Two small cars or one SUV, plus parking | US$50 an hour before surge, confirmed with the driver | Evening out, 5 hours, US$675 Business SUV | Chauffeur for a fixed plan |
The table shows renting winning one trip outright, tying another, and losing two. That is roughly how it goes in practice. Renting is unbeatable for distance; it is poor value for time spent parked.
When renting through Uber is the better value
- Real road trips. Several days, several towns, a route you want to change on a whim. A week's rental at Uber's Los Angeles average costs less than one 8-hour chauffeur day.
- Families who want a car seat that stays in the car. If you bring your own seats and drive every day, a rental SUV is simpler than booking each leg.
- Errands in a city where you already live. Zipcar through Uber, by the hour, with fuel and insurance included, fits exactly this job.
- Rural and park destinations. Where app rides are scarce and you will be out all day, your own wheels make sense.
We would say this to any caller: if you will drive more than you will park, rent the car.
When a chauffeur is the better value
- Arrivals. Uber Hourly is not available for airport trips, and a rental means the counter. A chauffeur tracks the flight, waits inside arrivals with a name board, and that waiting is complimentary after a tracked landing. Our airport transfer service explains the arrival step by step.
- Business days. Four meetings in Century City, Downtown and Santa Monica mean four parking searches with a rental. With an hourly chauffeur at US$105 an hour in a Business Sedan, three-hour minimum, the car is waiting at the door.
- Evenings out. Nobody has to drive home after dinner, and the chauffeur follows local rules on everything in the vehicle.
- Groups. Five or six people with luggage fit one Business SUV, up to six passengers and six bags, instead of two rentals. Twelve fit an Executive Sprinter.
- One-way runs. Hotel to airport on the last morning. A one-way fare avoids returning a car before check-in.
- Sightseeing without the map. A private city tour of Los Angeles is four hours from US$420 in a Business Sedan, with someone else finding the photo stop and the kerb.
What about Uber Hourly?
Uber Hourly is the closest thing in the app to a chauffeur by the hour, and it is worth understanding. According to Uber's Hourly help page, you book a ride for a set number of hours and miles, paying a flat rate of US$50 per hour based on the estimated duration rounded up, then US$0.83 a minute after that, plus surcharges and tolls. Dynamic pricing applies, so the first hour can cost more when surge is in effect. You confirm stops with the driver by in-app message, and a US$10 cancellation fee can apply.
Two limits matter. Hourly is not available for airports or for destinations outside the city's Uber service area, and it is not available for scheduled rides. You cannot book it a week ahead for Saturday. For a spontaneous afternoon of errands, US$50 an hour is good value and cheaper than our hourly rate. For a wedding, a roadshow or an airport arrival, the plan needs a booking that exists before the day. Our post on Uber Black reservations explains what Uber Reserve can and cannot lock in.
The mix that usually works best
Most travellers do not need to choose one tool for the whole trip. A pattern we see often:
- Arrive with a chauffeur. Meet and greet at LAX, bags straight into the car, hotel in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica.
- Rent for the driving days. Pick up a rental near the hotel for the coast, the desert or the mountains, when the driving is the point.
- Return the car, then use a chauffeur for the last evening and the airport. A fixed fare back to LAX means no fuel stop, no rental return queue and no shuttle before a long flight.
The same logic works in other cities: a rental for the Las Vegas desert loops, a chauffeur from Harry Reid to the Strip; a rental for wine country, a car for the Napa tasting day when nobody wants to drive. See our Las Vegas car service, Orange County and Santa Barbara pages for those fares, and our wine tours page for the tasting day.
Three questions to ask before you book
How many hours will the car move? Count the hours you expect to drive against the hours it will be parked. If the car will sit in a garage for most of each day, you are paying for storage. If it will cover a coastline or three towns, you are paying for freedom, and that is good value.
Who is driving after the long flight? The person who has just crossed time zones is usually the one handed the keys. If that is you, consider a chauffeur for the first leg and the rental from the next morning.
What happens if plans change? A rental paid at the counter can usually be cancelled free; an in-app prepaid rental in Los Angeles can be cancelled free up to 48 hours before pickup. Our cancellation terms are fixed and published, so you can weigh both before you commit.
A note on comparing fairly
Rental prices move with season, demand and supplier, and Uber's averages are just that. App-ride prices move with demand at the moment you request. Our fares do not move: the price you reserve is the price you pay, with tolls, parking and extra waiting billed at cost. For the full side-by-side of owning the steering wheel versus handing it over, read our chauffeur vs renting a car comparison, and for how app rides and taxis compare on everyday trips, our guide to Uber, Lyft and taxis.
Rides in Toronto and the GTA are operated by the Elly8 fleet; in every other city they are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network, with Elly8.net taking the booking, fixing the price and running the 24/7 desk.
Frequently asked questions
Is Uber Rent cheaper than a normal rental company?
Uber Rent books cars from third-party rental companies, so the car and terms come from those suppliers. Its value is comparing several suppliers and booking them in one app you already use. In Los Angeles, Uber's page gave an average of about US$296 a week, and it notes that car size, season and rental length all move the price. Compare the total, including fuel and parking.
Do you need to be 25 to rent through Uber?
Not in Los Angeles. Uber's Los Angeles page says you must be at least 18, and that a Young Driver Fee may apply for drivers under 25. Some vehicles and suppliers have extra requirements, which appear in the terms and conditions before you book. Rules can differ in other cities.
Can Uber Hourly do an airport pickup?
No. Uber's Hourly help page says Hourly rides are not available for airports or for destinations outside a city's Uber service area, and are not available as scheduled rides. For an airport arrival, book a one-way transfer; Elly8.net fares apply at the same fixed price in either direction.
Is a chauffeur cheaper than renting a car for a week?
Rarely, if you drive every day. A week of rental at Uber's Los Angeles average costs less than one 8-hour chauffeur day at US$775. A chauffeur is better value for airport runs, business days with several stops, evenings out and groups, where parking, time and a second car add up.
What does an Elly8.net hourly booking include?
The chauffeur, the vehicle, taxes and standard gratuity, with tolls and parking billed at cost. Los Angeles rates start at US$105 an hour in a Business Sedan and US$135 in a Business SUV, with a three-hour minimum. Stops can change during the booking; give the desk the main addresses in advance.
Can you mix a rental and a chauffeur on one trip?
Yes, and it is often the best value. Book the airport legs and any evening plans with a chauffeur, and rent only for the driving days. Elly8.net airport fares are the same in either direction, so the return to the airport is priced before you travel.
