【2020.11 Update】Because travel has dropped sharply due to the pandemic, Silvercar is reducing its airport rental locations and shifting to local Audi dealerships. Check whether your trip has been affected. If so, you can switch to picking up the car at an Audi store for free, and they can even deliver the car to you.

【2019.10 Update】There is now an AMEX Offer: spend $450, get $100 back. Ends 2/22/2020.

Today I want to introduce a very special U.S. rental car company, Silvercar.

Silvercar was founded in 2012 with investment from Audi. Just like its name suggests, its most distinctive feature is that all of its cars are Audis. They are not old, beat-up Audis either; they are relatively new models, and all of the cars have the same configuration.

Locations

Silvercar does not have locations all over the United States like other rental car companies. It mainly operates at busy major airports and in cities with stronger economies, which is related to the company’s strategy and business goals. It currently has 26 locations, including 21 airport locations and 5 local locations.

Features

It only offers four simple models: A4, Q5, A5 Cabriolet, and Q7, which already cover most people’s rental needs. The author also really likes Audi. A more premium lineup is one of the reasons many people rent from them, whether they are business travelers, people who want to drive an Audi for a few days, or people who simply have higher expectations when it comes to cars.

In addition to the vehicles themselves, Silvercar also does some things differently from other companies. One of them is the Free Premium Upgrades that come with every car, which have very high value.

  • Free child seat
  • Free ski rack
  • Free in-car 4G LTE WiFi

Radio, CarPlay, and in-car navigation are not as convenient as having Google Maps on your phone, but they are free!

Second, there is a reasonable toll road charging mechanism. Compared with other companies’ administrative fees of $10 or even $20+, Silvercar only charges a $4.95 administrative fee per rental plus the actual toll fees.

Third, Silvercar has a fair fueling promise, which means you do not need to return the car with a full tank. They charge based on the actual gas price plus a $9.95 convenience fee each time, which is still very user-friendly. Whether or not you make your flight may come down to this.

Fourth, all reservations can be canceled for free at any time. There is no prepayment option and no penalty.

Rental coverage

If you do not have a credit card that includes rental car insurance, you can also purchase their insurance or use your own/company coverage. It is all optional.

Membership program

Premium Rewards Program

At Silvercar, you earn 1 point for every $1 spent.

Points expire after 5 years, but if you rent a car once within those five years, the expiration is automatically extended by another 5 years.

When renting, you can redeem all of your points, or pay with a combination of points and card.

Points are worth about 9-10 cents per point.

Always Audi Program

New 2019 Audi owners, whether they purchase or lease, will receive a claim code that gives you 7 days of free Silvercar rental.

Visa Infinite Card Special Discount

Silvercar offers a special discount for Visa Infinite cards, 10%-30% off.

You must validate and register on this website Visa Infinite Card Special Discount

You can also try these two codes: VISAINF20/ WEEKLY30, but follow the instructions shown in the link.

Booking price comparison in practice

Let’s compare Silvercar with similarly classed cars from Enterprise and Avis.

All selected at LAX airport, 11/04/2019-11/11/2019

Silvercar:

Enterprise:

Avis:

As you can see, Silvercar, with so much added value, is actually the cheapest. If other companies added these services, the price would be higher. Of course, Silvercar is not always the cheapest at every location and every time.

My Silvercar rental experience has been very good. The only issue is that it is more expensive than ordinary economy cars like Toyota and Hyundai. But both LD and I are Audi owners, so I still really like Silvercar. The driving feel is very good, and it is also fairly fuel-efficient. In good highway conditions, the A4 can get 35+ mpg, and the A5 can get 28-32 mpg on the highway.

Their service is also very good. When you arrive at the airport, you can use the app to contact the location staff directly, and they will guide you to the pickup location. The app can also show your vehicle information, so sometimes you can fill it out on your phone while checking in at the hotel.

Which card should you use to rent?

For cards with rental car insurance, you can refer to this article

If you are thinking about rewards, then of course the CSR and Altitude cards that earn 3 points per $1 are the best choices, followed by cards like CSP that earn 2 points and also include rental car insurance.

Of course, sometimes AMEX cards will have a great Silvercar offer: spend $350, get $100 back.

SilvercarNew CustomerOffer

They currently have 20% off your first rental for new customers, and the promo code is FIRST20.

Also, if you sign up through Silvercar using our link, after completing your first rental, you will receive a $25 E-VISA gift card. Just a few clicks and you get $25 back.

After registering, make sure the referral code in your account information is filled in as: NCMIHBQS

I hope this article gives readers another rental car option. Finally, I wish everyone a smooth trip!