Cost to Rent a Car: Your 2026 Price Guide

The advertised rate is bait. The true cost to rent a car shows up at checkout, after the taxes, airport fees, age surcharges, fuel rules, and upsells land on your reservation. That gap is why people feel ripped off by car rentals. They should. The industry borrowed the same playbook airlines have used for years: show a tempting starting price, then make the final number depend on routing, rules,...