Which brands ranked highest?
Enterprise ranked highest in J.D. Power's 2026 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, with 739 points on a 1,000-point scale. National was second at 726, followed by Advantage (717), Alamo (716), Sixt (714) and Hertz (711). The study average was 707. For travellers, the bigger lesson is that satisfaction depends heavily on whether you get the vehicle class you booked, and whether you can choose a specific car within it.
| Rank | Brand | Score (out of 1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enterprise | 739 |
| 2 | National | 726 |
| 3 | Advantage | 717 |
| 4 | Alamo | 716 |
| 5 | Sixt | 714 |
| 6 (named) | Hertz | 711 |
Hertz was the last brand named above the study average. J.D. Power notes that its rankings reflect numerical scores and do not necessarily show statistically significant differences. A one-point gap, such as Advantage over Alamo, should not be read as a real difference in service.
How have the rankings changed over time?
Enterprise has ranked highest in 18 of the 23 annual studies since 2004. ACE Rent A Car is the only brand the source names as having finished first in another year, in 2011.
Advantage and Sixt have held places near the top since J.D. Power redesigned the study in 2024. Sixt placed third that year and Advantage fourth. In 2025 the two tied for third at 711 points.
Can I compare these scores with older studies?
Not directly. J.D. Power redesigned the study in 2024, and it says scores under the new method cannot be compared with those from before 2024. The published rankings also include more brands: 13 in 2026, compared with eight in 2023. Advantage, Sixt, ACE, Payless and Fox appear in the newer rankings but were not in the 2023 chart. Their presence does not show they performed worse before, and the published results do not say how much the method change affected their positions.
What does the new study measure?
The earlier study rated six factors: reservations, shuttle service, pickup, the vehicle, return, and costs and fees. The current version rates seven dimensions, in order of importance:
- Ease of rental
- Pickup and drop-off (the two were separate before, now combined)
- Level of trust
- Vehicle
- Staff
- Value for the price paid
- Digital tools
Trust, staff and digital tools are now scored separately.
Why does vehicle choice affect satisfaction?
This is the clearest finding for travellers. In the 2026 results, 90% of surveyed customers said the vehicle class they reserved was available when they arrived, up three percentage points from 2025. Also, 85% said they could choose a specific vehicle within the class they were given, up five points.
When the reserved class was not available, overall satisfaction fell by 111 points, according to J.D. Power. Its managing director of travel, hospitality and retail, Michael Taylor, said that delivering on customers' specific vehicle preferences is an important part of the rental experience.
What should travellers do with this?
- Don't over-read the top five. The scores sit close together, and the study does not separate them statistically.
- Check what the booking actually promises. Look for whether the offer is a vehicle class or a specific model, and whether you can pick a car within the class. The study suggests this affects how happy people are at the counter.
- Know which problem matters most. Not getting the reserved class was the largest drop in satisfaction the study reports. If your trip depends on a particular type of car, such as a larger vehicle or a specific model, plan for that and review the vehicle catalogue early.
- Know who handles changes. Cars Renta is a comparison site. Bookings are completed on DiscoverCars, and only DiscoverCars support can change or cancel a reservation. Read the pricing explainer to see what is included in the quoted price before you book.
What were the limits of the study?
The 2026 study drew on responses from 7,845 business and leisure travellers who rented at airport locations. J.D. Power ran fieldwork from August 2025 through August 2026. Results therefore describe airport renters' experiences over that period, not off-airport rentals, and they do not show what caused any brand's ranking. Auto Rental News, which reported on the study, notes that the results do not establish that technology explains the rankings either.
