For a cheap car rental in New York I advise you to use the car rental service at JFK airport, which in my comparison is the most affordable. Even so, New York is one of the most expensive cities in the USA in terms of rental prices.
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What Affects the Price of Car Rental in New York
The price of car rental in New York is influenced by a number of factors.
🗓️ How Far in Advance?
In my comparison, it is best to book a car one to two months in advance of your intended trip.
Booking portal RentalCars and some others give customers the option of free cancellation at any time before picking up the car. So you can make a reservation in advance and cancel if your travel plans change. In addition, RentalCars.com offers a lowest rental price guarantee.
⏳ The Season Affects the Price
At certain times of the year, rental cars are in higher demand and as a result, rental prices rise. This is true around Christmas or other national holidays, when Americans travel to see their families.
In addition, all rental companies charge a price for every 24 hours of rental time. Always make sure that the pick-up and return times are the same. For example, if you pick up the car at 10:00 but return it at 11:00, an hour of rental will cost you the same as an extra day.
🗺️ Car Rental Location
The lower rental prices are usually found at the airport, where there is more competition, while the more expensive ones are generally in the city centre.
Airport car rental companies can be more profitable in total, even if the car initially comes out as more expensive. However, you will save money on Uber or a bus to the city centre and back to the airport on the last day of your stay.
🏎️ Class of Rental Car
The cheapest rental cars are classified as Small and Economy, with limited space for passengers and luggage and only basic equipment. More comfort, especially for longer journeys, is offered by mid-range cars, which are usually called Intermediate or Full Size. These cars are usually only about 10% more expensive.
SUVs with high chassis and spacious interiors give even more comfort to passengers, and are about 25% more expensive compared to economy class cars. Convertibles and other premium cars are rented for about twice the price of the cheapest ones.
The table below shows the cheapest car rentals in New York of different classes for one day.
Economy Large SUV Convertible 
from $42 from $41 from $49 from $92 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔁 Update Price 🔞 Driver’s Age
Drivers under the age of 25 are generally charged an additional fee by rental companies, which is linked to a higher likelihood of causing damage to the vehicle. In other US states, it is unwritten practice that the fee is higher for ages 18 to 21 and lower for ages 21 to 25.
In New York State, the fee is always relatively high. The specific amount of the fee varies from rental company to rental company, but you should expect to pay $40 to $65 per day of rental. Given the high fee, young drivers may find it worthwhile to rent a car across state lines.
☂️ Insurance Included
Collision insurance and liability insurance are already included in the final price by car rental companies in New York. In addition, the driver’s deductible is zero, so they won’t pay anything if they cause damage. Still, I always recommend reading the terms of the rental agreement carefully, especially the section on insurance and any exclusions.
🛰️ Accessories
Additional services and accessories can be added to the car at an additional cost. The biggest benefit is the extra driver, with whom you can take turns driving on the road. Car rental companies in New York only charge $3.00 to $5.00 per day. All persons driving the car must always be properly listed on the contract. If they were not and a loss or damage occurred, it would be covered by the agreed insurance.
When travelling with children, you may wish to pay extra for a child seat or booster seat, rental companies stock these in a variety of sizes.
In the category of unnecessary extras, I include GPS navigation, which you can easily replace with the Google Maps app on your phone. Similarly useless is a wi-fi modem with mobile internet, instead of which you can just buy an eSIM from Airalo.
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Get the Price of Car Rental in New York City for Your Dates
Before booking, check prices with several car rental companies in New York, not just one. RentalCars.com always compares deals from over 200 car rental companies with a lowest price guarantee.
I recommend making a no-obligation price quote for your car rental using the following form, which compares prices from several rental companies in several locations across New York.
Cheap Car Rental Brands in New York City
◻️ Car Rentals at JFK Airport
Rental companies include Dollar, Hertz, Payless, Thrifty, Sixt, Alamo, Budget, Avis, Enterprise and National. Pick-up and return of cars is available at any time of the day or night.
Car rental counters at John F. Kennedy Airport are located in the arrivals hall of each terminal, usually near the baggage claim belts. The cars themselves are picked up in a separate building, just board the AirTrain and drive to Federal Circle Station.
◻️ LaGuardia Airport Car Rentals
LaGuardia Airport is primarily used for domestic flights and flights to Canada. All major car rental brands are based there, including Thrifty, Avis, Dollar, Hertz, Payless, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, National and Sixt. Some of these car rental outlets are open 24 hours a day.
Free shuttle buses will take you to the rental car garage building, which you can board in front of each terminal building.
◻️ Manhattan Car Rentals
Renting a car in Manhattan is not a good option in most cases. Traffic in downtown New York City itself is heavy, and you’ll have to pay for a transfer to and from the airport.
However, most of the well-known rental companies have a branch in Manhattan, including National, Enterprise, Alamo and Hertz.
Car rental Rating 
Alamo Rent a Car 8.7/10 
Avis Car Rental 8.2/10 
Budget Car Rental 8.1/10 
Dollar Car Rental 8.3/10 
Enterprise Rent-A-Car 8.6/10 
Hertz Rent a Car 8.3/10 
National Car Rental 8.6/10 
SIXT Rent A Car 8.3/10 
Thrifty Car Rental 8.3/10 Tips for the Best Road Trips Around New York City
1️⃣ Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is one of the most popular attractions in the USA. The drive to them from New York City takes 398 mi highways and takes about six and a half hours one way. Interestingly, you don’t leave New York State the entire time.
2️⃣ Atlantic City
Atlantic City is the Las Vegas of the East Coast. The city is located in New Jersey, about two and a half hours drive (more precisely 130 mi) south from downtown Manhattan, and offers more than just casinos, roulette and slot machines.
A wooden boardwalk stretches along the entire waterfront, making it the perfect place for a stroll or a bike ride. There are at least two places worth stopping at. Steel Pier is an amusement park that opened in 1898 on a man-made pier and is dominated by a 227 ft tall observation wheel. The second interesting place is the third oldest lighthouse in the USA, Absecon Lighthouse, which has been 171 ft on the Atlantic City coast since 1857.
3️⃣ Bear Mountain State Park
When you get tired of skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of the big city, enter Bear Mountain State Park into your sat nav and drive north from downtown Manhattan 50 mi. The green park offers miles of hiking trails, and is even crossed by the famous Appalachian Trail, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.
If you are travelling with small children, you can lure them to the traditional Merry-Go-Round, which ironically is not that old. It was put into operation in 2001.
4️⃣ Washington D. C.
The White House, the Washington Monument, the United States Capitol Building, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall… getting to know the city?
I think you already know it because it’s written in the title. Washington is about 229 mi from downtown Manhattan, a one-way trip takes about four and a half hours. Washington is worth at least a day’s visit.
5️⃣ Road Trip from New York City to Florida
The longest and most beautiful is 1,445 mi a long road trip along the Atlantic Ocean to sunny Florida. Stretching across 10 US states, the route takes over 22 hours of pure time, visiting several US national parks including Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains and Congaree.
Car Rental in USA
- Car Rental in the USA - How to Save, Tips, and Experiences
- Driving in the USA
- Gas Stations in the USA
Car Rental in…
Boston — California — Chicago — Denver — Florida — Hawaii — Las Vegas — Los Angeles — Miami — New York City — Salt Lake City — San Francisco — Washington D.C.
