Why is a Budget Car Rate Sometimes Higher Than the Same Car Class At Another Car Rental Company?

Different companies use different names for their car categories. For example, if you want to rent a Ford Focus at budget.com, we consider it to be a “compact-level” vehicle and it’s priced modestly. But if you shop another car rental company, they might categorize that same vehicle as an “intermediate-level” which means they will probably charge you more than Budget for the same car.

Conversely, if you simply search for “intermediate” cars, Budget may appear higher if you’re comparing one of our medium-sized vehicles to another company’s compact models that they happen to label as an “intermediate.”