Earlier I posted an article addressing the question Should You Prepay for Fuel? While I had the vehicle I had serious doubts if I had done the right thing when I prepaid for fuel. Now that the car is safely back in the hands of Enterprise I thought I would make my final verdict.
No, no, no. I definitely don’t think you should prepay for fuel when you rent a car.
Several advantageous things did happened when I prepaid:
I bought the tank of gas for $.69 per liter. By the time I returned my car (when I would have filled up) the price of gas was up to 93.9. With a 64 liter tank I saved $15.94.
With a lot math, a GPS, and fuel trip estimator in my vehicle I think I arrived at the rental location on fumes.
Here was the biggest reason why I would not prepay again – I was too cheap and stubborn to leave a lot (any) gas in the tank. I figured whatever gas I left was a donation to the rental agency. As a result I had to make two stops close to my destination buying approximately $4 worth of gas each time. It was a lot of hassle and was not worth the frustration. In the future I would rather just stop at the gas station next door and fill up.
Prepay fuel in a rental car … Two Thumbs Down.
Related Articles:
About Craig
