[flydigital]

Are there any major car hire companies that hire out the Prius?

The local Toyota dealer said it was their best selling car ever but couldn't find it anywhere as a hire!

Anyone have any ideas?

[Igloo124]

Prius hire

Suggest you contact Toyota direct : there may be a dealer who rents them out, but I don't think any of the majors do : combination of cost/residual/volume of sales. Toyota don't want to give the car the "wrong" image by turning it into a rental car.

[kgould]

Prius Hire?

You can hire Prius from Hertz (at least you can hire them from the London Heathrow Branch). Hertz are not doing a very good job of promoting the fact that they have a green selection, and they are certainly being quiet about the fact that they have Prius. I was delighted to discover (having been told they'd have a Ford Focus for me, that Prius was available.

[bobbybrown111]

I’ve had a similar issue finding a Prius for hire. While major car hire companies like Hertz and Enterprise occasionally offer hybrids, they often have limited availability. You might try contacting local rental agencies directly. Also, if you need something unique for a special event, check out this website.

Moderator note: removed link to website as per community rules (advertising/promotion).

[Santa]

Originally Posted by Igloo124

Toyota don't want to give the car the "wrong" image by turning it into a rental car.

I find that an odd statement. AFAIK most manufacturers encourage car rental of their models and offer big discounts to the likes of Hertz and Sixt.

I assume that the idea is that someone who hires one of their cars and likes it, may be encouraged to buy one for themselves. The only downside I can think of is that most car rental companies sell the cars after six months and Toyota may be concerned that the availability of newish used models might hit sales of new models.

[Rolebama]

FWIW: Some years ago, a major hire company had a contract with Ford and part of the deal was that they take some Sierra Cosworths. You could hire them at a phenomenal price, but the hirer did not want to rent them out because of the loss they made when they passed them on as 'used' to other dealers/sellers. Maybe a similar thing with Priuses (Prii?)

[dimar]

Originally Posted by Santa

I assume that the idea is that someone who hires one of their cars and likes it, may be encouraged to buy one for themselves.

This is exactly how I bought my two last cars. I rented them, liked and made the purchase.

[Mark07]

This is such a great idea.

If you're going to spend thousands on a new car that you'll live with for years, why not spend a few hundred to rent the model and make sure you get the decision right.