These Are The Top 5 Rental Companies In The U.S., According To KAYAK

Having a rental car can either make or break a vacation. If everything goes smoothly, a rental car is a ticket to freedom on vacation. If it's a disaster, a rental car is like a curse on wheels. But the difference between smooth and disaster can be hard to discern when you're blindly trying to pick a rental company online based on logos and outdated reviews. That's why travel deals search site KAYAK rounded up the top-rated rental car companies in the US, based off user ratings and reviews. The volume and quality of the feedback was what KAYAK pooled together to determine their 2019 master list, simplifying the rental car process for potential renters, tenfold.

In order to qualify for the Best Car Rental Companies master list, an agency must have a minimum Overall Rating of 6.1 and a minimum of 100 reviews published within the last year. Then, each rental car company was evaluated on cleanliness, comfort, pick up and drop off, and the value for money. The top five rental car companies scored within 85 and 75 percent complete customer satisfaction. Though different factors combined to create these scores, each of the top five companies had a wide range of extremely positive reviews from customers, even on the lower end of the scale. Reviews like "such a good deal" and "so easy to deal with" are exactly what you're looking for when you're trying to avoid a potential disaster situation.

If you've ever shown up at a rental car company to pick up a car you paid for, only to find out that they don't have it, or that you have to go to another branch to get it, you know just how important it is to deal with a company that aces customer service. So many things can go wrong when you travel, and you deserve to be assured that the rental car company you choose is going to have a clean and comfortable car waiting for you when you show up. Here are the five best overall rental car companies that are most worthy of your vacation dollars:

National

With an overall score of 85.1 percent, National is the highest rated rental car company in the US. They also came in number one for their pick up and drop off accessibility. Overall, customers felt that it was easy to pick up their car without unforeseen hassles, and super simple to drop it off and be on their way, too. Having a car that's actually ready for you when you arrive is super important, and sometimes crucial.

Alamo

Though Alamo came in second with an overall score of 84.4, they came in first place for comfort, cleanliness and value. Customers boasted about the high quality of the cars they rented from Alamo and felt that they could really trust that they were getting a good deal for the price that they paid. With such a close score to National, and so many other wins under their belt, I'd say Alamo really rivals that number one spot.

Enterprise

Though Enterprise might be one of the most iconic car rental companies, with celebrity advertisements galore, they came in third with a score of 80.5. Their position as number three extended across the board from cleanliness, comfort and pick up and drop off. On average, customers were very happy with Enterprise and even mentioned friendly staff.

Sixt

Coming in fourth with a score of 76.7 is Sixt. Though they didn't make the top three, they did stand out with many glowing reviews about how personable and helpful the staff and customer service was. So if top tier communication is your priority, you might want to opt for Sixt.

Dollar

With a score of 75.8, Dollar came in fifth as an all-around reliable rental car company. If you plan on booking with them, you should take advantage of one of their many deals as they pride themselves on their ability to maximize value and minimize price.

Other notable mentions: Thrifty, Avis, Hertz, Budget, and Ace. If you're looking for a hassle-free rental car experience, you'll want to make sure that you choose one of these agencies.