Back to Car Hire 2006

For the first time ever, EuroTest tested car rentals in five popular summer holiday destination countries. The test focussed on a total of 58 rented cars along with the related service provided by the car rental companies.
The testers travelled to Rhodes, Crete, Sardinia, Sicily, Majorca and Tenerife as well as the Spanish mainland, Portugal and Turkey, the only non-EU country in the survey. The test sites were selected on the basis of their importance for European summer travel and the frequency of car rentals.

The cars were rented directly on site for a spontaneous day trip. The test did not consider Internet bookings, early reservations made in advance of the trip, or rental companies at airports. A cross section of car rental companies was selected, ranging from large, global operations to regional chains and local suppliers.

EuroTest placed the practical implementation of the technical aspects of the test in the capable hands of four motor vehicle experts and test engineers from the renowned expert and engineering office of Conzelmann (Munich), Plöchinger (Tiefenbach) and Schaller (Gaimersheim).  The quality of  the service and rental aspects were handled by four seasoned market researchers who were recruited via IMK, Institute for Applied Marketing and Communications Research in Erfurt, and who underwent special training. Each team comprised one motor vehicle expert and a so-called "mystery shopper".

The expert teams were active in the holiday destinations during the main travel period between 1 and 17 August 2005. In order to gain a representative cross section, the testers were incognito and rented six vehicles within three days from different car rental companies on location. Since the test had a "day-trip" orientation, small cars such as Fiat Punto, VW Polo or Renault Clio as well as one off-road vehicle were rented. In Porto Cervo, it was not possible to initially fulfil these criteria because the car rental companies there were fully booked out. For this reason, another test had to be carried out there between 11 and 14 September.

A family of four with a small child was assumed as the customer model for the test. The rental period was usually 24 hours. The customary form of insurance coverage or coverage as recommended by the car rental company (comprehensive coverage with deductible) was selected. A theft waiver or extras such as a child seat and any other costs for a second driver were also included or queried. The demand by the clubs and hence part of the test was that holiday makers must be able to expect top safety standards and good service irrespective of the country, location, car rental company or vehicle.

A comprehensive checklist prepared by experts from EuroTest and external experts was used as an objective basis for evaluation. This checklist comprised a technical part for the vehicle and a service part for the rental procedure.

The criteria catalogue for the technical examination was orientated towards European safety standards, such as the EU directives on motor vehicle inspection systems, customary national testing procedures and rules, including the German Road Traffic Act (StVZO), in addition to other recognised assessment catalogues, such as the major safety inspection guideline valid in Germany.

The questionnaire for service and advice during the rental procedure focused not just on the quality of service itself but also on insurance and contractual aspects. Uniform procedures and approaches were defined for both parts of the test and were tested under practical conditions before the test began.

The categories tested together with the most important test criteria were as follows:

Vehicle
(Weighting: 69 percent)

Engine compartment         Weighting: 8 percent
  
• Condition and liquid level in the cooling system, brake and clutch fluid, engine oil and windscreen washing system
• Tightness of systems such as fuel lines, brake lines and hoses, shock absorbers, steering and exhaust systems

Chassis, brakes and steering                 Weighting: 32 percent

• Tyres: Size, brand, age, tread depth, tyre pressure and safety-relevant damage
• Wheels: Type and condition of rims, fastened with wheel nuts/bolts
• Suspension: Wheel bearing, wishbone, brake discs and linings
• Braking performance
• Parking brake: Lever action and braking performance
• Steering: Steering linkage and steering box

Lighting and electrics                 Weighting: 17 percent

• Lighting: Headlights, reflectors, dipped headlight, main beam, parking and brake lights, hazard warning light, back-up light and rear fog lights
• Electrics: Battery, control lamps, horn, windscreen wipers and washers

Equipment and passenger safety                Weighting: 12 percent

• Equipment: First-aid kit, warning triangle and reflective jacket, manual, spare wheel and tools
• Passenger safety: Safety belts, windscreen glazing and rear-view mirror, airbags, air-conditioning, child seat

Rental procedure
(Weighting: 31 percent)

Insurance coverage                    Weighting: 6 percent

• Insurance coverage and service: Explanation, conclusion and comprehensibility of the insurance taken out with a special focus on comprehensive coverage and theft policy waiver

Customer service                  Weighting: 19 percent

• Explanation of the rental procedures such as refuelling rules and rental period
• Extras: Additional charges for a second driver, child seat availability and costs
• Vehicle condition at the time of check-in and check-out: Damage check and documentation in the rental agreement, tank filling, personal hand-over of the vehicle and instruction
• Staff: Several languages, friendliness and competence
• Vehicle: Cleanliness and equipment
• Vehicle papers (e.g. vehicle registration document) and other documents such as maps, service numbers for emergencies or breakdowns

Contracts/agreements        Weighting: 6 percent

• Clear layout, understandable, and language of the rental agreement
• Billing procedures: Deposit, credit-card handling, comprehensibility of the rental price

For the purpose of evaluation, the two checklists for the vehicle and for renting were jointly assessed using a score system: Very good, Good, Acceptable, Poor and Very poor.
With regard to the vehicle systems, the technical experts defined so-called knock-out criteria which were included in the evaluation system. These then came into effect if vehicles had such serious defects that they appeared to threaten the 100% safety of consumers.  When such defects were found, this then lowered the rating of the vehicles in question.