There is no fixed answer to this question. Rental car prices in general (and not just at Enterprise) are extremely volatile and change from day to day. Although Enterprise does have a regional "standard retail", this is used as a baseline from which to adjust the rates according to other factors. Those factors may include:
- day of the week (Fridays and Saturdays are very busy. Tuesday less so)
- holidays (lots of people traveling)
- number of that car type available at a particular branch/region (if we have 6 pickup trucks on our lot, we'll probably be eager to rent them for less than the nominal rate)
- the particular area or market demographic the branch serves (some parts of the country are much more expensive to live in than others; a branch in San Francisco is likely to charge more for the same car than a branch in Lubbock, TX)
- whether or not the rental is a reservation (as opposed to a walk-in)
Basically this all boils down to demand vs. supply.
I have seen an economy car go out for as little as $9.99/day when there is a weekend promotion going on (there is a limited number of these available). I have seen a BMW X5 SUV go out for more than $150/day.
A walk-in may cost you a lot more than an advance reservation (if they even have a car for you). Rental branches (except the airport locations) run on a very tight margin and they move cars around within a region to accommodate expected daily customers. My branch usually has a few extra for unexpected walk-ins (such as people getting in an accident and needing a car from their body shop).
Generally speaking, if money is no object, they will get a car for you. :) But to ensure that you get a car at a price you can afford, an advance reservation is the best idea.
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