There is no fixed answer to this question. Rental car prices in general are extremely volatile and change from day to day. Although a company may have a regional "standard retail" rate, 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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