3 Giants Control 44% Of America’s $65.3B Rental Car Industry—Top 10 Choices In 2026

You’d think picking the best rental car company would be straightforward—just follow the rankings. But in 2025 and 2026, three different survey authorities crowned three different winners.

Behind the familiar logos at airport counters lies a consolidation story most travelers never see: holding companies operating multiple brands, satisfaction scores that shift based on how you book, and a $65.3 billion industry where “choice” isn’t quite what it seems.

1. Enterprise: Overall Satisfaction Leader

Enterprise scored 734 out of 1,000 in JD Power’s 2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, dethroning National Car Rental, which had claimed first place the previous year. National dropped to second with 721 points—a gap of just 13 points, or roughly 1.8%. JD Power surveyed 8,263 business and leisure travelers who rented at airport locations between August 2024 and August 2025, measuring seven core dimensions including ease of rental and trust.

Enterprise also benefits from sheer scale. The company operates 4,653 U.S. locations, according to recent location data, and more than 9,500 locations across nearly 100 countries. Its rental fleet reached more than 2.1 million vehicles in fiscal year 2022, according to the company—a total that exceeds the combined fleets of many major rivals. That scale helps explain its consistent top-tier satisfaction scores.

2. National: Business Traveler Favorite

National Car Rental slipped to second place behind Enterprise in JD Power’s 2025 study yet remains a powerhouse with frequent business travelers. National retained top honors in the Business Travel News 2026 survey, where road warriors and corporate travel managers once again ranked it best overall.

National runs a far smaller U.S. network than Enterprise, focusing heavily on airport locations. Yet it still ranks near the top in satisfaction and dominates business travel rankings. This inverts a common assumption: more locations should mean better service. Instead, National’s focused footprint and its Emerald Club loyalty program deliver a premium business experience that scale alone can’t replicate.

3. SIXT: Luxury Disruptor and Reader Favorite

SIXT entered the U.S. market in 2011 and now operates more than 100 locations across over two dozen states. Despite competing against brands over a century old—Hertz was founded in 1918—SIXT has repeatedly won top global honors such as World’s Leading Luxury Car Rental Company and World’s Leading Business Car Rental Company.

In 2025, SIXT won the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for best rental car company in America, highlighting its appeal to leisure travelers who value premium vehicles and stylish branding. Its rapid ascent challenges the notion that incumbency guarantees dominance in a consolidating industry.

4. Hertz: Comeback Contender

While Enterprise and National grabbed headlines, Hertz quietly staged a comeback. In the Business Travel News 2026 survey, Hertz climbed to third place with a score of 4.11—up noticeably from the prior year. That improvement signals growing confidence among corporate travelers after a turbulent period that included bankruptcy and restructuring.

Founded in 1918, the more-than-a-century-old company also maintains 2,523 U.S. locations, second only to Enterprise. Hertz’s upward momentum suggests the three-way holding company competition—Enterprise Holdings, Avis Budget Group, and Hertz Global Holdings—is tightening, not settling.

5. Avis: Established All‑Rounder

Avis sits under the Avis Budget Group umbrella and competes as a more upscale sibling to Budget. While it doesn’t top the most recent satisfaction charts, it remains a core brand for business and leisure travelers alike, particularly in city and airport locations where loyalty and corporate contracts drive volume.

In a market where three holding companies control nearly half of all U.S. rental revenue, Avis represents a substantial slice of that consolidated power. For travelers, that means strong network coverage and consistent product, even if it’s not currently the #1 survey champion.

6. Budget: Value‑Focused Workhorse

Budget caters to cost-conscious travelers while sharing infrastructure and fleet sourcing with Avis under Avis Budget Group. It typically prices below Avis and targets families, vacationers, and smaller businesses looking to keep costs down without dropping into local or fringe players.

Budget often lands mid‑pack in satisfaction rankings, but its role in a major holding company gives it a footprint that many independent brands can’t match. For travelers prioritizing price over perks, Budget remains a pragmatic, widely available choice.

7. Alamo: Vacationer’s Companion

Alamo, part of Enterprise Holdings alongside Enterprise and National, aims squarely at leisure travelers and families, particularly at airports. While it doesn’t lead the headline rankings, it benefits directly from Enterprise Holdings’ enormous fleet and network, giving it strong availability at popular vacation destinations.

Because three brands share a single parent company here—Enterprise, National, and Alamo—what appears as varied competition at the counter is often a matter of branding and positioning rather than completely independent operators.

8. Dollar: Budget Brand Under Hertz

Dollar operates under Hertz Global Holdings along with Hertz and Thrifty. It generally targets budget‑minded travelers and online deal‑seekers, often appearing as one of the lowest‑priced options in search results—especially at airports.

As with other budget brands owned by large holding companies, Dollar offers the cost benefits of a value label with access to a larger shared fleet, centralized systems, and airport real estate that smaller independents might struggle to secure.

9. Thrifty: Deep‑Discount Sister Brand

Thrifty is Hertz’s other value‑oriented brand, sitting alongside Dollar in the same corporate family. It competes primarily on price and tends to capture travelers who are highly flexible on vehicle class and brand but not on budget.

Dollar and Thrifty together give Hertz Global Holdings a multi‑tier presence across the price spectrum, reinforcing how much of the “choice” at the counter flows back to just a few corporate decision‑makers.

10. The Holding‑Company Lens: Enterprise, Avis Budget, Hertz

Step back from individual brands and the picture changes. Enterprise Holdings owns Enterprise, National, and Alamo. Avis Budget Group operates Avis and Budget. Hertz Global Holdings controls Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty. Together, these three parent companies command approximately 44% of the $65.3 billion U.S. car rental market.

That means eight of the most recognizable brands trace back to just three corporate decision-makers—reducing apparent ten-way competition to a three-way contest. For travelers, “top 10 choices” really boils down to understanding which holding company best aligns with your priorities: Enterprise for overall satisfaction and global scale, National for business travel, SIXT for luxury flair, or Hertz, Avis, Budget, and their value siblings when price, availability, or loyalty programs tip the scales.

Sources:
J.D. Power. “2025 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study.” JD Power, October 7, 2025.
MMCG Invest. “U.S. Car Rental Industry: 2025–2030 Market Analysis (Investment Perspective).” MMCG Invest, October 5, 2025.
ScrapeHero. “10 Largest Car Rentals in the United States in 2026.” ScrapeHero, March 24, 2026.
“Diverse Mobility Portfolio Increases Revenue for Enterprise.” Auto Rental News, October 16, 2022.
“SIXT Named the Best Rental Car Company in USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2025.” Business Wire, May 14, 2025.
“2026 BTN’s Car Rental Survey Report.” Business Travel News, 2026.