Car rental companies in the United States:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Budget was the most searched car rental company in the United States, accounting for 19.8% of all searches among the eight companies we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Budget and Alamo showed up in every answer. Enterprise Rent-A-Car was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four responses.
BudgetShare of searches 19.8%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
Enterprise Rent-A-CarShare of searches 16.2%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
HertzShare of searches 16.2%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
National Car RentalShare of searches 13.3%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
TuroShare of searches 13.3%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top car rental companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Budget and Alamo appeared every time. Enterprise Rent-A-Car was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers. Alamo was second, and Hertz was third. Turo, which ranked fifth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car1st
Alamo2nd- Hertz3rd
- Budget4th
- National Car Rental5th
Avis6th
Sixt7th- Turo–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Budget4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Alamo4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Hertz3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- National Car Rental2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Avis2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Sixt1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Turo0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about car rental companies
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which car rental company should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best car rental companies in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest car rental company at US airports?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car rental”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rental cars”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Which car rental companies do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each car rental company by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight car rental companies we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz, National Car Rental, Turo, Avis, Alamo, Sixt. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Budget | Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Hertz | National Car Rental | Turo | Avis | Alamo | Sixt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 19.1% | 15.6% | 19.1% | 12.9% | 10.5% | 12.9% | 6.8% | 3.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.6% | 16.1% | 19.6% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 13.2% | 6.6% | 3.2% |
| Dec 2025 | 18.7% | 18.7% | 18.7% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 6.7% | 3.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 20% | 13.5% | 20% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 13.5% | 6.7% | 4% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.5% | 11.3% | 20.5% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 13.9% | 6.9% | 4.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 19.8% | 13.2% | 19.8% | 10.9% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 6.6% | 3.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 17.9% | 14.7% | 17.9% | 12.1% | 14.7% | 12.1% | 6.9% | 3.6% |
| May 2026 | 21% | 14% | 17.1% | 11.5% | 14% | 11.5% | 7.5% | 3.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.3% | 13.6% | 16.5% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 11.2% | 7.2% | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 20.9% | 17% | 17% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 6.5% | 4.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.1% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 6.5% | 3.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 19.8% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 13.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 6.2% | 4% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 19.8% | 1.2M | -18.7% | -1.3 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 16.2% | 1M | -18% | -0.9 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 16.2% | 1M | -18% | -0.9 points | |
| 4, moved from 5th to 4th | 13.3% | 823K | 0% | +1.8 pointsmoved from 5th to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 6th to 5th | 13.3% | 823K | 0% | +1.8 pointsmoved from 6th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 4th to 6th | 10.9% | 673K | -18.2% | -0.6 pointsmoved from 4th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | 6.2% | 381K | -18.2% | -0.4 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 4% | 246K | 0% | +0.5 points |
1.
Budget19.8%
Held 1st. 1.2M estimated branded searches, -18.7% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.
16.2%
Held 2nd. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.
3.
Hertz16.2%
Held 3rd. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.
13.3%
Moved from 5th to 4th. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.
5.
Turo13.3%
Moved from 6th to 5th. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.
6.
Avis10.9%
Moved from 4th to 6th. 673K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.
7.
Alamo6.2%
Held 7th. 381K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
8.
Sixt4%
Held 8th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among car rental companies in the United States?
8 brands
In September 2026, Budget was the most searched among car rental companies in the United States, with an estimated 1.2M branded searches, 19.8% of all searches for the eight we track. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is in 2nd place, 3.6 percentage points behind at 16.2%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | 19.1% → 19.8% | 21.1%Aug 2026 | 17.9%Apr 2026 | 1st |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | 15.6% → 16.2% | 18.7%Dec 2025 | 11.3%Feb 2026 | 3rd → 2nd |
| Hertz | 19.1% → 16.2% | 20.5%Feb 2026 | 16.2%Sep 2026 | 2nd → 3rd |
| National Car Rental | 12.9% → 13.3% | 13.6%Jun 2026 | 10.3%Dec 2025 | 5th → 4th |
| Turo | 10.5% → 13.3% | 14.7%Apr 2026 | 10.3%Dec 2025 | 6th → 5th |
| Avis | 12.9% → 10.9% | 13.9%Feb 2026 | 10.9%Sep 2026 | 4th → 6th |
| Alamo | 6.8% → 6.2% | 7.5%May 2026 | 6.2%Sep 2026 | 7th |
| Sixt | 3.1% → 4% | 4.2%Jul 2026 | 3.1%Oct 2025 | 8th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Budget’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States increased from 19.1% to 19.8%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States increased from 15.6% to 16.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hertz’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States decreased from 19.1% to 16.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Turo’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States increased from 10.5% to 13.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis’ share of searches among car rental companies in the United States decreased from 12.9% to 10.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Alamo’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States decreased from 6.8% to 6.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sixt’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States increased from 3.1% to 4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Budget’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 21.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 17.9% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 18.7% in December 2025 and was lowest at 11.3% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hertz’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 20.5% in February 2026 and was lowest at 16.2% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, National Car Rental’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 13.6% in June 2026 and was lowest at 10.3% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Turo’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 14.7% in April 2026 and was lowest at 10.3% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis’ share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 13.9% in February 2026 and was lowest at 10.9% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Alamo’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 7.5% in May 2026 and was lowest at 6.2% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sixt’s share of searches among car rental companies in the United States peaked at 4.2% in July 2026 and was lowest at 3.1% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Enterprise Rent-A-Car rose from 3rd to 2nd among car rental companies in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hertz fell from 2nd to 3rd among car rental companies in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, National Car Rental rose from 5th to 4th among car rental companies in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Turo rose from 6th to 5th among car rental companies in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis fell from 4th to 6th among car rental companies in the United States.
How did search popularity change for United States car rental companies in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, National Car Rental overtook Avis to rank 4th among car rental companies in the United States, with 13.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Turo overtook Avis to rank 5th among car rental companies in the United States, with 13.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sixt gained share of searches among car rental companies in the United States, from 3.5% to 4%.
In September 2026, Budget lost share of searches among car rental companies in the United States, from 21.1% to 19.8%.
In September 2026, Enterprise Rent-A-Car lost share of searches among car rental companies in the United States, from 17.1% to 16.2%.
In September 2026, Hertz lost share of searches among car rental companies in the United States, from 17.1% to 16.2%.
In September 2026, Avis lost share of searches among car rental companies in the United States, from 11.6% to 10.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Alamo in the United States fell 12.6% over 12 measured months, from 436K to 381K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Budget vs Enterprise Rent-A-Car: compare popularity
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- Hertz vs National Car Rental: compare popularity
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