Sixt vs Budget: Which One Is Better Choice? [2023]
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Sixt vs Budget: You have a trip to plan but don’t know which car rental company to choose. Or wondering which among the options like Sixt and Budget is suitable to give you a good adventure.
If it’s a yes from you, then we are glad to inform you that the article mentioned below has a detailed comparison of Sixt vs Budget, it has all the information you require deciding on your favourite car rental company.
Sixt vs Budget: What are they?
Sixt
Sixt car rental is an international service provider that has around 2000 locations in 100+ countries. It acts as a holding and parent company of Sixt Group, internationally active in business areas like car sharing, subscription, ride-hailing and vehicle rental.
Initially, it started the business with only 3 cars in its fleet list but currently it is one of the leading car rental companies worldwide. Just like the name suggests, you can order different cars for rent from their huge fleet selection.
Budget
Budget Rent-A-Car is one among the topmost American car rental companies currently. At Budget, you can rent various types of cars from their big fleet collection and do all the bookings and preparations without needing to drop by their store.
Budget is famous in the market for its quality services and discounted rates on cars. It claims to offer you deals and offers that you can’t find anywhere else in the market. Furthermore, it helps you plan your family or business trips by saving money, grabbing exclusive deals and having a satisfying experience with your companion(s).
Sixt vs Budget: How do they work?
Sixt
To rent a car from Sixt, you must meet the following requirements:
- Only people of age 25 or older can drive.
- A valid form of identification is required, a driver’s license will do with non-roman alphabets.
- A hard copy of the driver’s license must be present at the time of car rental.
- If you have prepaid, then you must bring the same card along at the time of car pickup.
- Clean history of the driver without any recent violations and accidents recorded.
- If you have paid through a debit card then you need another type of ID to confirm your address.
If you want to know more details, then you can visit the page here.
Budget
To rent a car from Budget, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be at least 21 years old or older.
- A valid driver’s license is required along with your own credit or debit card.
- If you are a foreigner with a foreign language driving license then you must have an international permit of driving or the driver’s license’s official translation will do too.
- Have a clean driving record.
- Should not have a traffic infraction recorded recently.
If you want to know what else you need to be eligible for renting from Budget Rent-A-Car then hop onto this page to get the detailed information.
After you have selected the car of your choice, make adjustments keenly like if you need an extra driver, a prepaid tank of gas, GPS, etc. Note that while returning the car, you will have to return it with a full tank of gas or the company will charge you extra.
Also, it is best to arrive at least 30 minutes before the time of returning the car. So, both Sixt and Budget work similarly and have almost similar driver’s requirements.
Winner: None/Both
Sixt vs Budget: Price
Sixt
As you might have already guessed, the prices for car rental depend on different factors such as the option of pickup branch, choice of return branch, protection choices, vehicle category, mode of payment, vehicle demand, vehicle model, the season you are renting in and more.
Also, if you are below the age of 25 years old, then Sixt will charge you an additional amount called surcharge which is also not fixed and based on the vehicle category that you have booked.
Budget
Similar to Sixt, the vehicle prices at Budget depend on various aspects like protection options, vehicle model, vehicle category, mode of payment, the season you are booking in, etc. You can also make adjustments for baby seats which will cost you approximately $91 extra.
If you made adjustments for GPS separately, then it will cost you about $84 more. In conclusion, the external charges for renting a car and Budget well cost you about $300-$500.
According to our research, both Sixt and Budget have similar prices fluctuating on various factors as mentioned above.
Winner: None/Both
Sixt vs Budget: Subscriptions
Sixt
Sixt offers a long-term contract with the name Sixt+, popularly known as a flexible form of mobility. The pricing for this subscription starts from $459 and will cover dealer cost along with routine maintenance, service fees and usage of the car with vehicle-related costs like registration included.
After a month, you can return your car or swap it with another for next month after paying for next month’s subscription.
Budget
Unlike Sixt, Budget does not offer a proper subscription plan, but it offers monthly car rental services on a long-term rental basis.
The highlights of the service are:
- You do not need a credit card for payment.
- No extra ownership fees for the vehicle.
- You can enjoy renting different cars every month.
Honestly, both Sixth and Budget are offering good long-term plans. If you look closely, you can benefit from both of their monthly plans based on your situation. Therefore, it totally depends on you which plan meet your needs.
Winner: Both/None
Sixt vs Budget: How much do they hold onto your card?
Sixt
There is no fixed deposit amount at Sixt as the deposit amount depends on the type of car you are reserving. Nonetheless, the deposit amount will start from $200 for credit cards.
When you are paying through a credit card you can pay for the rental services after you are done using the vehicle but with Debit cards, you will need to pay $200 as a security deposit along with the entire rental amount.
Budget
Whether you are paying through your credit card or debit card at the time of rental, Budget will place a flat $300 as a security deposit on your card.
On top of all, Budget will also charge an additional $100 for related services like Tour rentals, prepaid rentals and auto repair exchange or insurance rentals.
It may look like Sixt is only charging $200 for a security deposit which is less compared to Budget but when you add up all the additional charges like gas, insurance, extra protection, etc, you will notice they barely have a difference in total prices.
Winner: Both/None
Sixt vs Budget: Fleet
Sixt
Sixt fleet collection contains different vehicles for various occasions and seasons as per your need. Whether you need a family car or a business car, Sixt has a good selection including categories like premium, transporter, luxury, LWKS, MVP, intermediate, standard, economy, etc.
Budget
Budget has a wide variety of fleet collections to satisfy all types of needs. If you want a normal four-wheeler, a first-class SUV, or luxury cars or vans, Budget has everything to satisfy you.
And you can also find car categories like the economy, compact, intermediate, standard, intermediate SUV, full-size, luxury, premium, premium SUV, convertible, standard Elite SUV, minivan, standard SUV, premium Coupe, standard sport, full-size hybrid, compact crossover electric, premium Elite crossover and many more in its big fleet collection.
No wonder both Sixt and Budget offer a huge selection in their fleet lists and offer similar cars.
Winner: Both/None
Sixt vs Budget: When do they Return the Deposit?
Sixt
After you have returned the car and Sixt has checked it thoroughly, it will require approximately 10 business days to clear all the funds and deposit them into your account. The said period can extend if Sixt is having issues dealing with your bank and its policies.
Budget
After you have returned the car, Budget will return the unused security deposit. However, the credit amount can take about 2 weeks to be deposited into your account based only your bank.
In case you did not return the vehicle as per the agreed policies then Budget will charge you an additional deposit from the same account to cover the entire charge.
Looking at how both Sixt and Budget don’t guarantee you when they will return the money and they both have almost similar money refunding periods, we will suggest you don’t think any of them highly from another based on the period mentioned.
Winner: None/Both
Sixt vs Budget: Difference
| Differences | Sixt | Budget |
| Locations | Available in over 2000 locations worldwide like New York city, Florida, etc. | Available in over 120 countries including Australia, Asia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, Europe, etc. |
| Types of Insurance offered | You can buy extra protections like Partial Damage Waiver, Roadside Assistance Protection, Supplemental Liability Insurance, Liability Roadside Assistance, Liability coverage, Personal Accident Coverage, Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) and Business Travel Insurance. | Personal Insurance, Loss damage waiver and property insurance. Additional insurance can be purchased. |
| Is smoking and pets allowed in the car? | They allow but you can’t smoke. | No smoking but they allow pets |
| Is driving out of the state allowed? | It depends on the state and its rules. | Yes |
| Is cash payments allowed? | No | Yes |
| Is free pickup available? | It depends on the Sixt branch you are connected to. | Yes, only to those who do not have their private vehicle to reach the Budget rental premises. |
| Is Booking cancellation allowed? | Yes, but if you have prepaid the rental amount, then it will decide the cancellation fee. | Yes, you can cancel bookings anytime online but you will have to pay the cancellation fees. |
| Extar driver? | Yes, Sixt allows 9 additional drivers per booking. | Any member of your family or colleague can drive but if you want a driver from Budget then it will cost you $5 per day which will be billed for 5 days at $25. |
Final Words
As you have seen in this article, both Sixt and Budget are good in their own ways. None of them is better than another and they both can be trusted accordingly.
Therefore, we suggest you decide which from Sixt vs Budget is worth giving you a good car rental experience based on the data provided by us.
Frequently asked Questions
Does Sixt have limited mileage?
No, Sixt offers car rentals with unlimited mileage in all their branches globally.
Is Sixt a reliable car rental company?
Yes, Sixt is a reliable and trustworthy car rental company. It is famous globally and is known for offering good car rentals for a good experience.
Is Sixt and Budget the same?
No, Sixt and Budget are two different car rental service providers. They both work in similar a field, has similar ways of working and offer similar services but they come from different origins.
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