Cheap Car Rentals in Santa Maria, CA

Santa Maria, CA, United States

3 Feb — 10 Feb

Same drop-off

Fri 3/2

Noon

Fri 10/2

Noon

Driver's age:

26-65Other

What is the cheapest time to rent a car in Santa Maria?

January

C$ 84

February

C$ 105

March

C$ 97

April

C$ 101

May

C$ 100

June

C$ 94

July

C$ 98

August

C$ 94

September

C$ 89

October

C$ 93

November

C$ 98

December

C$ 94

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in Santa Maria is January. The most expensive time to rent a car is February. The cheapest prices for each month are shown above, but prices will vary based on availability, how far out you book your rental car, and of course, car type.

Popular Car Types in Santa Maria, CA

All deals

Small is the cheapest car type you can rent in Santa Maria this past week from 7 rental locations out of 5 rental agencies. Prices for a Santa Maria Small rental start from C$ 49/day. Check out available deals for 7 car types currently offered at listed car rental agencies here:

Top rental agencies in Santa Maria, CA

All major car rental suppliers in Santa Maria, CA

Avis

7.8

Good

22 reviews•1 location

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Overview

Recent reviews

6.0

Okay|Nov. 2022

Was given a car that had a expired tags and i lost money in gas due to a confusion on howuch i was suppose to leave in it. (Lost probably 20 dollars in gas)

2.0

Poor|Sep. 2022

car was disgusting. the lady was super rude and argued with my about accepting my temporary license for 20 minutes

10.0

Wonderful|Aug. 2022

I had a female clerk at the Avis counter, she was awesome, I wish I could remember her name. Outstanding customer service.

2.0

Poor|Aug. 2022

Wtf!!! I didn’t rent this vehicle

2.0

Poor|Nov. 2021

Didn't accept my chime card at the desk, no warning at all and I'm still not really sure why. All rental car companies suck but at least budget was trying to help us figure something out. The avid front desk person was super unhelpful and annoying.

2.0

Poor|Jun. 2021

Car was 1/8th of a tank low on gas and had a headlight out, which I got stopped for.

1 out of 8

Hertz

7.5

Good

13 reviews•2 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

9.6

Wonderful|Feb. 2020

Pick up and drop off was easy, no wait. Car was good enough.

The opening time for the office is 7:30, so I had to have the car an extra day to get on the road early. If the office was open at 7:00 would have been better. Also, I had hoped the car was a Mazda 3 because I have considered buying one, but they only had another vehicle.

2.0

Poor|Sep. 2019

Nothing. Horrible experience. I received a call at 840am about my 9am car rental stating that they overbooked vehicles and that they would not have my vehicle at all. No apology or offer for another vehicle. They said all vehicles were rented and tough luck and this was the "manager" who called me.

Communication. Why call 20 minutes before a reservation to say no vehicles and cancelled. Don't book it in the first place. Again, horrible service and no apology or alternatives offered by Hertz.

2.0

Poor|Sep. 2019

NOTHING AT ALL. HERTZ CALLED ME 1 HOUR BEFORE I WAS SCHEDULED TO PICK UP THE RENTAL AND TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY CARS. THEY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO ASSIST ME IN LOCATING ANOTHER RENTAL AND WERE JUST VERY COLD AND UNCARING.

EVERYTHING.

10.0

Wonderful|Sep. 2018

THE CAR WAS PERFECT

NOTHING, IT WAS PERFECT

8.8

Very good|Mar. 2018

Online rental, car was ready to go. Minimal paperwork with no wait. Exactly what I wanted.

10.0

Wonderful|Nov. 2017

Reasonable rate, very helpful staff, great car. Much better than our other local rental company!

1 out of 5

Enterprise

7.0

Good

11 reviews•4 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Aug. 2022

They ignored me Rona at office refused to help with situation and then lied that she couldn’t reach their office at bakersfield airport Left me stranded with useless waste of vehicle Promises me she’d get me me a free truck for this week and never followed up said they were closing closed after kept me on phone for 30 min Then promised to call back - oh she had her associate get back k on phone tell me that as she ditched me helped customers in shop while lying sati v she was fully busy making call to fix situation Her final straw oh we’re closed deal with roadside service as u can’t reach that surlier location Lies lies lies

10.0

Wonderful|Jan. 2020

Staff was very friendly and thorough.

10.0

Wonderful|Oct. 2019

Woman at sjc was very sweet and the process was very fast.

2.0

Poor|Jun. 2019

They are not at the Santa Maria Airport and did not answer the phone when I called. Enterprise should be taken iff the list. However, the woman at Hertz was very nice and helped me get a car.

6.4

Okay|May 2019

the staff was nice it was high traffic time at the store not enough help long wait .

9.6

Wonderful|Jan. 2019

Was able to get comparable car to what I reserved. Super friendly staff.

Came damaged. Though it was out of their control.

1 out of 4

Budget

6.8

Okay

23 reviews•2 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|May 2022

Great customer service:) not able to leave personal car in the area but was given other options.

8.0

Very good|Nov. 2021

My car rental agreement included unlimited miles but the attendant ask for my destination. I said Las Vegas area. She wrote on my contract Las Vegas only. What happens if I wanted to visit St George or Hoover Dam? if it's unlimited mile then the rental shouldn't be limited to a city.

5.9

Fair|Sep. 2021

The location was a bit run down. Paperwork took a while. There wasn’t a dedicated drop-off location during their off day, so I had to put it through their mail drop box at the door. Car was alright. Smelled a tad like cigarette smoke, but not too overbearing.

1.9

Poor|Jul. 2021

Far better warning when it came to renting also id like my money back for a reservation i didnt even get to use. I wasnt even able to rent the vehicle, i had to use another party

10.0

Wonderful|Jul. 2021

At your Santa Maria office, a wonderful lady named Lydia made the pick up of my rental car a very enjoyable experience. Everything went very smoothly. At my drop off at LAX, you male employee was in too big of a hurry. As he came to check me in, I received an important phone call. He saw this and went to the next car without saying anything whatsoever. A minute or so later, after my call finished,I waited for him to return but he had gone on to other cars. I then went to him and said, “Have you skipped me?” His reply was that he had ALREADY checked me in and sent an email to that effect. Therefore, I could go. As a result, I walked three blocks or so to the Renaissance Hotel where my wife waited. When I got there and went to my room, I realized that I had not turned in the car keys. Therefore, I had to walk back to Budget, find the same Budget check in employee. I gave him the darn keys. I am disgusted because he failed to ask for the keys or tell me to be sure to leave the keys behind in the rental car when I left. It caused me to unnecessarily make two separate different walks in the hot sun. I am 79 years old and just underwent a very serious surgery (bladder and prostate). My two walks were made made because your check-in employee was to busy to converse with me and tell me to be sure to leave the car keys behind. That second walk back to return the ignition key really did me in.

2.0

Poor|Jun. 2021

Nothing

Staff was rude and did not save a car for me even though I had a reservation scheduled. When I called to confirm my reservation they left me on hold until I actually arrived at the rental car location to tell me that they did not save my car I reserved. The worst experience ever will not be using budget again

1 out of 8

Easirent

1 location

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Best Santa Maria, CA Car Rental Deals Found

Kia RioC$ 49/day

A/C

Nissan VersaC$ 49/day

A/C

Toyota YarisC$ 57/day

A/C

Car Rental FAQs

What car rental company is typically the cheapest in Santa Maria?

According to our data, users have found the cheapest deals when booking a car hire in Santa Maria from the following companies over the past two weeks: Budget (C$ 66/day), Hertz (C$ 127/day), and Avis (C$ 246/day).

Which car rental company is considered to be the best in Santa Maria?

Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, Avis (7.8 rating), Hertz (7.3 rating) and Budget (6.8 rating) seem to be the best rental car companies in Santa Maria.

What are gas prices like in Santa Maria?

The average gas price in Santa Maria is C$ 1.29/litre over the past month, costing you anywhere between C$ 58 and C$ 83 to fill up a car’s gas tank.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Santa Maria for a week from Budget?

Budget is a popular option for travellers looking for car rental in Santa Maria. You can expect the average cost of a rental car to be about C$ 620 per week.

How far in advance should I rent a car in Santa Maria for the best price?

Our data suggests that booking early can save you up to 24% on a rental car in Santa Maria. Take advantage of below-average prices by booking at least 3 days prior to your desired date.

Can I rent a car for a month in Santa Maria?

Yes, you can rent a car for a month in Santa Maria check Cheapflights for the latest prices and car type availability.

How much is a car rental in Santa Maria for a weekend?

It costs C$ 0 for a weekend car rental in Santa Maria, on average. The cheapest type of car rental you can book on any given weekend is the Compact as prices are generally lower for these rental types due to demand and availability. If you’re planning to book a rental car in Santa Maria in February, prices are C$ 0 per day on average.