2011 Chevrolet Cruze

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Renting a car can be a bit of challenge when you are on a budget. Sure you can got to Budget, but they might not have the best car deals. However, the rental landscape may be changing because the Dollar/Thrifty business is currently caught between two bids from Hertz Global Holdings and Avis Budget Group. Avis topped their competitions offer today with a $46.50 a share proposal. That is a little less than $7 dollars a share above what Hertz proposed for the Dollar/Thrifty business units.

Oddly, the company has become a target of the competition due to the need to expand in to the leisure car rental market.Automotive News reports that the leisure car rental market “has remained healthy despite the recession because of stable demand from budget-minded consumers.” That said, it isn’t clear which company will come out on top or if Hertz will step up with a counter offer. Both Avis and Hertz have begun the process to get antitrust approvals and have both received “second requests” from regulators.

Bottom line—next time you go to rent a small car as a budget-minded consumer, you may actually be renting from one of the largest rental chains in the world. The question will be, which one and will it change the service and prices that have built Dollar and Thrifty into the businesses they are today?

 

[Source: Automotive News]