Think of Turo as the Airbnb for cars.
The app and website allows owners to list their rides and rent them out to complete strangers. And there are some really nice cars and trucks available.
What would the owner of a six figure car to put it there for anonymous people to drive? The lease fees collected by an owner can offset the massive depreciation that hits most cars, high-end or your everyday minivan. If you have multiple cars and one or more rarely sees driving time, you can dust them off and earn some cash.
Turo is offering homeowners $1 million in liability insurance. This will cover most cars against theft or physical damage. Owners may choose to provide their own commercial rental insurance and opt out of Turo coverage. Potential tenants are also screened by Turo. The company’s website states that it requests a potential traveler auto insurance score from a consumer reporting agency, and the score must meet our minimum eligibility criteria. That should keep someone with a terrible driving record from renting someone’s most prized possession and crashing it on one of I-65’s slow bends around Indy. Additionally, many landlords require renters to be 30 or older, as we have all become fully responsible drivers at that age.
All of this allows middle managers to drive the CEO’s car. Currently, 28 cars, trucks, and minivans are listed on Turo in the Indianapolis area. Turo can also be used while travelling. Sometimes, for an additional fee, a landlord will meet a tenant at a nearby airport. It could therefore be an alternative to the more common car rental companies. Here are some of the most interesting announcements around Indianapolis:
For $229, you can spend the day behind the wheel of an all-wheel-drive supercar. Hit 60 miles per hour in just 4 seconds and do it right. In 2008, an Audi R8 could be had for $109,000 to $118,000, according to Edmunds.
David’s 2017 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
If the 425-hp Audi R8 isn’t enough for you, maybe this 526-hp Shelby Mustang should be your pick. Three hundred bucks gets you a 5.2-liter V8 with an astonishing 8,250 rpm redline. According to Ford, this is the company’s fastest V8 to date. This isn’t your everyday Mustang GT. This is a $55,000 future collector’s item.
Let’s say you need to drive from Noblesville to a downtown Indy steakhouse with four people and you need to do it fast. It could be the car for rent. It will certainly attract more attention than a comparable Lexus LS 460 sedan. And you don’t have to own it when it does something the Lexus probably won’t: break.
I would pass on renting a regular Cadillac CTS. There are better options. The best option is a CTS-V. This “V” makes all the difference. In 2011, that little letter meant a 556-hp V8 in a kind of sleeper sedan.
The $650 per day price tag is a little on the high side, but if you wanted to try Tesla’s SUV, this is one way to go. Spend your time controlling the Falcon Wing doors from the center console screen. This electric car may not be the best choice for long journeys. Avoid range anxiety. You will run out of juice after 289 miles.
There are “normal” cars for rent through the service. If you need a truck for the day, there’s a Ford F-150 listed for just $30 a day. If you need a family hauler for a vacation, there’s a VW Routon van for you. There’s a really sharp Toyota Tacoma for $44 a day.
Follow IndyStar social media platform editor and car guy Joe Tamborello on Twitter and instagram.
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