Cheap Car Rentals in New Bern

Quick, friendly. Could have used some early drop off instructions…. No one at Budjet at the drop off. An older gentleman working the lot told me to take photos of the mileage and he took the keys to drive the car around to park and to put in the box. My card still shows $200 more on the charge that the quote. Just a little concerned at the moment. . Once my card is reimbursed the $200 I will feel better.

Easy pickup and pleasant staff.

The car I rented (Hyundai Sonata) performed beyond expectations; I just wish the car was cleaner when I picked it up (exterior and a bit on the interior). Overall an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, the first vehicle we were offered had a third row that did not operate correctly as far as going up and down and was very badly stained. They offered him a second vehicle which he took a quick look at and then headed to his meeting. When he got home we realized that the back seats were literally covered in dog hair and the vehicle had not been wiped down at all. (Disturbing considering we just came out of a pandemic.) We both have pet allergies, and so I had to take well over an hour to clean the vehicle well enough to be able to use it because the location was closed and we were leaving early the next morning for a daughter’s Navy boot camp graduation. After the vehicle was cleaned up, it turned out to be a great option. It was just a huge inconvenience considering the schedule we were on. We will never rent from Hertz again!

The Jetta I rented had not been washed or vacuumed when I picked it up at EWN, I was told by the agent that this was the only car they had available at that time. It also had an expired license plate. I didn't realize this until I was stopped by a policeman in Arkansas. I showed him the registration that also indicated that the plate expired in February, (NC tag # HHD-7966). The policeman conducted an unauthorized and unlawful search on the vehicle and confiscated my friend's bottle of 12 year old whiskey. I have registered a formal complaint with the department but am not expecting much from them. I was stopped again for this on my return trip in Nashville, TN but was not detained, only delayed. Also, the car didn't have a working charge port so our phones died and we could not charge them until we arrived in Arkansas. The cruise control on the car worked mostly ok on level ground but failed in the mountains. It would maintain speed going uphill but not down. I had to apply brakes every time I went down hill or the car would speed up out of control. Also the cruise control would shut down unexpectedly at random intervals. The car itself would also shut down while idling in park. Whenever I would use a drive-thru dining or mobile banking ATM the car would shut off after a few minutes and had to be restarted. If left in drive it would keep running. When I returned the car to EWN the agent made note of my complaints and offered to discount the fee by $200. This was helpful but I assure you that it does not inspire the sort of confidence that would result in me ever trusting Avis enough to rent another vehicle from them.