Flexcar vs. SIXT+: your own car or a car subscription?

No. Flexcar isn't a subscription, a lease, or a rental. It's a third way to have your own car: buy, lease, or flex. Flexing gives you your own car with insurance, maintenance, roadside, and registration included, plus the freedom to swap, keep, or return it as life changes.

If you want a car for years, flexing is built for it: you choose the car, keep it as long as you like, and your costs can step down the longer you stay. SIXT+ is built month by month, and each 30-day period renews automatically. SIXT+ can suit a set stretch of months, especially if you want a premium model.

Yes. A Flexcar is yours to drive and keep for as long as you want, and keeping the same car pays off. With good, average, or low credit, OnTrack takes $15 to $100 a month off from the seventh payment once you've made six months of on-time payments with a passing driving score (a late payment or a low score restarts the count). Membership renewals come at a loyalty discount, and unused miles roll over while you keep the car. Every year, the membership keeps covering maintenance, covered repairs, and roadside, so covered repairs on an aging car aren't yours to pay, and if your needs change, you swap into another Flexcar instead of selling one.

With Flexcar, yes: you browse available cars and choose the specific one you want. With SIXT+, you book a vehicle class, shown as a model "or similar", and SIXT assigns the exact car at pickup; the color isn't guaranteed. Two SIXT+ offers, the BMW X3 and X5, come as a guaranteed model for $30 a month more.

Insurance comes with every Flexcar: liability coverage plus your choice of protection plan, Essential or Enhanced with a lower deductible and covered glass. Personal auto or credit card coverage can't replace it. SIXT says liability insurance is included in the SIXT+ price; damage protection for the car, such as a Loss Damage Waiver, is optional and costs extra, or you can bring a personal policy that meets SIXT's minimums for a credit.

Neither asks for a down payment. With Flexcar, you pay your first month and tax at checkout, plus a refundable deposit if your approval includes one, and the $249 annual membership is billed 14 days after pickup. With SIXT+, you pay a one-time enrollment fee, currently $199 to $399 before promotions, and your first month when you're approved, then SIXT places a security hold of at least $200 plus the amount due when you pick up the car.

With Flexcar, choose another available car and schedule a swap for $199 (discounted with loyalty and rewards), or return your car with no early-termination penalty. With SIXT+, you can ask for a different vehicle class once per 30-day period, at least five days ahead, at your contract branch, for a $49 fee. To end SIXT+, give notice at least seven days before your next billing date and return the car to your pickup branch; there's no prorated refund for unused days.

Flexcar has hubs in eight metros: Atlanta, Boston and New England, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Nashville, the New York tri-state area, and the San Francisco Bay Area, and you can drive anywhere in the US and Canada. SIXT says SIXT+ is offered at 80+ locations across the US, with pickup at the branch you choose and delivery in some areas.