A sedan covers most of Austin. An SUV starts to make sense when the trip gets bigger: two kids and a stroller, four adults with checked bags, a weekend at Lake Travis with coolers and floats, or a drive out to Enchanted Rock where the last stretch is a country road.
We rent four SUV categories, all recent automatics with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, delivered free to your hotel, home or the AUS arrivals curb. The Mazda CX-5 starts at $114 a day, the Hyundai Santa Fe is $131, the Jeep Grand Cherokee $147 and the Jeep Wrangler $164. For groups too big for any SUV, there's a 12-seat van.
Our economy fleet in SUV rental
Eight categories, all recent models, all automatic. You reserve the category and we deliver that model or a similar one. Prices per day before multi-day and weekly discounts.
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Toyota Corolla or similar — compact sedan, 5 seats, from $98/day
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Honda Civic or similar — compact sedan, 5 seats, from $98/day
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Honda Accord or similar — mid-size sedan, 5 seats, from $114/day
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Mazda CX-5 or similar — compact SUV, 5 seats, from $114/day
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Hyundai Santa Fe or similar — mid-size SUV, 5 seats, from $131/day
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Jeep Wrangler Sport or similar — 4x4 SUV, 5 seats, from $164/day
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Jeep Grand Cherokee or similar — full-size SUV, 5 seats, from $147/day
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Ford Transit Van or similar — 12-passenger van, 12 seats, from $296/day
See every car in Austin and check availability →
Which SUV for your trip
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Mazda CX-5, $114/day, 5 seats, 3 bags. The compact pick. Same price as a mid-size sedan, sits higher, easy to park downtown. Right for a couple with big suitcases or a family of three or four packing light.
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Hyundai Santa Fe, $131/day, 5 seats, 4 bags. The family default. Room for four checked bags plus a stroller, and comfortable on long drives to San Antonio or the coast.
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Jeep Grand Cherokee, $147/day, 5 seats, 4 bags. Full-size, with the most room and power. Good for a business group, golf bags or a heavy Hill Country weekend.
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Jeep Wrangler Sport, $164/day, 5 seats, 2 bags. 4x4 and built for fun more than luggage. Good for lake days and scenic drives, less so for four people with suitcases.
You reserve the category and get that model or one of the same class, seats, year range and price.
Families and luggage
The bag numbers matter more than the seat count. All of our SUVs have five seats; what changes is the cargo space. A family of four flying into AUS with four checked bags fits in a Santa Fe or Grand Cherokee, but will be squeezed in a CX-5. If you're bringing a stroller or a pack-and-play, size up one category.
Need child seats? Ask us when you book; many families bring their own on the plane. For UT move-in, parents' weekend or graduation, the Santa Fe is the usual choice for the dorm run. See our guide for UT parents' weekend and graduation.
Lake Travis and the Hill Country
Lake Travis is about 30 to 40 minutes west of downtown, via RM 2222 or Bee Cave Road and RM 620. Ramps and lakeside parking lots at places like Pace Bend Park and Mansfield Dam can be steep and dusty, and an SUV with ground clearance handles them more comfortably than a sedan. On summer weekends the lake roads back up by late morning, so leave early and pack the car the night before.
Farther out, the US 290 wine trail to Fredericksburg is about 1 hour 20 minutes, Enchanted Rock about 1 hour 45 minutes, and the Devil's Backbone road between Wimberley and Canyon Lake about an hour. These are paved, but a Grand Cherokee or Wrangler makes the hills and a full cooler easier. Our Hill Country day trips guide has routes and stops, and the Jeep Wrangler guide covers lakes and beaches.
SUV or sedan: is the extra worth it?
The CX-5 costs the same $114 a day as a Honda Accord, so if you're choosing between the two, it comes down to taste: the Accord is a little smoother on the highway, the CX-5 sits higher and loads more easily. Against an $98 Corolla, the SUV is worth it when luggage or passengers would otherwise be cramped. For two people staying in the city, eating on South Lamar and parking in tight downtown garages, a compact sedan is usually the better call. For three or more, or anything involving the lake, size up.
When you need more than five seats
We don't rent minivans or seven-seat SUVs. For six or more people, the answer is the 12-seat Ford Transit at $296/day, with room for 10 bags. It works for bachelor and bachelorette weekends on Rainey Street, wedding parties shuttling to a venue in Dripping Springs, youth sports teams and company offsites. Splitting one van between a big group often costs less than two SUVs, and everyone arrives together. Festival weekends book out early; see our SXSW and ACL guide.
Delivery anywhere in Greater Austin
Every SUV is delivered and collected free: at your hotel downtown, a rental house in Lakeway, your office, or the AUS arrivals curb, where we track your flight and hand over the keys in about ten minutes. Details are on the AUS airport page. We also deliver in Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and San Marcos.
If a sedan will do after all, see the main Austin economy car rental page, and for stays of several weeks, monthly car rental.
How it works
- Book online — pick your dates and your vehicle category
- Tell us where to bring it: hotel, home, office, body shop or the airport
- We confirm by phone within the hour and deliver the car clean and fueled at the time you chose
- When you are done, we collect it from the same place
Where we deliver in SUV rental
Free delivery across SUV rental and the rest of Greater Austin, including:
- Downtown Austin hotels
- Lakeway and Lake Travis
- Bee Cave
- Westlake and Barton Creek
- South Congress
- The Domain
- Dripping Springs
- AUS arrivals curb
AUS is about 15 minutes from downtown and 45 minutes from Lake Travis without traffic; we meet arriving flights at the curb with your SUV ready.
Daily, weekly and monthly rates
A Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic is $98 a day, a Honda Accord or Mazda CX-5 $114, the Hyundai Santa Fe $131, the Jeep Grand Cherokee $147, the Jeep Wrangler Sport $164 and the 12-seat Ford Transit $296. Delivery is included, and there is no airport concession fee and no facility charge. Three days or more cost less per day and a week less still; for a month or longer call or text 512-851-0490 and we quote the monthly rate directly.
Also serving Greater Austin
We also cover Dallas-Fort Worth and Greater Houston with the same categories and the same prices.
Common questions
How much is an SUV rental in Austin?
From $114 a day for a Mazda CX-5, $131 for a Hyundai Santa Fe, $147 for a Jeep Grand Cherokee and $164 for a Jeep Wrangler Sport, with free delivery in Greater Austin. Longer rentals cost less per day.
What's the best SUV for a family of four with luggage?
The Hyundai Santa Fe or Jeep Grand Cherokee, which both take four bags. The CX-5 takes three and works if you pack light.
Do you rent 7-seat SUVs or minivans in Austin?
No. All our SUVs have five seats. For six to twelve people, we rent a 12-seat Ford Transit at $296 a day.
Do I need an SUV for Lake Travis or the Hill Country?
Not strictly. The main roads are paved and a sedan will get you there. An SUV is more comfortable on steep, dusty lake parking areas and when you're carrying coolers, floats or camping gear.
Can I rent an SUV at 21 in Austin?
Yes. The minimum age is 21 with no young-driver surcharge, for every category including the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.
Can you deliver the SUV to the Austin airport?
Yes. We track your flight and meet you at the arrivals curb at AUS. See the AUS airport rental page.
Book your car in SUV rental
Pick your vehicle and dates online, or call or text 512-851-0490 and we will sort it out in a couple of minutes. Browse the Austin fleet →
