Car rental in Singapore is no doubt a tremendously popular choice due to the ever-rising cost of car ownership. In the first three months of 2022 alone, more than one in five cars registered in our country were meant for private hire, mainly car rental.

There are two main types of car rental in Singapore: hourly car rental and long-term car rental. While they’re both quite similar to each other, there still are many differences and each option offers different benefits depending on your needs. Let’s dive right in and learn more, shall we? 🧐

Eager to rent your first car but yet to get a driving licence? Check out these easy-peasy guides to help you get started towards the #FreedomToDrive:

• How to get a driving licence in Singapore
• Driving school vs. private instructor and how much it costs to get a driving licence in Singapore

What is hourly car rental?

Also known as carsharing, hourly car rental is a service which allows you to book a car on a short-term and ad-hoc basis — usually between an hour to a maximum of a day or two.

The benefits of hourly car rental

Hourly car rental is more flexible and convenient

Perhaps one of the most attractive benefits of hourly car rental is how easy it is to book and drive a car — provided that you have a driving licence, of course. For one, cars can be found islandwide at any time of the day or night, with stations typically close to HDBs or public amenities like shopping malls. This means that there are most likely a few cars within a stone’s throw of your residence. When your rental period is over, all you have to do is return the car to its designated parking lot.

Furthermore, hourly car rental services are mostly app-based and are quite straightforward to use, so they don’t bind you with any or much paperwork or contract unlike long-term car rental.

Hourly car rental allows more freedom to choose your car

Because hourly car rental doesn’t require you to commit to one particular car for a long time, you’ll be able to rent from a wide variety of cars and test them out on a regular basis.

Some hourly car rental services even offer premium cars and electric vehicles

You no longer have to tie yourself down to long-term car rental to experience driving a higher-end car. Hourly car rental services these days offer an impressive range which includes premium cars as well as electric vehicles.

For instance, with GetGo, you’ll be able to rent and drive a premium car like the Ssangyong Stavic from just $6/hour and electric vehicles like the Hyundai KONA, Hyundai IONIQ and the MG ZS EV from only $4/hour.

Hourly car rental services usually only require you to pay for what you use

Unlike traditional car rental where you’ll have to manage your own refuelling and make sure that your car is refuelled to a full tank on the last day of your booking, many hourly car rental services like GetGo only charge you for what you use and don’t place any obligation on you to refuel or return your car with a full tank.

Not only that, payment is also a breeze since most hourly car rental service providers operate through their own apps, where you can easily (and securely) add your card details.

What is long-term car rental?

Long-term car rental is a more traditional way where you can stretch your rental period up to weeks, months or even a year. Because of the longer duration, long-term rental tends to involve a lot of paperwork and signing.

The benefits of long-term car rental

You can drive your preferred car for as long as you want

If you have a particular favourite car, traditional rental allows you to drive it for a much longer time. Plus, you know that the car is exclusively yours during your entire booking period.

Long-term car rental services allow you to choose from a large variety of cars

Similar to hourly car rental, long-term rental also offers many options — from economical to higher-end cars. If you’re particularly fond of driving premium cars but don’t want to put yourself through the stress of car ownership, long-term car rental is worth giving a shot.

Hourly car rental vs. long-term car rental: Which one is for you?

Frankly, this really depends on your personal needs. If you don’t drive frequently, short-term car rental would be a more economical option since you’ll only be paying for the time and mileage used. Renting a car for weeks or months in this case wouldn’t be so advisable if the car is going to be sitting in the car park most of the time.

However, if you’ll be driving every day, long-term car rental may be a more suitable option for you.

With GetGo, you’ll be able to rent a car from just one hour to a maximum of five days. Whether you’re sending the kids to school, going for a quick grocery run or taking the family out for a weekend drive, there’s a GetGo car that’ll suit your needs.

Ready to explore short-term car rental? Download GetGo now to rent a car from just $3/hour and use code G50BLOG to get 50% off* (capped at $8) your first drive.

* Code is only valid for the first booking. Other T&Cs apply.

Happy driving!
Luna 🤩