Business Travel News 2026 Car Rental Survey Surprises
Business Travel News' 2026 car rental survey found that National Car Rental remained the top-rated supplier for an 11th straight year, Enterprise stayed second, and Hertz made the biggest jump by rising to third, signaling that service quality improved even as pricing and perks remained a pain point for buyers. The survey, fielded from February 1 to March 11, 2026 among 163 corporate travel buyers and agents, also showed the industry's overall rating rising to 4.10 from 4.04 on a five-point scale.
What the survey says
The headline from the 2026 survey is not just that National won again, but that the gap between the best and the rest narrowed in a few important categories while traveler frustration persisted around value, rate negotiation, and consistency. National's overall score improved to 4.29, Enterprise rose to 4.21, Hertz climbed to 4.11, Avis held near 3.96, and Budget slipped to 3.93, making Budget the only brand to lose ground year over year.
That matters because Business Travel News' annual survey is widely read by corporate travel managers who use it as a snapshot of supplier performance, especially for managed travel programs where reliability matters as much as price. The 2026 results suggest the ground transport market is stabilizing after a weaker stretch in 2025, but not necessarily becoming easier to buy or manage.
Why travelers are frustrated
The strongest signal in the 2026 results is that service quality improved faster than pricing power. That is good news for frequent travelers who care about vehicle availability, pickup speed, and counter experience, but it does not solve the recurring complaints about negotiation, amenities, and the total cost of rental.
In practical terms, the survey points to a familiar corporate-travel problem: suppliers can win on service while still disappointing travel buyers on contracting and consistency. The pricing pressure issue has been visible for several years, and 2026 appears to confirm that it remains the hardest part of the category to improve.
Ranking snapshot
The 2026 leaderboard shows a stable top tier with one notable mover. National kept first place, Enterprise stayed second, and Hertz's climb to third was the clearest sign of momentum among the major brands. Avis and Budget remained lower on the list, with Budget the only company to post a decline in overall score.
| Supplier | 2026 score | Year-over-year change | Survey position |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Car Rental | 4.29 | Improved | 1st |
| Enterprise Rent-A-Car | 4.21 | Improved | 2nd |
| Hertz | 4.11 | Up 0.21 points | 3rd |
| Avis | 3.96 | Roughly flat | 4th |
| Budget | 3.93 | Declined | 5th |
How it compares
The most meaningful comparison is with 2025, when National had already extended its streak and the broader category had softened slightly. In 2025, BTN said National topped the survey for a 10th year and the industry average had slipped, which makes the 2026 improvement notable because it suggests a partial recovery rather than a full reset.
Hertz deserves special attention because its rise to third place was the largest year-over-year move among major brands. For travel buyers, that kind of jump usually signals that operational fixes, fleet availability, or customer experience improvements are beginning to show up in the market.
What travel managers should do
Corporate buyers should treat the 2026 survey as a reminder to separate brand reputation from contract performance. A supplier can score well overall while still creating friction in billing, rate compliance, or last-minute changes, so managed travel teams should review their own program data alongside the BTN results.
- Review pickup and return metrics, not just average score.
- Track rate discrepancies between contracted and walked pricing.
- Measure vehicle availability at your busiest airports.
- Compare customer-service complaints by supplier and location.
- Use the survey to support re-bid conversations with underperforming brands.
That approach is especially useful for companies with frequent airport rentals, because local station performance often matters more than a national brand's headline score. A high-ranking supplier in the BTN survey can still underperform in specific cities, and travel policy should reflect that reality.
Context from past years
The long arc of the survey helps explain why the 2026 results matter. National's streak has stretched across a decade and then some, Enterprise has held second place for multiple years, and Hertz's 2026 gain suggests a rebound after being stuck behind its peers in prior surveys.
That historical consistency makes the survey especially valuable for procurement teams because it reveals which suppliers tend to maintain service quality over time rather than just in one strong quarter. The multi-year pattern also shows that the market is competitive at the top but still uneven in the middle.
Why this matters now
For business travelers, the practical takeaway is simple: the best-rated suppliers are improving, but the category still has unresolved friction around value and booking flexibility. For travel managers, the 2026 survey is less a victory lap than a warning to keep pressure on suppliers to improve negotiated terms and guest experience at the station level.
For suppliers, the results show that brand trust can still be won through consistency, even in a market where cost concerns remain intense. National's repeated first-place finish demonstrates that in corporate travel, execution still beats marketing when buyers are asked to rank the experience.
FAQ
Helpful tips and tricks for Business Travel News 2026 Car Rental Survey Surprises
Who won Business Travel News' 2026 car rental survey?
National Car Rental won the 2026 survey for the 11th consecutive year, followed by Enterprise Rent-A-Car in second and Hertz in third.
What changed most in 2026?
The biggest change was Hertz moving from fifth place to third, while the overall industry score also improved from 4.04 to 4.10.
What was the main complaint in the survey?
The results point to ongoing frustration with pricing, negotiation, and the overall value proposition, even as service quality improved.
Why does this survey matter to corporate travel buyers?
It gives travel managers a benchmark for supplier performance and helps them identify where program improvements or contract changes may be needed.