Rent a sports car – with or without deductible?

When you rent a sports car in Stuttgart, you are required to have fully comprehensive insurance. However, with some offers, you have the option to choose comprehensive coverage with or without a deductible. A rental without deductible is usually a bit more expensive, but in most cases of damage you do not have to bear additional costs. In the following we from mach2cars GmbH go into the advantages and disadvantages of both variants and explain when it is worthwhile to book a rental car without deductible.

When is a rental car without deductible worthwhile?

For every driver of a rental car it is a nightmare to be involved in an accident during the rental period. Even if you have a fully comprehensive insurance, you will be asked to pay in this case under certain circumstances, namely always if you have chosen a fully comprehensive insurance "with deductible. This means that you have to pay for the damage with an own contribution. The amount varies between different car rental companies.
Therefore, we advise you to definitely take a look at the rental conditions before booking. In Canada and the USA a fully comprehensive insurance without deductible has long been the rule. It's worth it, because you have full protection and can save on expensive additional insurances.

Rent a sports car - with or without deductible?

Renting a sports car – the insurance does not cover these damages

If you rent a fast sports car and an accident results in a total loss, you are optimally covered with a fully comprehensive insurance without deductible on the cost level. After all, the amount of damage can amount to several thousand euros for some car rental companies. Information about the amount of your deductible can be found in the respective rental conditions. However, as soon as own fault is involved, the insurance coverage without deductible does not apply anymore. Examples include:

  • gross negligence
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Vandalism
  • Operating errors of the vehicle
  • Wrong parking
  • Driving without a license

For all of the above examples, compensation can still be paid under certain circumstances. It always depends on how the insurance company interprets the case. However, you should not rely on this, but avoid negligence during the rental period as best as possible.

Advantages of a rental with excess

When renting a sports car with an excess, the following rule of thumb applies: the lower the rental price, the higher your excess in the event of a claim. If you are considering this type of comprehensive insurance, be sure to compare prices before booking a rental car. Once you have signed a rental agreement, it often cannot be cancelled free of charge.

You should pay attention to this

As mentioned above, it is generally a good idea to thoroughly review the terms and conditions of your contract. This applies especially to the scope of insurance coverage with deductibles. In this context, make sure that you do not double-insure the deductible of your fully comprehensive insurance. Some car rental companies try to sell you additional insurances. If you have found a fair offer for a rental car with an excess, you can keep your rental costs comparatively low. This is the big advantage. However, no one is immune from damage. For this reason, you are on the safe side if you rent a sports car without deductibles.