This price is the cheapest per day rate found by a KAYAK user in the last 48 hours by searching for a car rental in Santa Ana with a pick-up date of 22/9 and drop-off date of 1/10. Fares are subject to change and may not be available at all agencies or on all dates of rental. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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Cheap car rentals in Santa Ana
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Best rates found by KAYAK users in the past 48 hours.
Booking Insights
Good to know
Most popular agency
Most popular car type
Average price
Good deal
GREEN MOTION
Intermediate
C$ 59/day
C$ 47/day
KAYAK’s insights & trends for Santa Ana car rentals
Check out the latest trends and booking tips to rent a car in Santa Ana with confidence.
How far in advance should you book a rental car in Santa Ana?
You should book your rental car in Santa Ana around 7 days before your trip in order to get a below-average price.
What is the cheapest car rental company in Santa Ana?
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Sixt (C$ 34.69/day), Dollar (C$ 37.34/day), and Budget (C$ 38.51/day). The cheapest rental car price was found at Sixt 18601 Airport Way (7.6 km from city centre).
What is the best rental car company in Santa Ana?
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in Santa Ana are Hertz (6.6, 12 reviews), Alamo (9.3, 7 reviews), and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.6, 15 reviews).
Economy rentals (Mitsubishi Mirage or similar) are the most popular type of vehicle to rent in Santa Ana. Economy rentals in Santa Ana cost C$ 66/day on average, though some users have found deals as low as C$ 56/day.
What is the cheapest month to rent a car in Santa Ana?
The cheapest month to rent a car in Santa Ana is January at an average cost of C$ 63/day. July is the most expensive month to rent a car in Santa Ana when prices are C$ 87/day on average, which tends to be 68% above the yearly average rental price for Santa Ana.
What rental car company in Santa Ana has the most locations?
Avis, Budget, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Midway each operate 3 locations in Santa Ana, more than any other rental company.
Most renters own auto policies cover any damages, and are first to be used in the event of an accident, even if more coverage is purchased from the car rental company.
Verified travelerNov 2024
Make sure to ask and check prices with the rental company before signing or taking the key
Verified travelerOct 2024
Inspect the car before leaving with it.
MichaelAug 2024
Remember, extras such as insurance, Express lane toll access, and gas are OPTIONAL, despite what the rental agency staff would have you believe.
AmritMay 2024
Book with other rental companies such as Enterprise, Alamo, National, Avis, etc who are located at Airport and you won’t have to go outside the airport to pick up rental car. Green Motion office is not on Airport and you have to go outside the airport to pick up or drop off rental and moreover they can close their office anytime.
ShelbyAug 2023
Easy to rent. Rental cars onsite in the airport, no need to shuttle offsite.
Verified travelerJul 2023
Don’t start in the garage. Go up to the arriving flights
Verified travelerJun 2023
4 out of 5. Only because of strong cologne smell.
KAYAK’s top tips for renting a car in Santa Ana
A rental car is the perfect way to explore not only Orange County's largest city, but also other major destinations along the Californian coast. The Santa Ana River is just a short 10-mile ride from the center, and some of the most famous beaches are located about 20 minutes to the south, including Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Hop in the car to visit the world famous Disneyland theme park, which is only 6 miles away from Santa Ana.
All the big car rental agencies can be found at John Wayne International Airport (SNA), which is located about 9 miles from the city center. Car rental services are conveniently situated in the Arrivals hall, which is on the lower level between Terminals A and B. A good point of reference is the John Wayne statue, as the desks can be found right across from it. When returning the vehicle, head to the lower level of Parking Structures A2 and B2.
The city of Santa Ana itself is pretty straightforward to navigate, and it's also quite safe. But it is densely populated, and the downtown area is the main entertainment hub, which means it's probably best to avoid driving in that area and try walking instead. Orange County also observes a rise in visitors and outdoor activities during the summer, so bare in mind there will be more people on the road as well as more tourists walking around.
Traffic in California is world-famous, but traffic patterns in Orange County aren't as simple because lots of people travel to different places, and traffic heads to different directions at different times of the day, including to Irvine, Los Angeles, and Anaheim. However, if you do avoid driving between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and then again between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m, you should be able to escape the worst jams.
Renting a vehicle is your best bet if you are touring Santa Ana to enjoy the city’s attraction sites. Renting a car from one of the popular and reliable car rentals in Santa Ana will enable you to navigate and get to your destinations faster than public transport. Lyon Air Museum, Bowers Museum, and Santa Ana Zoo at Prentice Park are some of the city’s top attraction sites you can visit. If you’d like to visit the three places about 9 miles apart, it will take you approximately 45min by bus. However, if you use a rental car from Enterprise of Heltz, you’ll be there in about 11min.
The cheap car rentals in Santa Ana’s Amtrak Station and nearby areas are highly-preferred. Their locations are perfect for passengers arriving at the train station who are looking to rent vehicles within the city. As you arrive at the station, the car rentals within the station save you the hassle of making your way deeper into the city to access a rental car. Metrolink Santa Ana Station also has car rental companies conveniently located close to the station. For instance, Enterprise is about 15 miles from the station.
If you are considering getting cheap car rentals in Santa Ana for use within the city, it is essential to identify parking spots that you’d use. Santa Ana has several free parking spots, which are ideal for those on a budget. If you intend to visit the neighborhood around Santa Ana Metrolink Station, the train station offers ample and secure free parking. Also, if you find yourself on W 5th Street, you can park your rental car at Parking Concepts or Ace Parking. Santa Ana Public Library is also an excellent pick for parking, thanks to the parking structures that make it secure.
25% of our users found rental cars in Santa Ana for C$ 47 or less
Compact rental cars in Santa Ana are around 42% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Santa Ana
What type of car is recommended for driving in Santa Ana?
If you're just driving within the city or Orange County, a compact car is a good option as it's easy to park downtown. But if you're embarking on a road trip along the Californian coast, a convertible is a fun option, especially when the weather is good. If you're traveling with the whole family, a minivan is a good choice as it provides space for everyone.
What’s the speed limit in Santa Ana?
The speed limit in the city is typically 35 miles per hour, but it may lower to 25 mph in certain residential areas and school zones, in which case the speed limit signs will be posted. Two-lane undivided highways have a speed limit of 55 mph, while most highways have a 65 mph limit. However, some highways allow drivers to go as fast as 70 mph.
Where are the best places to park in Santa Ana?
Street parking in Santa Ana is paid from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Saturday, but it is free outside of those hours, all day on Sunday, and on public holidays. The average meter prices are $0.75 per hour in the downtown area (East End), while the approximate rate at parking lots and garages is $1.50 per hour, and $18 for 24 hours.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Santa Ana?
On average a rental car in Santa Ana costs C$ 59 per day.
Which car rental companies are at Los Angeles airport (LAX)?
How much does an Intermediate car rental cost in Santa Ana?
An Intermediate car rental in Santa Ana costs C$ 71 per day, on average.
How much does a Standard car rental cost in Santa Ana?
A Standard car rental in Santa Ana costs C$ 51 per day, on average.
How much does a Special car rental cost in Santa Ana?
A Special car rental in Santa Ana costs C$ 61 per day, on average.
Do I need insurance cover before renting out a car in Santa Ana?
It is essential to insure your car rental is insured before leaving with it. If you have a car, then it is likely that your primary insurance will cover you once you decide to rent a car. This will keep you covered in case of an accident or severe mishap.
Which car rental companies in Santa Ana have the best pick-up and drop-off services?
Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, and Budget are some car rental services offering excellent pick-up and drop-off services. It is fast because of their more than two stations in the city. Allied and Sunnycars are also great options.
I’m not sure where the problem resides, but our reservation on KAYAK was not clear and accurate. We called Hertz to inquire about possibly picking a car up earlier. They informed us that the car that we had rented was a managers, special and that deal was an electric car. We did not realize that we would have to drive an electric car 400 miles to return it at another location. We had to get another car and that raised our rental by $50 not including tax.
2.0 Poor
Anonymous, Jan 2024
Compact
Car was 4 yrs.old not washed, tape on front glass and window, did not run smooth, check engine light came on after just a couple days! Tried to exchange or even get downgrade for better car! Closed me out early, which I did not want to do?! Lost 2 days of rental lost 2 grays lf work and left stranded at Hertz office!! Plus on top of that !! Charged me even more!! Than agreed price.
2.0 Poor
Anonymous, Apr 2021
Cons:
My car had a flat tire and was gross and dirty and ended up needing to be replaced which made us miss a lot of things ur vacation
9.6 Wonderful
Tim, Oct 2020
Pros:
Staff was friendly and helpful.
Cons:
Location was further away from airport than I thought.
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, Sep 2020
Pros:
No complaints. Staff very polite and professional. Will definitely patronize this office again in the future
The rental pick up was quick, easy and friendly agent .. the drop off was even quicker and the agent was super nice even at 430 in the morning and very cold ..great experience
Fast friendly service on both ends of our one-way rental. Vehicle performed as needed. Awesome job!
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, Apr 2024
Luxury
Really friendly and on task staff @ John Wayne Enterprise
2.0 Poor
Anonymous, May 2021
Cons:
This rental did not happen, they did not have the car available I was attempting to renf
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, Mar 2021
Pros:
Staff was very accommodating and helpful. Got me a good fair deal, and the customer service was excellent.
Cons:
They overbooked the car I rented, but they made up for it 10 fold. No complaints.
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, Feb 2021
Pros:
How quick they can get you out of there with your rental car, especially during Covid times. No need to step inside the office.
Cons:
Overall it was well done. Limited vehicle choice but I was at a smaller office location. Also customer service said we could get a 4x4 but the office staff were more up front and honest about that. So I’m glad I called ahead.
Easy pick up. Really fast. I just extended my rental. I would recommend.
4.0 Mediocre
Anonymous, Aug 2024
Standard
Horrible the car was filthy all dented up trash the inside when we were supposed to get an SUV the car was to small to get in & out of. Poor service
8.0 Very good
Anonymous, Aug 2024
Supplier choice
The final bill was quite a difference from expected. The agent looked at the breakdown and said , “taxes and fees” but the numbers still didn’t match up.
4.0 Mediocre
Mark, Nov 2023
Intermediate SUV
b
4.0 Mediocre
Joel, Oct 2023
Standard
The car made a ton of noise, it sounded like it needs a new muffler. The car also vibrated at highway speeds. It made driving it quite uncomfortable.
4.0 Mediocre
mariel, Apr 2021
Pros:
Staff was friendly & nice
Cons:
We had reserved a mini van only to be told it was not available an hour before. We then accepted the alternative since we were pressed for time. Everything seemed ok until we loaded all our luggage, kids & grandma buckled up ...within minutes there were trails of ants all over!! Totally disgusting...this has never happened before. I called to complain but was told by the agent that this happens when cars are parked in grassy areas. When I first got in the car , I noticed some crumbs & just brushed it off. Looking back there is absolutely no excuse for this neglect in properly & throughly cleaning a car . This was unacceptable & we then drove to another location to swap the car for the minivan I reserved in the first place 😫 This whole ordeal set us back over an hour & in turn we missed our evening reservation. This caused so much inconvenience. That I will definitely think twice about renting from this company again :(
The whole experience was horrible. I went to the rental counter after arriving, waited 30 mins in a queue of only a few people, only to be told my card couldn’t be accepted (Apple MC), nor could my debit (BoA). I made the reservation with this same card even. I was then told he could get me a good deal with another company offsite (Stop then Go). Same thing occurred to the people in line behind me. We wait for a shuttle to the offsite company and I did get a car. But at this point, I am hour behind schedule, and now no longer in the electric car I’d chosen with Dollar, and in a very basic gas Hyundai. And the Dollar rep said I’d have to contact Dollar myself to cancel the reservation I’d already paid for. So that was another chunk of my time spent dealing with it all, and now I have to wait like 10 days for the investigation into why I asked to cancel, before I get my money back for the car I was never given. An absolute nasty process overall, with no consideration for the customers time whatsoever.
10.0 Wonderful
Susan, May 2021
Pros:
The staff was helpful and the line was short.
Cons:
I actually needed help finding the car, which a staff member eventually did.
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, May 2021
Pros:
Yes For sure despite heavy rush .
Cons:
Definitely more work force were needed to handle the heavy rush
4.0 Mediocre
Anonymous, Mar 2021
Pros:
Staff was super friendly
Cons:
If there are hour long waits, there should be special accommodations to make people comfortable. They had 20 people waiting for Cars and only sitting areas for 3-4 people
I picked up a car from Budget and they kept screwing up the rate. They told me that they’d fix it after I sign everything. Then I was told that it can’t be fixed since I’ve signed everything. When I returned the car, they also snuck in a $20 charge because it was under 75 miles. We asked for a paper receipt for itemized charge and they said they don’t do that. Then when we went into the office, they said there is a $20 charge because we don’t show our gas receipt, but we were never asked to show it nor were we told. When I asked the agent about it, he said “it’s on the screen, we can’t possibly tell you everything that’s on there”. They rushed me through signing it though. Never rent from Budget. They scam you and they don’t feel bad about it.
2.0 Poor
Raquel, Jul 2025
Compact
Bad experience
2.0 Poor
Anonymous, Jul 2025
Full-size SUV
No car was reserved for us. Tried to gave us smaller car. Had to cancel our booking. Very disappointed and frustrated.
2.0 Poor
Daniel, May 2025
Intermediate SUV
The car was dirty and smelled bad and got less of a car than what I reserved and paid for.
10.0 Wonderful
Anonymous, May 2025
Intermediate
Affordable rate, friendly and professional staff
2.0 Poor
Zoya, Apr 2025
Full-size SUV
Will not be renting from budget again - whether it’s for work or personal
1 out of 23
National
9.0
Wonderful
Cleanliness
8.0
Comfort
9.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
9.5
Value for money
9.0
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
19051 Airport Way North
+1 833 679 2045
Monday
07:00 - 23:30
Tuesday
07:00 - 23:30
Wednesday
07:00 - 23:30
Thursday
07:00 - 23:30
Friday
07:00 - 23:30
Saturday
07:00 - 23:30
Sunday
07:00 - 23:30
Filters
No reviews available
Sixt
7.4
Good
One location in Santa Ana
fromC$ 45/day
Locations in Santa Ana
18601 Airport Way
+1 888 749 8227
Monday
07:00 - 23:30
Tuesday
07:00 - 23:30
Wednesday
07:00 - 23:30
Thursday
07:00 - 23:30
Friday
07:00 - 23:30
Saturday
07:00 - 23:30
Sunday
07:00 - 23:30
Filters
No reviews available
Midway
6.3
Okay
3 locations in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
1221 E Warner Ave, Santa Ana
+1 310 330 4600
Monday
00:00 - 00:00
Tuesday
00:00 - 00:00
Wednesday
00:00 - 00:00
Thursday
00:00 - 00:00
Friday
00:00 - 00:00
Saturday
00:00 - 00:00
Sunday
00:00 - 00:00
3131 S. Standard Ave
Opening times not available
Santa Ana Airport
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Thrifty
5.5
Fair
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
18601, Airport Way
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
York Car Rental
4.1
Mediocre
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
18601 Airport Way
+1 949 252 5200
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Firefly
2.0
Poor
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
3500 Irvine Avenue, Orange County
+1 888 296 9135
Monday
00:00 - 00:00
Tuesday
00:00 - 00:00
Wednesday
00:00 - 00:00
Thursday
00:00 - 00:00
Friday
00:00 - 00:00
Saturday
00:00 - 00:00
Sunday
00:00 - 00:00
Filters
No reviews available
Easirent
4.5
Mediocre
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
John Wayne Airport-Orange County
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
MAGGIORE
7.6
Good
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
John Wayne airport
+1 310 645 2100
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Allied
No score available yet
2 locations in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
1333 S Main Street
+1 714 835 4990
Opening times not available
201 E. MacArthur Blvd.
+1 714 850 0900
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Sunnycars
No score available yet
2 locations in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
18601 Airport Way
Opening times not available
19051 Airport Way North
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Advance Car And Truck Rental
No score available yet
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
18601 Airport Way, Thomas F. Riley Terminal, Santa Ana, California
+1 949 752 7832
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Avr
No score available yet
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
Santa Ana Airport
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Rent-4-Less
No score available yet
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
2015 N.Tustin Avenue
(714) 667-0841
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
Zeeba Rent-A-Van
No score available yet
One location in Santa Ana
Locations in Santa Ana
18601 Airport Way
+1 800 940 9332
Opening times not available
Filters
No reviews available
401 travellers who rented a car in Santa Ana gave the car agency they used an average rating of 5.6
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