How does KAYAK rank cars?

KAYAK aggregates car hire deals from hundreds of travel sites and displays them in one place. Here’s how the ranking works.

Default display.

KAYAK shows you all available car hire deals without applying a specific default ranking like “recommended” or “best.” You’ll see results from major rental companies including Thrifty, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, Payless, and more.

Sorting by price.

To rank results by lowest or highest price:

  • Use the price sort option on the results page
  • Select “lowest price” to see the cheapest deals first
  • Select “highest price” to see the most expensive deals first

When multiple providers offer identical deals.

If the same car hire deal appears on multiple provider sites, KAYAK shows all providers but highlights one main provider for that deal. This highlight is based on factors like customer popularity or ratings.

How to narrow your results.

Before sorting by price, use the filters on the results page to focus your search:

  • Apply filters for car type, transmission, and other preferences
  • This helps you organise the list before sorting by price
  • Compare options across all providers shown for each vehicle

KAYAK pulls deals directly from provider sites and displays them without adding extra fees, so you can compare prices accurately and choose the best deal for your needs.

For more information.