Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace - so is it any good for travellers?

Aussies love a good old road trip - whether you're hitting up the coast or venturing inland for a country getaway, there's really no better country on earth for exploring.

But what if your car isn't big enough for all your camping gear, or doesn't have the right clearance for dirt roads? Or what if you're flying interstate to start your drive?

Normally, you'd consider a car rental company.

But the car-sharing app Turo wants you to reconsider.

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What it is

Turo is a car-sharing marketplace - think of it kind of like an Airbnb for cars. Their mission is to "put the world's 1.5 billion cars to better use".

Instead of hiring a car through a rental car agency, Turo is a simple app that lets real people list their vehicles, for others to rent.

I first used Turo in the US in 2019 when my rental car booking fell through as I didn't have the right credit card with me for check-in.

Since then, I've done at least 10 bookings with Turo, all of which have been nothing but smooth sailing.

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Choosing your car

The best thing is that you can see exactly which car you'll be renting - none of this vague "mid-sized sedan or similar" nonsense that comes from big car hire companies.

So if you're camping, you can get a 4WD, if you're travelling with kids you can get a big soccer mum car, or you can opt for something small and zippy for an easy city getaway.

On a recent trip to Adelaide, I rented a Tesla through Turo - a great way to experience driving a car I've always been curious about but never been able to try.

Pick up

While car rental companies tend to be located at the airport, as Turo cars are listed by regular people, the pickup location could be anywhere.

However, many offer airport delivery for a small fee - I paid $50 to have the owner meet me at the airport with the car.

Because I'd never driven a Tesla before, the owner took me through the ropes and showed me the ins and outs of the car - which made me a lot more comfortable behind the wheel.

Driving

This isn't a Tesla review, so I won't get into the specifics too much. But it was definitely a lot more fun zipping around in a Telsa than in the 2007 Toyota I drive at home.

Any questions you have with the car, you'll be able to access a chat feature in the app where you can get in touch with the host instantly.

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Drop off

I ended up arriving back at the airport about three minutes before my flight was set to board... not ideal.

If I'd had to wait in line at a rental car desk then go through the inspection process, I'd surely have missed my flight. But the Turo process just involved parking the car in a designated lot at the airport, snapping a few pics of the exterior, and then ending the tip by clicking a button in the app.

Perfect for anyone who always seems to find themselves in a hurry at the airport.

The verdict

As a millennial who prefers to not talk to people unless I really have to, Turo makes the whole process of finding, booking, and picking up a car so easy.

And if you book in advance, many hosts offer early bird discounts - something that makes it a lot cheaper than booking with traditional car rental companies.

The writer's car rental was paid for by Turo.