Seattle to Olympic National Park Total for two-day Toyota Prius car rental and round-trip gas: $142

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on July 17, 2008. To see the most recent SmarterTravel articles lowest car rental rates on related topics, please click on any of the following links: car rental , fuel , Hertz , Sarah Pascarella .
With everyone feeling the crunch of high fuel prices this summer, it's seems a no-brainer to rent a hybrid car you'll use less gas and get more for your buck, right? Actually, the answer may be no. With a bit of investigation, I found choosing an economy car over a hybrid was often the more economical choice.
The problem lowest car rental rates lies not in the gas mileage, but in the per-day rental car rates. Economy cars are typically lowest car rental rates the cheapest on the market they're lowest car rental rates small, are relative gas-sippers, lowest car rental rates and usually have no frills (don't expect auto locks, a souped-up stereo system, or other gadgets), leading to a low per-day lowest car rental rates rental price. They're also available pretty much everywhere, so the supply and demand ratio is usually at a good balance. Conversely, hybrids lowest car rental rates feature desirable amenities such as excellent gas mileage, nice stereos, heated seats, and the like and they aren't offered at many national rental agencies. ( Hertz was the only provider I found that consistently rents such models.) When I did find them available for rental, their per-day rates were astronomical more than $60 per day at some locations.
San Francisco to Yosemite National Park Total for two-day Toyota Prius hybrid car rental and round-trip gas: $194 Total for two-day lowest car rental rates Hyundai Accent economy car rental and round-trip gas: $139 Best value: Economy car saves $55
New York City to Cape May beaches, New Jersey Total for two-day Toyota Prius car rental and round-trip gas: $258 Total for two-day Hyundai Accent car rental and round-trip gas: $257 Best value: About the same (Economy saves $1)
Seattle to Olympic National Park Total for two-day Toyota Prius car rental and round-trip gas: $142 Total for two-day Hyundai Accent car rental and round-trip gas: $99 Best value: Economy car saves $43
The best advice? Don't book blindly. Take advantage of online fuel cost calculators and price-comparison sites (such as SmarterTravel.com's price-comparison tool ) to research the best value for your upcoming trip.