Car hire prices at Detroit Airport

Detroit Airport typically offers an Intermediate car, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, for around £42 a day when booked about a month ahead for October 2026. A Compact car like the Nissan Versa is about £40 a day, while a Fullsize car is £52. Leaving your booking to the last 2 weeks keeps an Intermediate at £42 and drops a Fullsize to £50. If your quote is higher, check our price checker for your exact dates.

Across the year at Detroit Airport, booking late saves about 46%: an Intermediate averages £50 a day 2 weeks before pickup, compared to £71 9 months before your trip. For an October 2026 trip, booking about a month ahead costs £42 a day for an Intermediate, exactly the same as in the last 2 weeks. If you have not booked yet, you have missed nothing because earlier prices are higher. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of pickup.

Budget and Thrifty are the cheapest companies at Detroit Airport for an Intermediate car, both averaging £49 a day over the last 12 months. Budget takes an average of 9 minutes at the counter, while Thrifty takes 15 minutes. Both desks sit at the airport, but Budget insists on a credit card for the deposit whereas Thrifty accepts debit cards. Neither has enough recent reviews for an overall score, while National averages £66 a day and scores 92/100 from 76 reviews.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

National is the best-reviewed company at Detroit Airport, scoring 92/100 from 76 reviews, with an average counter wait of 24 minutes. National averages £66 a day for an Intermediate car over the last 12 months. Avis follows on reviews with 83/100 from 12 reviews, averaging £53 a day and a 17-minute wait. The cheapest companies, Budget and Thrifty at £49 a day, do not yet have enough reviews for a score.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Detroit Airport, deposits held on your card range from £148 with Budget to £222 with Avis, and only 1 of the 8 counters accepts a debit card without restrictions. Five companies require a credit card, while Hertz and Dollar accept a debit card for some cars only. The deposit and card rule for each vehicle are shown beside it in the results, so filter for a debit card before you compare prices. Any optional extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

The main catches at Detroit Airport are desks that reject debit cards and long waits at the pickup counter. Five of the 8 desks accept credit cards only, so arriving with just a debit card can leave you stranded. Desk queues also vary widely: Enterprise averages 37 minutes, which makes you pay for your car in both money and time. Budget is the fastest counter, averaging 9 minutes.

Only 49% of prices at Detroit Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For motorway driving from Detroit Airport, pick an Intermediate car such as the Volkswagen Jetta, which seats 5 and costs around £42 a day for October 2026. An Intermediate takes 4 bags, making it a practical choice if you carry luggage between cities. A Compact car like the Nissan Versa costs £40 a day and seats 5, but holds only 3 bags. Every car offered at the airport is an automatic, so you will not pay more for one, while electric and hybrid models are not offered.