Best Car Rental Agency in San Jose Costa Rica

Last updated on June 8th, 2021 at 12:45 pm EST

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Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Which Costa Rica car rental agency is the best?
Is the best Costa Rica car rental agency Mapache Rent-A-Car?
How Mapache Rent-A-Car earned our trust
- Philosophy
- Mission
- Vision
- Transparency
- Experience
- Fleet
- Community outreach and donation efforts
- Sustainability efforts
- If you're questioning Mapache Rent-A-Car's intent, here's what we have to say about it
Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's head office in San Sebastian, San Jose
Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's SJO Airport office in Alajuela
Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's LIR Airport office in Liberia
Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's Arenal office in La Fortuna

Which Costa Rica car rental agency is the best?

We are no strangers to car rentals in Costa Rica. Unlike several of our colleagues and other travel Costa Rica bloggers, we rely on rental cars—not our own personal vehicle—to get around when we hit the road for long-term, cross-country tours. Since rental cars are maintained regularly and aren't typically more than a few years old, we find them to be a reliable mode of transportation when we need to cover significant ground on a schedule that doesn't allow for surprise delays.

Our vast experience driving around Costa Rica has led to the development of several Costa Rica rental car-related articles on this blog, including the posts Renting A Car In Costa Rica: Should You Do It?, Costa Rica Car Rental Insurance Information, andHow Not To Fall For Costa Rica Car Rental Scams. Regardless, one question we're routinely asked that isn't answered by our other blog posts is this: "Which Costa Rica car rental agency is the best?"

It's impossible for us to answer this question because our interests and needs likely differ from yours. But what we can do is let you know which Costa Rica car rental agency we choose to rent cars through. Truthfully, we've experimented with a few. The only one we've gone back to, which we've done over and over again, is Mapache Rent-A-Car.

Is the best Costa Rica car rental agency Mapache Rent-A-Car?

Right about now you're probably wondering, "Why Mapache Rent-A-Car"? Our simplest and most direct answer is the following:

We prefer to rent vehicles through Mapache Rent-A-Car because we have a long-running, positive relationship with their company. Years ago, when we would process Costa Rica car rental reservations on behalf of travelers, Mapache Rent-A-Car proved to be a reliable partner time and time again. They always handled our clients' car rentals professionally, they never charged surprise insurances or fees, and they offered quick and efficient communication. Today, though we no longer handle Costa Rica car rental reservations for travelers (you can use our free Costa Rica car rental discount code here to save 25%-50% off rental car reservations placed directly with Mapache Rent-A-Car), we continue to give them our personal business. We also trust that, given the bond our companies have built for more than a decade, Mapache Rent-A-Car's respect for us—and travelers who may book with them after reading our blog post—will continue to translate to positive rental experiences.

From a philanthropic perspective, we love that Mapache Rent-A-Car is a company that strives for change. What's more, they're actually doing something to achieve it.

If you're like most travelers who rent a car in Costa Rica, you probably want to make sure that the vehicle you rent is relatively new and in good working condition. You probably also want the Costa Rica car rental agency you choose to work with to offer decent customer service. While we want the same when we rent a car in Costa Rica, we also want to give our business to a company that is worthy of it. To determine worth, we consider the Costa Rica car rental agency's philosophy, mission, vision, transparency, experience, fleet, community outreach/donation effort,; and sustainability efforts. In honor of the "do good" mentality that fuels our own business, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., we need to know that the individuals and corporations we opt to connect with (Costa Rica car rental agencies included) truly care about helping others and our planet just as much, if not more, than we do.

How Mapache Rent-A-Car earned our trust

Let's start with Mapache Rent-A-Car's corporate statements, which are:

Philosophy

In this era of intense competition in business, Mapache Rent a Car ® seeks as an organization to establish the best way, all the necessary factors to achieve quality service, considering a strategy for quality care, facing the Customer Service area by affirming positive attitudes in treatment and respect for people, friendly smile, appropriate techniques for conversation, the selfless help; which are aspects that contribute to attract customers as we ensure a personalized treatment of them, considering the kind of customer. Telephone contact, email communication, attention of settled claims, as well as our facilities are the main elements within our organization.

Mission

To be a facilitator for the tourist through a highly qualified and identified staff with the objectives of the company, to ensure total customer satisfaction through joint work with suppliers and partners.

Vision

To be the best company with Costa Rican capital in car rental business in the country through an orderly and sustainable growth with meticulous and personalized customer service with a clean production system that respects the environment and consider the views or opinions of our consumers.

On paper, Mapache Rent-A-Car's intentions, which are outlined by their corporate statements, are a good start. What counts though, is how the Costa Rica car rental agency puts their plans into practice.

Transparency

As we touch on in our related blog posts Costa Rica Car Rental Insurance Information andHow Not To Fall For Costa Rica Car Rental Scams, one of the most important things to look out for after you decide to rent a car in Costa Rica is whether or not your car rental quote automatically includes basic mandatory insurance (please see the articles linked to above to learn about Costa Rica's two-part basic mandatory insurance, including what you're required to purchase in Costa Rica and what you can purchase from home). In a courtesy act of full disclosure, Mapache Rent-A-Car is one of few car rental agencies that automatically quotes vehicles with both parts of basic mandatory insurance included. In order to appear less expensive, several other Costa Rica car rental agencies only include one part of basic mandatory insurance in their rates, hoping you won't notice, only to surprise you later with significant, additional mandatory fees.

You can verify Mapache Rent-A-Car's transparency for yourself by visiting their website and selecting a car to rent. On the screen that displays insurance options, you'll see a checkbox in the box marked "C.D.W." (which refers to "CDW insurance", a kind of insurance that includes both parts of basic mandatory insurance). Since the "C.D.W." box is pre-selected, this means that car rental quotes obtained through Mapache Rent-A-Car automatically include the insurances you need to have in order to rent a car in Costa Rica. In other words, so long as the "C.D.W." box is selected, you can rest assured that you won't be charged additional insurance-related fees upon picking up the vehicle, unless you intentionally choose to add optional supplementary insurance coverage to your reservation. Also available on Mapache Rent-A-Car's website is a list of prices for extra items you may be interested in securing with your car rental, such as baby seats and booster seats. We think it's great that Mapache Rent-A-Car discloses these prices upfront, to avoid surprises and help you budget for the rental. See the images below for screenshots from Mapache Rent-A-Car's website.

Experience

Mapache Rent-A-Car's team is comprised of a group of employees, many of whom have worked with the company for several of its 20+ years. Since low employee turnover is a great indication of high company morale and an enjoyable work environment, we take this to mean that Mapache Rent-A-Car's internal operations are solid. The office staff not only like each other, but they work well together too.

As outsiders looking in on their operation, Mapache Rent-A-Car always seems to be "on". Meticulously, they stay on top of every airport pick-up service, every rental car delivery, and every rental car return. How do we know? Because when we used to place Costa Rica car rental reservation with them on behalf of travelers, the company would regularly send us updates regarding the status of cars leaving their offices, the status of cars being returned to their offices, and tons of other reservation-related details. The fact that they were always able to keep us so well informed showed us that they make it a priority to stay on top of their game.

From a tourist perspective, it's worth knowing that Mapache Rent-A-Car has English-speaking representatives working for their reservations department, a functioning website that offers a free live chat service, and even a mobile app.

If you enjoy scanning through lists of awards and acknowledgements, take a look at the following:

The Company Manager for Mapache signed the Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, pledging to uphold, promote and implement the values of responsible and sustainable tourism development championed by the Code and undertake to report on their implementation of the Code's principles in their corporate governance to the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (2013)
The Ministry of Environment and Energy gave Mapache the Guayacán Award for meritorious work pro environment (2013)
The National Commission on Ecological Blue Flag Program awarded Mapache with the prize of BAE Category: Actions to front climate change (2013)
Mapache was awarded the prize of Tourism Industry to the best car rental company by the National Chamber of Tourism (2011)
The Institute of Technical Norms of Costa Rica INTECO certified the process of carbon neutrality of Mapache (2011)
COSEVI recognized road safety work and the efforts of Mapache as they developed programs not only internally but for the national levels, that lead them to become certified as a safe company by the Commitment to Road Safety (2009-2010)
The Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) gave the Regional Award for Cleaner Production to Mapache (2009)
The Ministry of Environment and Energy recognized the contribution that Mapache gave to government policies to reduce CO2 as well as the contribution it made to environmental reforestation and awareness of society to protect the environment (2008)
The Minister of Environment recognized the participation of Mapache for the support and participation of the "Dare You To Plant A Tree" Campaign (¡A Que Sembrás Un Arbol!) (2008)

Fleet

Back when we first started touring Costa Rica by rental car, we often found ourselves driving a super old Nissan Sentra, or bopping around in a tiny, 4-wheel-drive Suzuki Jimny. Nowadays, rental cars are more luxurious. Every time we rent through Mapache Rent-A-Car we receive a relatively new vehicle because they update their fleet every few years. They also offer a selection of 4×4- and non-4×4 vehicles, as well as vehicles with manual or automatic transmissions. Traveling with a big group? Consider renting the 10-passenger Nissan Urvan. We've rented it a few times through Mapache Rent-A-Car for large family vacations, and I'll admit, it's a blast driving that van around, pretending to be as swell as professional Costa Rican drivers.

It pays to know that Mapache Rent-A-Car's fleet is well-kept. Cars must pass a safety test each time they re-enter the office, which sees mechanics thoroughly check the vehicle according to criteria outlined on a master list. All maintenance work is recorded, and must include the work date and the name of the inspector/mechanic who handled the job.

To help enforce accountability and provide reassurance to travelers, Mapache Rent-A-Car takes photos of cars when they're rented out, and repeats the process when the vehicles are returned. This means there's a record of damage caused (or a record of no damage caused) with each reservation.

Community outreach and donation efforts

If you ever find yourself at Mapache Rent-A-Car's head office, take a moment to look at the wall that showcases past events hosted by the company. It displays photos of tree-planing days, local school visits, and employees making a difference. There's a lot of work being done off the car lot, which is inspiring. Equally moving is the donation can that sits atop the office's front desk, where visitors and employees can contribute loose change. Proceeds support a school project in Alajuela that's facilitated by Mapache Rent-A-Car. Beside the can rests a sign that takes a stand against corporate sexual exploitation. It's a fitting advertisement for the office given that Mapache Rent-A-Car is one of many Costa Rican companies that have signed the country's Agreement for the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism in Costa Rica.

If you believe in paying things forward, you'll be happy to know that Mapache Rent-A-Car donates a portion of their income ($1.00 for every vehicle rented) to a worthwhile cause. Their organization of choice is UNICEF, which works to "improve the lives of children in the country, giving them more and better opportunities". If you're interested in donating to UNICEF in Costa Rica, you can do so here: www.unicef.org/costarica

Sustainability efforts

Perhaps the thing we love most about Mapache Rent-A-Car is their interest in sustainable tourism. Most impressive is the fact that they've received 5 out of 5 leaves as part of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program. The program, which is run by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, was developed to monitor and evaluate the level of sustainability exhibited by Costa Rican tourism companies. At the time of writing this post, Mapache Rent-A-Car was one of only four car rental companies to receive the program's highest rating. Continue reading below to learn ways that Mapache Rent-A-Car is an eco-friendly Costa Rica car rental agency.

Office composting

Think choosing the recycle bin over the garbage can for your office paperwork is doing enough? Think again. Mapache Rent-A-Car employees dispose of office garbage in their on-site compost machine (as you might suspect, recyclable materials are disposed of in appropriate on-site containers). Workers take turns churning the barrel and mixing in wood chips until, over time, the mixture turns into soil. That soil is then used to nourish the many plants that adorn the premises.

Water recycling

Imagine how many cars pass through a car rental agency's office each day, week, and month. Now imagine how much water would be wasted every time each of those vehicles was washed in preparation for the next reservation. Fortunately, Mapache Rent-A-Car employs an on-site water recycling plan that is, in our opinion, genius. Their garage is built on a slight decline, and a long trough runs behind the space where vehicles are washed. Soap and water run off the vehicles, down the sloped ground, into the trough, and through an underground cleansing system that's hidden by a small rock garden. The cleansing system filters out the soap and pumps the clean water above ground again, ready to be used on the next car.

On-site greenhouse and plants

Mapache Rent-A-Car's head office is part workplace, part greenhouse. Or at least it seems that way when you enter it. The office's grand atrium is filled with grasses, vines, and plants. During the early morning hours, birds visit and fill the atrium with sweet songs. Throughout the remainder of the day, office staff breathe probably the cleanest air of any Costa Rica car rental agency, since the on-site greenery help purify it through the absorption of gas and other toxins.

If you're questioning Mapache Rent-A-Car's intent, here's what we have to say about it

From time to time we receive questions from travelers asking us why we opt to recommend Mapache Rent-A-Car over other Costa Rica car rental agencies, especially since a few negative reviews about them have popped up on the internet. In addition to the reasons we describe above, our response to the question, quite simply, is that our experience with Mapache Rent-A-Car has always been positive.

To confirm, we wrote this article (and all other posts on this blog) to express our own personal opinions. Mapache Rent-A-Car (as well as the other Costa Rican companies we've written about on our blog) didn't pay us to review their services or publish this article. Furthermore, unlike travel agencies, which may only recommend a particular Costa Rica car rental agency as the best because it's willing to pay the highest commission, we do not earn any money or commissions off reservations placed with Mapache Rent-A-Car. If, after reading this article, you decide that Mapache Rent-A-Car would be the best Costa Rica car rental agency for you to book with (regardless of whether you use our free Costa Rica car rental discount code or not), we still won't earn a cent off your choice.

Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's head office in San Sebastian, San Jose

Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's SJO Airport office in Alajuela

Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's LIR Airport office in Liberia

Map of Mapache Rent-A-Car's Arenal office in La Fortuna

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: What criteria do you require when choosing a Costa Rica car rental agency?

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Summary

This Is The Costa Rica Car Rental Agency We Rent Cars Through

Article Name

This Is The Costa Rica Car Rental Agency We Rent Cars Through

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Learn which Costa Rica car rental agency we use, why we use them, and gain access to a 25%-50% discount off your Costa Rica car rental!

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Nikki Solano

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The Official Costa Rica Travel Blog

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