For folks like myself who live downtown and had a car on lease for years... Zipcar was a substantial savings. On just about all aspects.... lease payments, insurance, gas, maintenance. And I was paying for it to sit in my underground garage all these years.
No More!
I do still own a motorcycle but I can't always carry larger cargo on it so Zipcar offers me benefits like no other.
The convenience of having many cars within 2 mins walking distance of my home is the first positive. The other positive would be the various types of vehicles available. I drive the red mini when I feel like driving something zippy and only carrying passengers. When I cart around more people and cargo then I get the Honda CRV or the Ford Escort.
Once I had to pick up 300 boxes of fish sticks (don't ask). This was my first Zipcar experience and it was fantastic. I had a Toyota Matrix and it fit everything plus! I couldn't rent the truck because I had to run errands and was worried that someone would find and steal my fish sticks.
I have rented the truck on numerous occasions after and it is super for carting around large items.
They have improved their gas card recently. Now you can use it at any gas station as opposed to just Esso stations - where you would be cruising around the city on your own dime looking for one to fill up at (though they have a handbook in the glove compartment).
Love the fact that I can extend my reservation while driving the car on my iPhone app.