Higher prices, longer rentals
The daily rental price of a 7- or 9-seater car may generally be higher than that of an average small car.
What’s more, these vehicles are often rented not for just a few hours, but for:
a weekend, several days, or even an entire vacation.
This can mean fewer handovers and longer bookings.
Acquisition and upkeep are also more expensive
However, higher revenue also comes with higher costs.
A well-maintained people carrier or minibus can cost more, use more fuel, and have more expensive tires and certain repairs.
It’s also important to make sure that all 7 or 9 seats are genuinely usable.
If there’s practically no trunk space behind the last row of seats, be sure to mention that in the listing.
An eight-person family with eight suitcases needs a very different amount of space from eight people on a day trip.
Location is especially important
For this category, it may be worth parking near:
- a route to the airport,
- a major urban transport hub,
- a tourist region,
- or an area with easy access to the highway.
The target customers are often setting out on a longer trip in the first place.
Is it worth entering the market?
Yes, if you’re comfortable serving a smaller target audience in exchange for higher-value and often longer bookings.
I wouldn’t necessarily choose this category for my first rental car, as it requires more capital.
As a second or third car, however, it can be particularly appealing, as it can complement a fleet of smaller cars very well.
A 7–9-seater car isn’t a mass-market product.
That may be exactly its advantage: when someone needs one, they can’t simply replace it with a small car.
