I always rent from Hertz. I like the service. I like the locations. I like the cars. And the price — especially after I factor in my AAA discount — is usually in the same ballpark as other car rental companies.

So I was surprised a couple of weeks ago when I logged into AAA to check car rental rates for a short trip to/from Global Traveler’s World Headquarters in Yardley, Pa. My plans called for picking up and dropping off the car at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) — and the Hertz rate for an economy car was in the vicinity of 120 percent higher than the lowest rate for a similar car offered by Advantage.

It seemed like a no-brainer: I booked the Advantage rental. It was only after arriving in Newark I learned the Advantage rental office is off-site — way off-site. (Yes, I should have done my homework.) Getting to the rental office involved a short trip on the AirTrain followed by a half-hour wait (timing is everything) at the airport’s main parking garage for a shuttle to the Wyndham Garden Inn where Advantage has an office.

Make no mistake. The car was fine. The service was fine. All in all, it was an okay experience. But the extra steps getting to and from the rental office cost me an hour each way.

Was the price difference worth the money saved? What do you think? Would you make the same choice? 

— Lisa Matte, editor in chief