Parking, maneuvering and paying for the maintenance of a vehicle in a large city can sometimes be seen as more of a pain than a pleasure.
Zipcar, a five-year-old service based in Cambridge, is offering Northeastern students and faculty a discounted price on their car rental service. Northeastern participants are given the opportunity to pay about $150 less than other Zipcar members.
“I’ve been a member for three years,” said Waleed Meleis, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. “It benefits me because I live in a part of the city where there aren’t parking spots.
“I don’t use a car that much, [Zipcar] lets me share a car with hundreds of other people. It’s a more efficient use of resources.”
The service operates on a “clean, simple Web site” (www.zipcar.com), said Matthew Malloy, vice president for marketing at Zipcar.
Potential members sign up online and their insurance and driving record is checked for any major snags or accidents, Malloy said. “Most people just fly through,” he said.
After the check, which can take up to three days, members can immediately sign on, locate one of the 20 makes and models of Zipcars nearest them and book it for the day or for up to three days. If they want the car for more than three days, that requires a written request, but most are granted, Malloy said. Members can book a car up to a year in advance.
The first 125 miles are free for gas, and after that, it is 20 cents per mile for gas and wear and tear. Malloy said 99 percent of customers do not go beyond the allotted distance.
In average, renting a car is $8.50 per hour or $60 for the day. Parking, gas and insurance are included in this price. Cars vary in price depending on if the member is renting out a BMW or a Toyota Camry. Malloy’s favorite car is the Mini Cooper.
“The Mini rocks,” he said.
Meleis said he likes the less flashy cars.
“I like the simple cars, the Civic,” Meleis said. “Just the basics are fine.”
The only catch is members must be 21 years or older, but Malloy doesn’t see this as a downfall. Most car rental retailers charge extra for drivers under 25 years old, he said, but not Zipcar.
“When you need a car, this is a utility you can rely upon,” Malloy said.
A problem the company is having is getting the word of mouth out to college students that this is an affordable service, he said.
Meleis agreed.
“With closer coordinating between Zipcar and Northeas-tern [more students could be aware],” he said. “On the other hand, then there aren’t going to be enough cars; they could just put more Zipcars here and there. It requires work on both ends.”
The Zipcar service is available in Washington, D.C., New York and Boston. “I don’t know [if I’d use Zipcar],” said Justin Kueper, a junior history major. “You can just walk everywhere because it’s Boston. If I could [find a reason to] take advantage of it I would, but you can pretty much walk anywhere.”
Malloy said when placing a reservation, a map will come up with the closest cars. The closest car to the Curry Student Center is located in the Matthews Arena parking lot. Members are issued a Zip card, which digitally opens and locks the car’s doors and engine, Malloy said.
“You just walk up to it and drive away,” Malloy said.
