I liked my experience with Mint. They provided me with a fun and reliable car for my roadtrip from Brooklyn to Montauk and back.
Last week I ventured out of the Brooklyn area and took a last minute road-trip about 121 miles east to the city of Montauk. This time however I put away my Corolla, refused to purchase an overpriced ticket on the Long Island Railroad, and instead signed up for one of those “cars on-demand” companies. What a great decision!
I decided to try Mint Cars on-Demand for this lengthy journey. I read good reviews about this fresh new company and figured why not give it a shot. So after signing up ($25 or absolutely free if you are already a member with another car share company) I was ready to pick up my Mint Smartcard in the city (they can also mail it to you if you’re lazy).
- My shiny and fun Nissan Versa got me from Brooklyn to Montauk in comfort. Love this car!
Okay now that I had my Mint Smartcard, I was eager to reserve my first car. I decided on a 2009 Nissan Versa, which was located in downtown Brooklyn. A quick ride on the F train and I was at the garage ready to pick up my minty new automobile.
The attendant was quick to get my car, explain what I needed to do with my Mint Smartcard, and then showed me where the debit gas card was located. Yes you read that correctly, each Mint car’s rental fee includes unlimited free gas, full insurance, and in my case a heavy metal cd (some previous Mint member must have left this behind). So after turning off that crazy music, I was on my way with the Mint car.
To lock and unlock the doors of your car, simply place the Mint Smartcard over the card reader. Simple! Plus each car comes equipped with a debit gas card for use at all stations. Simply enter in the odometer's number, last four digits of your social security and fill 'er up.
This car ruled! It was brand new (under 4k miles), had a great stereo system, strong A/C, and most importantly it was spotless. I was loving this experience so far! A quick pick up in Brooklyn and I was on my way to Montauk.
The car came in handy during this trip since the resort I stayed in was roughly 5 miles from the downtown area. The LIRR was also downtown, so if I had gone with the train option it would have been such a pain in the neck to get from the station to the resort and then later from the resort to some downtown scene. With Mint everything was a quick and enjoyable drive in a safe new car.
My Mint hanging out at a roadside market in the Hamptons. La-de-da.
I highly recommend Mint Cars On-Demand. It is a reliable, safe, fun, and affordable alternative to mass transit when getting around the city. With rates starting at just $5 per hour, you can not go wrong with trying them out for a quick trip to the grocery store or to visit family in or around the New York City area.
Mint has many locations throughout Manhattan and just recently debuted in my neck of the woods (Brooklyn!) this past May. Look for more from this great company in the future as there is no doubt they will be expanding to new locales.
Some Mint facts:
- Besides the Nissan Versa that my wife fell in love with, some other Mint models include – Mercedes Benz C 300, Scion XB, Nissan Rogue, Honda Accord, Smart Car Fortwo, and many others.
- Remember like I said earlier, your rate includes free gas and insurance. Plus each Mint comes with an E-Z Pass which will be billed to your reservation at the end of each month.
- No-smoking allowed in Mint cars and your pets must be kept in carriers at all times.
- If you return your Mint early and receive a 5% credit on your account.
- Only Mint members can drive the Mint cars. DO NOT let friends or family test drive your Mint.
- To get more information and to sign up for a Mint experience, check out DriveMint.com.
