Renting cars while traveling can be a trying task. Waiting in lines, hidden fees, and “comparable models” that don’t feel very comparable at all are just a few of the unpleasant parts of arranging a vehicle for your trip. Enter Silvercar.

Meredith heard about Silvercar on a blog a couple of years ago and a co-worker and I were able to take it for a test drive shortly thereafter for a work trip in Austin. The premise is simple – no lines, easy & affordable rentals, and a fleet made up entirely of Audi A4s (silver, of course). Utilizing their mobile app, the company is able to offer concierge-level service while saving on overhead. It might be hard to believe that renting a new Audi could possibly be cheaper than the standard Prius we had originally reserved a month earlier with a major car rental agency, but only two weeks out from our trip, we were able to book a Silvercar and save more than $100 by doing so over the course of our four day stay in California.

Needless to say, driving up and down the curvy roads of the Pacific Coast Highway felt all that much more surreal behind the wheel of a luxury car. They’re currently only in a handful of larger cities, but given the ease of using their app and the comfort of their cars, you can bet that we’ll be checking Silvercar first for all of our rental car needs.

Photos by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.