Review of Maven Car Sharing
Back in December, my car bit the dust. I was cruising down Los Feliz Boulevard when it heaved its final grunt, the engine listlessly cutting out as I screamed in early morning traffic. Thankfully, I was able to coast to a nearby parking spot (with no street cleaning signs, seriously manna from heaven in Los Angeles!) and leave it there for a bit while I figured out what to do next. In the end, I decided to donate it.
After all, I work from home! I figured that buying a new car would cost me about $700 per month ($300 for a payment, $200 for gas, $150 for insurance, plus oil changes and the five million parking tickets I'll inevitably accumulate). I'd been watching the news. I knew that the last thing the polar bears needed was another car on the road. So I bought myself a metro pass, fired up my Lyft app and signed up for Maven car sharing for those times when I really just needed a vehicle.
What's Maven?
It's a program through GM. Basically, what you do is sign up with your driver's license and wait for them to approve you. I'm not sure exactly what the driving requirements are, but I do have a squeaky clean driving record. When I signed up—granted, this was a while ago—the "onboarding" took a long time because the app had some kind of bug whenever I tried to enter my credit card number. I would think that they have fixed this by now! Anyhoo, after you're approved, you will receive access to the app. When you click on the "find a car" feature, you'll be able to find the Maven vehicles located closest to you. At this time, it looks like the program is available in: Los Angeles, DC, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Ann Arbor, San Fran, Denver, NYC and Orlando. I THINK that signing up is still free, which is pretty awesome.
How Does It Work?
After you're all signed up and approved by the system, the app will give you access to reservations for cars in your area. You'll be able to schedule the pickup and drop-off times. For me, one of the most difficult parts of the whole thing is returning the car in a timely fashion! You'll want to allow yourself ample time so that you're not rushing at the end of your reservation. However, the vast majority of the time, you can extend your reservation if you happen to be running a bit late. Pro Tip: if you make a reservation and your car's already there when you arrive, the system will allow you to start your res eight minutes early. Also, since your phone is the key to the car—the app locks it and unlocks it—you MUST keep your phone charged at all times and on your person, or you'll be stuck. I recommend bringing a car charger along with you just in case.
Some of the Cars Are Sexy
I love me a Cadillac. If you do too, this is a nice way to test drive the latest models.
Up to 180 Miles Per Day
With rates in Los Angeles usually starting around nine bucks an hour—or $90 for an entire day—Maven can be a good deal just based on gas alone. They provide you with the gas card; all you have to do is swipe the card and input the mileage at the gas station. Our gas is almost four dollars a gallon here. If you're driving a decent distance for the day you have the car, the Maven experience can end up being more cost-efficient and easier than the hassle of renting a vehicle, having to sign a contract, using your own credit card to fill up the gas tank and not being able to pick up or return the car in the middle of the night if you so choose. In a nutshell, that's what I like most about Maven. I don't have to deal with some annoying person bugging me to buy added insurance or falsely accusing me of scratching a car when I return it. This saves a lot of time and aggravation. However...
Hiccups
-The program has a lot of potential, but it's far from perfect.
-Sometimes it takes a bit of time to "recognize" the car and let you in—this is especially common in parking structures.
-One time, my vehicle wasn't where it was supposed to be when I arrived, but the agent swiftly dealt with my problem by offering me an upgrade to the Escalade in the same parking lot (SWEET)!
-From time to time, you may get dirty cars or cars that smell smoky.
-Customer service can either be great or ATROCIOUS. One time, when I called to complain that the app wasn't letting me make a reservation, the woman on the other line refused to fix my problem and informed me that it reminded her of the time her cousin received a parking ticket two years after the fact (WHAT?!?). The ideal situation is never having to deal with customer service.
Conclusion
You really have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so I recommend it! If it strikes your fancy, my referral code is KIMBERLY0005 and we'll both get some Maven credit if you use it! Good luck and happy driving!