National Car Rental placed second in J.D. Power’s 2026 North America Rental Car Satisfaction Study, released October 7, 2026, with a score of 726 on a 1,000-point scale. Its sister brand Enterprise took first for the second year in a row. The headline finding is one National loyalists will recognize: renters are much happier when they get the car class they reserved and can pick the specific car themselves, which is exactly how National’s Emerald Aisle works.
The 2026 results
| Rank | Brand | 2026 score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enterprise | 739 |
| 2 | National | 726 |
| 3 | Advantage | 717 |
| 4 | Alamo | 716 |
| 5 | Sixt | 714 |
| 6 | Hertz | 711 |
| – | Study average | 707 |
Business Travel News reported that National’s score rose from 721 last year and that all 13 ranked brands improved, with the industry average up 16 points. The study is based on 7,845 business and leisure travelers who rented at airport locations between August 2025 and August 2026. J.D. Power notes that rankings reflect scores and don’t necessarily mean differences are statistically significant, so a few points between brands isn’t a big gap.
The finding that matters for National customers
According to J.D. Power’s release:
- 90% of customers got the vehicle class they reserved, up 3 percentage points.
- 85% could choose a specific vehicle within their class, up 5 points.
- Being able to choose a specific vehicle on the lot lifted satisfaction by 18 points.
- When the reserved class wasn’t available, overall satisfaction fell by 111 points.
Choice is National’s whole pitch. Per National’s Emerald Club benefits page (as of October 2026):
| Tier | How to qualify | Car choice (U.S. and Canada) | Rentals per free day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Club | Free to join | Any car (midsize and above) on the Emerald Aisle at the midsize rate | 7 |
| Executive | 12 paid rentals or 40 paid days in a calendar year | Any car (full-size and above) in the Executive Area at the midsize rate | 6 |
| Executive Elite | 25 paid rentals or 85 paid days in a calendar year | Executive Area, same as Executive | 5 |
What it means for points and status
A survey ranking doesn’t change any Emerald Club rules. The current program rules on National’s site are dated effective February 5, 2026. What the study does is confirm the value of the program’s core benefit: if you book a midsize and walk the aisle, you’re getting the “choose your own car” experience that J.D. Power found drives satisfaction. Executive status, which opens the full-size-and-up Executive Area, is the step up worth chasing if you rent about once a month.
Emerald Club also lets you earn partner rewards instead of rental credit toward free days. National’s partner page lists, among others, 2 miles per dollar with American AAdvantage and Delta SkyMiles, 600 points per rental with Southwest Rapid Rewards, and 500 points per rental with Hilton Honors. Check the page before you rent, since partners and rates change.
Practical tips
- Book a midsize. That’s the rate the Emerald Aisle and Executive Area benefits are tied to.
- Add your Emerald Club number to every booking, including corporate ones, so the rental counts toward status and free days.
- Know the limits. The aisle selection varies by location and time of day; a late-night arrival at a busy airport may mean slim pickings.
- Pick credits or miles deliberately. Free-day credits usually make more sense if you rent often; airline miles can make sense if you rarely reach seven rentals.
Our take
Second place in J.D. Power is a solid result for National. Business travelers have also put it first in Business Travel News’s annual car rental survey, which it topped again in 2026. Still, survey rankings are averages across thousands of renters and a few points separate the top brands, so price and location should still drive your booking. For frequent renters, National’s appeal is unchanged: book a midsize, walk the aisle and drive away. Occasional renters may find the free-day math (seven rentals per free day at the base tier) slow, and National isn’t always the cheapest option, so compare before you book.
Sources
- J.D. Power release via Business Wire on Yahoo Finance: Rental Car Customers Don’t Want Any Car, They Want That Car (Oct. 7, 2026)
- Business Travel News: Enterprise Again Tops JD Power Car Rental Satisfaction Survey
- Auto Rental News: Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
- National: Emerald Club benefits
- National: Emerald Club rules
- National: Travel partners
- Yahoo Travel: Best car rental companies of 2026 (Business Travel News survey)
Programs, prices and terms change often; confirm details with the airline or rental company before you book. Points Capital is not a financial advisor.
