Cheap Car Rental in Detroit

Michigan State Capital: Lansing

Language: EN

Currency: USD

Drive on: Right Side

Tips for renting a car for cheap in Detroit

Looking for a cheap car rental in Detroit? With Economybookings, you can easily compare multiple providers to find the best possible deal in Michigan. With a whole lot to see and do across Southeast Michigan, a quick comparison can save you time and money on a car that will help you reach it all.

• Compare pickup locations – Select the broader city instead of a specific location to unlock more deal options, including off-airport savings.
• Slightly adjust pickup times and dates – Even changing your booking by an hour can reveal lower rates.
• Choose economy or compact cars – Unless you’re planning a longer road trip deep into certain rural areas, a compact car is probably all you need to get around Detroit and other popular destinations like Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids.
• Book early – There’s always something happening in the Motor City, but rental demand spikes during popular travel times like summer vacation season and other large events like sports games and business conventions. Booking in advance helps secure lower prices and better vehicle selection.

Tips When Renting and Driving a Car in Detroit

• Rent a car if you plan to explore anywhere away from Detroit’s urban core, where public transport options tend to be very limited.
• Avoid rush hour traffic on the I-75, I-96, and I-696 freeways.
• You can pick up your car at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) Airport and various storefronts in and around town.
• Choose a small car for better mileage and easier parking around town.
• Pick a car with four-wheel drive for longer drives into rural areas.
• Inspect the car and take photos before and after rental.

Driving Tips in Detroit

• Drive on the right side of the road, and prepare to wait your turn when you need to turn left.
• Look out for stop lights—green means go, yellow signals that you must prepare to stop, and red is stop. At most intersections with stop lights, there will also be dedicated stop lights for left-turn lanes.
• Roundabouts can be found at various points in and around Detroit. To navigate these roundabouts, give way to traffic coming from the left.
• Michigan law requires nighttime headlight use, as well as whenever visibility falls below 500 feet.
• Horn use should be reserved for emergencies or warnings.
• Traffic usually moves faster in the left lanes on highways.
• Expect to pay around $1 per hour for parking downtown and in other central neighbourhoods. When in the city, you can use the Park Detroit smartphone app for contactless payment.
• NEVER cross a set of double yellow lines.
• Try the GasBuddy app to locate area gas stations and check prices. If you have a Costco membership, you can refuel there and take advantage of their very cheap gas.
• Keep your driver’s license, rental papers, and proof of insurance with you at all times.
• The I-275 and I-696 freeways generally encircle Southeast Michigan’s urban core, while I-94 and I-96 are the central east-west freeways, I-75 is the central north-south freeway, and M-10 is an alternate north-south freeway connecting Downtown Detroit to Farmington Hills. These major highways can be useful for reaching more of the region, but expect heavy traffic during weekday rush hours (6:00 to 10:00 AM, and 3:00 to 7:00 PM).
• As of 2026, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge provide border crossings between the United States and Canada. A third crossing at the Gordie Howe International Bridge has recently wrapped up construction, and it’s awaiting final approval from the US government.

Speed Limits

Under Michigan state law, the prima facie (or default) speed limits are 55 miles per hour (or 88 km/h) on unposted highways and 25 mph (or 40 km/h) on streets in urban residential and commercial districts. In addition, you can expect speed limits of 70 mph (112 km/h) on various “limited access” multi-lane freeways.

While Michigan tends to keep uniform speed limits, keep in mind that traffic laws can be different when crossing the US-Canada border to Windsor, including speed limits being posted in kilometres per hour (km/h). Wherever you drive, always watch for posted signs.

Road Signs

US road signs are typically noticeable and well-placed. They are almost always in English and use symbols for quick understanding. Speed limit signs are in miles per hour (mph). In Detroit, look out for signs marking dedicated rail crossings, bus lanes, bike lanes, and school lanes, which may have special speed limits and other restrictions.

Meanwhile, for Windsor and other Ontario communities across the Detroit River, speed limit signs are posted in km/h (see above) in English and French.

Tolls, Fees, and Restrictions

As of 2026, all Michigan highways operate toll-free. Yet with this said, Detroit’s two border crossing bridges (along with the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron to the north) do charge tolls, as does the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge to the south. All bridges accept credit and debit card payments, and the Detroit border crossings also accept cash.

Discover Detroit by Car

As one might expect from a city with a moniker like “Motor City” and a long history intertwined with the auto industry, Detroit is very car-centric. While there’s some mass transit that covers the urban core, it will likely be difficult to venture far beyond Ann Arbor car-free.

Whether you're planning to explore more of Southeast Michigan’s parks and open spaces, enjoy the splendid shores of Lake Michigan to the west of Grand Rapids, or take in the incredible views at Sleeping Bear Dunes, a car offers flexibility and freedom to discover hidden spots that are much harder to reach via public transportation in the US.

When to Visit

Due to Detroit’s location in North America’s Great Lakes Region, it can experience some harsh weather throughout the year. In winter, sub-freezing temperatures and snow storms can lead to harsh road conditions across the region. On the flip side, hot summer weather also means the potential for heatwaves and thunderstorms.

If you’re hoping to avoid the heaviest tourist crowds and highest prices, a winter trip might work if you don’t mind the cold and snowy weather. Otherwise, summer tends to offer the most pleasant weather for road trips, and autumn can be a nice shoulder season to catch some colourful fall foliage and quieter spaces. Whenever you plan to go, always check road conditions in advance for potential closures.

Languages & Communication

English is spoken nearly everywhere in and around Detroit. At the same time, this is also a multicultural city, so you may also hear Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Hmong, Chinese, and Tagalog in certain neighbourhoods. Most signage is in English, and visitors rarely face language barriers.

Currency & Payments

Since Michigan is part of the United States, the US dollar ($, or USD) is used everywhere. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, and contactless payments are pretty commonplace across Detroit. ATMs are easy to find throughout the city and in other large cities like Lansing and Grand Rapids. Still, keep in mind that ATMs will charge extra fees if they are not affiliated with your bank, and that banks tend to be fewer and farther between in rural areas.

Top Driving Routes in and Around Detroit

• Even if you’re not staying in the city for long, it’s still worth a drive around Detroit’s urban core to catch special treasures like the Motown Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and The Fillmore Detroit (concert hall)
• Dearborn – About 15-30 minutes west of Downtown Detroit; come for the fascinating automotive and cultural history at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, and stay for a full multi-cultural experience in a town that’s become the beating heart of Southeast Michigan’s Arab-American community
• Windsor (Ontario, Canada) – About 20-30 minutes south of Downtown Detroit; just across the Detroit River lies Detroit’s Canadian sibling city, a city with its own wondrous array of diverse neighbourhoods, vibrant local arts scene, 100 miles (or 161 kilometres) of local waterfront, and the EPIC Wine Country within easy reach
• Ann Arbor – About 40-70 minutes west; home to the highly regarded University of Michigan, this college town also has a delectable culinary scene, world-class art institutions, rocking nightlife, and even lovely parks and open spaces like Bird Hills Nature Area and the Nichols Arboretum
• Lansing – About 75-100 minutes west; Michigan’s state capital indeed has a stately State Capitol, but this town also has a cool and fascinating Old Town worth exploring, along with the historic REO Town district and the highly acclaimed Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum
• Grand Rapids – About 2.5-3 hours north-west; this city may be best known for being the childhood home of the United States’ 38th president, and you can learn more about him at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, but this city is also chock full of creative arts and fine craft beers, and it’s a short drive away from the lovely Lake Michigan beach towns of Holland and Grand Haven
• Traverse City – About 3.5-5 hours north; Michigan may not always be viewed as a spectacular “coastal destination,” but Traverse City is here to change your mind with the splendid shores of the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, as well as a thriving local wine country region and a wealth of additional farm-to-table treats