Many travelers who plan to rent a car in Europe are looking something more than the average Volkswagen, Opel or Ford. The idea of driving a Mercedes, BMW or Audi on the Autobahn has strong appeal. If you are in that category you are probably interested in at least a Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series, or the Audi A4. Since these are all German manufacturers, Germany is the country where you have the best chance of getting into one of these at a reasonable price.

Remember, however, that no rental company will guarantee a specific make or model, so you must choose a rental category that includes those brands. In Germany that’s the full-size (FDMR) category which is usually priced about double the cost of an Intermediate (IDMR) VW Passat or Opel Insignia. Currently, for example, you can book a full-size Mercedes C-Class (or similar) for a week for $440, with tax and satellite navigation.

But why do that when, in what may be the very best European rental car deal in Europe, you can now book an Intermediate category car and be guaranteed an upgrade to the Full-size category? The one-week price for rentals commencing before April 1 is $225, with tax and navigation. After March 31 the price is $254. True, there are vehicles other than Mercedes, Audi and BMW in this category, but in Germany you are very likely to get one of those three. Get a quote.