< Back to blog
April 17, 2026
Comparing Prado Hire Quotes: Build One Like-for-Like Trip Total
Two Prado quotes may be accurate but cover different trips. One might end on Sunday morning when you need the car until evening. Another might include hotel collection, saving you a separate journey across Nairobi.
Give each provider the same requirements, then compare what it has priced. A page with a column for each quote is enough, provided you keep unanswered questions visible.
Send the same trip brief to each provider
Set out the details before requesting prices:
- Collection date, time and exact place
- Return date, time and exact place
- Route, overnight stops and any park or lodge access
- Number of passengers, including the driver, and luggage requirements
- Self-drive or chauffeur service, plus everyone who might drive
- Vehicle requirements that matter for your trip, such as seating layout, fuel type or a specific accessibility need
- Expected distance, clearly labelled as an estimate
Name the version you're sending, perhaps "Naivasha weekend, final Sunday return". If the itinerary changes, update both enquiries. An earlier quote may no longer cover the journey you're comparing it against.
Use the Prado options page to help describe the car you need, then ask each provider to confirm the vehicle it would allocate.
Fill in a comparison worksheet
Put "included", "separate amount" or "unconfirmed" in each row. Treat a blank as an unanswered question, never as a zero charge.
| Comparison field | Your common requirement | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote reference and validity | Dates the offer remains valid | ||
| Actual collection and return | Exact timestamps and locations | ||
| Chargeable rental units | Provider's calculation for those timestamps | ||
| Allocated vehicle | Model, year, seats and agreed essentials | ||
| Base hire | Amount for the complete period | ||
| Mileage basis | Included distance and any excess calculation | ||
| Delivery and collection | Both ends, including waiting arrangements | ||
| Driver arrangements | Approved drivers or chauffeur hours | ||
| Required extras | Each item you actually requested | ||
| Taxes and mandatory charges | Included or separately itemised | ||
| Fuel responsibility | Handover and return basis | ||
| Security deposit | Amount, payment method and release process | ||
| Changes and cancellation | Applicable conditions and charges | ||
| Insurance and liability | Documents supplied; questions still open |
Add a final row asking, "Does this offer meet the brief?" A lower price won't make up for a missing seat or a route the provider hasn't approved.
Check the rental period before doing the sums
Consider a hypothetical trip with collection on Thursday at 10am and return on Sunday at 6pm: 80 hours. Quote A covers those exact times. Quote B says "three days" and ends on Sunday at 10am.
Quote B is missing eight hours. Ask that provider to price the later return under its charging rules, then use the revised base amount. Dividing both original totals by three would hide the difference.
Do the same for early collection, an overnight chauffeur stay or a different return location. Let the supplier price the requirement instead of making up an adjustment yourself.
Keep three amounts separate
The payable hire total
Begin with the confirmed base hire. Add delivery and collection, requested extras, agreed driver costs, applicable mileage charges and mandatory charges that aren't already included. Match each addition to its worksheet row.
Check tax carefully. If it's included in the base hire and delivery amounts, don't add it again to the whole total. Ask the provider about any unclear tax treatment before calculating a final figure.
The wider journey budget
List spending elsewhere separately, including fuel, parking, admission and accommodation where relevant. Use the same assumptions for both cars unless you have reliable evidence of a difference.
For fuel, record an estimated budget and what would make it more accurate, such as the exact engine, route or a provider-supported consumption range. An unsupported fuel-economy claim shouldn't decide which quote you choose.
The cash you need available
Show the security deposit alongside the payment schedule. A refundable deposit affects the money you need available, even though it isn't a hire expense. Confirm how it will be released without assuming either a guaranteed refund or a permanent charge.
Read the obligations as well as the prices
Matching totals can come with different responsibilities. Read the insurance wording and rental terms separately from the price comparison.
EliteMotion's insurance exclusions guidance says it doesn't offer CDW and liability isn't necessarily limited to an excess. Ask what "insurance included" covers instead of accepting a tick in that row.
Keep unanswered insurance questions marked as unresolved and request the relevant agreement. Don't assign an invented cash value to them and add it to a quote.
Summarise what the revised quotes cover
You should be able to complete a statement like this:
"Both revised quotes cover the same collection, return, vehicle requirements and itinerary. Quote A's confirmed hire total is ___; Quote B's is ___. Journey spending is budgeted separately. The remaining difference is ___, and the unresolved question is ___."
If details are still missing, send the worksheet with your quote enquiry and ask the provider to fill them in before you make a booking decision.