As staycations boom, discerning customers are turning to premium car rental services to spec up their holiday wheels. One such offering is The Out. Launched in 2019 and powered by Jaguar Land Rover, The Out delivers and collects low-mileage current models to your door at a time that suits you. Convenience, quality of service and impressive vehicle selection, including Range Rover Sport, Velar, Autobiography, Defender, Jaguar I-Pace and F-Type help differentiate the service from more regular car rental offerings.
So whether it’s a romantic weekend getaway that calls for a soft top two-seater, or family holiday where a spacious 4x4 is just the job, this is a great option for carless urbanites, as well as those who own a more modest or less reliable motor that could do with a temporary upgrade. There’s something for every occasion and most budgets.
The Out: how it works
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Currently only available in central London and Manchester (although they will deliver outside of these areas for an additional fee), The Out’s online or smartphone app-based booking process couldn’t be simpler. Enter your postcode, choose your preferred one hour delivery (the soonest being an impressive two hours hence) and collection time, and you’ll be presented with a choice of available vehicles. Then, choose any extras you might want - such as additional drivers and a host of other accessories including baby seat or bike rack - and a few hours later, your ride will pull up outside your house. Once you’re done, the car is collected.
How much does it cost?
The savings staycations offer, such as no air fare, help make an indulgence like this a realistic option for those who mightn’t ever have previously considered. To give a perspective on costs, a weekend hire from Friday afternoon to Monday morning would start at £510 for a Discovery Sport, a Jaguar F-Type convertible would cost £876 and Range Rover Autobiography PHEV £933. Delivery, collection and all extras come at no additional cost - and if you don’t feel like filling it up once you’re done, they’ll fill it up for you and only charge forecourt prices which is a nice touch.
However, there is just one chargeable option worth knowing about, and this is for excess insurance which will add around 10% extra to the above hire costs. Without this, a scratch of the wheel or any other damage could mean you fitting the £3,000 excess bill. So be prepared for this, as it’s probably something you would want to take out.
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The car: Range Rover Sport Autobiography PHEV
In our review of The Out we got behind the wheel of a new Range Rover Sport 2.0 P400e Autobiography Dynamic Plug-In hybrid, which had around 3,000 miles on the clock. Being an Autobiography, it is already sporty looking enough, but this one came in Santorini Black and included high-spec trim - panoramic roof, privacy glass, red brake calipers paired with shiny black alloys - giving it a real urban aesthetic.
Performance
Under the bonnet, a 297bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is supplemented by a 114bhp electric motor, meaning it’ll tackle 0-60mph in an impressive 6.3 seconds. The main benefit of the dual engine, though, is to reduce your motoring emissions, making it a more tax efficient choice as well as compliant for the ULEZ zone if you live in central London. The EV only range is only around 25 miles, so it drains down very quickly, but it’ll just about suffice for those short trips around town.
Being 8-speed, gear changes are very smooth - almost seamless - and cruising at motorway speeds is effortless as it coasts along at very low revs. With this level of spec, the car retails for around the £86,000 marker. An Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio costs £75,000 and will tackle 0-60 in a jaw-dropping 3.6 seconds. So there are certainly other alternatives if you want a sporty SUV.
Boot space
In order to accommodate the battery and electric motor, boot space has been sacrificed. The entire boot space is raised up 46mm, and combined with the already slightly sloping roofline of the Sport, for bigger family trips you may well find this limited. Also, the spare tyre has been sacrificed entirely, so if you get a flat you can’t be self sufficient, rather a call to Land Rover Assistance will be required for them to come out and change the tyre (free whilst the vehicle is still in warranty).
Interior
The interior is very comfortable and nicely luxurious. It’s fair to say the driver and passenger seats are some of the most comfortable around, perfect for minimising back pain on long journeys, plus arm rests round off very pleasant front seats. Equipped with two great looking ten-inch touchscreens in the central console, most things are controlled from here - the top one for sat nav and media, and the bottom vehicle settings including climate control. Thanks to Apple car play, plug into Google Maps, play Spotify and make calls seamlessly. In the back, there is comfortably room for three adults.
Summary
For those living in urban areas, or who will be using the car for shorter daily trips, the plug-in electric motor capability makes this a great choice. Exceptionally comfortable - the front seats are hard to beat - with good space for five adults, it’s practical too, perfect for long journeys it cruises effortlessly. That being said, boot space is noticeably smaller to accommodate the PHEV capabilities, so consider this if you tend to pack on the generous side of things when you go away.
Fergus Scholes is a freelance journalist covering adventure and the great outdoors, with a focus on travel, gear, automotive, and health and fitness. A contributing editor at the Financial Times’ HTSI, he also writes for The Week, The Independent, The Standard, easyJet’s magazine and T3.com. His writing is driven by a passion for endurance; Fergus has rowed the Atlantic Ocean, completed multiple 250km-plus multiday ultra-marathons and regularly takes on ultra-distance cycling challenges, with training part of his daily life. Based in London, he’s a father of three with a particular affinity for Switzerland, where he spends summers and winters exploring the mountains with his family.
