Finding the "sweet spot" for your mileage limits is a high-stakes balancing act. Set them too low, and guests will scroll past your listing in favor of a competitor. Set them too high, and you risk excessive depreciation, mechanical wear, and "road trip" abuse that can wipe out your monthly profit in a single weekend.

On Turo, distance limits are set at the daily level, but they apply to the total trip. If your limit is 200 miles per day and a guest books for three days, they have 600 miles total to use however they wish. Here is how to navigate these settings like a professional fleet manager.

The Economics of the "Overage" Fee

Before choosing a strategy, you must understand the math behind overages. If a guest exceeds your total trip limit, Turo automatically calculates a fee based on your daily rate.

The formula is:

If your car is listed at $100 per day with a 200-mile limit, the guest pays $0.50 per mile for every mile over the limit. You receive a percentage of this fee based on your specific protection plan (e.g., 75%, 80%, or 90%).

For many hosts, this overage fee is actually more profitable than the rental itself. If your car depreciates at $0.20 per mile but you collect $0.50 per mile in overages, you are generating "bonus" profit on every extra mile driven.

Strategy 1: The "Unlimited" Growth Play

Best for: Low-value, high-reliability economy cars.

Offering Unlimited Distance is a powerful marketing move. It grants your listing a special "Unlimited distance" badge and places it in a high-traffic search filter.

  • The Advantage: It drastically improves your search ranking and conversion rate. Travelers planning long-distance trips specifically look for this feature to avoid "range anxiety."
  • The Counter-Intuitive Truth: Data shows that most guests with unlimited mileage drive less on average than those with strict limits. When people don't feel "capped," they don't feel the need to "use up" their allotted miles.
  • The Risk: You will occasionally get the "extreme user" who drives 2,000 miles in a weekend. Only use this strategy for cars like an older Toyota Corolla or Kia Rio where the depreciation hit of high miles is minimal.

Strategy 2: The "Standard 200" (The Safe Middle Ground)

Best for: Standard sedans, mid-tier SUVs, and daily drivers.

Turo requires a minimum of 200 miles per day for standard vehicles in the US and UK.

Why it works: This satisfies roughly 88% of all guest bookings. It is plenty for local sightseeing or weekend getaways but acts as a strong deterrent against cross-country road trips.

The Benefit: It keeps your maintenance schedule (oil changes, tires, brakes) highly predictable. This is the "set it and forget it" strategy used by the majority of successful hosts.

Strategy 3: The "Limited Luxury" (100 or 75 Miles)

Best for: Porsche, Tesla, BMW, and high-end Convertibles.

Luxury vehicles lose value rapidly as the odometer climbs. Turo recognizes this by allowing lower minimums for high-value categories: 100 miles (Deluxe) and 75 miles (Super Deluxe).

  • The Target Guest: You want the "experience" renter—someone taking the car to a nice dinner, a wedding, or a business meeting. You do not want the guest driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back.
  • The Move: Keep these limits as tight as the platform allows. Your profit in the luxury segment comes from the daily rate, not the volume of miles.

Advanced Tactics for Maximum Profit

Use the "Unlimited Distance" Extra

Instead of giving unlimited miles away for free to everyone, offer it as a paid "Extra." This allows you to capture an additional $20–$50 per day specifically from high-mileage users while keeping your base daily rate competitive for everyone else.

Master the Monthly Gap

If you accept long-term rentals (30+ days), be aware that the daily 200-mile limit can lead to massive wear (6,000 miles in a month). In the US, Turo allows you to set a Monthly Distance Limit as low as 1,500 miles. This is essential for protecting your vehicle's long-term resale value.

The "No Photo, No Payout" Rule

You cannot charge for overages without evidence. You must take clear, timestamped photos of the odometer at the start and end of every trip. If you miss the end-of-trip photo, Turo will almost always deny your mileage reimbursement claim.

Calculating Your "True" Cost Per Mile

To know if your mileage limit is profitable, you must calculate your total cost of operation per mile. For a standard car, this usually falls between $0.15 and $0.30 when you include:

  1. Depreciation: The loss in resale value.
  2. Consumables: Tires, brakes, and oil.7
  3. Interest/Insurance: Fixed costs spread over miles driven.

If your overage fee (what the guest pays) is significantly higher than your cost per mile, you should feel comfortable with guests driving. If it’s close to your cost, tighten your limits immediately.

FAQ: Handling High-Mileage Requests

  • Q: Can I cancel a trip if I see the guest plans to drive too far?
    • A: You can, but it will hurt your host metrics. A better approach is to ask the guest about their plans before they book, or use a higher daily price to ensure the overage fee adequately compensates you.
  • Q: Does unlimited mileage attract "gig" drivers (Uber/DoorDash)?
    • A: Turo's Terms of Service prohibit using vehicles for commercial work like Uber or DoorDash. While unlimited mileage might attract these users, you can report violations if you find evidence of commercial use.