{"id":6782,"date":"2017-07-13T14:07:39","date_gmt":"2017-07-13T21:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=6782"},"modified":"2025-04-01T00:21:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T07:21:22","slug":"sharing-cars-making-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/community\/sharing-cars-making-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharing cars & making friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOW DARREN G. DISCOVERED COMMUNITY IN LOS ANGELES<\/span><\/h4>\n

The decision to let strangers drive your brand-new Tesla is not necessarily an easy one to make. Especially when the Model X has just been released, and your Model X is one of the first in Los Angeles.<\/span><\/p>\n

But ask any Tesla owner about their car and see if they don\u2019t love sharing about it. <\/span>Darren G.<\/span><\/a>, who originally joined Turo in 2014 (then RelayRides) for the opportunity to rent, loved his Tesla so much he thought he should share it. He wasn\u2019t sure he trusted other people driving his baby, however.<\/span><\/p>\n

One night, he saw <\/span>a news report featuring Turo CEO, Andre Haddad<\/span><\/a>, speaking about how he lists his own cars for rent on the marketplace. \u201cAnd I thought, if he\u2019s comfortable enough to rent out his own car, maybe there\u2019s something to this,\u201d Darren said. \u201cIt made me feel a lot better about putting up my own car, I\u2019ll be honest with you. There\u2019s this really interesting anxiety that occurs when you hand over the keys of your car to a relative stranger, and it took a little for me to get over that and relax.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Darren’s 2016 Tesla Model X<\/p><\/div>\n

Quick on the uptake<\/span><\/h3>\n

Darren listed <\/span>his Model X<\/span>, which he reckons was the first one available to rent in Los Angeles, and it \u201cwent incredibly well.\u201d It went so well that he listed his other cars, including this <\/span>Cadillac CTS<\/span><\/a>. With the cars away with customers, they quickly found that they needed another car to drive their kids around. Nine cars later, Darren is one of the LA area\u2019s superstar hosts with over 250 trips hosted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before he was sharing his stellar fleet with Turo, however, Darren worked from home managing his real estate and software businesses. And when he added hosting with Turo to his plate, he was new to Los Angeles. As he added cars, he got more serious about managing his listings, and soon was interacting with all sorts of people around LA. He had discovered the joys of the community, and was hooked. Turo turned out to be a great way to meet people!<\/span><\/p>\n

Darren found that there were built-in shared interests within the Turo community, and he has made many friends sharing his cars, including a now-close friend who has rented his <\/span>BMW M5<\/span><\/a> over a half dozen times. From these locals and more senior transplants who drive his cars, Darren has learned the ins and outs of living in the City of Angels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Darren’s 2016 Cadillac Escalade<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Darren’s 2015 BMW M5<\/p><\/div>\n

Darren is loving the LA scene and the eclectic group of customers he gets with his luxury vehicles. \u201cYou never know who you\u2019re going to get,\u201d Darren says. \u201cIt could be a celebrity, a pro athlete, a Fortune 500 CEO, a Dubai oil executive. Living in the heart of LA, there\u2019s so many walks of life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s shared his cars for a wide range of uses as well \u2014 from guests renting his cars for magazine photo shoots to upscale date nights or business trips. One customer rented his bright blue\u00a0<\/span>Porsche Boxster<\/span><\/a> four separate times to be used in a movie. Darren won\u2019t say the title, but says he\u2019ll be invited to the premiere when the film is done.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Darren, the most remarkable result of sharing his cars has been the amount of people who love their experience so much they go out and buy one. \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you how many people have bought a Tesla after renting my Model X. They wanted to see what it\u2019s like to live with an electric car for a week. Where else can you do that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Darren’s 2017 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE Coupe<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Darren’s 2016 BMW M4<\/p><\/div>\n

Finding a Family<\/span><\/h3>\n

As he\u2019s gained more experience, Darren has become both more savvy and comfortable with the process. He notes that a vast majority of trips go smoothly and without hiccups. But if there are any issues that come up, the customers \u201chave been extremely honorable\u201d and considerate. \u201cIt restored my faith in humanity a little because there\u2019s a lot of good people out there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked which of his cars is his favorite, Darren couldn\u2019t answer. He bounced around from one car to the next, extolling their virtues and raving about their strengths. The <\/span>Range Rover<\/span> is ridiculously luxurious and comfortable. The <\/span>Tesla\u2019s<\/span> autopilot is out of a science-fiction movie. The<\/span> M5<\/span><\/a> gets his family around \u201cso easily\u201d. The <\/span>Boxster<\/span><\/a> is perfect for a sunny afternoon cruise. \u201cI wish I could combine them all.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Darren’s 2017 Maserati Levante<\/p><\/div>\n

And while Darren loves cars and is enthusiastic about each and every one of his vehicles, it\u2019s the community aspect that he enjoys most about Turo. \u201cI never even thought that I would be sharing my cars with locals,\u201d he said. \u201cOr that people would do extended test drives. Those things didn\u2019t cross my mind. Or how many amazing families and people I get to meet. I\u2019ve been invited to breakfast!\u201d Darren relishes these interactions and the relationships he\u2019s formed. \u201cThat\u2019s the cool part of this \u2014 because I\u2019m new here and I don\u2019t work in a social setting. It\u2019s been a win in every column.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Darren loves that he has built his own community by sharing his cars. At least in part, he\u2019s discovered Los Angeles through the Turo community. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be happier with this. It feels like a family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HOW DARREN G. DISCOVERED COMMUNITY IN LOS ANGELES The decision to let strangers drive your brand-new Tesla is not necessarily an easy one to make. Especially when the Model X…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t