That will work but you better be dead sure the policy in fact includes such coverage. If it doesn't and you force the issue you may find they simply bill you for being the third-party payer for a rental car they obtained as an amenity, and bill you with a substantial markup. Failure to pay them then goes to a collection agency that adds 'collection fees' to the bill the insurance company already marked up. Those sorts of bills can easily double or triple the original cost. And if they get batted back and forth, bills are assets that can be traded, the sky is the limit for how high they can go.

Walking is good for short distances in fair weather. Biking opens up that short horizon to ten miles or more. Unfortunately some areas, like much of LA co, are not set up for fast, safe or easy transport by bike or shoe leather. You're taking your life in your hands trying to walk or bike. Makes you wonder how the poor people do it. Generally they do it very carefully.

Public transport is a good option but public transport in most of the US is a bad joke. Most of NYC has a good system, LA is getting better, but most cities are miserable failures in this area.

Rides with family/friends are good but this gets old and can wear of both sides. If you have a existing relationship of sharing and trading rides it all gets easier. Paying for gas can help or hurt.

Conventional rentals are good but the cost can add up. Used to be a company caller Rent-a-wreck that rented older cars at much lower prices.

Another option, along the same lines, might be check with local garages. Some garages keep a couple mechanically sound clunkers on hand to loan out to people getting their cars repaired. This might be done as an amenity or for a nominal rental rate. Work your time calling and asking. And even if the place you call doesn't do it they may know someone who might.

In a pinch I also been known to buy a $200 clunker. If it runs it's worth $500. I had one $200 car that lasted for three years. It ran on day one but was rough and smoked something serious. Still good enough to get to work and buy groceries. Took a weekend of spinning a wrench doing minor repairs to make it run right. I installed all new vacuum hoses, installed a half-dozen bolts that were missing, replaced all the filters, and repaired a transmission cooler line that sprayed fluid onto the exhaust manifold when the trany warmed up. New tires and shocks after a bit. Best $200 I've ever spent.

After a few months I got a better car but held onto that clunker. Ugly as sin I never locked it. I loaned it out to anyone who needed a car, a friend's daughter learned to drive in it, I'd drive it like rented mule over dirt roads, and take it to the beach and drive in the surf. Worse for wear, but still chugging along, I gave it to a couple down the street who had lost their jobs and were evicted.