About Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Hire Cars Award
Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Hire Cars Award reveals the hire car chain that delivers the best consumer satisfaction to its customers.
We ask Kiwi car hire customers to rate their satisfaction with their choice of hire car brand by Overall Satisfaction, as well as important criteria such as Booking Process, Customer Service and Value for Money.
Numbers crunched by Canstar’s researchers:
- 791 Customers Surveyed
- 15 Brands Assessed
- 10 Brands Shortlisted
- 1 Award Winner
The best hire cars in NZ
1. Snap Rentals
This is the first time that Snap Rentals has won our Hire Cars Award, and it does so with a perfect set of consumer ratings. Sitting atop our award table, Snap earns 5-Star ratings across all our award categories. What makes Snap’s award win even more remarkable is that it’s the only hire car company in this year’s ratings to earn 5 Star ratings from its customers.
Snap Rentals has five offices spread across the motu: in Auckland city and at the airports in Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, Queenstown and Wellington.
Its range of cars includes models for all budgets, from smaller Toyotas, such as the Yaris and Corolla, and Suzuki Swifts, to hybrids, minibuses and late model premium vehicles, including Mitsubishi Pajeros and Outlanders, and Toyota Highlanders.
In addition to regular rental terms, Snap Rentals offers long-term monthly rentals.
2. GO Rentals
Established in 1997, GO Rentals now operates nine offices across the country, allowing you to pick-up and drop-off at different locations: Auckland City, Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport, Dunedin Airport, Invercargill Airport, Nelson Airport, Queenstown Airport, Waiheke Island and Wellington Airport.
GO Rentals offers a choice of modern vehicles, from small cars and SUVs to 4WDs and vans, plus it has a large fleet of Teslas. To add to its green credentials, you can also offset the carbon emissions of your trip via CarbonClick.
3. Hertz
Hertz is a US car rental company, and one of the biggest car rental companies in the world, operating in 160 countries. In New Zealand, it has locations in all major cities and airports.
As well as small and medium-size family hatchbacks, Hertz offers EVs and hybrid vehicles and sporty Ford Mustangs, as well as vans and utes.
4. Jucy
As well as its iconic campervans, Jucy offers two types of rental vehicles: small hatchbacks and compact SUVs. While its small cars are available from all three of its airport locations – Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown – small SUVs are only available to rent from its Queenstown branch.
5. Apex
Apex Car Rentals has 14 offices spread across the North and South Islands. Apex’s airport locations are situated close to airport terminals, and provide free airport shuttle services between the terminals and the Apex branches. Its car fleet covers vehicles from mid-range hatchbacks to large 4WDs, people-movers and minibuses.
6. Ezi Car Rental
100% Kiwi-owned and operated, Ezi Car Rental has 24 branches across New Zealand, from Auckland to Invercargill, including many airport terminal locations.
Ezi’s wide choice of vehicles includes small hatchbacks and large 4WDs, plus utes and people movers. For the ecologically minded, it also has a choice of hybrid vehicles, and the Toyota bZ4X EV.
7. Thrifty
Thrifty has 46 locations across the country, and offers a wide choice of vehicles, from small economy models, including the Toyota Yaris, up to sporty Ford Mustangs, large SUVs, utes, vans and minibuses. Thrifty Car Rental is part of the Hertz group of companies.
8. Avis
Founded in the US nearly 80 years ago, Avis is now a multinational company. In New Zealand it operates 32 offices, many in airport terminals. Its fleet ranges from small economy cars, such as the Toyota Corolla hatch, through mid-size hatchbacks, up to large 4WDs, EVs, hybrids, utes and trucks.
9. Budget
Budget Car Rental, which is owned by Avis Budget Group, is one of the world’s best-known car rental brands, boasting approximately 3500 locations in over 120 countries. Here in New Zealand, Budget has 30 offices, including at all major airports.
10. Europcar
Europcar is a massive worldwide car rental company that was founded in France. It has 15 locations across the country, stretching from Auckland to Invercargill, including in the terminal buildings at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown airports. Europcar has a wide range of vehicles in its fleet, including luxury vehicles from BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz.
Other hire car brands
Not all hire car companies in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more hire car companies to check out before you hire your next vehicle.
- Ace Car Rentals
- Omega
- RaD Car Hire
Ace Rental Cars
Ace Rental Cars operates four offices in the North Island: in Auckland and Wellington, and at those cities' airports. In the South Island, Ace Rental Cars can be found at Dunedin, Queenstown and Christchurch airports, as well as at the Picton car ferry terminal, Greymouth and downtown Christchurch.
Omega
Omega Rental Cars operates a wide fleet of vehicles, including small hatchbacks, mid-range sedans and family and luxury SUVs.
In New Zealand, it has 10 offices: two each in Auckland and Wellington, including at each city's airport, and six in the South Island: Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch Airport, Queenstown and Queenstown Airport.
RaD Car Hire
RaD has 21 rental offices spread across both islands, in all main centres and near major airports. It offers two levels of car hire: Classic and Premium. Its Classic fleet includes small economy hatchbacks, and mid-range sedans, SUVs and 4WDs, as well as large people movers, minibuses, utes and trucks. Its premium range of late model vehicles includes Subaru Outbacks and Jeep Cherokees, as well as 4WD Nissan X-Trails and Kia Stonics, plus new Hondas and Toyotas.
Choosing the right hire cars for you
While hiring a car online is a pretty streamline process, things can hit a snag when you arrive to pick up the keys. Sometimes the car isn’t the one you expected, or you can be left waiting due to excess paperwork or a lack of staff … and then there’s the drop-off process. It’s not surprising, then, that customer service is the most important factor for car hire customers, rated the No.1 driver of satisfaction by over a third of those in our survey.
Of course, Value for Money is also important, and that rates second, cited by a quarter (24%) of our survey respondents as the top driver of their satisfaction when hiring a rental car.
Overall, here’s what the consumers in our survey say are their most important considerations when rating their hire car companies:
- Customer Service: 34%
- Value for Money: 23%
- Cost Transparency: 22%
- Availability of Vehicle: 17%
- Booking Process: 4%
