▷ BEST Car Rental Companies in NEW ZEALAND in 2024

Probably not your average travel destination, New Zealand is a relatively unknown country when compared with the most visited countries in the world, but those who have given the opportunity to learn more about it, have fallen in love with this beautiful island country.

If by any chance you watched The Lord of the Rings and wonder where all of those wonderful landscapes were, many parts of the three films happened to be filmed in New Zealand. And the only thing you will need to visit some of these beauties is a good rented car to travel to the Kiwi country.

Australia’s neighbor country is split into two islands, called the South Island and the North Island, both holding amazing places, culture, people, and things to do.

To be fair, the worst thing about visiting this Island country is the distance between places! This is what makes it so important to rent a car in New Zealand. Luckily, they have excellent roads, have good signs and plenty of information, making it easy to travel the islands on a rented car.

Also, this remote and beautiful island country has several local car rental options, which is great, as they will most likely comply with the particular laws in the country, and competitiveness is often good for your pockets.

Whether you want to visit Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown, Dunedin, Nelson, Napier, Palmerston North, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Invercargill, Blenheim, or Rotorua, we have made a Ranking of the Best Car Rental companies in New Zealand in 2024 to help you choose your next car rental booking, which, by the way, you can do easily and at the best price on this website.

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#1 – Go Rentals (9.4/10) 🏆

Go Rentals is a Kiwi car rental company with one of the most modern fleets of cars, which makes it quite distinctive from other local car rentals in New Zealand.

The minimum age of renting a car with Go Rentals is 21 years old, but no extra fees or mandatory insurance tier must be paid for renters younger than 25, which is a great advantage for younger drivers.

Booking a car with Go Rental is quite straightforward, and they offer locations in main cities in the country, including Dunedin in the South Island, and their rates are very good considering the age of their cars. You will be able to stick with their free insurance and upgrade from there.

For those travelers wanting to cross between the islands, it will be necessary for you to buy the ferry tickets yourself with any of the two major New Zealand services: Interislander and Bluebridge. Though you can arrange the booking with a Go representative via phone or email.

Overall, Go Rentals is a good car rental company option with several locations in major cities across the two islands, and good rates in relation to the age of their fleet.

Go Rentals customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#2 – Ezi Car Rental (9.2/10) 🥈

Ezi Car Rental is a 100% Kiwi-owned and operated rental car operator established in 1998, which means, over 25 years of experience in the New Zealand rental car industry.

Ezi Car Rental endeavors to offer to their customers the very best car rental proposition, as our aim is to be the very best car rental company in New Zealand. Ezi Car Rental always hopes to always deliver the very best cars, undeniable value, and service.

The company is made up of a team of more than 100 people dedicated to giving their customers the greatest experience possible in New Zealand, trying to make their car rental as smooth as possible. They are aware that people hire cars for many reasons; short trips away, business, long holiday trips around New Zealand and they strive to offer the traveler everything he needs.

EZI offers a very complete fleet of vehicles from compact rental cars, great for couples wanting a smaller option right up to 8-seater people movers and 12-seater minivans, perfect for small groups or large families.

EZI is present in New Zealand’s major hubs being Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin, and Queenstown.

Ezi Car Rental customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#3 – Omega Rental Cars (9.1/10) 🥉

Omega Rental Cars is a well-known car rental company in New Zealand, with a large fleet of cars of different years and prices, as well as many locations in the major cities and airports in both, the South and North islands.

One of the best things about renting with Omega is in case you would like to pick up in a city in either of the islands and drop off in the other because they offer different options for this case.

You can choose to pick-up in a city on one island and drop off in another, and you will be able to buy ferry tickets right during booking with the Interislander Ferry or Bluebridge Ferry. Do be aware that you must buy a ticket for the car and one for each child or adult. And alternatively, you can choose to drop off at Picton or Wellington and pick up a different car in either of these.

The rates for renting a car with Omega Rental Cars are quite good, with a fleet of cars slightly older than that of major international brands, but yet these are well-maintained, and if you only want to drive in a city, getting an older car can save you a good amount.

If you are planning to travel between the islands, or you are just looking for a well-reputed local company, Omega Rental Cars can be the best car rental option in New Zealand for you.

Omega Rental Cars customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#4 – Hertz (8.9/10) 🔝

Hertz is a quick, renowned, and trouble-free car rental service operating from all major airports and downtown cities in New Zealand.

Hertz was founded in 1918 by Walter Jacobs, who had a revolutionary idea; to create car rental. Today, with 10,000 locations in over 145 countries and 6 continents, Hertz is the world’s largest car rental company, and a reliable car rental dealer, whether it’s for a day, a week or a month.

Many customers rated Hertz with very efficient and friendly customer service. At great prices, the company offers the best cars for rental so that you can enjoy your traveling with the best experience.

Hertz customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#5 – Letz Rent A Car (8.7/10) 🔝

Letz is 100% local business and has built up a strong reputable business. This is shown in their repeat and referral business with many customers coming back every year or even every month to experience the Letz friendly service.

Letz vehicles are well maintained and covered by 24/7 breakdown assistance in the unfortunate event that something does go wrong.

Letz has a huge range of vehicles that covers every requirement or budget, running from the smallest economy vehicle to supersavers, compacts, intermediate sedans, station wagons, SUVs, Cargo Vans, Minibuses, and even convertibles.

Letz Rent A Car customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#6 – Hitch Car Rentals (8.6/10) 🔝

For a company with fewer locations, but yet a good reputation and overall good service, Hitch is a Kiwi car rental company that can serve you well on your trip to New Zealand.

Their fleet of cards might not be the biggest nor the newest, but they do compensate it with well-maintained cars, as well as very good rates on their car rentals, and depending on your locations and dates, you might find quite good rates on an SUV or a people mover.

It is not very clear whether you can cross between the islands with a car rented from Hitch, but it is possible to choose Christchurch (located in the South Island) as pick up location and drop off in Auckland (located in the North Island); though no ferry tickets are offered.

If you are looking for options on car rentals in New Zealand, and you are not so concerned about car ages, or you are found with their limited locations, Hitch might be the car rental of choice for you.

Hitch Car Rentals customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#7 – Bargain Rental Cars (8.6/10) 🔝

Bargain Rental Cars is another car rental to consider when visiting New Zealand, especially when what you are looking for is the cheapest prices, as they are all about the best price guarantee among the many car rentals in this island country.

Their cars are older than those of international car rentals, but that is greatly compensated with their very low rates, and overall your car will be in very good condition.

Another plus point is that Bargain Rental Cars does rent to people as young as 18 years old. However, if you are a renter 25, you will be obliged to choose their comprehensive insurance, which is not so expensive and might be a good idea to get it anyway, but it does add to the price.

They have an impressive amount of locations in the city of Auckland, and for those wanting to travel to the South Island, they have a branch in Christchurch, though it seems that you will have to buy the ferry tickets yourself, and will be better to communicate your intention to cross islands with the company.

For those looking for the best prices, people under 25 years old, and those looking for particular locations in Auckland, Bargain Rental Cars can get you some of the best rates, especially if you are not looking for the newest cars.

Bargain Rental Cars customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

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#8 – Snap Rentals (8.4/10) 🔝

For a New Zealander car rental company with very good rates, and few locations in the most visited cities in this island country, and especially for those drivers under 25, Snap Rentals is a least known, yet well reputable company you might want to consider.

Their rates are their greater attractive, with very low prices on their car rentals. Be aware that most of their fleet is composed of older cars, but they are well-maintained and mostly with low mileage, so you will be safe while traveling with them. Do consider renting in advance with Snap, as their fleet is not so big, and they can run out of cars relatively quickly.

If deciding to drop out on the island opposite to the one you picked up your car, you will need to buy your ferry tickets yourself, but you do ca contact Snap rentals, and they will help you to find a good deal on Interislander Ferry tickets.

Another good thing about Snap is that they do not charge an extra fee if you are under 25 years old.

Even though it is a smaller and not so known alternative for renting a car in the Māori country, Snap rentals can serve you well if you are traveling to one of the locations and you don’t mind renting an older, yet good car.

Bargain Rental Cars customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

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#9 – Apex Car Rentals (8.3/10) 🔝

Apex Car Rentals is one of the most popular and well-known local car rentals in New Zealand. They have plenty of convenient locations in all major cities across the two islands, which is very convenient for those travelers wanting to know more about the country.

The car rental process with Apex through their website is very straightforward and intuitive, making it easy to clarify any doubt you might have and quickly updating prices as you add or remove extra insurance or services.

One plus point is that in case you have chosen a pick-up location in either of the islands and a drop-off location in the other, choosing ferry tickets will be a mandatory step, making it easy and convenient to move between islands. And you can also buy ferry tickets directly with them even if you are dropping off on the same island.

Their fleet of cars is newer than other local companies, yet older than major international car rentals, but they are well-maintained cars, and having extra drivers is free, which is quite a surprise, though you still have to choose how many extra drivers are going.

Overall, a great option if you want a modern enough experience, and very good service while still being able to save some money.

Apex Car Rentals customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

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#10 – JUCY Car Rental and Campervan (8.2/10) 🔝

For a professional, yet fun company with a great reputation in New Zealand, Jucy is one of the preferred companies to rent a car while you are visiting the Kiwi nation, with a good fleet of cars, as well as campervans, for those wanting to be one with New Zealand’s nature.

One of the best things about renting a car with Jucy is probably their rates. They don’t offer brand new cars, but they do offer fairly recent cars, and of course, they are very well-maintained, and to be fair, the older the car, the cheapest it will be. Of course, do consider your needs before choosing the type of car. Often a small or mid hatch will probably serve you well.

When renting with Jucy, you will find that they offer a free insurance tier with basic coverage, and you can add up from there. You can also add several extras such as a really cheap additional driver’s daily fee.

And if you were considering renting in Auckland or other cities in the North Island, and end up in Christchurch in the South Island, you can get your Interislander tickets with them, which might be quite convenient.

JUCY customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

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#11 – Drive NZ Rental Cars (8.0/10) 🔝

Drive NZ Rental Cars is yet another local company to rent a car from in the Māori country, with a mix of newer and older cars, and good rates for their cars in their locations at Auckland, Christchurch, and occasionally at Queenstown.

One advantage of renting with Drive NZ is that drivers younger than 25 years old can rent, though they might have to pay a surcharge. However, some cars require a minimum age to rent them, which might limit your options, and other cars have a minimum amount of days to be rented.

If you are considering picking up on one Island and dropping off on a different one, do contact the company in order to confirm that you can cross between islands, or find better deals on ferry tickets.

For a company with new cars and good rates, Drive NZ Rental Cars is another good option to take into account, as they might have the best rates for your locations and dates.