Car Rental Insights from Our In-house Research 2011 is here and once again, we've scoured the big brand and independent car rental companies within Australia's major cities to get a gauge on what's on offer. The aim of our research was to help point people in the right direction when it comes to finding value and understanding all there is to know about renting a car. Along the way, we made some interesting observations. ... Hertz and Etihad Partner Up for Seamless Travel Experience In the latest of promising industry developments, Hertz and Etihad have signed a three-year contract to offer a "seamless air to road luxury travel" experience, bringing Etihad customers money-saving deals and benefits. The partnership will integrate Hertz and Etihad's technology platforms so travellers can conveniently book rental cars through Hertz's dedicated microsite for Etihad customers, etihad.com as well as Etihad's call centres and retail outlets. ... Europcar Named World’s Leading Car Hire Company 2010 Europcar has been named the World's Leading Car Hire Company (for the 4th year running), the World's Leading Leisure Car Rental Company (for the 7th year running), as well as the World's Leading Green Transport Solution Company (2nd win to date) at this year's World Travel Awards.

They also nicked the title of Australasia's Leading Car Hire Company ... Qantas Frequent Flyer Goes Exclusive With Avis & Budget (Promo codes inside) Significant changes are on the horizon for Qantas Frequent Flyer members. A new exclusivity agreement means that from 19 November 2010 onwards, members will only get car hire discounts and perks when renting with Avis and Budget. So for anyone that favours Hertz or Thrifty, you'll still be eligible to collect points for rentals that are completed by 18 November 2010, but after that, no more. ... CONTEST: Drive A Dream Sports Car For A Weekend!

Feeling lucky? We've discovered an opportunity for you to drive a sweet sports car for the weekend!

All you've got to do is give your most convincing spiel in 300 words on just why your weekend would be tremendously improved with a sports car. So dust off your creative brain and submit your best entry by 10 September 2010. ...

Gold Coast Car Hire: Mouth-watering Specials from Thrifty

Deal coupons from the various car hire companies tend to blur together given how similar they can be. For example, you often have a choice of 3 or more companies at a time offering free upgrades.

BUT when it comes to the Gold Coast, we've gotta say, Thrifty's one up on everyone else. They have some fantastic deals no one else offers. ...