Big Boys Comparison Sites We’ve Reviewed
July 30, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
For your information, these are the popular sites we’ve researched and reviewed to find the best of the best for comparing the live prices of Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty and Europcar for Australia:
- AustralianCarHire.com
- AustTravel.com.au
- AutoEurope.com
- Carhire.com.au
- Carrentals.co.uk
- DirectFlights.com.au
- Discovery-CarHire.com.au
- DiyCarHire.com.au
- * DriveNow.com.au
- EasyCar.com
- EasyTerra.com
- EzHireCar.com.au
- HolidayAutos.com.au
- Kemwel.com.au
- LastMinute.com.au
- NovaCarHire.com
- * Oodles.com
- RentNewCars.com.au
- Transhire.com
- TravelJigsaw.com.au
- TravelSupermarket.com
- WebCarHire.com.au
- * Vroomvroomvroom.com.au
- ZoomToGo.com
* Our Top Picks
Amongst other factors, the few most important selection criteria for these Top Picks are:
- Lowest Prices/Best Value
- Ease of Site Navigation, Car Search, Price Comparison and Booking
- No Hidden Fees
- No Deposit Required to Place a Booking
- No Credit Card Details Required to Place a Booking
Alpha Car Hire Discount Voucher
July 21, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
Print out the Alpha Car Hire voucher below and take it with you when you pick up your Brisbane car rental for some extra savings.
Car Hire Fees: What To Expect
July 20, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · 2 Comments
Plan your budget with these indicative final prices for a basic Australian car rental from the Big Boys (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, or Europcar).
- 3-day Car Hire
- Smallest Auto (Hatchback) $205 = $70/day
- Full-sized Auto (Sedan) $240 = $80/day
- 7-day Car Hire
- Smallest Auto (Hatchback) A$370 = $55/day
- Full-sized Auto (Sedan) A$429 = $60/day
Brisbane City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 20, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · 3 Comments
Similar to renting from Brisbane Airport, there are savings to be made with going with the independent companies within Brisbane City. These reliable companies are our top picks that consistently deliver great value with lower prices than the Big Boys. Read more
Brisbane Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 20, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
Brisbane airport’s Premium Location Fee is a fixed 14%. Therefore, opting to go with one of the independent companies who are located just off-site will increase your chances of finding a bargain. These are the best value companies we uncovered. Bargain Wheels comparison site is a great starting place for both new and used cars. Brisbane Rent a Car in general offers the best prices on small to standard-sized cars.
Bargain Wheels Go To Site
Independent companies comparison site. New and used cars. Great prices
Bargain Wheels aggregates prices across about seven off-site Brisbane Airport independent car hire companies for you to compare. The rates you’ll find here are very competitive across the whole range of cars from Compact hatchbacks up to Standard sedans, SUVs and Vans. In our research, we found that Alpha Car Hire (and sometimes East Coast Car Rentals) have the best prices. Rentals from Alpha come with 500km/day whilst those from ECCR come with unlimited km’s. You can also find used cars which, if you are comfortable to accept, will be noticeably cheaper.
Do always read the Rental and Supplier information provided to ensure you know the exact terms and conditions of the rental, including the standard mileage and insurance excess. As the cars can be from any of a number of companies, we recommend you call Bargain Wheels for exact pickup instructions and location. Note that in the preliminary search results, the daily rates listed are often subject to further fees and you will have to click through in order to obtain the final price.
If you intend to hire your car from East Coast Car Rentals (see ECCR below), booking with them via Bargain Wheels can sometimes be cheaper.
Brisbane Rent a Car Go To Site
Best for Compact (manual and auto) and Standard cars. 200km/day or unlimited for rentals over 5 days
Brisbane Rent a Car is a small family-owned independent company that only has operations in Brisbane. Our findings revealed they offered the best prices for Compact hatchbacks and Standard cars. Being located a few minutes off-site, they offer free transfers to and from the Brisbane Airport (a small fee may be incurred if shuttle service is required outside normal office hours).
There is a standard liability of A$2500 that can be brought down to A$250 for A$15/day. Definitely worth checking.
East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site
Great value with unlimited km’s
Considering the included unlimited km’s, East Coast Car Rentals presents good value value across most car models including the Economy Hyundai Getz manual hatch, Intermediate Toyota Corolla sedan and Toyota Tarago Van. Their cars come with A$3000 damage liability that can be reduced to A$200 for A$13.20/day or less. Located off-site, they offer a courtesy shuttle service to take you to their depot from the airport. Your credit card details are required to make the booking but will not be charged until you pick up the car.
If you intend to hire with ECCR, you might want to check Bargain Wheels to see if booking via them can save you a little extra. See more information on Bargain Wheels above.
Airport Rent-A-Car Go To Site
Cheap from Economy up to Mid-sized Cars. Look out for special discounts. 500km/day
Particularly in the months where 10% discounts are offered, Airport Rent-a-Car is another value alternative company for Brisbane Airport rentals with 500km/day included. At the time of writing the 10% discount is available for rentals in June and July 2011. Standard A$3300 collision damage liability is included which A$23/day reduces to A$330. If you require additional excess reduction, you’ll save by getting independent insurance for car hire. Courtesy transfers to/from Brisbane Airport are provided to their off-site depot.
Perth Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 10, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
If you are hiring a car for 3 or more days, you can find better deals than the Big Boys (Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty or Europcar) with one of the following independent companies. Bayswater Car Rental in particular offers outstanding value for renters who want reduced liabilities. Below are their summaries and key highlights but always ensure you check their precise current terms and conditions before booking.
Bayswater Car Rental… a.k.a. No Birds Go To Site
Our #1 pick. Toyota Corolla Hatch & Sedan only. Excess reduction included free. Unlimited km’s
They only carry automatic Toyota Corolla hatches (compact) and sedans (mid-sized) but on those, you’ll find unbeatable prices for rentals 3 days or longer. Their Perth airport depot is located off-site at Bayswater so you’ll have to take a taxi which will cost you approximately A$15 to get there (or back). Yet even after incorporating this extra A$30 charge, they still offer the best value, including an already reduced standard Collision Damage Liability of only A$300 (the Big Boys have a standard CDL of A$2750-3300 and will charge you a whopping A$25-27/day to lower it to A$330).
They also provide the option of returning the car to the airport though at an extra A$50 charge. If you only need a small or mid-sized car, look no further. Note that you can only pickup your car during their opening times: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-noon, closed Sundays and public holidays.
Bargain Wheels Go To Site
For SUVs, can be cheaper than Big Boys. Only 120km/day
For SUVs/4WDs, give Bargain Wheels (a car hire comparison engine) a check. They are offered by DriveWest Car Rentals with a standard inclusion of only 120km/day (28 cents/extra km) but if that’s all you need, it might save you some dollars as compared to the Big Boys of Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar or Thrifty.
The exact rental details can vary so read the Supplier and Rental Information provided on Bargain Wheels for each car hire option to ensure you fully understand the terms and conditions.
Perth City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 10, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · 3 Comments
For car hires under 3 days or standard-sized cars and vans, you’ll find the Big Boys of Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty and Europcar are likely to offer the best prices (read more on comparing these companies here). For longer rentals or smaller cars and SUVs, we strongly recommend having a look at the best two independent companies serving the Perth city, particularly Bayswater Car Rental. As always, while we provide the key highlights, do ensure you find out their latest terms and conditions.
Bayswater Car Rental… a.k.a. No Birds Go To Site
Best value. Toyota Corolla Hatch & Sedan only. Excess reduction included free. Unlimited km’s
The clear winner for best value, this is the company to go for if you’re happy with a Toyota Corolla hatch (compact) or sedan (mid-sized). Not only are their 3 day or more car hires with unlimited km’s one of the cheapest around, but they also come with a reduced Collision Damage Liability of only A$300. All other companies have a CDL commonly around A$2750 and then charge you between A$14-27/day extra to drop it down.
Besides their Perth city depot, they have two others – one just to the west of the city in Subiaco and another further out in south-west Fremantle. Note that you can only pickup your car during their opening times: Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-noon, Sun 9am-11:30am (Perth depot only), closed on public holidays. Excellent value.
Bargain Wheels Go To Site
Check for SUVs. Only 120km/day
If the cars offered by Bayswater are too small, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz or Thrifty are hard to beat. However, Bargain Wheels can sometimes bag you lower prices on SUVs especially when there are offers extending the typical 120km/day inclusion to unlimited km’s. Naturally if 120km/day is adequate for you, all the more you should check their rates.
We do suggest you compare the Big Boys’ prices to the ones you find here since if the savings are marginal, you may want to stick with the known brands instead.
Each booking has links to Supplier and Rental information. Be sure to go through them so you can ascertain what value you are really getting from their prices.
Gold Coast Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 10, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
At the Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta), our analysis reveals the following best independent car hire companies. Their off-site location will save you at least 12% in Airport Fees than if you went with the Big Boys located on-site. However, if you still want to stick with the big brands, see our recommendations on the best sites for comparing Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty and Europcar.
East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site
Cheap car hires with unlimited km’s
Being inclusive of unlimited km’s, East Coast Car Rentals has probably one of the best prices you’ll find for Gold Coast car hires. Originally specializing in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Cairns areas, their success has seen them expanding to serve Melbourne and Sydney too. They offer free shuttles to and from the Coolangatta Airport to their depot nearby. You have a choice of of late model Compact hatchbacks, Intermediate and Standard sedans, SUVs, as well as 8 and 12-seater Vans. When available, their “Near New” cars can save you a significant sum.
The rentals carry a standard liability of A$3000 that you can opt to lower to A$200 for A$13.20/day or less (these figures apply to their cars and are higher for larger SUVs and Vans).
Surfers Paradise Car Hire Go To Site
Competitive Compact Auto hatch and Intermediate sedans. Only 100km/day. Ages 18-24, 70+ allowed.
Surfers Paradise Car Hire is a small family-owned company that offers both new and used cars at attractively low prices. Their website is rather bland and could do with a makeover but look beyond that and you’ll find their Compact and Intermediate cars are often the cheapest around. Pick-up and drop-off services to Coolangatta Airport are available. However, their rentals only include 100km/day ($0.39/extra km).
It is worth highlighting in particular that they allow people between ages 18-24 and over 70, and provisional licence holders to rent. Normally, car hire companies almost always require renters to be at least 21 and the age surcharge for those 21-24 is often at least A$10/day (up to a whopping A$30/day e.g. Europcar). For under 21′s or P-platers, it’s very near impossible. Enter Surfers Paradise Car Hire! They charge 21-24 and 70+ hirers only A$4.16/day, and 18-20 and provisional licence hirers A$14.55/day.
For those 25-69, the standard liability is A$3000. About A$17/day gets this lowered to A$550. Outside the age bracket, expect a higher standard liability.
Bargain Wheels Go To Site
Independent companies comparison site. Booking with Alpha Car Hire or ECCR can be cheaper here
Bargain Wheels enables you to search a few of Gold Coast Coolangatta Airport’s off-site independent car hire companies. We have to say, it can be quite a chore to click through the various steps in order to reveal the final price but the rates found here can be attractively low. To help narrow down your options, we discovered the two companies that consistently come up with the lowest prices are Alpha Car Hire and East Coast Car Rentals (the latter of which we already covered above). Still, we recommend you check the price if you booked with ECCR via Bargain Wheels rather than directly as sometimes it works out slightly cheaper.
Ensure you read the Rental and Supplier information provided on each company by Bargain Wheels to understand the terms of your rental. We suggest you give them a call to clarify anything you are uncertain about and get the exact pickup procedure and location.
Airport Rent-A-Car Go To Site
Possible value particularly during discount months. 300km/day
Airport Rent-a-Car doesn’t always have the lowest prices compared to the other independents but is still worth a check particularly during non-holiday months where they often offer 10% off their regular car hire rates – currently being offered in June and July 2011. The rentals come with 300km/day included and will cost you A$0.25/extra km. Standard Collision Damage Liability is A$3300 which can be lowered to A$330 for A$23/day (this is expensive – instead, read up on cheaper alternative car rental insurance). They offer free pickups from the airport to their depot 5 minutes away.
Surfers Paradise – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
July 10, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · 3 Comments
Amongst the Surfers Paradise sea (pun intended) of independent car hire companies, you’ll find the most competitive rates at Surfers Paradise Car Hire, East Coast Car Rentals and Andy’s Auto Rental.
Surfers Paradise Car Hire Go To Site
One of the lowest rates on the Gold Coast. Only 100km/day. 18-24, 70+, provisional licence holders allowed.
Our latest find for Gold Coast rentals, Surfers Paradise Car Hire is a small independent company that frequently ends up with the cheapest rates in our research. The most substantial savings are found on their Compact and Intermediate cars. Their website is rather dull but don’t let that stop you. However, you should bear in mind their rentals only come with 100km/day beyond which they charge A$0.39/km. It is possible to increase your allowance to 200km/day for a small sum. They also allow you to arrange for a pick-up or drop-off service to your accommodation.
What makes Surfers Paradise Car Hire stand out most is the fact they rent to 18-24 and 70+ year-old’s as well as provisional licence holders. This is a significantly noteworthy offering that’s hard to come by. For the most part, it is notoriously difficult for anyone under 21 or P-platers to rent and those between 21-24 often find themselves with an age surcharge of A$10-30/day. SPCH, on the other hand, charges only A$4.16/day for those 21-24 and 70+, while A$14.55/day will allow young 18-20 year-old’s and provisional licence holders the ability to rent at all!
The standard liability is A$3000 for those 25-69 which about A$17/day brings it down to A$550. “Special” age renters will expect a higher standard liability and corresponding excess reduction prices.
East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site
Good value with unlimited km’s
East Coast Car Rentals offers great deals on car hires for 3 days and longer (best from 7 days) particularly on economy, mid-sized cars and vans. Their prices are inclusive of unlimited mileage and their rental cars are mostly brand new. Their A$3000 liability can be brought down to A$200 for A$13.20/day or less.
Andy’s Auto Rental Go To Site
Excellent rates for short-term car hire under 5 days with 200km/day
With competitive rates for short-term car hires, this site deserves a mention. You’ll have to choose the Nerang depot which is about 20 minutes drive west of Surfers Paradise. However, do factor in that the prices only include 200km/day (A$0.28/extra km). Collision damage excess is A$3000 which you can lower to A$300 for A$15.95/day. They also offer a “budget” category for select sizes which are essentially used cars between 3-5 years old. These lower prices come with the trade-off that older cars are more prone to technical problems and may be less comfortable. Also within 25 days of your booking, a cancellation fee will apply.
Car Hire Questions To Ask
July 10, 2008 by Car Hire Insider · Leave a Comment
A checklist of questions you should ask yourself and the car hire company before committing.
Ask Yourself…
To be able to find the best deal for yourself as quickly as possible, you should know exactly what you need and what your priorities are.
- Most importantly: Do you really need a car?
- What’s the minimum sized car you need? Can it comfortably fit everyone and your bags? If you’ll be doing stops while your luggage is with you, you’ll want to get a car that can fit it all in the boot
- What are your expected pickup and drop-off times? Will it be outside opening hours?
