Brisbane City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies

Similar to renting from Brisbane Airport, there are savings to be made with going with the independent companies within Brisbane City. The best value company for you will largely depend on the duration of your rental and the number of kilometres you require to be included in the standard rate.

East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site

Value to be found with Unlimited km’s

With unlimited km’s included, East Coast Car Rentals can offer some of the most competitive prices from the Economy hatchbacks to the 12-seater Vans, particularly for rentals 3 days and longer. Their cars are mainly between brand new and 2-years old. While your credit card information is required to place the booking, you will not be charged until you arrive at the office for the pickup. ECCR charges A$13.20/day and less depending on duration, to lower your default collision damage liability from A$3000 to A$200 (this is for cars, more for AWDs and Vans).

In our research we found that for larger cars, booking with ECCR via Bargain Wheels (see below) instead of directly, can sometimes work out cheaper.

Bargain Wheels Go To Site

Independent companies comparison site. New and used cars

Bargain Wheels displays prices from about seven different independent car hire companies in Brisbane, allowing you to find deals on newer cars, and even more so if you are happy to hire an older/used car.

Pay attention to the Rental Information and details about the Supplier as provided on the site so you know the number of kilometres and insurance excess included. Take note that although you might search specifically for Brisbane City rentals, some of the listed companies’ depots are situated closer to the airport than the city. We recommend you call the company you are interested in to find the exact location of the pickup.

Finally, do not take the daily rates initially displayed in the search results at face value as they are often not inclusive of various administrative fees and taxes. Click through a few different companies to obtain the final price so you know you got the best car hire deal.

Alpha Car Hire Go To Site

Check for rentals 3 days or shorter. Includes 500km/day

With 500km/day included (27.5 cents/extra km), you should give Alpha a check if you are looking for a rental car for 3 days or less and intend to do a fair amount of driving. All car hire comes with a collision damage liability of A$2750. For A$16.50/day or less depending on duration, you can have it reduced to A$330. You can and should get cheaper if you source your insurance externally.

If you’re planning on renting from Alpha, you may want to use this discount voucher to get A$10 off a 3 day or more hire or A$20 off on any hires 14 days or more. You can use only one offer at a time so do check their Specials section to see if there are any more valuable offers.

Abel Rent-a-Car Go To Site

For rentals 3 days and under if 100km/day is adequate

For those who can stay within 100km/day of driving and are looking for a short-term rental under 4 days, Abel Rent-a-Car offers the lowest prices across Economy manual hatchbacks up to a 4WD. They charge 33 cents/extra km and the standard damage liability of A$3300 can be reduced to A$550 for A$27.50/day. This is very pricey so read how to get covered with alternative car hire insurance.

Note: In April 2008, Abel was in the Courier News (read the article here) for charging customers for dubious damages. Still, they also have their share of happy customers so weigh up this news for yourself. If you do damage the vehicle, Abel’s policy notes they will charge a A$250 administrative fee simply for handling the process. Any traffic infringements you incur will similarly attract a A$99 fee.