What is the most popular car rental provider in New Zealand?

The most popular rental car company in New Zealand is Snap Rentals. With prices on ECONOMY starting at $14/day about 190% more people book with Snap Rentals than other companies in the country.

What is the cheapest city to get a rental car in New Zealand?

At $31/day, it is 34% cheaper on average to rent a car in Wellington than any other city in New Zealand. The cheapest price found in New Zealand was for $21/day in Wellington.

What side of the road do you drive on in New Zealand?

Cars travel on the left side of the road in New Zealand.

Popular Car Types in New Zealand

There are 96 rental agencies servicing New Zealand. These agencies, altogether, have 824 rental locations available. Need an affordable rental? small car is the cheapest car type to rent in New Zealand with prices from $5 a day in the previous 7-day period. Here are 5 car types you can rent in New Zealand:

Cheap Car Rentals in New Zealand

Q: What are the car rental prices for popular cities in New Zealand?

Out of all the popular cities in New Zealand, Auckland is the cheapest city to rent a car in at just $7/day. Renting a car in Auckland is 90% cheaper than renting one in Whangarei where the per day rate is around $68. Other fairly inexpensive cities in New Zealand to get a rental car in are: Christchurch ($9/day), Queenstown ($9/day), and Wellington ($15/day). While these cities typically have cheaper prices than the rest of the country, travelers looking to rent a car in Auckland should expect to spend around $7/day on their transportation. The most popular city to rent a car in New Zealand is Auckland.

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New Zealand car rentals in 2025

Most popular company	Ace Rental Cars
Most common car type	Standard
Average price per day	$33
Cheapest price per day	$5

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Compare car rental deals in New Zealand by type

Here are the best New Zealand small car rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best New Zealand medium car rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best New Zealand SUV rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best New Zealand van rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Here are the best New Zealand pickup truck rental prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Nissan Sentra$5/day

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Volkswagen Jetta$5/day

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Kia Rio$7/day

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Best car rental deals found in New Zealand

These are some the most attractive deals we've found on rentals cars within the New Zealand region, including options close to Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch. If these deals don't appeal to you, check back very soon as they are being updated frequently.

Nissan Sentra$5/day

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Volkswagen Jetta$5/day

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Kia Rio$5/day

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Cheapflights insights for New Zealand car rentals

Get relevant, data-driven information to help you rent a car in New Zealand, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.

How far in advance should I rent a car in New Zealand?

To get the best deal on a rental car in New Zealand, book about 57 days before your trip. At that point, average daily prices are around $37, which is about 8% cheaper than the typical rate.

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What is the cheapest rental car company in New Zealand?

Looking to rent a car in New Zealand? Autounion Car Rental had the lowest prices in the past two weeks, starting at only $3.75/day. New Zealand Discount Car Rentals also offers competitive rates, with deals beginning at $5.53/day.

What is the cheapest month to rent a car in New Zealand?

Planning a car rental in New Zealand? May is the cheapest month, costing about $27 per day. In contrast, December is the most expensive, with an average daily rate of $69. Monthly average rental prices are listed below. Remember, prices can change based on when you book, the type of car, and availability.

January

$54

February

$54

March

$44

April

$41

May

$27

June

$28

July

$31

August

$29

September

$28

October

$32

November

$44

December

$69

What car do most people rent in New Zealand?

The most popular types of cars to rent in New Zealand are the following: SUV rentals (Mitsubishi Outlander or similar), Intermediate rentals (Mitsubishi Outlander or similar), and Standard rentals (Mitsubishi Outlander or similar).

Which car rental company has the most locations in New Zealand?

Thrifty has 66 locations throughout the area, more than any other company. Hertz has the second highest number of locations in New Zealand at 59.

What are the car rental prices for popular cities in New Zealand?

Among the most popular cities in New Zealand, Auckland offers the lowest average rental price at just $7/day. Other affordable options include Christchurch ($9/day), Queenstown ($9/day), and Wellington ($15/day).

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Top rental agencies in New Zealand

Choose from the top rental car agencies available in New Zealand, including locations near Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch. Browse through some of the top rental car agencies in New Zealand, including locations around Auckland, Queenstown and Christchurch.

Apex

8.4

Very good

42 reviews•15 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jan 2025

Easy pick up and drop off

6.0

Okay|Nov 2024

The rep was fantastic . Really friendly and polite. The vehicle was disappointing ie front left window rattles when driving, brakes were quite sensitive,, and poor pickup from starting off.

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2024

LOVED MY CUSTOMER SERVICE, CLEANLINESS, EASY PROCESS

8.0

Very good|Jul 2022

Everything was fine except that we couldn't alter the return time because we didn't book direct. This left us with a massive gap between dropping the car off and our flight. Next time I'll book direct to avoid this.

1 out of 14

View Apex Locations in New Zealand

Ace Rental Cars

8.3

Very good

37 reviews•19 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Feb 2025

We had trouble finding the pickup address . Ace had the old address on the internet…. We spent a half hour trying to find the new address

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2024

The assigned car was a diesel so we spent much less on fuel. Everything went very smoothly and timely from pickup to drop-off including the shuttle ride to the departure terminal. The Ace staff were all very friendly.

8.0

Very good|Nov 2024

Pick up was good drop off was unorganised

8.0

Very good|Oct 2024

The lady at drop off was very helpful and the process was excellent. Pick up was okay, but we're used to a rep going over the car with us which didn't happen. Light rain at the time may have been part of the problem. Staff still helpful, though everything is now done on phone?? Car itself was very comfortable and clean and being a hybrid it was economical on fuel.

8.0

Very good|Apr 2023

The car was extremely clean upon pick up, and as described, or better. Unfortunately there was an issue with outdated information on Ace's pick up instructions in our pick up location. After some initial difficulty and being unable to get a hold of Ace rental in Greymouth, NZ, staff were very responsive to our difficulties and chased up the company, seemingly straight away, to confirm the correct pick up process.

1 out of 13

View Ace Rental Cars Locations in New Zealand

Hertz

8.1

Very good

51 reviews•59 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

4.0

Mediocre|Feb 2025

Much of the information I was asked to produce had already been supplied in original email contact. I felt things could have been sped up. But staff member I dealt with was friendly and helpful.

2.0

Poor|Aug 2024

The third party I booked through failed to send my details to Hertz. Waited almost an hour for the keys to the car. Had to pay extra on pickup even thought I fully booked/paid online prior. I would reccomend booking directly with Hertz.

2.0

Poor|May 2023

Very disappointed in not having being told the truth of my bond that was not returned to me as said it would be am still expecting to see it in my acc

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2023

everything was fine and well, great service 💯

10.0

Wonderful|Apr 2023

The category of car we ordered was not available so we got an upgrade. Very nice.

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

Very easy rental .... no catches no problems

1 out of 17

Budget

8.0

Very good

35 reviews•24 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

Very good experience!

2.0

Poor|Mar 2023

We were conned into buying insurance for the duration of our rental, even though the woman knew we would not be able to keep the vehicle for the entire time because of the ferry fiascos. I was told by several budget representatives that we could have a refund for the prorated portion of the insurance that we no longer needed ( a week's worth) but was denied by a very rude woman who told us we were 'stupid to believe' what we had been told.

1 out of 12

View Budget Locations in New Zealand

Europcar

6.1

Okay

36 reviews•13 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Dec 2024

All good bit on expensive side tho- but I had excellent service from the palmerston staff.I encountered some problems but they were very helpful and courteous so thank you.

4.0

Mediocre|Aug 2024

I booked a suv car but got a suzuki swift which is too small and shouldn’t price same as the one i reserved.

10.0

Wonderful|Feb 2024

Excellent value for price paid. The SUV rented was flawless over the 10 days we rented it for(drove over 2500 km).

2.0

Poor|Jan 2024

I waited 45 minutes in a line of people to pick up the car in the morning. So it’s a good thing I didn’t have to be anywhere urgently. When I finally got to the desk, the employee said the only option available for me was a fully electric car, which I did NOT order. It was either take the electric car, or no car at all. This completely changed our plans since there are no charging stations in the area we were headed and we did not want to get stuck. I will not rent from Europcar again.

10.0

Wonderful|Aug 2023

Great car good for long distance travel. Very clean. Very good staff.

10.0

Wonderful|Feb 2023

Fantastic service, new vehicle provided, highly recommend

1 out of 12

View Europcar Locations in New Zealand

Avis

9.5

Wonderful

21 reviews•22 locations

Check prices

Overview

Recent reviews

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

Staff very helpful changed car at depot no problem

10.0

Wonderful|Jul 2023

Avis delivered a new, clean, quality automobile (precisely like I reserved), and the customer service at the Queenstown Airport was fantastic. This is what the car rental experience should be like everywhere.

8.0

Very good|Mar 2023

Easy to schedule a Queenstown to Christchurch one-way drop off. On-site pick up and drop off were seamless.

10.0

Wonderful|Mar 2023

I needed a large SUV at a reasonable price - and Avis provided a terrific, low-mileage vehicle that performed perfectly during a month and 3,000 kms of driving. Both pickup and return were hassle free.

1 out of 7

View Avis Locations in New Zealand

EZI

9.3

Wonderful

17 reviews•29 locations

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Overview

View EZI Locations in New Zealand

Thrifty

8.2

Very good

24 reviews•66 locations

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Overview

Recent reviews

2.0

Poor|Jan 2025

Arrived to collect my car with confirmation paperwork, to be told the booking did not exist There was NO communication regarding possible cancellation, there had been NO communication regarding the cancellation, I had in my possession the CONFIRMATION email dated 2 days prior to pickup. Staff were not at all helpful in trying to find the error - there was no booking so NOT their problem Will not be recommending or using Thrifty in the future

6.0

Okay|Jul 2024

Not the most welcoming service and not being explained the extra charges with EV before pick up. No explanation on how to charge the EV e.g. download the ChargeNet app to use the charger.

4.0

Mediocre|Feb 2023

Honest Price too high

1 out of 8

Car rental FAQs

What is the most popular car rental provider in New Zealand?
The most popular rental car company in New Zealand is Snap Rentals. With prices on ECONOMY starting at $14/day about 190% more people book with Snap Rentals than other companies in the country.
What is the cheapest city to get a rental car in New Zealand?
At $31/day, it is 34% cheaper on average to rent a car in Wellington than any other city in New Zealand. The cheapest price found in New Zealand was for $21/day in Wellington.
What side of the road do you drive on in New Zealand?
Cars travel on the left side of the road in New Zealand.