New Zealand Car hire for 6 days - Apex or Ace
 

Hi friends. My wife and I are visiting New Zealand in November this year and after covering the North Island (without any car hire), will be reaching Christchurch on 20th November.

We plan to hire a car for 6 days and travel from Christchurch to Queenstown with stoppages at Lake Tekapo, Aoraki and Wanaka. We are the only two people travelling with medium luggage and would like to hire a mid-size sedan.

After reading reviews on various forums, I have shortlisted Apex, Jucy and Ace rentals, in that order of preference. The cost for the entire trip in a mid-size sedan (Nissan Tiida or similar) including zero excess cover and GPS is coming to $408 for Apex, $390 for Jucy and $312 for Ace.

Out of the three, only Apex has listed a range for the the year of the vehicle (2006-2012), while the other two have not mentioned any dates so I am assuming they may be even older than this. I am having an inclination towards Apex but the cost difference between Apex and Ace is nearly $100, so I am getting confused.

Please suggest whether I should go ahead with Apex Rentals at the higher price, or opt for Ace Rentals which is priced significantly lower but there is no clarity regarding the age and condition of vehicle.

We've booked with APEX many times, never had a problem. They are our car rental company of choice in NZ.

We usually go with a Corolla, plenty of space for the two of us plus luggage and enough get up and go for the mountain passes. The cars we've had are usually 5-10 years old, with a few bumps and bruises, but well-maintained.

Generally, the older the car, the lower the price.

Older cars have their advantages...they've already suffered their first scratches, so the new car pressure is off:)

A GPS in NZ is a waste of money IMO - roads are limited, only so many places you can go!

The cost of excess (deductible) might be more of a deciding factor than the age of the vehicle. Read the fine print.

Thanks Melnq8 for your reply. There is an option for a 2010 model Corolla as well with Apex which is somewhat more expensive than the Tiida model at $462 for 6 days including zero excess cover and GPS. Tiida is 2006-2012 make and costing $408.

Also if we want a new vehicle then we might as well get a 2012-2014 model Ford Focus Trend for $492 instead of the Corolla. I mean if we are anyways going for a new model than better to spend $30 extra and get a 1-3 year old car rather than a 5 year old one. Or is Corolla a better car than Ford Focus Trend? I have seen a lot of Corollas in India but we don't have Ford Focus Trend here so not sure about it.

So the real comparison is between taking a brand new (1-3yr old) Ford Focus Trend from Apex for $492 vs taking an up to 9 year old (they say 2006-2012 model but let me assume the worst case scenario) Nissan Tiida from Apex for $408 vs taking an unspecified year model of Nissan Tiida from Ace for $312.

Is the price difference always so high between Apex and Ace Rentals? If not then could it mean that this particular model of Ace may not be very good that's why they are giving it for so low?

Oh and about the GPS, we feel that we will be more comfortable having it even if we don't get to use it much. Better to have it and not need it than to not have it and find that we need it somewhere. Our friends from India who went there in January also recommended us to take GPS as they had actually got lost somewhere and could come back on track only because of GPS.

A Tiida is cheaper as it's a step down from a Corolla, smaller engine, smaller car. The Kiwis call them Tiddles:)

We had a Tiida on our last trip to NZ, but only because we weren't on the move much, it was ideal for the limited driving we did, but I'd pick a Corolla if you're planning to drive cross country.

I believe, but cannot be sure, that a Ford Focus is also a step down. I'm no car expert, but you can get the specs of each easily enough by doing a Google search. I suggest you avoid hatchbacks as they won't conceal your luggage as you travel. I recommend a car with a fully contained trunk.

<Is the price difference always so high between Apex and Ace Rentals>

I have no idea.