Rent a Dent Price Comparison
RaD Car Hire is a New Zealand car rental franchise group with a network of 23 locations dotted around the country. They are the oldest independent car rental operator in NZ, having started back in 1987.
For 30 years RaD was called Rent a Dent, reflecting the fact they rented low-cost older vehicles. In 2017 Rent a Dent repositioned itself and changed its name to RaD Car Hire. This was because late model rental cars were now available at some branches, in addition to the older low-cost rental vehicles RaD has traditionally provided.
RaD calls their cheaper vehicles “Classic”. If you’re not too fussed about driving an older vehicle with higher mileage and want to save money, then these are worth considering.
Should you want something a bit flashier, RaD also offers a limited premium range of late model rental cars which is available from some, but not all, branches. Premium includes Corollas, Nissan hatchbacks, Nissan X-Trail 4WD and a range of Ssangyong vehicles. The Premium Range vehicles are generally a year or two old.
So how do RaD prices compare to other rental brands?
With a legacy name like 'Rent a Dent' you’d expect RaD pricing to be pretty competitive compared to other New Zealand rental brands.
But just how much are you saving, really?
We’ve checked, and the answers may surprise you.
To see how they compare we checked out the lowest prices shown on MatesRates and the RaD websites for the three most popular rental pick-up points in NZ (Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown airports).
Below are the lowest priced rental vehicles offered on each website when we checked. In each case, the car is being picked up on a Saturday morning and returned at the same time and location on the following Sat morning (7-day rental).
Auckland Airport - Lowest Prices
Rental Dates | MatesRates Price | RaD Price | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
10-17 Sep 22 | $207 | $369 | $162 |
19-26 Nov 22 | $223 | $369 | $146 |
07-14 Jan 23 | $355 | $418 | $63 |
Christchurch Airport - Lowest Prices
Rental Dates | MatesRates Price | RaD Price | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
10-17 Sep 22 | $231 | $278 | $47 |
19-26 Nov 22 | $257 | $369 | $112 |
07-14 Jan 23 | $312 | $418 | $106 |
Queenstown Airport - Lowest Prices
Rental Dates | MatesRates Price | RaD Price | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
10-17 Sep 22 | $427 | $536 | $109 |
19-26 Nov 22 | $283 | $442 | $159 |
07-14 Jan 23 | $440 | $760 | $320 |
The prices shown above are the rental charge including GST tax and any applicable airport fee. Not included is insurance or any extras, such as GPS hire. As you can see, MatesRates prices were lower on all dates.
By as much as $320 cheaper. And that's just for a 7-day hire.
Think how much more you'll save on a longer rental....
These were the prices shown by each website as of 27 June 2022. We should point out that car rental prices are dynamic and subject to change. Therefore, we recommend you make your own comparisons for current prices.