Catching the summer sun: your Auckland Airport car rental for the New Year
The late December sun is hot on the tarmac at Auckland International Airport, bleaching the asphalt and glinting off the arrivals hall glass. The pohutukawa trees are erupting in crimson bloom along the motorway shoulders, and you can smell salt air and sunscreen the minute you step outside. Everyone is trying to escape the city gridlock for a fortnight of beach hops and Coromandel oysters, and securing your Auckland International Airport car rental right now is the smartest move you can make. The summer rush is loud and hot, and getting your wheels sorted fast means you beat the queue at the depot.
Our data shows Ezi and GO Rentals battling it out for the best rates over this 14-day New Year stretch, with Ezi averaging just over $3100 for the whole trip. GO Rentals currently holds the absolute cheapest deal going at $2114 for their Mystery Car, which is a steal when the median price for the period sits at $3626.71. A smart booker checks these two first before looking at the usual big names like Hertz or Avis, where the average cost pushes closer to $4000. Locking in those cheaper rates now means more money left over for whitebait friters and craft beer.
You will mostly find five-seat standard petrol cars on the forecourt, with 80 of those listed for the dates, making them the reliable workhorses of the summer rush. If you are loading up with surfboards, camping gear, and three mates, keep your eyes peeled for the Toyota Corolla Hatch Hybrid from GO Rentals at $2744, because fuel stops get expensive over a two-week loop around the North Island. The motorway off-ramps get thick with traffic around 4 PM, so swing by the depot in the morning, pack the boot tight, and hit the road while the bitumen is still quiet.