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Avis and Sixt are both known worldwide so working out which one offers the best rental for you can be a head scratcher.
To point you in the right direction, we've simplified things by comparing both companies on everything from their vehicle types to their deals.
We've fallen in love with Sixt for its price transparency, cheaper rates, fee-free cancellations, cheaper additional driver fees and fee-free credit card payments. Its biggest downfall is that while it has a Best Price Guarantee which just means that you're getting the best rate at the time of booking based on availability on the site it doesn't price match. However in a like-for-like search it came up miles cheaper than Avis so it might not have to to prove its worth.
| Feature | Avis | Sixt | The winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where can I hire a car? | Avis has more than 5,500 locations in:
| Sixt has over 4,000 locations across 105 countries. Regions include:
| Avis |
| What type of cars does it have? |
|
| Avis |
| Does it require a deposit? | No | No, although paying a deposit decreases the overall price. | Both |
| Is insurance included? | Yes. Avis includes a loss damage waiver in standard rentals. Third party insurance is also included in certain locations. Additional insurance can be purchased. | Yes. Sixt standard cover includes third party liability and a loss damage waiver to reduce your liability for vehicle loss or damage. Additional insurance is available for purchase. | Both |
| How much is excess? | Standard excess rates vary per rental and will be specified in the rental agreement during the reservation process. | Sixt charges $5,500 excess for all vehicle groups. | Sixt |
| Do I need to wash the car? | No. However, the car should not be returned in an excessively dirty or smelly condition. | No, but the vehicle must be returned in a reasonable state. An $11 vehicle cleaning fee applies. | Both |
| Rental requirements | Drivers must be at least 21 or 25 years old, depending on the location. They must present a full, valid driver's licence held for at least a year. All licences not written in Latin characters must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit (IDP). | Drivers must be aged 21 to 80 and present a valid driver's licence. If the licence is not in English, an IDP may be required. | Both |
| Does it charge per mile/kilometre? | No, but if your rental comes with limited mileage, you will be charged for exceeding the mileage limit. | No, but if your rental comes with limited mileage, you will be charged for exceeding the mileage limit. | Both |
| Is there unlimited mileage? | Yes. Most rentals have unlimited mileage. | Yes. Sixt rentals typically come with unlimited mileage. | Both |
| Does it rent to under 25s? | Yes, however this depends on location. Vehicle restrictions and underage fees may also apply. | Yes. However, drivers aged 21 to 24 will be subject to an underage driver's fee of $8.80 per day. | Both |
| Does it accept cash? | Yes | Yes | Both |
| Does it price match? | Yes. If you find the same rental cheaper elsewhere, Avis will match and better it by 10%. | Yes. The Sixt Best Price Guarantee promises that you've found the best possible rate available on the site at the time of booking. | Avis |
| Does it pick you up? | No | No | Both |
| What are my payment options? |
|
| Both |
| Does it accept debit cards? | Yes | Yes | Both |
| Does it charge for credit cards? | Yes. Rentals paid by credit or debit cards incur a 1.29% fee. | No | Sixt |
| Does it allow for cancellations/changes? | Yes. Changes and cancellations can be made online prior to pick-up. Cancellations will incur a fee which doubles if made less than 24 hours prior to pick-up. | Yes. Re-bookings and cancellations can be made before the start of the rental online for free. | Sixt |
| How long does it hold reservations? | Most Avis airport locations keep the rental desk open until your flight has arrived, even if it's delayed. Notify Avis if you become aware of a potential delay. | Prepaid rentals are held for 24 hours. Pay-on-the-day rentals are held for one hour. | Both |
| Can I add an extra driver? | Yes. The driver's partners and work colleagues can also drive the vehicle for free. Anyone else who fulfills the driver requirements can drive the vehicle for $5 per day, capped at $25. | Yes. Additional drivers can be added for a small fee. This amount varies depending on your rental agreement and the additional driver's age. In a sample hire from Adelaide Airport the cost incurred was $1.83 per day. | Both |
| Does it have manual and automatic cars? | Yes | Yes | Both |
| Is there a loyalty programme? | Yes. Avis Preferred allows members to skip the rental counter in select locations and access exclusive deals. You can also earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on hires. | Yes. The Sixt Express Card gives members upgrades, discounts and fast pick-ups. Members can earn miles and points with various airline and hotel partners, including Qatar. | Both |
| Can I return the car early? | Yes and you'll only be charged the days you hired the car. However if you booked with a day-based deal this is void and you may end up paying more than you were originally quoted. | Yes, but if you prepaid for your rental, you won't be refunded for any unused days. | Avis |
| Book | Book your rental with Avis | Book with Sixt |
We figured the best way to give you a black-and-white answer to this question was to search the rentals ourselves. We made identical rental searches on the official Avis and Sixt websites.
The verdict?
We searched for identical bookings with Avis and Sixt and found that Sixt's cheapest rate was almost $100 less than Avis'.
Sixt wins this round by a mile with a pay later cost of $139.69 in total compared to Avis' $229.99 price tag.
There are a few differences between the two cheapest cars to keep in mind. Sixt's allows for 5 passengers while Avis' only fits 4 - however Sixt's rental holds one less bag than Avis' to make up for it. Avis' vehicle is also manual while Sixt's is automatic.
Check the price of car hire for your trip
Avis deals cover particular vehicles and locations and include upgrades, free rental days and a number of partner offers. For example, book for seven days and only pay for five.
Sixt deals are on select vehicles in certain locations and are rate-based rather than percentage-based. For example, you can hire a Suzuki Swift for $44 per day.
One-way car hires from $1 per day
Victoria: Get $20 off select truck rentals
Get $10 off truck rentals in Victoria
Get 2 days free on 7-day rentals
Up to 15% off business car rental
Earn Qantas Points on rentals
Free upgrade on car hires
Sixt is cheaper in so many ways, from its overall rental cost in a like-for-like search against Avis, to its additional driver rate which can be as little as $1.83 per day. It also doesn't charge for cancellations or re-bookings and is straight up about it's excess, which is $5,500 no matter what car you hire.
In summary, here's a list of both Avis' and Sixt's winning points:
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