Visitors flying into Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN) looking for a rental car have four companies to choose from: Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Thrifty. Ranked the World’s Best Airport for five consecutive years by Skytrax, SIN is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest transit hubs and one of the biggest airports in the world by traffic.
Changi Airport (Photo_: Nan-Cheng Tsai via Flickr)
Singapore Changi International Airport has four passenger terminals and a fifth is scheduled to be completed by the early 2020s. If you’re arriving in Terminal 1 or 4, your car rental choices are Avis or Budget; if you’re arriving in Terminal 2 or 3, there are also Hertz kiosks nearby in addition to Avis and Budget. These kiosks are open from 7am to 11pm.
A note about driving in Singapore. Due to its British colonial history, cars drive on the left side of the road in Singapore. As a result, most vehicles have the steering wheel on the right-hand side, and “left-handed” vehicles are required to sport a big sticker warning other vehicles on the road or be towed.
To determine the best car rental companies, TravelMag.com surveyed prices, fleet options and customer feedback and ranked the companies according to three categories: most affordable, best for families and best for luxury. Here’s what we found:
Finding cheap car rentals in Singapore can be difficult, but Avis emerged as the low-price leader at Changi Airport. Thrifty’s prices were slightly lower than Avis on average, but Avis offered a more diverse fleet of vehicles and boasted better customer feedback. Renters liked the ease of pickup and dropoff and the helpfulness of its counter staff. Avis’s kiosks are in each of the the terminals, so it’s easy to get behind the wheel quickly.
Family travelers looking for a people mover for trucking the tribe around Singapore should head to Thrifty. Thrifty’s fleet includes minivans the 7-seater Honda Odyssey and the 5-seater Honda CR-V. Former renters praised Thrifty’s easy pickup and dropoff times, the cleanliness of its vehicles and the helpfulness of its counter staff. Thrifty offers boosters and seats for infants and young children for 7.49 SGD per day, or about $5.50 USD, and free GPS units upon request. Avis was a close runner-up in this category as well as most affordable. Avis’s fleet also includes 7-seaters like the Toyota Alphard and 6-seaters like the Mazda 5 and boasts slightly better customer feedback, but its base rates were a bit higher than Thrifty’s.
Hertz is easily the best option for luxury rental cars at Singapore Changi International Airport. Hertz’s fleet includes luxury vehicles like the Peugot 508 and the BMW 3- and 5-series. Hertz is also the highest-ranked rental car company at Changi International Airport by customer feedback. Renters liked Hertz’s pickup and dropoff times, the cleanliness and condition of its vehicles, its customer service and overall value for your money.
