The beautiful outlook at Caroline Bay Beach, Timaru.
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  2. New Zealand
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The easiest way to book a car rental in Timaru

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From 105,542 total reviews
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2001
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Great value rental cars from Timaru’s most trusted car hire providers

  • Avis

Car rental rates in Timaru / Te Tihi o Maru

The port city of Timaru / Te Tihi o Maru is situated on the Pacific coast of New Zealand’s Canterbury region and is a popular launching point for trips to the beautiful Caroline Bay. Timaru is located roughly half way between Christchurch / Ōtautahi to the north and Dunedin / Ōtepoti to the south.


VroomVroomVroom makes searching, comparing, and booking your rental car in Timaru easy. Choose from reliable and affordable car hire options supplied by New Zealand’s leading rental car brands.

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Rental rate prices displayed are NZD and were available in response to a search at 12:01 am on December 09, 2025 by a New Zealand resident aged between 30 and 69 years old, for the specified travel dates, with a pickup and return time of 10:00 am. Rates and vehicle availability may change without notice. Use our price comparison tool to get current rental rates. Rates include all mandatory fees for the rental and exclude credit card surcharges and extras.

Rates are in NZD and were last updated on 09 December, 2025

YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY

Here’s what VroomVroomVroom customers think

Our customers have rated their Timaru car rental booking experience 5/5
(6 reviews)
  • 19 Nov 2025

    Not totally happy. Request was for a Toyota Corolla or similar, as these are good cars. We went with East Coast Rentals. They said a Corolla was not available. We were given a Cherry (a red one). I walked around the ECR lot and found only one Corolla (a hybrid), amongst 80 cars. I don't think that they run petrol Corollas. Do not advertise them. VVV quoted 1 X$12 for an extra driver, while ECR added $60. We challenged them. ECR said that it might be on VVV website , but ECR have updated their website (?? isn't this automatic administrative?) ECR backed down immediately, which makes me think that it was opportunistic at 6.30 pm and we wanted to get going. The front line staff were great. After 12 days the Cherry went well, which means it was a lot better than the MG3 that we had as a Corolla or similar from another car rental company. We will be back, but a bit more wary and selective. Regards

    neal v.
    Booked: Mitsubishi Eclipse or similar
    Queenstown Airport
    Mitsubishi Eclipse or similar
  • 18 Oct 2025

    Easy to follow

    david b.
    Booked: Subaru Forester AWD or similar
    Auckland International Airport
    Subaru Forester AWD or similar
  • 02 Dec 2025

    Simple service to use.

    stephen g.
    Booked: Toyota Rav4 AWD
    Wellington Airport
    Toyota Rav4 AWD
  • 09 Aug 2025

    Easy to navigate however did not realize nor was there much seen about the bond being so high until after you pay the insurance.

    wiremu s.
    Booked: Kia Seltos or similar
    Christchurch Airport
    Kia Seltos or similar
  • 06 Sep 2025

    Easy to process booking.

    jenny a.
    Booked: Mazda CX-5 or similar
    Wellington
    Mazda CX-5 or similar
  • 13 Aug 2025

    Quick and easy

    francesca m.
    Booked: Suzuki Swift or similar
    Wellington Airport
    Suzuki Swift or similar
  • 17 Nov 2025

    Very simple to book

    giovanni c.
    Booked: Toyota Rav4 AWD
    Auckland Airport International
    Toyota Rav4 AWD
  • 28 Oct 2025

    It was quick

    martin m.
    Booked: Toyota Rav4 2w.d. or similar
    Auckland Airport
    Toyota Rav4 2w.d. or similar
×

We ask users of our booking service to review it after they've completed their reservation. We present a selection of reviews on this page. Our review scores are calculated by averaging the scores of all the reviews that we collect. We don't publish reviews that violate our guidelines. To learn more about guidelines and our reviews generally, visit Terms and Conditions.

Learn more about our reviews.

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Quick facts on hiring a car in Timaru

🚗 Vehicle typesCar and SUV.
🔑 No. of depotsOne car rental depot in Timaru.
✅ Rental brandsAvis.

Car models commonly available in Timaru

Mazda vehicles for hire in Timaru

  • Mazda 3

    Mazda 3

    5

    5

    2 small

    Providers

    Avis

  • Mazda CX-30

    Mazda CX-30

    5

    5

    3 small

    Providers

    Avis

Mitsubishi vehicles for hire in Timaru

  • Mitsubishi Outlander

    Mitsubishi Outlander

    5

    5

    5 small

    Providers

    Avis

×

“Or similar” refers to how our rental providers classify cars. Please be advised they cannot guarantee that a specific car model will be available. Partners categorise similar models into “vehicle groups” and confirm availability on this basis. Our team are available to contact the depot on your behalf where you are picking up your vehicle to enquire what models are available under the vehicle group you booked. Please contact customer support for further information.

Vehicle models are subject to provider availability

Timaru daily rate data

Next 7 days rates

Per day price range

Today

09 Dec

$167

$167

Wed

10 Dec

$167

$167

Thu

11 Dec

$167

$167

Fri

12 Dec

$167

$167

Sat

13 Dec

$167

$167

Sun

14 Dec

$167

$167

Mon

15 Dec

There is limited availability for pick up at this location on some dates in the next seven days. Use our price comparison tool to get current rental rates and availability.

Limited availability

×

Historical daily rate pricing information is data from actual bookings made using our search engine in the previous 12 months.

Next 7 days rates are obtained from searches in our reservation system for a 3 day rental duration, by an Australian resident aged between 30 and 69 years old, with a pickup and return time of 10:00 am on the indicated pick up date. Rates and vehicle availability may change without notice.

Prices are in NZD and include all mandatory fees for the rental and exclude credit card surcharges and extras.

While we make reasonable efforts to provide accurate and reliable data, the data is provided ‘as is’ and errors or other defects may occur. For more information, click here: Terms and Conditions.

Rates are in NZD and were last updated on 09 December, 2025

Timaru Airport car hire

Are you flying into Timaru?
If you’d prefer to have a hire car when you land, you may opt to pick up at Timaru Airport (TIU) instead. To start comparing rates in the airport, simply input “Timaru Airport” in our search form.

Regional airports near Timaru

Airport Car Hire

Car rental depots in Timaru

Find a convenient car hire depot on the map below.

  • Avis Timaru City

    Avis Timaru City

    View details
    No reviewsMon–Fri 08:00–17:30, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00

    8 King Street (South Island), Connecticut

Frequently asked questions

On hiring a car in Timaru

  • How much does it cost to hire a car in Timaru?

    Prices start at NZD $167 per day for a Compact Car. Get a live rate for your planned dates and desired vehicle in Timaru.

  • Can I hire a car in Timaru and return it to Timaru Airport?

    If there is an available car from Avis you can collect from the Timaru City depot and return to the Avis depot at the airport. For this scenario, you must ensure you have entered in the correct details for the pickup and drop off times so the airport staff are available for when you return the vehicle, or they may provide you with after hour drop off information.

Have a question we haven’t answered?

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