---
title: "Car rental companies in Australia: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the companies Australians hire cars from. Share of Search among Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Avis, Budget, East Coast Car Rentals and Thrifty, the car rental companies Brandwave compares in Australia, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/au/categories/au-car-rental-companies"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Car rental companies in Australia: Which are searched most?

Compare the companies Australians hire cars from. Share of Search among Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Avis, Budget, East Coast Car Rentals and Thrifty, the car rental companies Brandwave compares in Australia, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Car rental companies
- **Market**: Australia
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Hertz, 21.2%

## Which brand is most popular in search among car rental companies in Australia?

- In September 2026, Hertz was the most searched among car rental companies in Australia, with an estimated 74K branded searches, 21.2% of all searches for the seven we track.
- Europcar is in 2nd place, 3.9 percentage points behind at 17.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hertz’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia decreased from 37.1% to 21.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Europcar’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 13.6% to 17.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sixt’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 13.6% to 17.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis’ share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 13.6% to 14.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Budget’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 11.1% to 14.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, East Coast Car Rentals’ share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 6.1% to 9.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrifty’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia increased from 5% to 6.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Europcar’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 17.3% in September 2026 and was lowest at 12.7% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sixt’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 17.3% in September 2026 and was lowest at 12.7% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis’ share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 15.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 11% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Budget’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 15.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 11.1% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, East Coast Car Rentals’ share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 9.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.8% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrifty’s share of searches among car rental companies in Australia peaked at 6.4% in September 2026 and was lowest at 3.9% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Europcar rose from 3rd to 2nd among car rental companies in Australia.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sixt rose from 4th to 3rd among car rental companies in Australia.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Avis fell from 2nd to 4th among car rental companies in Australia.

## Top car rental companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sixt, Budget and East Coast Car Rentals appeared every time. Sixt was recommended most often, though no answer put it first. Budget was second, and Avis was third.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sixt | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Budget | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Avis | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| East Coast Car Rentals | 4th | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Hertz | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Europcar | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Thrifty | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about car rental companies

- Asked ChatGPT "Which car rental company should I use in Australia?": 1. Avis, 2. Sixt, 3. Budget, 4. East Coast Car Rentals, 5. Hertz
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best car hire companies in Australia?": 1. East Coast Car Rentals, 2. Budget, 3. Avis, 4. Sixt, 5. Hertz, 6. Thrifty, 7. Europcar
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the cheapest car hire company at Australian airports?": 1. East Coast Car Rentals, 2. Sixt, 3. Budget, 4. Avis, 5. Europcar
- Searched Google, AI Overview "car rental": 1. Hertz, 2. Avis, 3. Sixt, 4. Budget, 5. East Coast Car Rentals
- Searched Google, AI Overview "car hire": 1. Hertz, 2. Budget, 3. Sixt, 4. East Coast Car Rentals

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in Australia on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Hertz vs Europcar: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/europcar-vs-hertz): 21.2% against 17.3% Share of Search.
- [Hertz vs Sixt: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/hertz-vs-sixt): 21.2% against 17.3% Share of Search.
- [Hertz vs Avis: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/avis-vs-hertz): 21.2% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Hertz vs Budget: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/budget-vs-hertz): 21.2% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Europcar vs Sixt: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/europcar-vs-sixt): 17.3% Share of Search each.
- [Europcar vs Avis: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/avis-vs-europcar): 17.3% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Europcar vs Budget: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/budget-vs-europcar): 17.3% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Sixt vs Avis: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/avis-vs-sixt): 17.3% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Sixt vs Budget: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/budget-vs-sixt): 17.3% against 14.2% Share of Search.
- [Avis vs Budget: compare search popularity](/demand/au/compare/avis-vs-budget): 14.2% Share of Search each.

## How did search popularity change for Australia car rental companies in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Europcar overtook Avis and Budget to rank 2nd among car rental companies in Australia, with 17.3% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Sixt overtook Avis and Budget to rank 3rd among car rental companies in Australia, with 17.3% of the searches.
- In September 2026, East Coast Car Rentals gained share of searches among car rental companies in Australia, from 7.1% to 9.5%.
- In September 2026, Thrifty gained share of searches among car rental companies in Australia, from 5.8% to 6.4%.
- In September 2026, Hertz lost share of searches among car rental companies in Australia, from 23.7% to 21.2%.
- In September 2026, Avis lost share of searches among car rental companies in Australia, from 15.8% to 14.2%.
- In September 2026, Budget lost share of searches among car rental companies in Australia, from 15.8% to 14.2%.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Hertz | 21.2% | 74K | -18.2% | Hertz |
| 2 | Europcar | 17.3% | 60.5K | 0.0% | Europcar |
| 3 | Sixt | 17.3% | 60.5K | 0.0% | Sixt |
| 4 | Avis | 14.2% | 49.5K | -18.2% | Avis |
| 5 | Budget | 14.2% | 49.5K | -18.2% | Budget |
| 6 | East Coast Car Rentals | 9.5% | 33.1K | +22.1% | East Coast Car Rentals |
| 7 | Thrifty | 6.4% | 22.2K | 0.0% | Thrifty |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Hertz | 165K | 37.1% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Avis | 60.5K | 13.6% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Europcar | 60.5K | 13.6% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Sixt | 60.5K | 13.6% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Budget | 49.5K | 11.1% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 6.1% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 5% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Hertz | 165K | 36.2% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Avis | 60.5K | 13.3% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Budget | 60.5K | 13.3% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Europcar | 60.5K | 13.3% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Sixt | 60.5K | 13.3% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 5.9% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 4.9% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Hertz | 165K | 36.6% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Budget | 60.5K | 13.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Europcar | 60.5K | 13.4% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Sixt | 60.5K | 13.4% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Avis | 49.5K | 11% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 7.3% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 4.9% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Hertz | 165K | 33.7% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Europcar | 74K | 15.1% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Sixt | 74K | 15.1% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Avis | 60.5K | 12.4% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Budget | 60.5K | 12.4% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 6.8% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 4.5% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Hertz | 165K | 35.4% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Europcar | 74K | 15.9% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Avis | 60.5K | 13% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Budget | 60.5K | 13% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 13% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 5.8% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Thrifty | 18.1K | 3.9% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Hertz | 165K | 34.7% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Avis | 74K | 15.6% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Budget | 60.5K | 12.7% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 12.7% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 12.7% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 7% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 4.7% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Hertz | 135K | 32.4% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Budget | 60.5K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 14.5% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 14.5% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Avis | 49.5K | 11.9% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 7.9% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Thrifty | 18.1K | 4.3% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Hertz | 135K | 32% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Avis | 60.5K | 14.4% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 14.4% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 14.4% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Budget | 49.5K | 11.7% | 5 |
| May 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 7.9% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 5.3% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Hertz | 110K | 29% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 16% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 16% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Avis | 49.5K | 13.1% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Budget | 49.5K | 13.1% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 7.1% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 5.9% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Hertz | 90.5K | 25.2% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 16.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 16.8% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Avis | 49.5K | 13.8% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Budget | 49.5K | 13.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 7.5% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 6.2% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Hertz | 90.5K | 23.7% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Avis | 60.5K | 15.8% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Budget | 60.5K | 15.8% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 15.8% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 15.8% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 27.1K | 7.1% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 5.8% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Hertz | 74K | 21.2% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Europcar | 60.5K | 17.3% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Sixt | 60.5K | 17.3% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Avis | 49.5K | 14.2% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Budget | 49.5K | 14.2% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | East Coast Car Rentals | 33.1K | 9.5% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Thrifty | 22.2K | 6.4% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Avis**: Measured on the search term “avis”.
- **Budget**: Measured on the search term “budget car rental”.
- **East Coast Car Rentals**: Measured on the search terms “east coast car rental” and “east coast car rentals”, summed into one figure.
- **Europcar**: Measured on the search term “europcar”.
- **Hertz**: Measured on the search term “hertz”.
- **Sixt**: Measured on the search term “sixt”.
- **Thrifty**: Measured on the search term “thrifty”.

- [Avis](/demand/au/brands/avis)
- [Budget](/demand/au/brands/budget)
- [East Coast Car Rentals](/demand/au/brands/east-coast-car-rentals)
- [Europcar](/demand/au/brands/europcar)
- [Hertz](/demand/au/brands/hertz)
- [Sixt](/demand/au/brands/sixt)
- [Thrifty](/demand/au/brands/thrifty)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among car rental companies in Australia?

In September 2026, Hertz was the most searched among car rental companies in Australia, with an estimated 74K branded searches, 21.2% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Car rental companies in Australia: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/au/categories/au-car-rental-companies

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/au/categories/au-car-rental-companies. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.