Bargain Car Rentals is one of Australia’s larger budget car-hire independents — older fleet, lower rates, and a no-frills approach that suits domestic road-trippers who don’t need the airport-side luxury of the major brands.

About Bargain Car Rentals

Bargain Car Rentals has been operating since 1995 and runs branches across Australia’s east coast — including Cairns, Brisbane, Gold Coast (Coolangatta), Sydney and Melbourne. The business model is straightforward: older vehicles (typically 4–7 years old), lower daily rates than the global brands, and city-side branches rather than the more expensive airport-terminal locations.

The fleet skews towards small and mid-size sedans and hatchbacks — Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Accent, Kia Cerato, Mazda 3 — with some SUV options at the larger branches. They don’t do exotics, luxury vehicles or 4WDs intended for off-road use.

What to expect

Standard inclusions are unlimited kilometres on most rates, comprehensive insurance with a standard excess, 24-hour roadside assistance, and the option to add additional drivers for a daily fee. The default excess is higher than the majors; a daily “Damage Excess Reduction” product can bring it down. Insurance excludes single-vehicle accidents on unsealed roads, so don’t plan dirt-road trips with these cars.

Branches are city-side rather than at the airport — the Brisbane branch is at Eagle Farm, the Gold Coast branch at Bilinga, and the Cairns branch at the Cairns Airport with a free shuttle from arrivals. Pickup and return paperwork is straightforward but expect longer queues than at the major-brand airport counters during peak periods.

What Bargain isn’t good for: very short rentals (the inconvenience of getting to a city branch isn’t worth it for a one-day hire), one-way drops to remote regional locations, and any plan that involves driving on dirt or 4WD tracks.

Getting there & practical info

Cairns branch is at the Cairns Airport with a free shuttle running from the terminal. Brisbane branch is at Eagle Farm with shuttle from the airport. Gold Coast branch is at Bilinga, walking distance from Coolangatta Airport. All branches are open seven days; opening hours vary by location and season.

Out-of-hours pickups can be arranged with advance notice and an after-hours fee. One-way hires between the east-coast branches are available with a relocation fee that varies by route and time of year.

Quick tips from our team

  • Always factor the shuttle time when budgeting your pickup arrival
  • Compare a few times of year — Bargain's rates vary more than the majors
  • Decline daily excess reduction if your credit-card insurance or travel insurance already covers rental excess
  • Photograph every panel at pickup — older cars have more existing damage to record
  • Don't take the car onto dirt roads — insurance won't cover you

When to visit

Australian school holidays drive rates up considerably; outside those windows pricing is much steadier. The cheapest weeks tend to be late February to early March, early May, and late October to early November. December-January, Easter, and June-July school break are the most expensive.

Bargain also runs periodic flash sales (Australia Day, EOFY, Black Friday) where rates drop 20–30% — useful if you have date flexibility.

Why our team rates Bargain Car Rentals

For a multi-day east-coast road trip — Cairns to Port Douglas, Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast to Byron — Bargain genuinely is cheaper than the global brands, and the cars are fine. They’re not new, the air-con works, the radio works, the tyres are legal. That’s what you’re paying for.

For airport-grab one-day hires, executive travellers, or trips that involve any unsealed road, the convenience or vehicle quality of a major brand is usually worth the extra cost.