Budget car hire review

Who is Budget?

The low-cost arm of big brand Avis, Budget offers rentals at locations across the globe.

Which? verdict

There's a lot of room for improvement for Budget, with poor communication and customer service keeping it towards the bottom of our table.

Visit budget.co.uk

Budget customer ratings

If you want to see how Budget measures up against its rivals, read our best and worst car hire companies page.

What’s Budget like?

Despite its name, Budget’s prices - an average of £45 per day - were closer to the more expensive brands we compared than it was to fellow low-cost provider Thrifty and Which? Recommended Provider Auto Reisen.  

And customers were disappointed with Budget’s customer service, scoring it a poor two stars out of five. One customer told us that staff were ‘very unhelpful and dismissive’ when they complained after being charged for insurance they didn’t ask for. 

Several customers told us they ‘rarely get the car we actually book with Budget’, but they were still pleased enough with what they were provided. The company received four stars for the age, condition and mileage of its vehicles.

Should I book with Budget?

No. Communication and customer service are poor, and it’s not even that cheap. For the lowest prices, we'd recommend booking a trusted local provider via Zest Car Rental instead.

Find out how to get cheaper car hire.