Zest Car Rental review

Independent operator Zest can arrange car hire for you in locations across Europe and the US as well as Australia and New Zealand. It was rebranded from Economy Car Hire in 2016.

Which? verdict: The only broker with five-star customer service, Zest is a worthy holder of its Which? Recommended Provider title offering great service and peace of mind.

Visit Zestcarrental.com

Zest Car Rental customer ratings

If you want to see how Zest Car Rental measures up to its rivals, read our best and worst car hire brokers page.

• We sampled 2,282 people in January 2020 who had hired a car in the last 12 months.
• Sample size for Zest Cars is 144 people.
• Customer score combines overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.

What's Zest Car Rental like?

In an industry plagued by problems, it’s great to see a company with ‘a fresh, honest approach to car hire’, something Zest claims on its website and fulfils in practice.

Hiring with Zest buys you peace of mind. It’s the only broker with five-star customer service – and if anything goes wrong, it will deal with the local car hire company for you, which has proved invaluable during Covid. Some 93% of Zest's customers were satisfied with the service they received when their car hire was disrupted by the pandemic (compared with the 77% average). 

Despite industry-wide price hikes in 2022, our checks show that Zest has kept its pricing very competitive. As a broker, it works with lots of local companies, sometimes on an exclusive or priority basis, which has enabled it to guarantee availability of vehicles for as long as possible. It also says it encourages its providers to offer cheaper prices for advance bookings. And its Book Now Pay Later scheme allows customers to lock in a price for a deposit as low as £29.

If you're worried about ending up with a rental company you've never heard of, don't be. Zest only works with reputable local and international providers and it keeps its providers' customer service under constant assessment to ensure standards don't slip.

Cancellation is free (up to 48 hours before collection) and easy to do online, and free amendments can be made at any time. 

Zest also includes excess reimbursement insurance and, often, a second driver free of charge. As one customer said: ‘I like the fact that the price it quotes up front is the final one, with no hidden charges.’

Zest is at the top of the broker table for the tenth year in a row. It passed all of our Covid refund requirements, pricing transparency and policy checks to become a Which? Recommended Provider, and it remains the only broker to have ever done so. 

Find out more: Which? Recommended car hire companies

Should I book with Zest Car Rental?

Zest’s refreshing approach to car hire makes it a standout favourite. With five stars for its clear and transparent pricing, and policy details, as well as excellent customer service, it’s the top choice for finding car hire.