The service was excellent and very fast. I received the deposit refund within two hours after returning the car.

The service was excellent.

Paid an extra NZD 10 per day to upgrade to the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 4WD, but later realized the upgrade wasn’t necessary as the roads were easy to drive on. Personally, I also really like the design of the Corolla Hatchback in the South Island, and I will definitely try the Corolla next time.

It's important to take photos of the fuel gauge when picking up and returning the car. The gauge appeared full when I picked up the car, but it wasn't actually full. I realized this after refueling; a full tank would cover over 700 kilometers, but the car could only go 605 kilometers when I picked it up. When returning the car, my tank showed 688 kilometers left, 83 kilometers more than when I picked it up. The rental company claimed I didn’t fill it up and charged me over 60 NZD. Fortunately, I took photos and the rental customer service helped resolve this issue for me. Based on my overall experience in New Zealand, I want to believe the rental company didn't do this intentionally, but their process needs to improve. Everything else was smooth. For Christchurch, you need to wait for their shuttle at the designated airport location. For Dunedin, simply park at the designated spot and return the keys to the counter.

When I arrived at the airport, no one answered the phone at ACE, but thankfully I saw an ACE shuttle and took it directly to their site. Otherwise, it would have been a bit of a hassle.