Is Sixt Worth It in Germany? Honest 2026 Review for UK Drivers

Sixt is the biggest native car rental company in Germany, but is it worth the premium price tag? We review their fleet, app, and hidden costs.

If you fly into Frankfurt or Munich Airport, you cannot miss the massive, glowing orange Sixt rental counters. Sixt is a German company, and it completely dominates the domestic rental market. However, their base rates are almost always £15 to £30 more expensive per day compared to budget competitors like Alamo, Enterprise, or even Europcar.

As an expat who frequently travels back and forth between the UK and Germany, I've rented from Sixt dozens of times. Is it actually worth paying the premium price tag? Here is my brutally honest 2026 review covering their fleet, the app experience, customer service, and the hidden costs you need to watch out for.

Even if you book a standard compact class (like a VW Golf), the chance of getting a free upgrade to an Audi A3 or a BMW 1 Series is incredibly high. Their cars are also flawlessly maintained; I have rarely been handed the keys to a Sixt car with more than 15,000 miles on the clock, and they almost always feature built-in GPS and premium trim packages.

When I land in Munich, I open the app while walking to the garage. The app lets me choose the exact make, model, and color of the car I want from their available parking spots. I walk up to the car, unlock the doors via Bluetooth on my phone, and drive out of the airport. No queuing, no paperwork, and no pushy sales agents trying to sell me extra insurance. It is brilliant.

• The Massive Deposit: Sixt blocks a very large deposit on your credit card. For a premium car (like a BMW 5 Series), expect a hold of up to €1,500. They strictly require physical credit cards in the main driver's name and will reject prepaid or Forex cards.
• Aggressive Damage Checks: Because their cars are so new, Sixt employees check them meticulously with a flashlight when you return them. If there is a new scratch that wasn't on the initial damage report, you will be billed. Always take a video of the car before you drive off!
• Expensive Insurance: Their "Zero Excess" Super CDW coverage is very expensive if bought at the desk. I highly recommend buying an independent standalone excess policy online before you travel to protect yourself for a fraction of the cost.

No, if: You are on a tight budget, you are a young driver under 25 (their young driver fees are steep), or you simply need a cheap runaround car to get from A to B. In those cases, stick to Europcar or Alamo.