Woodford Car Hire (King Shaka Airport)

I booked a Toyota Starlet with unlimited kilometres and zero excess, a week in advance. When I arrived, I was told no Starlets were available and was given a Suzuki Swift instead. The first car offered wasn’t my preferred colour, and the replacement I received was an older base model.

The Swift itself gave me no mechanical problems during my trip — it ran fine and was fuel-efficient. However, it had a very small boot and overall didn’t feel equivalent in comfort or features to the Starlet I had booked.

I understand that “or similar” allows for substitutions, but I don’t think the Swift (especially a base model) is an appropriate replacement for a Starlet. The handover process could have been handled more professionally and transparently.

Overall, the experience was acceptable but below expectations considering the booking was made early and the full cover was paid for.