Northern Lights Car Rental Reviews

Excellent company, very effiecent and friendly service. Northern Lights proved reliable and very personable. I would use there service again.

Experience with the car was fine. We were very impressed with the provision of a WIFI modem. It may our navigation and communications extremely easy. The service provided by staff was efficient and thoughtful. Will recommend the company to any we know who are going to Iceland.

Thanks it was perfect!
Just a recommandation: maybe you should communicate more about the caution ;)

Great - very efficient and informative check in with Norbert. The vehicle was exactly as advertised and rooftop tent worked really well. Free wi-fi was a brilliant addition, and made the trip so much easier! Would definitely recommend to friends.

Northern Lights car rental was great! There was a driver waiting at the airport when we arrived to take us to the shop to pick up our rental. The driver was super friendly and gave us some travel tips. The Suzuki Jimny was the perfect size for two people with luggage, but wouldn’t recommend if you have more than two. The vehicle we were given was exactly what we expected. Any existing damage was clearly marked on the car and we had no issues with extra charges or anything when we returned the vehicle. Although we did purchase all of the insurance so I wouldn’t have expected any charges. All they asked was whether we noticed any issues with the vehicle that needed to be fixed. We loaded our bags into the shuttle van and were brought back to the airport right on time! No complaints about the vehicle or the service!

Everything was great, staff was helpful and answered most questions I had. If I had anything that could be improved on, it would be the use of the fueling stations. And how to use the discount chip, and how to purchase the fuel. I ended up figuring it out on my own, but it would be easier if they explained it better. Or the use of buying the prepaid cards to fuel. But other than that the whole experience was great, as long as you hold onto the doors haha!

We loved renting our Suzuki Jimny from Northern Lights. It was the perfect car for our week long trip in Iceland. Northern Lights was very helpful in picking us up from the airport even after we had a 10 hour flight delay and taking us to their office which was about 5-7 minutes away. They were quick and efficient giving us the car and yet very thorough in explaining the insurance and other info about the car. We loved that the car came with portable wifi which worked really well even in very remote locations as we drove along the ring road. At the end of our trip it was a very quick and easy drop off before they took us back to the airport. Overall, wonderful experience! Jimny was an icon of our Iceland adventure. :)

It was a good suv to rent.

Very good

The service was very good. The off road car was in a real good condition and did ist job very well. I will order Northbound the next time.

Nevertheless some notes for zero-cost optimization your business with new, first and unexperient Iceland travellers to prevent some irritations: It's note necessary that your driver waists time. Clear note in the booking documentation for possible waiting time for the shuttle at Airport. But if you write that somebody is waiting then I expect it. With a note of possible max waiting time of e.g. half an hour or a short call it would ok totally. For much used cars with many small body damages you should concentrate the existing damage on major points but count them more clearly. The idea to mark the damage with buttons is very good. But a general button on a side for several small damages tells nothing. Than it's better to write a general note in document.

Great prices--Northern Lights Car Rental was great, and Northbound made it easy to book and provided a clear explanation of the process upon landing and for returning the car. Great experience!

Car was fine, little shakey on motorways but perfect on all other roads.

It was covenient to drive a small car. Tjank you for your support and arrangement.

The administrator who helped me sign for the car was extremely helpful and informative.
The portable wifi unit is a must!
I made sure to use the Suzuki Jimny to its designed purpose on my trip around Iceland's Ring Road - if you are going to attempt the Ring Road venture, I highly recommend this vehicle.
Checking in the car was quick and prompt.

Everything was good, quick and easy. No trouble with the car.

Pretty easy experience. Would have liked someone there when we arrived with our name on sign but flight was 1 hour late so it's understandable. We had no problems with the Jimny but it should be stated it is small and probably won't be comfortable for more than 2 people on long rides. Not a lot of power in the engine either. But a good experience and if ever in Iceland again I will use your company.

Everything was great with these guys. They picked us up from the airport, took us to the car, showed us how to get on with it (not really needed, but a good thing), and most importantly, supplied us with a great car: Suzuki Jimny. It worked well for the week, no problems, and made our holiday independent of coach trips. Just what we wanted. On the return, they dropped us back at the airport. What more do you need? Thanks.

The rental experience was fine. The person picking us up and dropping us off was pleasant and helpful. The rental vehicle was the same vehicle as quoted and it took the terrain and roads fine, the defrost was a bit inconsistent but all around the experience was a great one, I would recommend Northern Lights to a friend, thanks.

Pick up service is great.
The car rented is good for adventure in Iceland.
The price is reasonable.
I will definitely choose your company if I go iceland again.

Northern Lights was a great experience, customer service is very responsive. The car was in perfect shape and was very clean. We drove quite a bit in various weather conditions and never had any issues. This is a great value if you are looking to rent a small, economic 4WD. Definitely go for the gravel protection, it’s everywhere.

Everything was well coordinated.

Northern Lights Car Rental picked my wife and I up from the airport and while it felt a little bit like we were being read the riot act on the way to pick up the vehicle, the employee provided us with a lot of good information and warnings about concerns we would not have considered otherwise (e.g., damages caused by horses and wind).

When we picked up the vehicle the first thing we noticed was that it had studded winter tires and good tread (this was not the case for a few people we met who had rented from other companies).

No surprises were encountered upon or after returning the vehicle and the staff were polite and friendly during the inspection and while shuttling us back to the airport.

I plan on renting from Northern Lights Car Rental again next time I'm in Iceland!

Getting the car was hassle free. And the car performed really well. Will definitely recommend!

Easy and pleasant experience

Had a good experience. Had an issue with the first tent and the boys looked after us right away. Would recommend.

It was difficult to find the pick up location

Great experience! Got my Jimny + Roof Tent in no time and was on the road to adventure. Not one issue with the car or tent. Even in the cooler Icelandic weather, the roof tent was able to keep me warm at night. Make sure you bring a proper cold weather sleeping bag that covers your head. Rent this truck!! Best price in Iceland.

Great durable car, comfortable tent, good gas mileage. We spent 9 days on the road and sleeping in the tent with no issues at all! They also drove us back to Reykavik after we dropped off the rental car which was incredibly convenient.

It was great, the car worked perfectly, and the pickup and drop off at the airport was quick.

Nothern lights car rental solved all of our requests. We arrived at night and they were waiting for us at the airport. We have made more than 2500 km without any problems. The Suzuki Jimmy was really confortable for two and we reached all of the places in our plan.

Excellent service. We were met at arrivals and taken straight to our rental vehicle. Checking out the vehicle was quick and easy. The staff were great at explaining everything. There was no waiting around which was great. There were no problems with the car and returning the vehicle was very convenient. I would recommend Northern Lights Car Rental to anyone.

Better than expected. There are a lot of horror stories on the internet regarding car rental in Iceland, so I was surprised it went so smoothly. Prompt pickup from the airport and the car was ready. It was the exact model I had asked for. I took the sand, gravel and ash protection and as soon as I saw the conditions of some of the roads I was pleased I did. The GPS was also a great feature as I found it difficult to follow some of your road signs and would probably have got lost without it. It rained much of the time I was there but the little Jimny kept me warm, dry and safe. I found Northbound to be honest, easy to work with and reliable. Thank you for making a great trip so easy to manage.

It was fair. The scene at the rental shop seemed funky. I wasn't too comfortable with the physical set up in a warehouse/shop surrounded by cars similar to the one I rented that were in various states of severe damage by accidents. If my wife had been with me we would have canceled the entire reservation. In the US I'd call this "sketchy". The staff however were nice.

We had the best time ever on Iceland. The pick up at the airport and then hand over of our Jimny with roof tent was more than easy, friendly, helpful and quick. Book with Northbound!!!

Our experience with Northbound was really good. The guys gave us useful infos and were uncomplicated and very kind. The Jimny with roof tend was given us in perfekt conditions and after 12 days on the Ring Road, some F-Roads and the roads of the Westfjords we would choose another time Northbound and the sweet/small Jimny.

Staff was superfriendly, pickup to and from the airport without any issues. Our jimny was already prepared, take over took just few minutes. Car was clean and without any issues, it allowed us to go through any roads on iceland we wanted, including f roads, fuel consumption was okay, and the tent was perfect, especially in a rain, we didnt have to worry about wet ground.. perfect option when you want to see the iceland, not just race around the ring road with other hundreds of onroad campers only

Great service and very serious company. Thank you for your assistance

Our renting with Northern Lights Car Rental went perfectly. We rented a Suzuki Jimny with a Rooftent which was perfect to save up a little money compared to an hotel. The prices were low and the service was really great : no surprises at the end of the trip when we brought back the car. We even made some scratches on the windshield but they didn't make us pay for anything.
In resume : go for it, it's great!

Very good rental, roof tent was fantastic, although one of the zippers did not engage on one side. Otherwise, great way to travel and will definitely use Northern Lights again. The only question/concern was that we were not provided with a receipt at the end indicating we were clear of damages. The car was reliable.

We had an amazing adventure through Iceland, the Jimmy with roof tent was perfect for our adventures! It popped up in 2 seconds and was a breeze to deal with. The gentleman that helped us was very nice as well. Thank you and I recommend!!! Only thing I would recommend is some velcro on the bottom of the tent doors as when it was raining and windy we would get water inside the mattress on the edges

Definitely the right vehicle for the adventure. Tent pops up with ease, holds the heat at night, and is surprisingly spacious. 4x4 on the Jimny handed the rough gravel roads and mountain paths like a champ.

NL Car Rental has been a great experience.
Applying online for the car was easy. Once We landed at 6:20 am, a gentleman called me to ask where I am. The amazing thing is; we asked for the car at 9:00am since that was the earliest. They went out of their way to find out our landing time and to make sure we had the car quick and easy.
They offered great service and are extremely friendly.
I would 100% rent a car from NL again.
Someone who also rented a Jimny said to me; "Jim is friendship". That experience will always stick.
Thank you!
Zachary Corr.

The rental was great! We rented a Suzuki Jimmy with a roof tent and it was perfect. The tent was a great feature which made it easy to set up camp anywhere, but kept the rental affordable compared to the other camper vans. I would, however, only recommend this car for 2 people because it was smaller than expected. For light packers who bring an additional tent, three people may be possible. The rental process was very easy and all of the employees were very nice and helpful. I would definitely rent from this company again!

We rented the Suzuki Jimmy and the car was fantastic! Was roomy yet compact. We went up north were it was snowing and used 4x4 it handled great! The rental company was super nice and friendly. No issues from them at all. They picked us up and dropped us off at the airport right on time!

We had an excellent experience with our Jimny and roof tent. We drove the entire Ring Road + a few additional stops in about 12 days, and the car held up wonderfully and was a great size for 2 people. The roof tent was pretty good at keeping the cold out (we were there in mid-late March) so any time in slightly warmer weather it would be perfect.

Gas is expensive in Iceland, and the Jimny is almost certainly more efficient than larger camper vans or other 4x4's, so that is an additional plus. We took it on some rough roads and it behaved very well, the traction was also excellent.

If we come back we will definitely use Northern Lights and a 4x4 Jimny again!

My general experience with NorthernLightsCarRental and Northbound was perfect. The contact with Northbound was quite efficient. The car (Dacia Duster) chosen by Northbound's comparison site was functional, cosy and has never failed us during our stay in Iceland. I recommend Northbound strongly!

The car was fine. Just as expected. It took us everywhere with the 4X4. Nothing to complain about. Pick up from the airport and drop off also worked just fine. Only customer service can be a little rough, but that’s ok, they have quite a lot of customers and are under time pressure I assume.

Nice car, everything went well, was really easy to pick up the car, someone was waiting for us at airport

We were picked up at the airport promptly as planned. Staff was friendly.
Taken to the depot and our car was waiting for us.
Check in was fairly quick and then we were off.
GPS worked well. No problems with vehicle.
GPS took us back to depot to drop vehicle off. (allow for time - the drive from Reyk to depot itakes time). We were taken to the airport very soon after we dropped vehicle off.
Efficient operation.

The car was good and made our journey to Iceland very comfortable and with no problems at all.

The vehicle was good to drive and well suited to the roads. We were met on time and the rep was friendly and helpful. However he was under pressure to serve other customers and a bit rushed. He advised us to return the vehicle in plenty of time before our flight. We did and it was lucky as there were no northern lights reps
In the office and we waited 20 minutes until someone from another 4x4 rental company dealt with us. Maybe more staff or co-ordination is needed.

We loved the Jimny. Its a compact car perfect for two people and the 4×4 makes it easy to drive around in Iceland. We will be back in Iceland soon and will rent car from you in future as well.

Good, returning car was quick. The price was reasonable.

The guys at Northern Lights were great! friendly and easy going. They picked us up from the airport and also dropped us to the airport from their office for our return flight. Our little Suzuki Jimmy got us everywhere and was perfect size for 2 people with a big luggage apiece. Was a bit worn but absolutely fine. The only thing for us is that we realised fuel wise - it wasn't that economical! hahaha so maybe next time we would pick a car that is more fuel friendly

Overall, company's service was very good. Staff is very kind and explains about the possible routes to drive in the country. About having a camping car, it was the best choice for us since to get a hotel is not only expensive but not accessible. So we were able to join nature and continue our trip without worrying of coming back or looking for a hotel. Only thing, you need to bring warm clothes! At the end of the day the tent is not a house, you need to warm up.

We've rented a susuki 4x4 during 15 days : we've driven more than 3000 km and every things were right even though the car have more than 100000 km. On board we were 2 adults , one child and 3 luggages : note you can't have one more passenger.
The staff is very friendly and competent. Good experience with this company.

We were very satisfied with Northern Lights. They picked us up at the Airport and at the end of our Trip it was very easy for us to leave the car at the airport again. Everything was well organized. The "Jimney-Rooftent" was very easy to handle, I can definitely recommend this kind of car-camping. The car was very clean as well.
The only little thing we had a problem to handle with was the reverse gear. sometimes it didn`t react and we had no idea why. the same with the move to the first gear.
Thank you for everything!
We would definitely choose your company again!

Excellent.
Just one thing : we waited 45 minutes at least at the airport on arrival.
Anyway, it's not very important

Our overall experience was very pleasant and comfortable. The only thing I wish to add - more information when renting the vehicle about the towns / cites where help is available around Iceland in case of breakdown would be helpful

The overall experience was good. BUT your company needs to be more upfront with the holding cost of about USD4000 if the excess reduction is not purchased. Customers need to know to have a credit card with that limit available when renting the car, otherwise it appears to be a scam to force customers to purchase the excesss reduction.

We got a superior model (Dacia Duster) than we previously reserved. The guys at Northern Lights were so friendly with us and recommender us some places to visit during our trip.

We will rent with them next year :D

Good experience.
The reception was good and arranging.

Positive

The car was excellent, comfortable, economic and in good conditions. The only thing we disliked was that when we booked the car we had understood that a minimum insurance was included so we wouldn`t have to pay more than what was agreed at the car pick-up, however, the staff insisted a lot for us to apply for the premium insurance and finally we decided to take it and it was very expensive. We understand the risks involved on renting a car in Iceland, but it`s not good to have surprises when you plan carefully the budget for your trip (as it was our case). Luckily we had no issues and never had to use the insurance (which is the ideal), but anyway the costs was totally out of our plans :(

Good car for the trip. Was able to use the 4x4 just fine. The alignment was off which made it difficult to drive. The first rental that was given to us made weird noises while driving so we took it back and they kindly gave us another car.

Pretty good service, and best price we could find. Car was great and checking in / out was easy. Lift to and from the airport was no problem. Perhaps one thing would be better clarity on the deposit, when we handed the car back we were told all fine but nothing formal or in writing about when / if / how the deposit would come back! waiting for it now and hopefully will all be fine!

Staff were really nice. I was expecting something a little bigger in a jeep styled vehicle. It really was very little room for two people and I luggage. I was a little worried about the durability of the vehicle because at home Suzuki’s are known for rolling easily.
I think it would have been beneficial to have instructions on the four-wheel-drive component. Perhaps in wet conditions or when to use the four-wheel-drive. And how to switch it into four-wheel-drive.
Overall I was very satisfied. Having a vehicle in Iceland is really the only way to experience Iceland.
The vehicle did have a few hiccoughs along the way. Steering wheel that wanted to turn left a lot. It didn’t start a couple of times. And at one point it started shaking. But we managed to fix it or it fixed itself quite quickly.… And we kept moving along.
Overall it was a great experience!

Despite the age of the car (Not from 2015 as booked) and the kilometers (more than 160000kms), our Suzuki Jimny worked very well during the whole journey. Roof Tent withstanded quite well the wind & rain. Unfortunately we had a very bad weather during our week (22.09-30.09.2017) and some of the days we could not sleep well because of the terrible noise provocated because of the heavy wind and rain. When you travel to Iceland you have to keep in mind that never will have the perfect weather... but after our experience maybe it was a bit too cold to do camping / sleeping in a roof tent at the end of September. Anyway we had a super great time and the car behaved super well. Northern Lights team was nice, our arrival flight was delayed nearly one 1hour and after called them upon arrival the driver came to pick us up in 15min. Note that the Jimny´s fuel tank is not so big so keep in mind to pump petrol quite often, also we had the feeling that the car was consumming quite fuel probably because the car was already bit old. Anyway we can totally recommend Northern Lights & Northbound. Looking forward to come back soon. I have forgotten something; we missed a usb plug or bluetooth in the car... We love music and the radio transmission in Iceland only works in a few places... so we drove the whole loop without music ;-(

Dependable car, but the tires were not well suited for rocky roads. The tent worked pretty well, and the mattress was comfy. Water did leak in from the sides and sail the mattress edges if it rained hard. GPS worked well too.

Company was great to rent from, vehicle was great to drive around had no issues with the car but the tent on the roof leaked and was soaked the whole time, luckily we had mats with us to keep us dry.

It's Suzuki Jimmy, not 'Jimmy'. Every thing went very fine. I would suggest bigger tired since every time I drove on a washboard gravel road, I worried. But, overall, the car was OK.

Very satisfied with customer service, quality of car and tent and hassle free experience.

I enjoyed the laid back attitude of the gentleman who picked us up from the airport which set the scene for a chilled exchange.

The Jimny was a compact beast which didn't move too fast but got us around the island, the ease of opening the tent was very convenient but one must watch the wind!

My only real issue was that GPS needs an update, some places needed exact co-ordinates to find despite being popular sites. But that was a very minor issue!

I think it was a good experience and your staff and service are good. However, We only could use one of the doors of the tent since one of the zippers didn't work correctly.

We had high hopes when the guy picked us up from the airport, we were happy to have him meet us. When we got the car, however, it was clear it wasn't up to the standard we expected. He assured us it would be fine, even though the tent was worn and the zippers were "tricky to maneuver." Honestly, the tent wasn't useable. The sides didn't close at all and we were rained on every night due to the zipper not working properly. This should have been fixed before we got the car, not a general "FYI" when we were embarking on our trip. The windshield wipers were also subpar, which is clearly a necessity throughout Iceland. The Jimny handled fine but is clearly worn, the acceleration up any hill was lacking regardless of gear. I appreciated the discount after we voiced our concerns, but there were so many things that could have been avoided before we arrived. Just disappointing. We made the best of the situation. The drop off was confusing, as the guy who showed up to pick up the car wasn't very cordial and was clearly in a hurry. He didn't introduce himself and didn't have any indication of working for NL- my only indication was recognizing his voice from the phone call prior. I would suggest sending someone better suited to represent the company.
We enjoyed our time and our road trip regardless of a few flaws. We were happy with the communication but would have a hard time recommending this to friends or family.

We arrived about 8pm and felt rushed about making decisions .. think our agent wanted to go home ! We had experienced a long day travelling. Our GPS was unable to find our accomodation that evening, and we were told to use our phones with sat nav. , It would have been good to have had a newer gps. We had free Wi Fi which in the end worked fine. The car was basic but got us around. It may have been better to have had a saloon car in the end, however... we managed! .Returning the car was a bit frantic, please Northern lights or Ice rental .. put a sign up outside your building so people can find you when returning the car, ok if you have GPS backup, we didn't and it's a big industrial estate to look for one buidling. .

not bad but was better diesel

If you can find a comparable or better deal with another company, go for it. These guys were not particularly friendly nor helpful. We were told we were "crazy" for visiting Iceland in October and listened to our pickup driver disparaging tourists all the way to the office to get our car. After seeing the condition of the Jimmy camper we switched to another car rather than risk staying in the tent. If we had know this we could have gotten a better car from a more established company for less and just stayed in hotels which we ended up doing anyway due to not having a camper. Our vehicles wiper blades were worn to a point of not effectively cleaning the glass and the spray jet on the passenger side did not work. Had it been the driver side there were times we would have had to pull over to clean the glass, a safety hazard IMO. Beware also that they will also push you very hard to get several insurance add-ons that will greatly increase the cost of your rental by 50% plus and that the deductibles for any damaging (even "covered" items) is $3500 to $7000 US, so it is not really insurance at all. To cap things off, although a minor point, they will just stand around with folded arms watching you load and unload your bags into their shuttle vehicle rather than being helpful. I am sure that with a bit of effort you can find a better option than Northern Lights. That said. Iceland is a beautiful and amazing land! Unless you plan to go onto some truly backroad places the roads are very good and we drove on many unpaved roads, none of which even remotely required 4WD.

Mediocre unfortunately. The pickup in the airport was delayed ~30 minutes. We were wandering around looking for our ride. He was helpful in pointing out the dropoff point and going over the rules during the shuttle which enabled us to get out the door quickly. During our trip, the car battery died on us and we had to go to a garage where they told us the battery was old and since they didn't have the right replacement on hand, we'd just have to baby it the rest of the trip. It died after the lights were left on during re-fueling. (10 minutes tops!!).

If the car had performed as one would expect, (having a new battery), and if the pickup had been prompt, it would have been 5 stars.