traveller1959

Before you go into details too much: Usually the advertised cars are just examples in their category. The actual car can be different. And you can never know how details work like split backrests. There are different models and variants.

With 3 persons and baggage I would always rent from the intermediate category to have a larger trunk. Or you see how large the car is and upgrade on site if necessary.

nochblad

traveller1959 - when you book specify exactly what you are looking for. If you do not receive what you have requested insist on an upgrade. Why pay more to start off with?

janisj

nochblad: >>You move from hotel to hotel, deposit your bags and then visit the sites.

Is this so complicated?<<

Not complicated -- however on almost EVERY road trip I've ever taken there are places to stop and sightsee (or even just a meal) while driving from one hotel to the next. Thus one would necessarily be parking and leaving the car. Unless one is ONLY driving from hotel to hotel with no stops would it be safe to leave luggage out in sight in the car.

nochblad

janisj - would it be safe to leave luggage out in sight in the car?

I always think it is better not to leave anything in the car whether visible or not.

janisj

>>I always think it is better not to leave anything in the car whether visible or not.<<

In a perfect world perhaps - But that would mean one could never stop anywhere except AT one's hotel. That is hardly realistic for most trips.

nytraveler

Any car rental web site will make it clear that you are selecting a category - not a specific car (unless you are going to a specialty agency and renting a very costly specialty car). You can't say you want the one in the picture - they may not have it - and in any case they have not promised it.

And we would never take a car in which all of the luggage would not fit in the trunk - since we often do road trips with stops in the middle of the day for sightseeing as well as meals.

As for size - we want to be comfortable and never would be in the above. I got a Fiesta once when I arrived late at the rental agency (flight was late) and was terrified to drive it. Merging onto a highway was problematic even with the pedal down to the floor. (Caveat: my own car was a compact - but a sporty one with 170 HP and great pick up.)

And sitting in the front I was not even able to stretch out my legs and arms to driver properly (I don;t drive like an 80 year old lady with my arms and legs all squashed up and my chin on the wheel.

nochblad

All I am trying to say is I would never stop with luggage in the car (whether visible or not) unless I was absolutely sure where I was stopping. Even apparently secure parking in Italy takes no responsibility for contents.

As for nytraveler you seem to have some personal problems. If you put the seat back what is the difference between a Fiat Panda and a Peugeot 308? Also merging with highway traffic is not problematic with experience - perhaps it is not an issue in Manhattan.

sundriedtopepo

Nochblad, you never take a pee break??

In all the times we have rented a car in Europe, we have never gotten the exact car that was given as the category example. But whatever we were given was adequate for our needs, as specified by the category eg seats 4 people with 2 small suitcases and 2 large suitcases.

We did once have an experience like nytraveller. Not enough power to safely merge on the freeway, and we almost had to push to get up those Tuscan hills. That was a rental through Aeroplan though. Never again.

pookymimi

Thanks everybody. I am leaning towards the Peugeot category. We will have 3 middle suitcases and with my 2 kids I want to be able to merge on the autostrada with no problems. At home I have a Toyota Venza that may be a little bigger than the Peugeot.

StCirq

Pookymimi, I don't think you are understanding the basic premise here. There is no such thing as a "Peugot category." Cars are generally classified as A, B, C size, and within those classifications you may get a Peugot, a Renault, or whatever.

You will not fit in a Panda, if that's your question. Upgrade your category of car and you'll have more options.

janisj

StCirq is right -- there is no " Peugeot category". There are classifications of types of car. Usually by general size (mini, economy, compact, mid-size - whatever), or sometimes by letter.

Within each category -- the exact make/model you won't know until you are standing at the rental counter.

pookymimi

Peugeot category "Peugeot SIZE category" Not that stupid here.

pookymimi

"
StCirq on Apr 20, 16 at 1:08pm

Pookymimi, I don't think you are understanding the basic premise here. "

Peugeot category meant category of any car like the Peugeot to me. I'm understanding well here and I've traveled all over the world in my 50 years and rented cars in Europe, SA, NA. So I know that we have different size/category of cars. I've was asking about Ford Fiesta and Fiat Panda cars in particular. You don't need to be condescending here.

janisj

>>Peugeot category meant category of any car like the Peugeot to me. I'm understanding well here and I've traveled all over the world in my 50 years and rented cars in Europe, SA, NA. So I know that we have different size/category of cars. I've was asking about Ford Fiesta and Fiat Panda cars in particular. You don't need to be condescending here.<<


What we are trying to say . . . There is no "Peugeot category"

Any more than a 'Ford Category' or a 'Fiat Category' . . . or a "Peugeot category" . . . Peugeot makes <u>many</u> different sizes of cars.

nytraveler

Merging with traffic is problematic if the car doesn't have enough pick up to match the speed of traffic on the road. I've had that problem with several cars - including a Mercedes C we rented in Belgium - which I think had a 2 chipmunk engine - no matter what I did there was no pick up. I have always had cars with zip when you stepped on the gas - since we have some parkways in this area with very short entrance lanes and if you don;t have good pick up you can force people in the right to stamp on the brakes to let you in. (Have seen this happen many times with people who are timid or have cars with no zip.)

As for Peugeot whatever - have no idea of this. We usually rent a sporty Audi or a larger BMW since we both like driving fast cars fast where it's possible and want plenty of room to be comfy.

sundriedtopepo

Peugeot 308 as stated in OP. If someone says economy or intermediate to me, that doesn't mean much. If they say it's the size of a BMW 335 then I know how much room to expect.
It's all in the wording...

MyriamC

<<Merging with traffic is problematic if the car doesn't have enough pick up to match the speed of traffic on the road>>
That's with an automatic car, I suppose?
With a manual it's all about driving style. We had a Fiat 500 in Sardinia (hilly, very hilly sometimes) and a Alfa Romeo Mito in Sicilia. We never had problems merging with traffic or getting on top of the mountain in our little cars with little power. It's all about the driver.

Whathello

'Nochblad, you never take a pee break??'

My thoughts exactly.

So OP should take peugeot 308 but must be ready to get a Fiat Panda instead ! Sometimes they don't even have the choices they provide and you can get a 4th car 'similar' to the 3 they advertise.

So my advice would be as someone said to take a category above the one of the Peugeot 308.

Automatic cars come now in 2 kinds : 'old' and sequential. Olds are a PITA to drive, sequential automatic are about the same as manual.

nochblad

Back from my break.

I agree with MyriamC - It's all about the driver.

I find Whathello's comments very strange. If you choose a car in the Peugeot 308 category and they have none left they will not provide you with a car in a lower category and if they should even suggest it you should refuse. They always provide you with a car in a higher category without extra charge. This has always been my experience and is what you should insist upon.
You say >> So my advice would be as someone said to take a category above the one of the Peugeot 308. << Are you seriously suggesting that you rent a higher category car with the associated higher costs so that if you are graded down you get the car you actually wanted?

traveller1959

I suggested renting a car in a higher category ("intermediate") because I think even the Peugeot 308's trunk is still on the small side. But after OP has given some more information, I rather guess it will be okay.

Every rental car company that I know (Europcar, Sixt, Citer, Avis, Hertz, Enterprise, National, Alamo..) describes its car categories with pictograms showing the number of persons and the number of baggage pieces (in various sizes) it can hold.

And every company gives an example car for each category and says "or similar" - with a few exceptions for sports cars, luxury cars or special cars, where you can order the exact make and type of car.

At bigger rental car stations, you have sometimes a choice between different cars in the same category. Sometimes you are lucky and upgraded into a higher category without extra cost.

Once in my life they wanted to give me a smaller car than I had booked (a 5-seater instead of a 7-seater). It took me some insisting and two hours waiting time until we got a 9-seater (which we considered a disadvantage compared to a 7-seater). I have to admit this happened in Naples and confirmed common prejudices about business efficiency in southern Italy.

OP wanted some advice from us Europeans how large or small cars of certain categories are. Most of us agreed that the Panda and Fiesta categories would be too small.