wildblueyonder

Hi again
We generally hire a full size sedan when we go to the USA - and I've (tentatively) booked a Pontiac Grand Prix (or similar) for our trip. But I notice that we could hire a midsize SUV (Chevrolet Equinox or similar) for the same price! What would you do? There are only 3 of us, but we like a big car with plenty of trunk space. Comfort is also important, because we're driving long distances. However, the thought of being able to go 'off road' is appealing.

wildblueyonder

PS - what's the difference in the fuel economy - we need to take this into consideration too. Thanks.

gail

What do you mean "off road"? Most SUVs rented are not really off-road vehicles - if you mean thru the woods, on the beach - and some rental companies specifically prohibit this type of activity or void insurance if vehicles are used for such.

wildblueyonder

Hi gail
Yes, sorry - you're right about the insurance restrictions. I was thinking along the lines of 'dirt roads' or unpaved roads. Like the ones around Monument Valley.

kopp

Hello wildblueyonder

We just finished a Yellowstone trip with a 2-week rental of a full-size car (Infiniti). We were offered the SUV as a free upgrade but declined when we saw that it had extremely limited private (concealed) trunk capability.

On driving trips, we always carry lots of stuff in the trunk and do not like to see our things openly displayed.

So you may want to consider the trunk security if deciding upon the SUV.

Now as to comfort: sorry for anyone who has this car, but this Infiniti was not to our liking. Seats reminded us of airline seats, hard and very cramped, no back support at all. Next time we would probably ask for a different car in the full-size range.

Now as to driving on unpaved roads, we did lots of this with no problems.

We rented thru Alamo.

Happy travels!

dfrostnh

The Chevy almost looks like a minivan with 4 wheel drive. Looks like better headroom than the Grand Prix. My husband and I prefer the seats in trucks, minivans and SUVs where you sit more upright. Also find it easier to get in and out of such vehicles. Legroom on the Equinox doesn't look that great, not as good as a minivan but similar to my older model Dodge Durango. The cupholders on the armrest are handy. Remember that your luggage will be viewable in anything like an SUV, minivan or station wagon but there's tons of them on the road. Like Gail says, your rental agreement probably forbids offroading. You can drive many dirt roads in a regular car but be aware if they are town or state maintained road or seasonal unmaintained roads (i.e. class 6) and what your rental company permits. True offroading requires a modified vehicle, experience and preferably another vehicle that can go for help. NEVER ever go by yourself further than you can walk unless you are fully equipped for overnight camping and carry a first-aid kit. I would rent the Equinox simply because I like that kind of upright seat. For winter road conditions front-wheel drive is usually satisfactory. 4 wheel drive is a nice extra.

wildblueyonder

Hi guys - thanks for your replies! It'll be the Pontiac (or similar - last year with Alamo, we got a Chevrolet Impala which was excellent, although the back support wasn't great either!) - simply because we too like to carry lots in the trunk and don't want it on display. I did wonder about that. We took a wrong turning to Sedona one year and ended up on a very bumpy road, and had to turn back and drive about 50 miles extra! So I thought the SUV might be useful for 'accidents' like that. However, security of our luggage and things is the top priority!
Thanks!

Gardyloo

Unless things have changed significantly in the past couple of years, you might find the Pontiac is less comfortable and/or convenient than a larger or more upright car. The GP is a staple of car hire firms because GM sells them at a deep discount to fleet buyers, arguably because the model doesn't sell very well with the general public. I've always found them to provide less than ideal legroom and luggage capacity; the center of gravity is too low to make for good visibility (important for tourists) and they're hard to get in and out of, especially if you land with a 2-door model.

I'd go for the Chevy, or shop around for a Ford Escape or similar - better visibility and clearance.

I wouldn't talk about "off road" to any car hire firms. In most cases the fine print excludes coverage in off-road circumstances.

wildblueyonder

Thanks gardyloo - still thinking (although I think the trunk security issue wins the day). I love the dismay at the off-road stuff - I thought that's what four-wheel drives were for - LOL! I don't know if you know, but in the UK, 4xdrives are frowned upon by the tree-huggers and get taxed higher - they are also known as Chelsea Tractors!

dfrostnh

FYI fancy wheel drive vehicles that probably never leave the pavement are considered "posers". For a lot of people, a modified 4x4 is a true utility vehicle whether they use it for sporting (fishing/hunting), farm work, etc. My favorite sticker is upside down "if you can read this, please turn me over". I recently saw a jeep wrangler with a tire cover advertising the car dealer. I thought any body with an ounce of sense would paint it out or buy a new cover, then I realized it was my sister's jeep! (Which never goes offroad.) A bumpy road is a bumpy road. I like being able to drive thru a small amount of snow/uphill that my front wheel drive minivan couldn't handle but I used to live on a dirt road in a rural area. SUVs are very popular in our area.

nytraveler

Just be aware that almost all car rental agencies will void your insurance if you take the car on unpaved roads - never mind cross country - even if it is an SUV. God forbid anything happens to it - you could end up owing them many thousands of dollars.

wildblueyonder

Hi dfrostnh

Yes, 4x4s here (unless farm vehicles!) are looked upon as poser vehicles - and it is generally only those who are well off who have them. Bear in mind that gas over here is 2 to 3 times more expensive than in the USA, so most folk go for more economic cars to run. We drive a Ford Focus diesel, so look forward to hiring a bigger car when in the States!

nytraveler - we've no actual intentions of driving off road, because we would be scared to because of the insurance! I just thought my hub would enjoy driving a poser car for a few weeks! But we've been more than happy with the sedans we've rented and that's what we'll go for again (and take the jeep trip at Monument Valley).

maj

We've rented both SUVs (like ford explorer) and full size (like ford taurus). Our last trip (to Yellowstone -- we were also offered a free upgrade and took a Subaru Forester. Gas mileage was much better. There was a cover you could pull over the back so nobody could see what you had in there. It was a 4 wheel drive, but lower than the bigger ones -- which to me is one of the reasons you want a 4 wheel drive unless you are driving in the snow (for the clearance on bumpy dirt roads). Other than that it was fine, except everything was in a different place than we were used to. My husband kept hitting the windshield wipers every time he went to put the car into a gear. Drove him crazy, but habits are hard to break.

There were a couple of roads we went on that said it was good to have 4 wheel drive, but we didn't think they were that bad -- maybe when it was muddy.

A word of caution -- unless things have changed in the 8 years it has been since we were there -- I wouldn't even attempt to drive on the roads in Monument Valley in any car. They were terrible -- at least as bad as the very bad ones in Sedona. I wish we had just taken a tour.

OnlyMeOirish

I know this is n old thread but I'm hoping someone can answer aquestion for me??...

We just got back from a trip to Yellowstone where we had reserved a Chevy Equnox (or similar) with Alamo. When we picked up our 'car' after delayed flights etc we found it was a Subaru Impreza (hatchback)..... My question is.... was this an acceptaple "or similar" ??? Our thoughts were that it wasn't as it was basically a 'car' and not and SUV but being jetlagged, tired and not wanting the hassle we just took it and also not being sure of comparissons of vehicles we didn't want to look silly. Now that we're back though, just for knowledge sake, we're wondering if this was a fair substitute???

Thanks for any insight!

OnlyMeOirish

Anybody??

gail

Yes - Subaru's advertising point is 4 or all wheel drive - which is similar enough to SUV that I would think it counts.

starrsville

I think the S's all wheel drive is what "qualified" it as substitute.

My personal experience has been that folks who buy a Subaru rarely go back to another kind of car. Unlike the "posers" they give safety and stability in poor weather and mountain roads - with good fuel economy.

I've always taken a Sub substitute when offered at the rental counter.

OnlyMeOirish

Thanks for the replies gali & starrsville.
To be honest, the car was fine, it just wasn't what we were expecting. We had banked on something with a higher wheel base which would have made wildlife viewing a little bit easier. Really I just wanted to know the answer to my question for future reference.

Thanks again for replying!