Car Rental Vehicle Guide

I made this car rental vehicle guide because one of the first decisions you must make when pricing a rental car is what size and type of vehicle you need. There are many factors that will guide your decision.

Number of passengers

Is it just you and someone special or are you travelling with your spouse and 4 kids?

Luggage/cargo capacity

This factor is also determined by the number of passenger and sometimes the length of your rental! I can get away with one suitcase for a few days but for a week or more that’s not an option.

Many renters wonder if they can remove the seats from a minivan rental. This is not allowed by the car rental companies. The vehicle is intended for passengers and their lugguage, not for use as a small cargo van.

Fuel Economy

With the high price of gas right now, fuel economy is a bigger factor than it ever was before. Some renters are sacrificing comfort to save at the pump.

Price

Sometimes what you want and what you can afford are two different things! Your rental vehicle needs to meet your needs and be a good value for your hard-earned dollar.

Features

Is a CD player a must-have? Are you doing some highway driving and need cruise control? Different vehicles types and sizes can offer different options. Make sure your vehicle fits your needs!

I checked through the vehicle listings for 8 different rental companies; although there are some slight differences in how some companies categorize certain vehicles and name them, for the most part they were all pretty consistent. I have put together the following car rental vehicle guide with information that I hope will help you in making your decisions about what size car or vehicle to rent.

Economy/Subcompact

Compact

Mid size/Intermediate

Standard

Full size

Premium

Luxury

Convertible

Compact SUV

Mid size/Standard SUV

Full size SUV

Premium SUV

Minivan


For the next category on this list there are no specific features and capacities listed as in the other categories.

Car rental companies vary in what specialty vehicles they offer. In this category there is often a limited availability, but it usually allows you to guarantee a make and model. The price is generally higher in this category than for a regular vehicle of the same size. I have given a list of the types of Specialty Vehicles that I found while searching fleets for different companies.


Hybrid Rental Cars, although usually categorized as a specialty vehicle, really deserve a section of their own.

Also, while most car rental companies do carry specialty and luxury cars, you may want to go just a little bit further, so I've provided a page about Exotic Car Rentals.

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