How to Choose the Right Rental Car for Your Trip

Make sure your rental vehicle has plenty of space to hold you and anyone who may ride with you throughout your trip. Take luggage space into account when booking your car rental to avoid winding up cramped. You can make sure you have enough space by having more seats than you do passengers. In other words, a family of five should book a vehicle with at least seven seats to ensure there’s room for your belongings.

The driving conditions at your destination are likely going to be different than the roads you’re used to. When picking a vehicle type, research what other travelers say about your destination. For city driving and narrow roads, compact cars are a great choice. While off-roading would require a vehicle with four-wheel drive and plenty of ground clearance. Or, you might be going somewhere with icy conditions, which would make vehicles with all-wheel drive the best choice for your trip.

If lowering your environmental footprint is a priority for your trip, you can look for an eco-friendly choice like an electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. If you’re unable to get an eco-friendly car, you can lower your environmental impact with good driving habits like avoiding idling and maintaining steady speeds to reduce fuel usage. If you choose an all-electric option, ensure you can charge your vehicle along your route.

The length of your trip can help you decide on a vehicle. If you don’t plan on driving very much or will have limited parking available, then a compact car is an easy choice to make. But for longer trips and off-road adventures, you should choose a vehicle with four-wheel drive that can withstand long drives and different driving conditions you’re likely to encounter during your trip. 

Some countries prefer manual-transmission vehicles instead of automatic like the ones we’re accustomed to in the U.S. While automatic-vehicle options are still available, they will likely be marked at a higher price than a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Walk around the rental vehicle and take notes of existing damage like dents, scratches or chipped glass. Look for any bumper damage, check the tire pressure and make sure the headlights, signal lights and high beams are all working before you hit the road. It’s a good idea to take pictures of your rental car to document the vehicle’s condition on pick-up.

After inspecting the vehicle, you might feel it’s a bad fit for you. In this case, you can ask the rental company if you can swap the car. Vehicle exchanges are not guaranteed and will depend on factors like availability of other vehicles and store management. Take thorough notes during your vehicle inspection so you can be prepared to answer questions about why you’d like to swap. The rental company may do their own inspection before allowing or denying a new vehicle for you.

Get in the vehicle to check for bad smells or damage like rips or tears in the upholstery. Check that all seatbelts work, the air conditioning turns on and the radio works. You can ask to do a test drive before leaving to make sure you don’t spot any mechanical issues when behind the wheel. Finally, check the fluid levels for oil, brake fluid, windshield wiper fluid and coolant so the rental company can refill anything that’s low.