Car hire in USA - jeep or car?

Zipppy

Driving SFO to San Diego to Vegas in the summer...just the two of us...

Full size car (mondeo?) or jeep Cherokee ?

Price difference is minimal $70 for ten days...

Never driven a big jeep before.

Should I go jeep? Thoughts?

Novella

Zipppy wrote: »

Driving SFO to San Diego to Vegas in the summer...just the two of us...

Full size car (mondeo?) or jeep Cherokee ?

Price difference is minimal $70 for ten days...

Never driven a big jeep before.

Should I go jeep? Thoughts?

I did a similar drive - LA to San Francisco to San Diego to Vegas and back to LA - last summer and rented a full sized car (Corolla) for just two of us. It was fine. If you want a jeep and feel like it's worth the extra $70, then why not but it's not something I would consider necessary at all.

InTheTrees

I'm into cars so I can understand wanting to try out different kinds and if you've never spent time in a yank SUV then go for it.

The rental version is probably the most basic, possibly even 2wd. (Although I dont know that Jeep makes a 2WD cherokee?). Make sure its a cherokee not a Compass or a liberty.

What about a convertible? Or... convertible to San Diego then swap it for the SUV to Vegas. Fun. Rental companies would be happy to do that for you too.

dave2pvd

^ Good advice about avoiding Compass or Liberty.

You're doing a fair bit of driving. The Corolla will get almost 40mpg(US). The Jeep will get just over half that. FYI - a Corolla is not a full size car. This is 'Merica you're talking about.

Lastly, the rental agencies will quote you on 'types' of car, but it's usually impossible to guarantee that you will get a particular make and model.

Zipppy

yeah just looking at that ..

jeep gets 20mpg (ouch)

mondeo or similar 40 mpg ..plus gas is cheaper than diesel...

1000 odd miles... @ 20 mpg @ 4 odd dollars per gallon = 200 bucks

or

1000 miles @ 40 mpg @ 3.5 dollars per gallon = 87 bucks

if my maths is right maybe the 113 dollars would be worth it? or not

InTheTrees

Zipppy wrote: »

if my maths is right maybe the 113 dollars would be worth it? or not

You make the call.



Or convertible?

spideog7

Zipppy wrote: »

yeah just looking at that ..

jeep gets 20mpg (ouch)

mondeo or similar 40 mpg ..plus gas is cheaper than diesel...

1000 odd miles... @ 20 mpg @ 4 odd dollars per gallon = 200 bucks

or

1000 miles @ 40 mpg @ 3.5 dollars per gallon = 87 bucks

if my maths is right maybe the 113 dollars would be worth it? or not

The Jeep is diesel? That doesn't seem right?!

Zipppy

spideog7 wrote: »

The Jeep is diesel? That doesn't seem right?!

17-20 mpg apparently.....3,0 L TD

Pedro32561

Zipppy wrote: »

17-20 mpg apparently.....3,0 L TD

Definitely won't be a diesel. I've never seen a diesel rental car in the States. I rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee last year. Well worth the bit extra. It was fully loaded - leather, electric seats, sat nav, reversing camera, even had wifi built in! Hard to beat the comfort and a nice V6 3.6l petrol engine!

spideog7

Pedro32561 wrote: »

Definitely won't be a diesel. I've never seen a diesel rental car in the States. I rented a Jeep Grand Cherokee last year. Well worth the bit extra. It was fully loaded - leather, electric seats, sat nav, reversing camera, even had wifi built in! Hard to beat the comfort and a nice V6 3.6l petrol engine!

Well I checked and there is a new diesel Jeep, although I doubt it only gets 20mpg and I seriously doubt you'd rent one.

JohnMearsheimer

How did everyone adapt to driving automatic cars? I'll be renting in Calgary with my girlfriend and heading down to Montana (Glacier NP, a mountainous area) for a few days in September. I've been to Montana before but got around by bus. I don't have a full licence so my gf will be doing all the driving. She's nervous about driving an automatic. My gf drives a Micra here in Ireland which is a small car. We are wondering what kind of car to rent. Would a compact car handle Glacier NP park very well or should be look at something bigger? Thanks.

spideog7

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

How did everyone adapt to driving automatic cars? I'll be renting in Calgary with my girlfriend and heading down to Montana (Glacier NP, a mountainous area) for a few days in September. I've been to Montana before but got around by bus. I don't have a full licence so my gf will be doing all the driving. She's nervous about driving an automatic. My gf drives a Micra here in Ireland which is a small car. We are wondering what kind of car to rent. Would a compact car handle Glacier NP park very well or should be look at something bigger? Thanks.

Nothing to be nervous about it's easy. There's nothing to it really just don't use your left foot for anything and the rest is the same, the hardest part is tryng to stay awake while you're driving.

Be aware that a lot of rental companies might not let you take the car over the border.

InTheTrees

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

How did everyone adapt to driving automatic cars?

She shouldn't be nervous. Its much easier. If you can drive a manual then you can drive anything, manual's are the most difficult. With an automatic you just use your right foot, she'll get the hang of it in about five minutes.

You'd be fine with a "compact", if she's used to a micra you dont need to go any bigger. I wouldnt go any smaller though. Everything car related is bigger over there, the lanes, the parking spaces, etc, so its not like driving a bigger car in Ireland.

InTheTrees

spideog7 wrote: »

Be aware that a lot of rental companies might not let you take the car over the border.

This is important.

Glacier is stunning but you can also go west of calgary to Banff if you cant go south into the US.

InTheTrees

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

I don't have a full licence so my gf will be doing all the driving.

I know the process is slow in Ireland but you have six months?

JohnMearsheimer

InTheTrees wrote: »

She shouldn't be nervous. Its much easier. If you can drive a manual then you can drive anything, manual's are the most difficult. With an automatic you just use your right foot, she'll get the hang of it in about five minutes.

You'd be fine with a "compact", if she's used to a micra you dont need to go any bigger. I wouldnt go any smaller though. Everything car related is bigger over there, the lanes, the parking spaces, etc, so its not like driving a bigger car in Ireland.

That's good to know. Hopefully it'll put her mind to rest. I'm only a learner driver myself a tthe moment, I watched a video on Youtube on driving automatics. It sounded like a dream to me and much less complicated.

InTheTrees wrote: »

Glacier is stunning but you can also go west of calgary to Banff if you cant go south into the US.

Ya, we are looping up to Banff/Lake Louise after Glacier. I lived in Lake Louise for 6 months about 3 years ago so I'm excited to be heading back. We're flying into Calgary, heading down into Montana/Glacier and we'll head back up towards Banff/Lake Louise. We looked at flying into somewhere in Montana but the one way rental quotes were mad money. We could stay a few nights in a hotel for what they were quoting to pick a car up in one location and drop it at another. We are probably going to spend 2 days in Montana. We are doing to the Going to the Sun Road and will probably try out some white water rafting in Whitefish. That's the plan anyway, if it happens that way now is another thing haha

InTheTrees wrote: »

I know the process is slow in Ireland but you have six months?

I think a lot of car rental companies have a requirement that you have a full licence for 2 years before they'll rent to you. It's a bit late for me but my girlfriend has her licence about 5 years so she'll be grand. We are researching at the moment if we can rent in Canada and take the rental over the border. A friend of mine has rented in the US and gone to Canada so hopefully it can be done the other way around.

ProudDUB

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

That's good to know. Hopefully it'll put her mind to rest. I'm only a learner driver myself a tthe moment, I watched a video on Youtube on driving automatics. It sounded like a dream to me and much less complicated.

It is a dream. It makes driving a lot less complicated. The only thing that she will find strange is not using her left foot at all, for anything, and not using her right hand for anything other than putting the car in Drive & Reverse. It takes about 5 minutes to get used to driving an automatic, but once you do, its grand. I drive an automatic car here. My cousin and sister (who both own manuals) borrow it from time to time. They only need about 5 minutes to get adjusted to driving it.

If your gf is shortish, resist the temptation to go with a bigger car. They may seem roomier and more comfortable to be in overall, but they can be a real pain in the ass to drive if you are short. I am only 5 ft 3. When I drive bigger cars, I find the seats tend to be deeper, which results in me sitting deeper & lower in the car.

It is no big deal for regular driving straight ahead, but when you are looking behind you to reverse out of a parking space, or looking beside you to check your blind spot on the motor way, the lower vantage point can be a real pain in the neck. If she is used to driving a Micra here, stick with a compact car when you are in the US, as how she sees things will be closer to what she drives here.

InTheTrees

An automatic can also be easier when driving on the other side of the road because you dont have to deal with changing gears with the other hand. You pop it into "drive" and off you go.

spideog7

ProudDUB wrote: »

It is a dream. It makes driving a lot less complicated.

The missus has an automatic, BORING! I refuse to buy one, luckily there are plenty of manuals over here. I've started to teach herself too, I'll convert her eventually or at the very least she'll be able to drive my car home from there pub.

IMO everyone should learn to drive in a manual. It amazes me that electric cars aren't more popular over here, since they're basically the perfect automatic, can't wait until someone figures out a reason to put a gearbox in one :-)

Zipppy

Anyhow going back to my OP .. I went with a standard car in the end (a Dodge 200 apparently ..whatever that is_) and can upgrade when I'm over there if I so choose.

dave2pvd

Probably a Chrysler 200. The 2015 model is based on a FIAT. You'll probably end up with the 2014, which is a fairly dull, but competent vehicle. BUT: you are not guaranteed any particular make/model. You'll more likely end up with something comparable. Or even an upgrade. Hopefully not to a Jeep Liberty!

helimachoptor

I rented a ford escape in October, it was the "green" model with a 3 litre petrol engine.. plenty of poke and comfort.. but should have went for the Chevy Tahoe