Which Hire Car for big American trip?
Discussion
I'm turning 30 in June and myself and 3 mates are off to Los Angeles for 2 weeks. Will be taking in many miles, staying in motels etc and seeing lots of different parts of the place before spending the last 5/6 days getting completely rat arsed in San Francisco.
So what i'm after is something special that will seat 4 of us in relative comfort.
Big V8 is pretty much essential.
Convertible would be a bonus but air con a must.
Has to be something i can take out and hoon for a couple of days while we're there too.
A red and a blue Z06 is my 1st choice but being told it's not practical, boo.
So any good suggestions?
Cheers,
So what i'm after is something special that will seat 4 of us in relative comfort.
Big V8 is pretty much essential.
Convertible would be a bonus but air con a must.
Has to be something i can take out and hoon for a couple of days while we're there too.
A red and a blue Z06 is my 1st choice but being told it's not practical, boo.
So any good suggestions?
Cheers,
No one car will satisfy your requirements.
Let us know your itinerary and I can maybe suggest what and where you can rent (within reason).
Car hire over here is pretty reasonable and depending on where you are located, you can rent a s
tbox or something fun (by UK standards) for sensible dosh.
I am ex Lanarkshire myself (EK) so if you want drop me a PM
Cheers
Kilty2
Let us know your itinerary and I can maybe suggest what and where you can rent (within reason).
Car hire over here is pretty reasonable and depending on where you are located, you can rent a s
tbox or something fun (by UK standards) for sensible dosh.I am ex Lanarkshire myself (EK) so if you want drop me a PM
Cheers
Kilty2
I'd look at hiring more than once - as in, get something cheap and cheerful for carting the 4 of you around (presumably sans luggage?) doing the everyday stuff where the sightseeing and stuff will be more important than the car, and hire something more fun (and with the money you save the budget will be higher) for the weekend and take a road trip.
Vegas, for example is only 5 hours or so from LA (give or take) and there's no shortage of places to hire corvettes and the like. Take a day or two out, hire a couple of 2 seaters between you, and go exploring. It's a wonderful part of the world.
If you do want something for the full 2 weeks that can seat 4 and drop the top, your options are pretty limited. Mustang convertible would probably be my choice I suppose.
Vegas, for example is only 5 hours or so from LA (give or take) and there's no shortage of places to hire corvettes and the like. Take a day or two out, hire a couple of 2 seaters between you, and go exploring. It's a wonderful part of the world.
If you do want something for the full 2 weeks that can seat 4 and drop the top, your options are pretty limited. Mustang convertible would probably be my choice I suppose.
I looked at all the major car rental outfits websites to see if any of them rented the Cadillac CTS-V coupe or sedan. 550ish horsepower with a 6 speed manual (but no convertible) and no such luck. A few rent the standard CTS sedans 3.0L or 3.7L V6's with 270 or 304 horsepower and 6 speed automatics.
The only convertibles I saw were Mustangs, Chrysler Sebrings and Volvo C70s.
The only convertibles I saw were Mustangs, Chrysler Sebrings and Volvo C70s.
I can't think of a rental rag top that fits your criteria.
Best you could hope for is a V6 Camaro (marginal for 4 blokes) or Charger IMO. Unless of course you have lots of money to throw around.
Personally if I was you I'd go for a 'full size sedan' and hope to get a Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car which are both variants of the same V8 RWD platform. I wouldn't say you could 'hoon' in either but you will be damned comfortable and be driving a 'proper'old school American icon.
Best you could hope for is a V6 Camaro (marginal for 4 blokes) or Charger IMO. Unless of course you have lots of money to throw around.
Personally if I was you I'd go for a 'full size sedan' and hope to get a Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car which are both variants of the same V8 RWD platform. I wouldn't say you could 'hoon' in either but you will be damned comfortable and be driving a 'proper'old school American icon.
If you are going with any of the big guys (Avis, Hertz, etc), they normally don't allow you to specific car from one of the normal classes unless it's a specialist rental.
In saying that a friend and I hired a Hertz Shelby Mustang softtop from DFW a few years ago, but we were walk ups (had just dropped something boring off at Avis) and he was walking up and down the lots looking at what convertibles the rental agencies had.
Also, if you are a high dollar value booking, rent from an off-airport location as you will pay 10-15% of the total in airport taxes. Recently I'd a booking for a standard car (an Impala), CAN$850 from the airport, CAN$630 from a place about 8miles away. Service tends to be friendly too.
), then go for a Ford Taurus or Chyrsler 300 instead, much, much better!
In saying that a friend and I hired a Hertz Shelby Mustang softtop from DFW a few years ago, but we were walk ups (had just dropped something boring off at Avis) and he was walking up and down the lots looking at what convertibles the rental agencies had.
Also, if you are a high dollar value booking, rent from an off-airport location as you will pay 10-15% of the total in airport taxes. Recently I'd a booking for a standard car (an Impala), CAN$850 from the airport, CAN$630 from a place about 8miles away. Service tends to be friendly too.
Motorrad said:
Personally if I was you I'd go for a 'full size sedan' and hope to get a Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car which are both variants of the same V8 RWD platform. I wouldn't say you could 'hoon' in either but you will be damned comfortable and be driving a 'proper'old school American icon.
I've done the Lincoln Towncar rental, it's fun for about half an hour and then you wish that you had something more normal. Despite being the Ford 4.6l V8, they ain't fast and whilst the column shift and bench seats are different, the incredibly bouncy suspension gets irritating. At the time, I had a 1987 W126 500SE with 230K on the clock and that was dynamically superior to the 6-month old Lincoln. For a full-size sedan (ie mafia staff car ), then go for a Ford Taurus or Chyrsler 300 instead, much, much better!Edited by downthepub on Wednesday 20th October 04:07
Aha, excellent ideas.
I guess if we get something practical for the majority of the mileage down and then i can go 'vette-ing for a few days. Mr Osborne has a lot to answer for with his PN tour last month
I'll post up the itinerary when my mate has done it and you can see the mileage we're talking, he was talking about using the bus and trains to get up there and then walk from town to town for a week, circa 10 miles a day he reckons. I'd rather have a boogie bus, drive the 10 miles and then go sight seeing etc rather than rely on other people and do our own exploring.
Vegas for the weekend in a big red convertible?
I don't know if i'd make it home.
Kilty2, i'll be in touch, cheers.
I guess if we get something practical for the majority of the mileage down and then i can go 'vette-ing for a few days. Mr Osborne has a lot to answer for with his PN tour last month
I'll post up the itinerary when my mate has done it and you can see the mileage we're talking, he was talking about using the bus and trains to get up there and then walk from town to town for a week, circa 10 miles a day he reckons. I'd rather have a boogie bus, drive the 10 miles and then go sight seeing etc rather than rely on other people and do our own exploring.
Vegas for the weekend in a big red convertible?
I don't know if i'd make it home.Kilty2, i'll be in touch, cheers.
One of these
from this place
http://www.buyclassiccars.com/offsite.asp?site=htt...
Edit
Should have read the post properly
from this place
http://www.buyclassiccars.com/offsite.asp?site=htt...
Edit
Should have read the post properly
Edited by carl carlson on Wednesday 20th October 10:07
I've done similar to your trip a few times before. Mustang and C70 will definitely not fit all your luggage for 4 for 2 weeks. The last trip in a C70 (OK car, auto spins inner wheel every time you floor it mid corner at low speed and American suspension seems softer than the set up here) we had 3 people and always had 1 bag on the back seat to get the stupid roof cover to close in the boot.
Mustang, fun car, American muscle but luggage space is also small.
Last time we had a 300C 5.7 V8, cheap interior but luggage for 3 was easy, for 4 may be a push but on bag inbetween the two in the back should do it. Engine is great fun (thirsty, but that doesn't matter over there).
Often the really fun stuff they won't release on 1 way trips so if I were you I'd do as suggested above, get something boring and very spacious (4x4, SUV being the obvious choice) for the boring stuff and then hire a couple of Z06'sfor Vegas.
Enjoy the trip!
Mustang, fun car, American muscle but luggage space is also small.
Last time we had a 300C 5.7 V8, cheap interior but luggage for 3 was easy, for 4 may be a push but on bag inbetween the two in the back should do it. Engine is great fun (thirsty, but that doesn't matter over there).
Often the really fun stuff they won't release on 1 way trips so if I were you I'd do as suggested above, get something boring and very spacious (4x4, SUV being the obvious choice) for the boring stuff and then hire a couple of Z06'sfor Vegas.
Enjoy the trip!
We've just done a similar trip for our honeymoon. It's a fantastic place and you'll have a fantastic time I'm sure. Like you, being petrolheads, the vehicle we did the trip in was very important to us, but we've already had a tour around Florida in a Corvette so thought we'd get something a bit different this time.
We flew into LAX and drove straight down to San Diego (great city), then over to Palm Springs (great for relaxing), through the Mojave (jaw-dropping at times), Vegas (is Vegas), Death Valley (cool as, especially rescuing the German couple who had broken down (don't hire a Kia)), Mammoth Lakes (beautiful), Yosemite, San Francisco, then down the PCH to Monterey, Santa Barbara, then back to LAX.
We did it in an Escalade and given the choice again would do the same. Massive car, loads of space, 6.2 V8 ~404bhp, chilled seats, Bose, so many toys. Sure, it can't do corners, but there aren't that many out there. It has four captains chairs, plus two in the back which can be folded flat to get more storage space.
My fondest memory is being on the Pacific Coast Highway with about 5 cars in front of me all going far too slow. I waited for a bit of straight, pulled out and floored it. Triple-kickdown yo!!!!11 It might be a behemoth but it doesn't half shift once it gets going.
Oh, and we were really disappointed with San Francisco. We stayed for three nights and in hindsight two would have been enough. San Diego on the other hand, I would move out there tomorrow.
We flew into LAX and drove straight down to San Diego (great city), then over to Palm Springs (great for relaxing), through the Mojave (jaw-dropping at times), Vegas (is Vegas), Death Valley (cool as, especially rescuing the German couple who had broken down (don't hire a Kia)), Mammoth Lakes (beautiful), Yosemite, San Francisco, then down the PCH to Monterey, Santa Barbara, then back to LAX.
We did it in an Escalade and given the choice again would do the same. Massive car, loads of space, 6.2 V8 ~404bhp, chilled seats, Bose, so many toys. Sure, it can't do corners, but there aren't that many out there. It has four captains chairs, plus two in the back which can be folded flat to get more storage space.
My fondest memory is being on the Pacific Coast Highway with about 5 cars in front of me all going far too slow. I waited for a bit of straight, pulled out and floored it. Triple-kickdown yo!!!!11 It might be a behemoth but it doesn't half shift once it gets going.
Oh, and we were really disappointed with San Francisco. We stayed for three nights and in hindsight two would have been enough. San Diego on the other hand, I would move out there tomorrow.
These might be worth a try? http://www.rentawreck.com/ca.htm for something cheap
These for something fun? http://www.classiccarhireworld.com/contentok.php?i...
FYI just found these searching on Google, have no idea what they are like to use, cost etc.
Last time I went to the states with some mates there were 3 of us, plus our bike boxes (BMX) and some luggage, I had hired a normal Mondeo sized car with Hertz I think? Anyway got a free upgrade (I still don't know how!?) and got a Buick Rondevous SUV type thing, V6, huge amount of space very comfortable and we were there for a month.
Actually both my past couple of trips to the USA I've booked a "mid sized family car" and got a upgrade because them seem to be the most popular and the rental people had run out by the time I landed, luck more than anything I guess?!
Ohh, just seen this! Beverly Hills, http://www.classiccarhireworld.com/contentok.php?i...
These for something fun? http://www.classiccarhireworld.com/contentok.php?i...
FYI just found these searching on Google, have no idea what they are like to use, cost etc.
Last time I went to the states with some mates there were 3 of us, plus our bike boxes (BMX) and some luggage, I had hired a normal Mondeo sized car with Hertz I think? Anyway got a free upgrade (I still don't know how!?) and got a Buick Rondevous SUV type thing, V6, huge amount of space very comfortable and we were there for a month.
Actually both my past couple of trips to the USA I've booked a "mid sized family car" and got a upgrade because them seem to be the most popular and the rental people had run out by the time I landed, luck more than anything I guess?!
Ohh, just seen this! Beverly Hills, http://www.classiccarhireworld.com/contentok.php?i...
http://www.auto-europe.co.uk/?aff=google&c=320...
I use the above
we have had convertible Mustang in Vegas impractical small boot and too hot to take the roof off in reality
last time we had a Dodge Charger fine car for the month we were there
in Vegas you can hire anything for hrs or days.
the above company got the best prices inclusive when I was looking
they hire from Hertz,enterprise etc
I use the above
we have had convertible Mustang in Vegas impractical small boot and too hot to take the roof off in reality
last time we had a Dodge Charger fine car for the month we were there
in Vegas you can hire anything for hrs or days.
the above company got the best prices inclusive when I was looking
they hire from Hertz,enterprise etc
OlberJ said:
Has to be something i can take out and hoon for a couple of days..
Have you driven in the US before? Even the quietest looking places are policed to a much higher intensity than in the UK, and by several levels of Police officers.Most people just cruise at relatively low speeds so any hooning will stick out like a sore thumb.
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