What rental car?

[The Ryan King]

Hello!

Last year my girlfriend and I drove the PCH from SF down to LA. We booked an economy car but were upgraded to a Chevrolet Malibu which I guess is a compact or midsize.

Next year we are planning on driving the Utah/Arizona loop from and to Las Vegas. On the basis that the drives between stops will be quite long and I don't know what the roads are like - does anyone have any suggestions as to the type of car to hire?

I think we would want something reliable and comfortable for the longer drives. Will a compact/midszie do it or is it worth going for the smaller SUV?

[PNW Judy]

I have driven many of these roads in a VW New Beetle. In my experience, the roads have been paved and in good condition. My car is fairly low, with little clearance, and I don't recall it ever being a problem.

I don't rent cars enough to have experience with this myself but, according to others here, you can't take a rental vehicle off-road so this would really limit your need for an SUV. So I really think you should rent whatever vehicle fits your budget, is roomy enough to be comfortable for you, and that you would enjoy driving the most.

[Midwest Michael]

I'd agree with Judy here. There's really no reason you'd need an SUV for this trip. Unless you really want to drive an SUV or have a really large amount of cargo, I'd say you'll be much better off going with a car, where you'll spend much less and have a more comfortable ride.

As far as what size of car to get, you'll have to decide what comforts you'd like. The Malibu would be at least a mid-sized car, and many rental companies probably consider it a full-sized car (one of the great tricks of the rental industry is classifying cars larger than the rest of the automotive world - for example most "mid-sized" rental cars are just compacts with a couple of extra options, like Cruise Control). If you liked the Malibu, I'd go with a mid-sized or larger, but if you think you can get by without cruise or other options, then a compact will be just fine.

As far as reliable, your rental car is most likely going to be less than a year old, so you shouldn't have any concerns there.