Car rental companies use a lot of different labels to indicate the size of their cars. Each company has different car brands and types, so you want to know which type of car you will end up with. A compact car from one company could be in the midsize category with another company.
Sub-compact, compact, economy or small are the standard labels for small cars. These cars fit maximum 4 persons and a few small bags. You can choose from 2 and 4 door models. These small cars are often the cheapest to rent and use less fuel. Cars in this category can be a Chevrolet Aveo, Kia Rio, Ford Focus and Hyundai Accent.
Small cars
=> We have driven the Kia Rio, Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent on our trips to Florida. We were only driving small distances with 2 adults and 2 large bags. The cars were large enough. All cars were rented from the compact category at Alamo.
Midsize cars
The next category has names like intermediate, standard and midsize. Dollar has the Ford Fusion and the Dodge Avenger in this category. While Alamo put the Ford Fusion in a larger category. This category can fit 5 people and more bags than a small car.
Large cars
The sedans in the Full-Size category have the most space for passengers and bags. The large cars usually include the Chevrolet Impala, Nissan Altima or Dodge Charger. Alamo also has the Ford Fusion in this category. The Full-Size cars usually also have a lot of nice options.
=> We have driven the Chevrolet Impala, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and Dodge Charger in the Full-Size category at Alamo. We choose these to be comfortable driving long distances and have enough space to store our bags out of view. In the Ford Fusion and the Dodge Charger we even had satellite radio.
Premium, Luxury and special cars
Would you like to drive a convertible or a nice sports car? These are also available for rental! The premium cars include the Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Towncar or a BMW 5 series. The sports cars include the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
SUV and vans
SUV’s are ideal for people who like a lot of space in the car or want to drive on rough roads. (Be aware, you cannot drive a rental car on unpaved roads!) There are different categories of SUV’s, from midsize (Toyota RAV4) to luxury (GMC Yukon). For larger parties you can also rent a minivan that fits up to 9 passengers.
