There is no general rule. What do you usually drive and does it agree with your back? I’d try to rent something similar. A mid-sized car, like an Altima or Taurus, has about the same wheelbase as a mid-sized SUV, many of which share platforms with those same cars. The wheelbases will be essentially the same or close enough to not matter much. The Taurus is a much larger car than an Altima, and has a soft suspension besides, so it will have the softest ride of this bunch. But I wouldn’t worry about it. All will be fairly comfortable or they wouldn’t be in a rental fleet. They don’t tend to buy sporty cars (except for special models). You do sit a bit more upright in an SUV than a sedan, but that’s the only consistent difference.
For driving vacations many prefer an SUV because the seats are higher off the ground so the view is better. Also, getting in and out is definitely easier. With back trouble that might be a consideration. Yellowstone has lots of places where you’ll want to stop and get out. I’m not an SUV driver in everyday life, but for this trip I’d get one. The current Taurus is a big, cushy car and you do sit up higher than in a small car. For me the Taurus seats are a bit too soft, but if you’re used to soft seats this would be very suitable. Otherwise, I’d probably go with the Santa Fe. If it is a Grand Cherokee, I’d also consider that (it’s very nice, but gas mileage is poor). The regular Chsrokee (without the ‘Grand’) just came out a few months ago and has not impressed anyone very much. The Santa Fe was also just redesigned for this year and the new one is nicer. Odds are the rental fleet has the old one, which is just fine. I like the RAV4 just fine, but haven’t made long trips in it, so I’d listen to the people with back problems.
Have a great vacation. I love that area and am due to go back soon.
@db4690 it’s an old 2001 1500. I think the seats are the most comfortable of the group for me, but my wife has a different opinion. The ride is quite stiff unless there’s a load in the bed. It is a little bouncy, but I think that stiffness and the V8 torque makes it the second most nimble in the bunch. The Town Car has air ride and just wallows around too much to make it fun to drive in anything but straight lines. And the Astro, well, it’s a van.
The seating for most people in an SUV in general is usually better. The ride and handling"can" be worse if you travel paved roads. You seldom have it all unless you get expensive models like a Highlander.
I have three trucks/cars now and have had many others.
The biggest varialble you can not ‘‘test drive’’ is …TIME.
the 06 Escape hybrid makes me ache after a couple hours driving but the day to day ingress and egress is easiest… The 08 Expedition is the smoothest, quietest, and most comfortable seating of any of my prvious trucks but you have climb up a tad, and ,aside from climbing down into and up out of, the previous 78 Chrysler Cordoba was the other most cofortable.
you can’t test drive the time factor and we can’t tell you in print.
@bascar2
Poorly worded but I have found that SUVs handle and ride worse then sedans on paved roads but actually ride and handle better than sedans on dirt and undeveloped roads. Make more sense ?
@bscar2
My SUVs, all four of them now and in the past, all rode fine on the highway. But, friends sedans in general rode and handled better. Notice I did not say SUVs rode poorly at all, just worse then sedans. I thought all the small ones have rode a little too stiff for me. But, on back roads at lower speeds with unpaved roads, ruts, potholes and dips are all Swallowed up by the SUVs larger tires and greater wheel travel . On highways at higher speeds, hitting pavement irregularities , the greater unstrung weight of the SUV s just don’t work as well. Also, the poorer handling is tiring driving long distances with more wheel corrections .
IMHO, Wranglers aren’t tuned at all. To me that implies that some may have good on road capabilities. They have solid axles, high spring rates to keep them elevated and greater ground clearance. There is nothing a shop can do to a wrangler to give it a good ride or handling and no Wrangler I have ever known did anything but stink on road. Mt 4Runner has a pretty good ride but compared to a good sedan, it just doesn’t cut it as far as it’s handling is concerned. Now, traveling 30 mph over a rough road, a good SUV has little equal, while the Camry would be shaken to pieces.
I would go with the Altima for your trip. I have driven the Altima and Toyota Camry as rental cars and they are fine. We did a similar Yellowstone trip in 1996. Our 1991 Jeep Laredo was fine on pavement. We also did no Interstate just 2 lane blacktop. Salem, OR to Yellowstone, Cody, WY, Custer battlefield, and devils tower. The Jeep is not the most comfortable off road but was OK on pavement. I think an Altima or Camry would be perfect for your adventure.
@"VOLVO V70"
A lot of roads in New England might as well be dirt or undeveloped they are so full of potholes.
Theres a street in western ma I frequently drive when going to visit friends that recently had the potholes patched, but the patching covers about 70% of the street. They might as well have tore it up and repaved.
So great discussion with so many experienced people.
Does comfort level varies with Intermediate SUV (Ford Escape/Toyota RAV4) and Standard SUV (Grand Cherokee/Santa Fe) in terms of suspension/easy handling or it is just power and more luxury features ?
The intermediate SUV’s are usually based on their relative, compact sedans. So the CRV is derived from a Civic. In my 18 month experience with the CRV, it was an uncomfortable car for long trips. It is essentially a high sitting Civic that handles a bit worse and maybe is a bit slower. You would be much better off with an Accord in this case. I have test drove a RAV4 and an Escape (the previous generation), but not sure about long trips in them.
IMO, the Camry/Accord size sedans are the most comfy, if you can fit everything in them. The next level would be a Minivan. If you have to have an SUV, then I will want one size bigger than the RAV for long trips. FYI, we replaced the CRV with a Mazda CX-9 and are pretty happy with it.
It really depends on the person, my Dad used to get rental cars for a month at a time and preferred a midsize when driving long distances but found that the Focus (previous generation) was easier for him to get into comfortably than the larger Taurus that he had rented previously. He normally drove a minivan and for the last 7+ years his Honda Crv. The seat height and other factors can be just fine for some people and uncomfortable for others. Other than a firm ride he has been very comfortable driving long trips in the CRV.
Most cars sit too low for me. I prefer a minivan or an SUV. Back in 1992, Consumer Reports tested a 1992 Oldsmobile 88, a Mercury Grand Marquis, and a Buick Roadmaster. CR also compared these cars with a 40 year old 1952 Buick Roadmaster that they found for the test. CR reported that the 1952 Buick had the most comfortable and best seating positions, front and rear of the cars tested. The slow steering (no power assist), drum brakes, and the Dynaflow automatic transmission that depended entirely on the torque converter did not allow the 1952 Buick to be competitive with the 40 years younger models. My dad owned a 1954 Buick that he bought in 1955. We thought that car was great. He was going to buy a new car in 1959, but after we road tested a new 1959 Buick Invicta, we all agreed that the 1954 Buick was much more comfortable. The seats in the 1959 Buick were so hard in the center position, that car was, for all practical purposes, a 4 passenger car. My dad thought $3200 was way too much money for a 4 passenger car. In 1959, GM had come out with a new, lower body style. At any rate, when my dad finally did buy a new car a year later, he bought a Rambler Classic because it had comfortable seats.
My wife and I once owned a 1993 Oldsmobile 88. It had a power seat that adjusted in all directions and had practically every option Oldsmobile made available that year. We also had a 1990 Ford Aerostar minivan ( the Eddie Bauer edition) at the time. For long trips, we found the Aerostar much more comfortable and less tiring. We still take our 2003 Toyota 4Runner on road trips because we find the seats and seating position comfortable. Of the vehicles that I have driven long distances to conferences from my institution’s fleet, I found the Ford Escape Hybrid the most comfortable for these trips. I am 6’ 2" tall and have long legs and I was very comfortable. My research partner is 5’ 2" tall and she also found the Ford Escape quite comfortable. She drove about half the trip and was really impressed with the Escape.
Different people have different tastes in comfort. I think the seating position and seats have made the SUVs popular. If I am forced to go back to a conventional car, I’ll buy a Mazda Miata. If I am going to be uncomfortable, I might as well have something fun to drive. If my back and legs are going to ache, they might as well have something worth aching about.
You really have to drive the cars. For some people , the plush ride would be more important. For me, just a decent ride but good handling is much more important. A poor handling vehicle is much more tiring to drive. My wife’s more sedan like Venza does not ride as well as Our SUV. But, on the interstate it handles so much better and is so much easier to drive at higher speeds. Because of this and with more easily adjustable controls and seats, you can spend more time in one instead of praying for the next rest stop. So, though I agree that some SUVs ride very well and is important, good handling too is a big factor keeping a driver fresh. That’s why I prefer decent handling sedans .
I prefer my SUV’s over my wife’s Lexus for that reason alone. My wife is 5’3…I’m 6’3. She doesn’t have a problem getting in and out of her Lexus. It’s a nice vehicle…and when your in it…a great ride…but park that on a hill facing up and it’s a royal pain to get in an out of.
