I had a colleague who had a Subaru wagon he was especially proud of. It had the spare tire on top of the engine. That should give you an idea how long ago this was
Anyways, he always bragged how cheaply he picked the car up, and how great it was
But he would never take it on any trip which involved more than 1 hour driving
He felt he couldn’t trust it for that kind of distance
I looked him straight in the eye and said “Well, then the car’s not that great, after all, is it?!”
Look, a car is a complex device, and you pick one based on what it can do for your daily needs. I live in a city, it’s crowded, parking is awful, and everyone bangs into your bumpers when they park. You get doored in parking lots. So, a good, solid small car is the right choice. I do not need a big car, comfortable and spacious but just a burden every day. Why should I own one? Beats me. I rent one when I need it. Lots of people don’t own a car at all and rent them from hourly companies that have them parked all over the place.
I Fully Trust Any Of My Cars To Travel Anywhere. What I Can’t Trust Is Other Drivers And Unforeseen Circumstances. I’ve Had 3 Cars Totaled By Others And Some Damaged By Animals, Weather, Etcetera. I Don’t Need It Far From Home On A Limited Time Budget, Too Much Hassle, Way Too Much.
As I said there’s not a right answer or wrong answer in this rental situation. Some of the contributors prefer renting, some don’t. Some can easily afford it, some can’t. Do what you’re comfortable doing.
I am merely responding to Hollywood1974. He actually did take an older car on a trip and had trouble. He’s considering renting to avoid this type of trouble and he’s looking for advice. CSA
Get the 4wd on demand and don’t worry about a rental for off road trips, chances are the rental will be a nightmare if you are off road and have trouble.
I took an 8700 mile trip to great National Parks in the West and Northwest with my wife and dog in the year 2000, Our minivan was 8/9 years old. I have never figured out why people feel safe drining a car 10,000 miles a year but are afraid to take a long trip with it.
I drive my 2004 Sienna everywhere and on very long trips routinely. The day it stops being reliable I will ditch it and rent a van for long trips. It has 204,000 miles.
common sense answer: My ex-Wife’s idea of camping was the hotel having a tree. I was OK with that. I’d had enough camping with 150 of my fellow soldiers!
i want to thank everyone for their input. The drive is from Philadelphia, Pa to upstate New York and back. I have been doing this drive in my 1997 Thunderbird for years. A few times I have had problems with the car within a month after the trip but last year was first time having trouble on trip. I believe that the overheating could of happened any time because the thermostat was going bad and also anti freeze was leaking out of the antifreeze reserve tank. I think if I knew about these problems ahead of time, then I would of had no issues on trip. I still use the car every day for work. I have given it a few two hour drives and the car has been good. I think the car would be ok on a long trip. The only reason I am considering a rental is because I have many family members telling me that I am crazy to take a chance on a old car. I am leaning to not rent a car because I still really enjoy driving my Thunderbird on the open road and I also feel like I would be cheating on my car if I drive another one. also with only driving one car for the past fifteen years (I got the car in September 2000), I am worried that it might feel off to be driving another car.
I have collision insurance on all my cars. I’m not sure if you have it on the T-Bird. That’s another consideration when renting. If you’ve got collision with your car insurance it should generally cover a rental car, too. That needs to be checked. If not that would add some cost.
Also, rental car companies can charge renters a Loss of Use expense if a car is damaged and goes out of service for repairs. Rental companies try and sell insurance for this. Most credit cards come with good/some coverage for this. VISA is quite good. You need to follow certain easy procedures to make sure the credit card company will be covering you. CSA
“Looking at it another way, renting a car for 2 weeks might cost you about $1000 or so.” @Docnick
A “full size” ( Malibu, Camry, Impala, etcetera) was actually less than $300 for 9 days, unlimited miles.
I was going to rent for 8 days, but I found good rates nearby and can pick-up the car Friday afternoon, take it home and pack, and leave early Saturday morning.
We will come back 8 days later on a Sunday, late. I can take my time returning the car the following day in the afternoon. My wife works and my Daughter’s in school. They have schedules. CSA
@db4690
Hey I don’t decide what is “full size.” They also offer Premium Full-size models. Standard size is pretty small cars. You wouldn’t believe how many different size classes they list for cars, SUVs, and minivans and vans. It’s a game show. Some even have “green” cars for tree-huggers.
“And it makes no sense to have both the Malibu and the Impala in the same size category, IMO, because the Impala was always the bigger car, AFAIK”
I agree with that except for AFAIK. I have no idea what AFAIK means. CSA
I believe one major rental company considers a Focus to be standard size. Each group has different rates and one matched their needs/wants with what they expect to spend. CSA
Rental car agencies have played games with what’s full-size or luxury vehicle for decades. While the manufacturer may not call it a full-size or a luxury vehicle…the rental companies do. I’ve probably rented vehicles well over 100 times for business…I’ve seen them do it.