View Full Version : Boot size Intermediate V Full size
As there is only 2 adults and 2 children in our we know that an intermediate size car would be large enough, but I'm a little concerned about luggage space as we will have 5 suitcase and our hand luggage. I understand that not all intermediate cars are the same size, but in general is there a large difference in boot size betweem Intermediate and Full size?
CCollins
12-04-2007, 20:58
If you have a look at the car hire site on the link above then you can look at the cars available to retnt and it tells you how big the boot's are.
When we have hired an inermediate before we managed to get 3 cases and the handluggage in the boot, but there were only 3 travelling. I doubt you will get 5 cases into the boot. You would be better off with a 7 seater mini van - then you will have plenty of room and they don't cost that much more to hire![msnsmile2]
It works out about £140 more expensive for our 18 day holiday which wouldn't be too expensive if we needed that size for 18 days. But it's expensive when you consider that we only need the extra luggage space for an 1/2hr trip back to the airport. (On arriving my parents will be able to put some cases in their car, but are only staying for 14 days).
Would hiring an intermediate for 17 days and upgrading to 7 seater for final day be a good idea, or would they give us a ridiculous price for a 1 day upgrade??
By the way our children are 10 and 14, so not exactly small. I've looked at the examples that show how many suitcases should fit, but feel that I'll get a better idea of size from people who have experienced it. The 7 seaters show limited luggage space on the examples, but we had one last year and found that there was plenty of space even with an extra teenager, so don't trust the examples that much.
OOOPS. Looks like I made a mistake about the website not giving a clear indication of boot space. uscarhire.co.uk does it more accurately than the other companies that estimate how many suitcases, rather than how many cubic feet.
Still any advice would be appreciated, especially about a 1 day upgrade.
There is a definite step up in boot space between an intermediate and a full size. Dependant on the cost of it, I think that for that one journey you would be better upgrading for the whole trip to full size, rather than for a single day to 7 seater.
In saying that, though, with your parents coming out the 7 seater may be a better option and then your parents could downsize the car that they are choosing. I would always encourage larger parties such as yours to have multiple cars as an option, but there may be times that going in one car would be simpler and arranging a car combination including the 7 seater would allow you to do this, plus you could then include one of your parents as a driver for the 7 seater as well.
CCollins
13-04-2007, 13:18
Your other option if you wanted to hire a full size and not the 7 seater would be to have 2 cars.
You could hire another car for 2 seperate days to get your cases to and from the airport, but I doubt that this would be any cheaper then upgrading to the 7 seater.
The big advantage with the 7 seater is that if the kids sit on the front row of seats then you have more room for bags on the back row PLUS the boot.
We struggled to get our 2 suitcases and hand luggage into an intermediate car (Chrysler Sebring)in January due to the shape of the boot although we had never had a problem with other models. We have had full size cars in the past when we travelled with our family but the most cases we ever had was 3. I don't think you would get 5 cases in a full size boot.
I would definately go for the 7 seater for all the reasons mentioned above, or take less luggage!
abbeyvillas
13-04-2007, 15:29
We usually book an intermediate through this website and on arrival ask for a 'Pacifica' which has lots of boot space. I believe it comes under 'full size' and usually costs an additional $7 per day with Dollar.
Jeanette