OT: What hire car in The States?

jonny_trousers

Apologies for using "the C word" on this forum, but I'm after some advice from those in the know.

My wife and I will be heading off on our honeymoon at the end of the month and as the first part of it involves a slow, lazy road trip down the west coast, I need to hire a car. The first thought was to do the perhaps cliched convertible Mustang thing, but having seen how little space they have for luggage, as well as reading how impractical convertibles are in California, there's been a change of plan. The problem is I'm not really sure what to do as an alternative. I could go for something boringly predictable like a Toyota or a Ford Focus, or something horrible and American. There are numerous SUV choices, but I've heard American SUVs are utter crap.

Any thoughts from those who've done it appreciated.

UndercoverElephant

Mustang. Got one last time I was over there and they're a hoot. Plenty of room in the boot for Three cases, plus back seats if you really have a load of luggage. Fantastic fun and really quite pretty too. Here's the one I had:



Oooh, that's purty!

jonny_trousers

I think Mustangs look pretty vulgar, but in a good way. I have to say, I hate American sedans, I hear their SUVs are crap, and I don't see the point in hiring one anyway, and what's the point in getting something dull and Japanese for a once in a lifetime experience. I hadn't really considered a hard top Mustang, but that's not a bad idea if there's more space. We were planning on two pretty large suitcases (we're going for 3 weeks and will have to pack for different climates). You reckon they'd fit? We could always go with one large and two medium.

mudcow007

dont for the love of god get a "sebring"

mate of mine recently come back from the US of A an he got a mustang an did about 600 miles in a few weeks

a full tank of motion lotion was between £30 - £40 an was a hoot

me personally i would go for the new charger or corvette (if you can) granted they are made of plastic but loads fo sideways actions

greg66_tri_v2.0

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

as well as reading how impractical convertibles are in California

Who wrote that, FFS?

As a serial hirer of convertibles in CA, I can tell you there is nothing impractical about them there.

Impractical because they have limited boot space - yes. That's fairer. But not otherwise. That said, I managed to get our family luggage for a week long break in one. Just. Squashy bags and pack light. If there's just two of you bags can go on the rear seats - just park in well-frequented areas and put the hood up. I'd plump for a Mustang or a Camaro. Or I'd ring the desk at LAX/SFO/SEA and ask them whether they also had anything like a 3 Series or A4/A5 convertible. Pretty sure I saw some of those in the Avis lot last time I was at LAX.

US SUVs are pretty ropey, but it doesn't matter a lot because US roads are not demanding and US drivers are pretty slow. The shortcomings of the SUV that would be laid bare here in 5 minutes are well-concealed over there. Of the bunch, Jeep Cherokees have the most European driving feel by a mile. A Ford Escape or something similar is perfectly good enough though.

UndercoverElephant

Yeah, I reckon they'd fit in a Mustang. There was three of us, each with a suitcase for a week and we fitted them in the boot, it was larger than you'd think. If not, like I say there is a back seat. The Mustang is brash and vulgar, but that's actually it's charm.

Best car I've had in the US, by a long chalk. Would I want one here? Nope. Would I get one over there? YEEESSSS!!!!

Edit: An Audi or a BMW over there would be awful. The roads are so poor you'd feel every bump.

andrewthomas197

I had a Challenger RT Hemi last time I was out there, great fun and real quick. Boot was plenty big enough. I have nad Mustangs before and they don't begin to compare to the Challenger.

I wouldn't discount an SUV, we recently did a 4200 mile roadtrip around the US in a Suburban it was really nice, big and lazy and you could take a dozen case it that.

jonny_trousers

Greg66 wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

as well as reading how impractical convertibles are in California

Who wrote that, FFS?

Trip Advisor forums. People asking about convertible Mustangs and being told by several others that California is too hot in the day time (potential for sun burn and not being able to take advantage of air-con, apparently) and too cold in the evenings this time of year. I do appreciate this is just a few people's opinions and your opposing one is massively appreciated.

jonny_trousers

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Yeah, I reckon they'd fit in a Mustang. There was three of us, each with a suitcase for a week and we fitted them in the boot, it was larger than you'd think. If not, like I say there is a back seat. The Mustang is brash and vulgar, but that's actually it's charm.

Best car I've had in the US, by a long chalk. Would I want one here? Nope. Would I get one over there? YEEESSSS!!!!

Edit: An Audi or a BMW over there would be awful. The roads are so poor you'd feel every bump.

Sounds like we're singing from the same hymn sheet. Sweet!

greg66_tri_v2.0

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

as well as reading how impractical convertibles are in California

Who wrote that, FFS?

Trip Advisor forums. People asking about convertible Mustangs and being told by several others that California is too hot in the day time (potential for sun burn and not being able to take advantage of air-con, apparently) and too cold in the evenings this time of year. I do appreciate this is just a few people's opinions and your opposing one is massively appreciated.

Ah. Trip Advisor. That explains a bit.

I wonder: did any of them reporters who claimed that CA is too hot during the day for a convertible also claim that they stayed in doors all day to avoid sub burn?

Thought not

Obvious stuff: you're in the sunshine, so take sunscreen. If you're losing your thatching up top, apply sunscreen to scalp or wear a cap.

So much for practicalities. Now for the important stuff. Whereya going, whatcha doing, and whatcha seeing?


ETA: you can use AC in a convertible with the hood down. It's just a little bit, well, wasteful is the best word I can think of. But if yo point the vents at your face and turn the fans up to max, you'll feel it.

bigmat

American cars are pretty awful, the saloons are all like an inverted tardis - enormous great things that somehow have no room inside. I think you need an SUV if you want any decent luggage space. Shouldn't be that much of an issue for just two of you though so probably worth opting for some kind of muscle car. Not sure if it applies to sports cars, but generally US car rental places only have massive cars. If you book online over here, you can usually just book a supermini and they'll upgrade you to an executive saloon. You could probably then say you want something smaller, "we'll just have to take that sports coupe if that's all you have"!

jonny_trousers

andrewthomas197 wrote:

I had a Challenger RT Hemi last time I was out there, great fun and real quick. Boot was plenty big enough. I have nad Mustangs before and they don't begin to compare to the Challenger.

I wouldn't discount an SUV, we recently did a 4200 mile roadtrip around the US in a Suburban it was really nice, big and lazy and you could take a dozen case it that.

I think Challengers will be harder to track down than Mustangs. I suppose it depends on who I want to be while reenacting the chase from Bullet when in San Fran: the good guy or the bad guy? It's got to be Steve McQueen, right? Now, where's my black turtle-neck...

cjcp

West Coast? Are you riding* the PCH?

Of all the cars I've driven in the US, my preferred choice for long drives was a people carrier**. Can't remember what it was, but it had a heck of a lot of space and didn't drink as much fuel as the SUV we hired on a separate occasion.

EDIT:

*Force of habit. I meant driving.

**I'm not a car man.

lostboysaint

BigMat wrote:

American cars are pretty awful, the saloons are all like an inverted tardis - enormous great things that somehow have no room inside. I think you need an SUV if you want any decent luggage space. Shouldn't be that much of an issue for just two of you though so probably worth opting for some kind of muscle car. Not sure if it applies to sports cars, but generally US car rental places only have massive cars. If you book online over here, you can usually just book a supermini and they'll upgrade you to an executive saloon. You could probably then say you want something smaller, "we'll just have to take that sports coupe if that's all you have"!

Pretty much that. We've just come back from a four-up trip around the Rocky Mountains and Alberta and the only way to get decent luggage space and room for four adults was to go either for a massive SUV (expensive) or a minivan (people carrier). We went with the latter.

Most of the hire companies have Mustangs as they are hardly "special" over there but will probably suit what you want.

UndercoverElephant

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

as well as reading how impractical convertibles are in California

Who wrote that, FFS?

Trip Advisor forums. People asking about convertible Mustangs and being told by several others that California is too hot in the day time (potential for sun burn and not being able to take advantage of air-con, apparently) and too cold in the evenings this time of year. I do appreciate this is just a few people's opinions and your opposing one is massively appreciated.

Those are the reasons why people who live there never have convertibles. They're less valid for why someone visiting shouldn't just go for it. The only convertible I've had over there was a Pontiac Solstice. It was awful, boot was way too small for even one suitcase and it just wasn't that fun. We drove it along the highway with the top down, in January. There was frost on the roof one morning - still put the top down. Heater was on full, but it was great.

UndercoverElephant

Oh, and note the pretty cherry-red colour of the Mustang above. Must be what made it go so fast.

jonny_trousers

Greg66 wrote:

So much for practicalities. Now for the important stuff. Whereya going, whatcha doing, and whatcha seeing?

Starting in San Francisco for three days. No plans beyond Alcatraz and exploring. Then up to Napa for another three for wine, food and decadence. We're then mooching down the west coast stopping off at Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Monica and then on to LA (to visit Disneyland for a day :oops: ) before flying out for a week in Bora Bora.

We've got no major plans for the trip as yet, so if there's anything you think we should go see then do please share.

bigmat

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

So much for practicalities. Now for the important stuff. Whereya going, whatcha doing, and whatcha seeing?

Starting in San Francisco for three days. No plans beyond Alcatraz and exploring. Then up to Napa for another three for wine, food and decadence. We're then mooching down the west coast stopping off at Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Monica and then on to LA (to visit Disneyland for a day :oops: ) before flying out for a week in Bora Bora.

We've got no major plans for the trip as yet, so if there's anything you think we should go see then do please share.

I'm guessing not if its your honeymoon, but please tell me there are kids involved? I had teh misfortune of spending a day at Mickey's Magic Kingdom in Orlando earlier this year, my 3 year old enjoyed it but I was astonished by the number of grown adults without kids who were there. Just plain weird - grandparents, groups of teenage blokes who rightfully should have been drinking cider down the park (in matching mickey mouse t-shirts no less), I just couldn't get my head round it. There is nothing there for adults* - its for kids! I guess Disneyland Californiamaybe has more of the grown up stuff? Even so, spend a day at Santa Cruz for some classy old-school thrills (and a gorgeous beach). Santa Monica is nice (and adjoining Venice Beach is very cool) - both are basically in LA. West Hollywood is a cool place to stay in LA - very central and very safe, and walking distance to Sunset Boulevard / short taxi or bus to Santa Monica or Hollywood. We stayed in Jim Morrison's room which is perhaps not what you want for honeymoon but was pretty cool! If you're heading down the coast, Hearst (sic) Castle is nice, Big Sur spectacular, Santa Cruz a nice stop off. Nice restaurants in Monterey. Best night life in San Fran is in the Mission in my (limited) experience. Haight Ashbury is worth a visit, Amoeba records is one of the best record stores I've been to (but I guess that doesn't mean as much as it used to).

* unless you're Jummy Saville

greg66_tri_v2.0

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

So much for practicalities. Now for the important stuff. Whereya going, whatcha doing, and whatcha seeing?

Starting in San Francisco for three days. No plans beyond Alcatraz and exploring. Then up to Napa for another three for wine, food and decadence. We're then mooching down the west coast stopping off at Big Sur, Malibu, Santa Monica and then on to LA (to visit Disneyland for a day :oops: ) before flying out for a week in Bora Bora.

We've got no major plans for the trip as yet, so if there's anything you think we should go see then do please share.

Thought you'd never ask!

Weellll...

San Francisco very probably my fave American city. Alcatraz - very good, but book, perhaps even before you go, if you can. If your newly wedded wife likes biking, then hire a couple of MTBs and get over the GGB to Marin Highlands. Otherwise you're pretty well served by the guide books - it's just a question of what you want to see/do.

If you can fit in a day trip to Yosemite, that's well worth it. An overnight stay more so. Been to Napa, and it was nice, but not epic. Not sure I'd spend three days there.

Monterey is worth a stop on the drive down the coast for the aquarium. Hearst Castle is a good place to spend a couple of hours.

Some people hate LA, but I'm not one of them. We always look to find somewhere in Westwood to stay - one of the few places you'll find foot traffic in the evening. Depending on how much you want to do, and in no particular order:
- Santa Monica beach: fun to walk along, probably wouldn't spend a day sitting on it though.
- La Brea tar pits.
- Rodeo Drive. Good for car people watching.
- Seven Flags Magic Mountain if you like rollercoaster rides.
- Universal Studios, though I admit I thought (two years ago) it rather underlined how few massive hits Universal has had recently.
- Hollywood Blvd/the Hollywood sign. Also that way look out for the CBS building - designed to look like a stacked pile of 45s (whatever they may be, kids).
- The observatory (can't recall the name) which I think is up above the Hollywood sign. It's where Arnie first encounters people and gets his wardrobe in The Terminator. Last time I was there they did a great show in the evening indoors. Really enjoyed it.
- Disneyland. An absolute must. You *will* be enchanted and love it, even without kids in tow. Anaheim is a fair schlep from Santa Monica. Top tip is get there the evening before and stay in one of the Disneyland hotels. They are not cheesy or naff, and are not rip off priced either. They give you early access direct to the park, which is key. You also need to be alive to the FastPass system they use for the "premium" rides, and the singles lines. Can dig up some more stuff on that if you're interested.

estampida

1st option would be a chevolet montecarlo... a 22ft long car with only 2 doors... rocking (just checked and they have stopped making them 2009, the replacement is a camero but there could still be on rental plots.... )

or any oldsmobile or the toyota gt86 would be good choices

dont go for the standard types you dont want to look like a tourist now.......

cjcp

Check out the Stinking Rose, a restaurant in SF where everything's cooked in garlic or something. Was nice.

Bora Bora's where we went for a week, too. Bliss. The days before blackberries, mind. If I recall correctly, I did sweet FA, with the exception of a boat trip where we got to swim with reef sharks and barracudas. The f*ck would I do that again.

jonny_trousers

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Oh, and note the pretty cherry-red colour of the Mustang above. Must be what made it go so fast.

Yeah, but just think how much cooler you'd have looked if it had been in black

Matt and Gregg: thanks for the tips! Much of what you recommend is already on the itinerary, but some is not so I will definitely be looking into it all. Cheers! I'm afraid there really are no kids in tow. The Disneyland trip is for my wife, who is a massive fan of Disney, and I couldn't possibly deny her that experience. We have booked into a Disney hotel as there seem to be a lot of advantages to doing so.

lostboysaint

estampida wrote:

1st option would be a chevolet montecarlo... a 22ft long car with only 2 doors... rocking (just checked and they have stopped making them 2009, the replacement is a camero but there could still be on rental plots.... )

or any oldsmobile or the toyota gt86 would be good choices

dont go for the standard types you dont want to look like a tourist now.......

Quite a bit of misinformation in that post.

The Montecarlo was never that long, it was discontinued in 07 and the Camaro was and is a completely different heritage.

Oldsmobile haven't existed for quite some time now so there won't be any of them on any hire car fleet.


The only bit that's right is that the Toyota is a nice car, but hardly going to hit the US spot as it's been designed alongside Subaru with the worldwide market in mind, NOT the US and will have the same ride issues that most non-domestic (US) cars have around their road network.

bigmat

OK, re Disney I recall reading in one of the guide books that "only the most hardened cynic could fail to be charmed..." etc etc and I must admit I instantly thought "you're talking about me, right?" Still, I'm surprised to hear about Greg's grown up man loves of the place. Tell me, is there more to Cali Disney than the Orlando one, or is it the same selection of slightly lame rollercoasters, enormous queues and depressingly fat Americans on mobility scooters? Not entirely without its charms, but a day was more than enough.

Forgot to mention Yosemite - great place, we stayed quite a drive away - definitely worth getting accommodation within the park if you can. There's a viewing point overlooking El Capitan that you can drive to as well, unbelievable views from up there. The sequoia (sic) forests nearby are also well worth a visit.

If you want a drink in LA, I can recommend Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, apparently Jim used to drink there back in the day. They have something like 40 draft beers. One of the few places in the States I've managed to have a proper night out on the beers.

UndercoverElephant

I'd agree on the Santa Cruz and Monterey recommendations, the board-walk at Santa Cruz is great, and the views over the beach-volleyball courts have to be seen to be believed. Probably not a good idea with your new wife in toe, though. It's where they filmed The Lost Boys, don't you know. Didn't stay after dark to see the vampires, though.

Monteray aquarium is immense, really interesting with superb lighting. Also have been whale-watching from there, which was good fun, though would have been better at a slightly different time of year - check the migration times.

Also the hiring a bike and cycling over the GG bridge is good fun, Sausalito in Marin County is just the other side and is a really nice little place. It's only about eight miles, stop for lunch, then you can get the ferry to San Francisco or even Alcatraz from there. Alcatraz is even better at night, if you get the chance.

And yes, Yosemite over Nappa, every time. Stunning.

bigmat

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I'd agree on the Santa Cruz and Monterey recommendations, the board-walk at Santa Cruz is great, and the views over the beach-volleyball courts have to be seen to be believed. Probably not a good idea with your new wife in toe, though. It's where they filmed The Lost Boys, don't you know. Didn't stay after dark to see the vampires, though.

Monteray aquarium is immense, really interesting with superb lighting. Also have been whale-watching from there, which was good fun, though would have been better at a slightly different time of year - check the migration times.

Also the hiring a bike and cycling over the GG bridge is good fun, Sausalito in Marin County is just the other side and is a really nice little place. It's only about eight miles, stop for lunch, then you can get the ferry to San Francisco or even Alcatraz from there. Alcatraz is even better at night, if you get the chance.

And yes, Yosemite over Nappa, every time. Stunning.

Yeah, that bike ride is good. Pretty much down hill all the way to Sausalito. Even my wife enjoyed it. Real men cycle back, of course (the hill from Sausalito back to the bridge can be challenging on a BSO!) - my wife took the ferry back and I just waited for her back at the pier in San Fran. Alcatraz is good day or night, night tour probably better now then when I did it in June which was more of a "getting a bit gloomy" tour than a full on darkness of night tour.

UndercoverElephant

Psht! I actually continued up to Corte Madera, turned right and cycled round the Marin headland through Paradise, Tiburon, Strawberry et. al before heading back over the bridge. Still, who's counting?

Edit: It seems you can't get a ferry from Sausalito to Alcatraz any more.

jonny_trousers

More great ideas for me to look into, guys! Thanks!

The Napa bit is really just about totally kicking back. We've booked a really gorgeous hotel and we're planning on doing very little there.

We did look into adding Yosemite and the Red Wood forests, but on both counts we decided we would be unable to spend enough time there to do them justice, and that we'd be better saving them for another trip.

I fully expect Disney to be over-the-top, puke-making, saccharine sweet, but I guess that's part of the experience. It really is for just one day, too.

Bike hire is a definite and thanks for the tips!

BigLights

Controversially, I absolutely love American motors. I've rented a Mustang twice (fabulous stuff). I've also rented a Cadillac Escalade (one of the monstrous SUVs, very roomy and plush) and I do quite like the Lincoln Towncar. The Cadillac Sedans (make sure it's a Hemi engine) are awesome too. Skip the European cars, not much point in my opinion. US motors in the US are ideal, and you'll not likely get a chance to drive around in something so ludicrously big in Europe. Friends of ours rented a MASSIVE campervan (the size of a National Express coach here) for a 2 week trip round Western US. It had double bed, marble bathrooms, a Smart car underneath, the whole works. It meant they could go and stop in a park in what is effectively a hotel suite, in total privacy. I like that idea very much and is something I want to do when the kid is old enough to enjoy it.

mrc1

Hopefully this link works but if not google "Hertz Adrenaline Collection"

http://www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/vehicleguide/index.jsp?targetPage=vehicleGuideHomeView.jsp&countryCode=US&category=Adrenaline%20Collection

If I was in the States I would cast aside the whole "American cars are cr*p" thing and just embrace it. Something so cool about having a V8 convertible in California regardless of naff interior and non-Clarkson approved handling etc...

Camaro SS Convertible - similar to Mustang but a bit different!

As for the road trip I enjoyed San Francisco (awesome place), San Luis Obispo (relaxed) and San Diego (surfing). I really didn't "get" LA though - thought it was a dump. Universal Studios was ok but not as good as the one in Florida.

One slightly off the beaten track thing that is cool if you get into Southern Cali is to go inland towards Lake Henshaw from Oceanside/San Diego. You'll reach the "Glass Elevator" which pretty much signals the end of civilisation and the beginning of the desert. It's part of the RAAM route and is one of the most incredible bits of road I have had the pleasure of riding on - drops 1000m to the desert floor in around 10 miles:

http://thetravelbite.com/travel_and_food_blog/southerncaliroadtrip/

Goes from this:



to this



Yosemite is definitely on my to do list.

bails87

mrc1 wrote:

As for the road trip I enjoyed San Francisco (awesome place)...... I really didn't "get" LA though - thought it was a dump.

I thought that too. LA was just wierd, homeless people and a bloke dressed as Elvis side by side. San Francisco felt like a real city rather than one that existed purely for fans of 'Hollywood'.