Taking the stress out of car rentals really comes down to planning, and having a clear idea of what you want. For instance, the vehicle you need ideally for buzzing around a busy city is probably not the same as you need if you are out in the countryside.
As for expanding urban areas, the term itself throws up two scenarios: it’s an urban area, i.e. a town, and it is expanding, which could mean there is still a lot of development going on. That could also mean mud on the road, from unfinished sites which you may well find yourself visiting. Your choice of car, then, should reflect these things. You’re going to benefit from having something a little more rugged than a nippy little urban cutie. But you probably don’t need the chuck-it-in-the-back capacity of a pickup.
Pick a Company that Knows the Area
Choose car hire company well and you can find the perfect car, and that just means doing a bit of research before you book anything. This may not be the time to stick to your principles as regards engines. While normally you might be leaning towards electric vehicles for environmental reasons, in this case you might be better off with a petrol engine, or even the much-maligned diesel. Apart from anything else, there might not be as many electric charging points in the area as you’re accustomed to.
This is where it can pay to actually talk to somebody at the rental place – and do it in advance. An independent local company is likely to be geared up for local conditions, and they will know about any lack of places to plug in. They should also be able to fix you up with a suitable vehicle: one with enough room nd sufficient power to do the job without, so to speak, taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Horses for Courses
In the car hire world, it is very much a case of horses for courses, and it can be quite an eye-opener to drive something a bit different for a change. The general rule for living these days is to use as little as possible, an that can be applied to the automotive industry – to a certain extent. There are some very small models around, even though some of the ones that have been around for decades have grown a bit, so this might be an opportunity to try something with a bit less of a footprint, both carbon-wise an in terms of physical size.
Hire Cars as Test Drives
We all have favourites and we’re all dubious about certain marques, but a short-term car rental can prove us wrong. If you can look past the name and the logo – even the colour – and just go for the model that ticks all the right boxes to do the job, your hours driving around an expanding urban area could show you that a lot of the preferences business is in the mind. And if smaller and less prestigious is reflected in the cost, what’s not to like?
