Full Size vs Premium Rental Cars

When you find yourself in need of a rental car, you might initially be overwhelmed by the staggering number of options you have to choose from, as the precise make and model you choose can have a major impact on your journey with it.

Among the more popular options available are both premium cars and full size cars. Choosing between these two options comes down to a few basic considerations that will be outline below.

Although the two options are very similar, depending on your specific circumstances there are enough differences between them to warrant some deliberation.

For What Purpose are You Renting?

You may be renting your car for a road trip, for wedding day transportation, or for a ride from the airport to your hotel. So the first basic question you should ask yourself when deciding between full size vs premium is what exactly will you be using your rental car for.

If you are taking a family vacation, with tons of people and luggage and a lot of time spent in the car, then you will definitely want to opt for a full size car for the extra luggage space and leg room to make things more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.

While premium hire cars also tend to be much more comfortable, they do not boast the extra storage space, so they may be better suited to making a flashy appearance at a wedding or important social event than for a longer trip.

Which One is Safer?

Although dealing with a reputable rental company means that any car you get will have been well checked for safety, there is a little bit of a difference between the two options.

As the full size car options are generally intended for families as mentioned above, in general they do tend to come with a few more safety features, including strong doors, safety locks, and larger bumpers.

However this does not necessarily mean that in situations where you want to drive in style, say for transporting an important investor, that you should consider premium cars to be at all unsafe. Rather, it is better to think of full size cars as simply being extra safe on account of their typical use as family cars.

The Price

Without a doubt the stylish premium cars will be more expensive to rent that the full size ones, which is of course going to be an important factor in your decision.

The more expensive price tag is precisely what you want the car to show off to others, which is another reason why premium cars, economically speaking, are better suited to shorter-term travel than to longer road trips. Especially considering that your flashy rental car is also going to be more expensive in terms of insurance.

Full size cars, no doubt, will be cheaper to rent and to insure, once again making them more ideal for longer trips. One thing to note, however, is that full size cars do not tend to be very fuel efficient, so you may end up paying much more for gas than you would with a premium car.

So if your trip is long enough, you may eventually end up spending more overall on your full size model.

Comfort

Cost and safety are the first two things that one thinks of when deliberating about a rental car, but comfort is another important aspect to consider. Without a doubt, once again, premium cars are going to offer more comfort.

Although the full sizers will have plenty of space and leg room, premium cars tend to come fully decked out with extra comfortable leather seats and seat heaters so you can really relax and enjoy your ride.

So unless you are transporting a lot of particularly long-legged people, a premium model will be the option to choose in terms of comfort.

If you do need the extra leg and storage space, however, this does not necessarily mean you need to sacrifice all of the perks of a premium car, since some full size are also quasi-premium at the same time and include some or all of the premium features as well.