Spec me... an American rental car

maccapacca said:
Try and arrange your debit / credit card to work in the pumps it's irritating using cash and having to go in and pay first especially if you need change.
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You won't have much luck doing that I'm afraid, in recent years they've introduced the irritating policy in most gas stations that you must enter your ZIP code when you're paying at the pump, which obviously won't work if you don't live in the US. Still, I got lucky once or twice when it just said "REMOVE CARD QUICKLY" followed by "BEGIN FUELLING" :D
 
I found driving through very hot conditions in the desert (45C+) fine in a convertible. I used sunscreen and had water in the car.

Driving along the desert roads or through the mountains with some cool music on, a V6 or V8 engine note and the roof down is a fantastic experience. It gets even better when dusk approaches... just thinking about it makes me want to be there!

Think of it this way - if you choose a convertible, you may come to feel that a sedan would have been a better choice for several practical reasons, but you won't have missed out on anything, and would have just suffered a smaller boot and having to wear a hat for a bit. If you choose a sedan and realise that the convertible would have been a better choice, you will have missed out.

Book the convertible. If you don't like it, it will probably be easier to get a sedan that you like, than first booking a sedan and then trying to find a convertible to upgrade to.
 
Drive you like you stole it in California: I got stopped going 70 in a 35 and got let off in Yosemite. In Nevada however my friend got stopped going 88 in a 60 and they made us drive there and then to the courthouse! Not sure if it varies by state or if it's just at the discretion of the officer.

I was driving my Audi A6 Avant - 3.0V6 with all the toys. Worked out cheaper than renting for me. I think Mustang is a pretty good bet though.

Fox please you have to do this - I notice you're going from Phoenix AZ to Vegas. We did that exact journey in a couple of days and one of the best days of my entire trip was driving from Phoenix to a town called Cleator, and from there up to a town called Crown King. Seriously man it's another world. In Cleator go to the only bar in the town and talk to Big Dave - you will NOT regret it. Every drink in there is $1 and it's just like nothing else in the world. From Crown King we drove on up to Flagstaff AZ and spent the night in a motel before hitting the Grand Canyon.

On the way you'll see
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And in Cleator you'll see:
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:D
 
I'm not sure what kind of money your looking to spend or how many people you need to seat, but something like a Maserati Quatroporte would be high on my list luxury list.

If your one man-ing it, then something like a bit more hardcore maybe ? Lotus Evora ? Corvette ?
 
We've toured America numerous times, taking each coast at a time and doing a hell of a lot of driving visiting as many states as we can, we even go in and out of Canada.

We've hired many different cars but our last 3 tours we've had the same car and my Dad even bought one as his car here in the UK, the 300C. However, bare in mind that we only hire this car due to the fact we need enough room for 5 adults... 5 BIG adults, me and my brother are both 6ft plus (not the skinny type either).

Driving the 300C in America the first time we hired it was amazing due to the fact it had just been released and we only saw one other one the whole time we were up and down the west coast. The wow factor soon wears off though as almost everyone has one there now.

Comfort wise the car is perfect, awesome for long distances, eats up the miles like anything. The car is very wide, however in the states it fits in easily as lanes there are mahoosive.

Driving wise... it's boring/dull and annoyingly effortless out in the empty deserts on empty straight roads. Around cities/towns it is a bit better due to the fact you have double the power of most other cars on the road... but that's it.

When we drove it through Nevada and Arizona it would have been nice to have no roof, actually not just in the deserts, it would have been nice to drive through the cities with no roof too. But then again having the windows down would heat the car up very quickly as it is a hot breeze you get whilst driving (especially in Death Valley) so we would have them up most of the time with the AC blasting.

My suggestion would be to get the Mustang convertible, or even a 'vette?? Purely for the fact that the Chrysler isn't very involving to drive. But if you want plenty of space, protection from the heat of the deserts, ride comfort, and driving ease over long journeys then perhaps the 300C would be the better option.
 
*In Tony Montana voice* Cadillac

On a serious note, a Chrysler 300C or a Mustang. Chrysler's are comfortable cars, look good, basically a Merc E-Class underneath. Try them both when you go and see what they're like.
 
I think my roadtrip this August is about 5200 miles, I'm going for my normal which is a Mazda 6 with cruise control.

If you want something big and cruisy I just had a Dodge Charger, was pretty nice for an American car.
 
Fox I lived in Phoenix for 6 months and I reguarly rented a Mustang for weekend trips to Vegas and LA. Its no problem at all with the top down, perfect way to enjoy the weather and its not too hot. Its fine with the top up as well and AC works fine. Not sure how much luggage you have but I never found it a problem in the respect either. Great noise as well, its the only way to tour the west coast :D
 
PMKeates said:
I found driving through very hot conditions in the desert (45C+) fine in a convertible. I used sunscreen and had water in the car.

Driving along the desert roads or through the mountains with some cool music on, a V6 or V8 engine note and the roof down is a fantastic experience. It gets even better when dusk approaches... just thinking about it makes me want to be there!

Think of it this way - if you choose a convertible, you may come to feel that a sedan would have been a better choice for several practical reasons, but you won't have missed out on anything, and would have just suffered a smaller boot and having to wear a hat for a bit. If you choose a sedan and realise that the convertible would have been a better choice, you will have missed out.

Book the convertible. If you don't like it, it will probably be easier to get a sedan that you like, than first booking a sedan and then trying to find a convertible to upgrade to.
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I haven't driven in the extreme heat yet (i am sure i will this summer) but i totally agree, it HAS to be the convertible. It made the LA leg of my trip last year.
 
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