Renting a car for southern CO road trip - do I want an SUV?
May 26, 2015 9:18 AM Subscribe
I'm planning on flying into Denver and doing a solo roadtrip for a few days in southern Colorado, but I'm pretty unfamiliar with the territory. Should I get an SUV, or is that unnecessary -- especially given that I've never really driven one? (Itinerary suggestions welcome!)
I'm planning on flying into Denver and doing a solo roadtrip for a few days in June (4 days, 5 nights total) and camping along the way. The current itinerary is birding at Pueblo State Park, then exploring the Great Sand Dunes, and if time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison (and then will loop back to Denver).
Right now the price for a compact car, Intermediate SUV, and Standard SUV are surprisingly similar, so I'm wondering if it would be worth the extra gas money to do the SUV? Space is not at all an issue since it is just me (and I'll be using ultralight gear anyway) but I suspect that 4WD may open up some possibilities for me.
However, it's unfamiliar territory for me and I'm also sort of unclear on what might be possible that wouldn't void the contract with the car company (Great Dunes in particular seems to have some excellent 4WD only roads, but I'm not sure if they'd be too rough). Are there awesome things along the way that it would make a difference for? Itinerary recommendations are very welcome in general.
Other factors: I'm not really experienced with 4WD vehicles at all -- I've never owned anything other than a Corolla myself, and haven't really ever driven anything bigger than a minivan. So it would be a new thing for me, though I'm not sure how much that matters. Likewise -- how much difference is there between an Intermediate vs. Standard SUV?
Thanks all!
I'm planning on flying into Denver and doing a solo roadtrip for a few days in June (4 days, 5 nights total) and camping along the way. The current itinerary is birding at Pueblo State Park, then exploring the Great Sand Dunes, and if time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison (and then will loop back to Denver).
Right now the price for a compact car, Intermediate SUV, and Standard SUV are surprisingly similar, so I'm wondering if it would be worth the extra gas money to do the SUV? Space is not at all an issue since it is just me (and I'll be using ultralight gear anyway) but I suspect that 4WD may open up some possibilities for me.
However, it's unfamiliar territory for me and I'm also sort of unclear on what might be possible that wouldn't void the contract with the car company (Great Dunes in particular seems to have some excellent 4WD only roads, but I'm not sure if they'd be too rough). Are there awesome things along the way that it would make a difference for? Itinerary recommendations are very welcome in general.
Other factors: I'm not really experienced with 4WD vehicles at all -- I've never owned anything other than a Corolla myself, and haven't really ever driven anything bigger than a minivan. So it would be a new thing for me, though I'm not sure how much that matters. Likewise -- how much difference is there between an Intermediate vs. Standard SUV?
Thanks all!
Response by poster: Ah sorry GuyZero -- I should have included that. The intermediate is described as a "RAV4 or similar", the standard a "Hyundai Santa Fe or similar". I suspect the big difference is wheel clearance? Will definitely call to confirm that they have the model I need before booking.
posted by veery at 9:29 AM on May 26, 2015
posted by veery at 9:29 AM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: Most SUVs offered by rental agencies are two-wheel drive. Check carefully. If real four-wheel drive is offered, it will probably be out of some sort of specialty collection, at a higher rate. Also, check the rental contract conditions carefully. I've seen some that prohibit driving on unpaved roads, let alone off-road.
posted by penguinicity at 9:44 AM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by penguinicity at 9:44 AM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I did a road trip in CO a few years ago that hit both Great Sand Dunes NP and Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, and I was driving a Honda Civic. We didn't run into any trouble with roads or access; the biggest challenge was fitting all the camping equipment plus the dog into the car. The Civic has always been fine going over passes, even unpaved (like Cottonwood Pass), and the ones that I wouldn't feel comfortable with really require a Jeep and not just an SUV, which would tend to not have enough clearance anyway for really challenging 4WD roads. So, from my perspective, having a small SUV (like a RAV4) is mostly nice in terms of having extra storage space. In particular a lifting tailgate (rather than regular trunk) is nice in terms of giving yourself some extra horizontal space to prepare food, especially when the weather is bad.
That said, I'm mostly a hiker and biker and not really into 4WD-ing just for its own sake (we didn't do any 4WD roads in Great Sand Dunes because there was plenty to do just hiking the dunes themselves, it didn't seem like that would add much for us). For us, having a small SUV with high ground clearance has opened up a lot of great camping in Colorado, because we're now able to drive to camp sites that the Civic would never make it to--but none of the places you're planning on visiting strike me as places where that would be helpful.
posted by iminurmefi at 9:49 AM on May 26, 2015
That said, I'm mostly a hiker and biker and not really into 4WD-ing just for its own sake (we didn't do any 4WD roads in Great Sand Dunes because there was plenty to do just hiking the dunes themselves, it didn't seem like that would add much for us). For us, having a small SUV with high ground clearance has opened up a lot of great camping in Colorado, because we're now able to drive to camp sites that the Civic would never make it to--but none of the places you're planning on visiting strike me as places where that would be helpful.
posted by iminurmefi at 9:49 AM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: Ground clearance and power are your biggest friends here. A small econobox will be frightening on most of these passes - especially if there is any sort of weather at all. So, I'd go for an intermediate SUV or larger. What you've got planned won't require more than 2wd, but AWD or 4WD is great insurance to have and opens up lots of possibilities for sightseeing. For example, the road to the north rim of the Black Canyon is unpaved and not well maintained and arguably offers better sights than the paved south rim does. A Rav4 could drive it. A ford focus could not.
So far as I know, as long as you are on legal roads, you won't void the rental contract. An unmaintained/low maintenance/High-clearance road is still a road. The roads in the sand dunes fall into this category - jeep trails do not. Again, so far as I understand. You can always ask.
On gas usage - higher altitudes mean thinner air and less wind resistance. Also, half of anywhere you go is downhill. I get 20-24MPG from my Tacoma going from Grand Junction to Denver, for example. Do learn how to downshift the car. On long downhill runs, this will save your brakes. This also improves fuel economy - modern ECUs let the wheels drive the engine and so you save fuel by coasting. Uphill, this will let you keep the car higher in the power band, making hill climbs faster, easier and more fuel efficient.
Bring a good camera, and warm clothes. We've had lots of rain and snow and sleet and hail, and things are very green and blooming all over. We've also had snow down to 7000 feet overnight, and much colder than average weather.
I'm in Grand Junction. If you need anything, or have other questions, what have you - send a memail. It's gorgeous here. You'll have a blast.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:33 AM on May 26, 2015
So far as I know, as long as you are on legal roads, you won't void the rental contract. An unmaintained/low maintenance/High-clearance road is still a road. The roads in the sand dunes fall into this category - jeep trails do not. Again, so far as I understand. You can always ask.
On gas usage - higher altitudes mean thinner air and less wind resistance. Also, half of anywhere you go is downhill. I get 20-24MPG from my Tacoma going from Grand Junction to Denver, for example. Do learn how to downshift the car. On long downhill runs, this will save your brakes. This also improves fuel economy - modern ECUs let the wheels drive the engine and so you save fuel by coasting. Uphill, this will let you keep the car higher in the power band, making hill climbs faster, easier and more fuel efficient.
Bring a good camera, and warm clothes. We've had lots of rain and snow and sleet and hail, and things are very green and blooming all over. We've also had snow down to 7000 feet overnight, and much colder than average weather.
I'm in Grand Junction. If you need anything, or have other questions, what have you - send a memail. It's gorgeous here. You'll have a blast.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:33 AM on May 26, 2015
FWIW, we did the north rim of Black Canyon in a 2WD Honda Civic that has about 5 inches of ground clearance. We were among the only ones we saw there with a sedan, but there wasn't any point where I felt at all concerned that we wouldn't be able to make it to the campsite, even though we were driving in on a very rainy and muddy day. This was in 2012, so Pogo_Fuzzybutt might be knowledgeable about more recent conditions (especially if the road has deteriorated a lot), but I will say in general we've done a ton of stuff in Colorado in a compact car that has surprised people with SUVs. I think it's more pleasant to drive a somewhat-washboarded dirt road in an SUV than a sedan, but roads that really require an SUV have not in my experience been that common, especially if you're talking about visiting national parks (albeit some of the more remote and less-visited ones!).
posted by iminurmefi at 11:16 AM on May 26, 2015
posted by iminurmefi at 11:16 AM on May 26, 2015
Best answer: As long as you know how to drive on rough roads, I don't think an SUV will get you much in the way of additional access. Anything in Sand Dunes NP that requires 4wd requires a full-on 4wd rig, and you're likely not going to get that through a rental agency. I'd say drive whatever you're comfortable in.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:32 AM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by craven_morhead at 11:32 AM on May 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
As long as you are not intending 4WD roads, a normal FWD sedan should be fine. The three areas I have all visited in a Mazda 5 micro-van with low clearance. If there are trails that start at the end of 4WD roads you are planning for, then it might make sense. But if you are not interested in exploring 4WD then I would say you could do without it.
posted by nickggully at 11:47 AM on May 26, 2015
posted by nickggully at 11:47 AM on May 26, 2015
NO. Unless you go with a specialty rental place for a legitimate offroad jeep, a rental SUV will have STREET TIRES and most likely will NOT have insurance that will cover offroad use. The SUV is for luxury.
posted by alex_skazat at 12:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by alex_skazat at 12:07 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Southern CO native here. Except for a cushier ride, rental SUVs aren't a great idea (see alex_skazat's comment). You'll do better prioritizing good gas mileage, functioning AC, and ground clearance.
I agree with Pogo overall, but since you say:
In a lot of respects, it is more important that you know how to drive on the territory than have the specific car for the job. If you don't know what you're doing, it's just as easy to get a 4wd stuck as anything else; maybe more so, since it's easier to be overconfident and take bigger risks.
If you stick to the reasonably maintained roads, you will be fine in any regular city car you are comfortable in.
Be very wary of high desert back roads alone in any vehicle unless you actually know what you're doing.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:13 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I agree with Pogo overall, but since you say:
I'm not really experienced with 4WD vehicles at all,I have to ask: Have you driven a vehicle of any sort on serious back roads before? In places where there are arroyos, washouts, washboarding from plows, etc? Places where you can bottom out or get high-centered?
In a lot of respects, it is more important that you know how to drive on the territory than have the specific car for the job. If you don't know what you're doing, it's just as easy to get a 4wd stuck as anything else; maybe more so, since it's easier to be overconfident and take bigger risks.
If you stick to the reasonably maintained roads, you will be fine in any regular city car you are comfortable in.
Be very wary of high desert back roads alone in any vehicle unless you actually know what you're doing.
posted by aspersioncast at 2:13 PM on May 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
another native here: nope - All intersatate, state, county, and municipality roads will be fine with any car whatsoever. Many forest service roads will be fine, too. i've gotten around in all seasons in a beater Ford Ranger, a POS Saab, and a Cutlass Ciera (!). Check CDOT or the Ranger District (select state and forest) for the latest conditions.
posted by j_curiouser at 2:42 PM on May 26, 2015
posted by j_curiouser at 2:42 PM on May 26, 2015
As a college student I drove all around bad roads, and some off road (farmland) in a completely not upgraded Dodge Neon. A regular car will get you any place with a road, even a poorly maintained road, within reason.
It's far more important to be comfortable behind the wheel when you're navigating narrow roads, which may be on the edge of an unnavigable ditch-- or a ravine, or a cliff. You want to be comfortable pulling onto the scenic overlook areas on busy two-lane roads, and comfortable backing out again. You want a car you can drive well.
I'd get the cheapest car that can drive up a hill without struggling and has good milage. Beware: the rental company will try to upsell you on something you don't need or want.
posted by zennie at 5:46 PM on May 26, 2015
It's far more important to be comfortable behind the wheel when you're navigating narrow roads, which may be on the edge of an unnavigable ditch-- or a ravine, or a cliff. You want to be comfortable pulling onto the scenic overlook areas on busy two-lane roads, and comfortable backing out again. You want a car you can drive well.
I'd get the cheapest car that can drive up a hill without struggling and has good milage. Beware: the rental company will try to upsell you on something you don't need or want.
posted by zennie at 5:46 PM on May 26, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks all! This is all really useful, and I went with a compact car. I'm pretty experienced with pushing my own Corolla to its limits in this respect on back roads (actually just returned from a trip to Dolly Sods) and have a good sense of what is possible/not possible when it's in front of me; sounds like I'll be fine.
posted by veery at 4:06 PM on May 27, 2015
posted by veery at 4:06 PM on May 27, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I wish I knew what the difference between a standard and an intermediate was - perhaps call the Denver rental place you're using to see exactly which models they have and the engine size/trim level.
posted by GuyZero at 9:22 AM on May 26, 2015