Help with convertible car hire from Alamo Orlando airport

rossobianchi85

Hi there.

I've booked a package deal through Trailfinders which includes convertible car hire. It's probably not the most 'practical' when we'll be road-tripping up the coast to Georgia/South Carolina but we've decided to go for style over substance for once.

Here's the info I've been given:

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Type : IS Standard Convertible (Automatic-with A/C) - Inclusive Price

NOTES - Chrysler 200 or similar

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I did request a Mustang or Camaro but I guess we'll see what they have at Alamo when I arrive. However in my haste, I'm not sure I totally thought the whole convertible thing through... so some questions:

1) We'll have one large suitcase and two carry-on cases, do you think we'll be OK for room? There's two adults in the car.

2) Are convertibles easy to break into? Just concerned that when we're stopping off en-route at a diner / plantation / attraction and we have bags in the car, will our stuff be save even with the roof up?

3) If we did decide to ditch the convertible idea and go a little bit more practical, considering we've spent around £350 on the car hire, is there a car you'd recommend that's fun to drive yet a bit more economical/spacious?

Many thanks

InsideInsurance

The problem is that convertibles vary massively in terms of what space you have with the roof up or down.

Soft tops tend to have less boot space eaten up than hard top convertibles but some constantly lose their space where as hard tops have close to full boot space when the lid is up.

Some hardtop convertibles retain a fair mount of the boot with the roof down, others its virtually all taken up. The Lexus was the worst I saw when looking for a new hardtop convertible but the crysler doesnt look too hot either http://0.tqn.com/d/cars/1/0/k/R/2/ag_11conv_trunktd.JPG

As a contrast to the above a Mercedes E Cab has an ok space with the roof down http://0.tqn.com/d/cars/1/0/o/J/2/ag_11ecab_trktopdn.JPG

My old hardtop convertible you could get 2 fairly large suitcases in the boot no problems with the roof down but would have to put the roof up to get them in/ out. My current hardtop convertible you can get one large suitcase in or two just below medium sized ones with the roof down but can get them in and out with the roof still down.


The boot arguably is harder to get into with a convertible as there is no way in from inside the car in most cases so no option of smashing a window and then pulling the seats down. They often also have an alarm if anything enters the vehicle

The body of the car with the roof up, a hardtop convertible is no different to a normal car. A soft top you can cut your way in, though most are knife resistant, but that is going to be harder work than simply smashing a window.


Speak to the depot and find out exactly what cars they have and then you can review the best and worst case of what you can expect

ferf1223

we ended up with a Mustang convertible one trip and the cases were an issue - we had at least one on the back-seat, but we had more than you...I'm pretty sure we had the large case and carry-ons in the boot and the medium cases in the back seat...but obviously specific dimensions will vary...and we were only driving from point a to point b with all the cases so being able to keep them out of sight wasn't an issue.

Alamo seem to list the Mustang (or similar) as the only convertible but I know this can change.

for a longer road trip I'd go with at least an intermediate or full size car myself, or a mid-size SUV, though sometimes there on the SUVs are no luggage screens so it's all on display, so maybe not ideal either.

photome

We have a had a Mustang convertible and while they look the business (prob my fav looking american car) they are not great to drive, and have limited space. We just managed to get 2 med cases in boot any handluggage went on back seat, you have less so you may be ok.

I dont think security is an issue assumimg of course you will get everything in the boot.

You wont get a Camaro they are a different class...way more expensive

I would go with a full/premium size car, I also wouldnt go with an SUV as most of the rental ones dont have a back luggage cover so your case are exposed if left

I notice insideinsurance mention speaking to the depot, I have tried that numerous times and it hasnt worked as they wont commit, guessing because the fleet is constantly changing and they dont know what they will have on the day you arrive

InsideInsurance

photome wrote: »

I notice insideinsurance mention speaking to the depot, I have tried that numerous times and it hasnt worked as they wont commit, guessing because the fleet is constantly changing and they dont know what they will have on the day you arrive

I agree they wont tell you exactly what car you will get but they normally will tell you what their fleet comprises of/ what you are most likely to get. You then are less blindly trying to guess if the things will fit or not, if all the cars they have come with tiny boots then you know you aint getting all your luggage in there

photome

InsideInsurance wrote: »

I agree they wont tell you exactly what car you will get but they normally will tell you what their fleet comprises of/ what you are most likely to get. You then are less blindly trying to guess if the things will fit or not, if all the cars they have come with tiny boots then you know you aint getting all your luggage in there

Just passing on my experience I have called 2 different depots in LA and Las Vegas and neither would tell me anything.

May be worth the OP trying of course

All the convertibles come with small boots though, and all the full size/premium come with a boot plenty large enough for what the OP is carrying

InsideInsurance

photome wrote: »

All the convertibles come with small boots though, and all the full size/premium come with a boot plenty large enough for what the OP is carrying

Not all convertibles come with tiny boots. Some are certainly big enough to fit most of what the OP is saying where as others you'd struggle to fit just your duty free in them with the roof down.

My old car you could get 2 good sized cases in the back with the roof down plus has spaces for other stuff too.

photome

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Not all convertibles come with tiny boots. Some are certainly big enough to fit most of what the OP is saying where as others you'd struggle to fit just your duty free in them with the roof down.

My old car you could get 2 good sized cases in the back with the roof down plus has spaces for other stuff too.

I havent seen a convertible for rent in the USA that has a decent boot

Alamo would normally have a Mustang or a Sebring/Chrysler200.

You may be able to get hard top convertible Merc for a price but that wouldnt be your standard convertible rental

shaun_from_Africa

When you collect a car from Alamo at Orlando, they don't give you a specific vehicle. You are just given the paperwork for the class of car you have paid for then you go to the car hire location (just outside the terminal) and pick whatever car you want from whatever cars they have in that class.

The cars are al unlocked with the keys in them so you can have a good look around each of them to see how the boot space compares and when you find one that will suit, simply drive it away.

InsideInsurance

photome wrote: »

You may be able to get hard top convertible Merc for a price but that wouldnt be your standard convertible rental

The Merc Hardtop convertables are all 2 seaters, the SLK has a small boot, roof up or down. The SL is certainly not going to be an alternative to the Chrysler200. Dont believe the Mercs in USA differ from the UK that much to have a hardtop convertible on a model that is soft top/ non-convertible here.

The E Class Cab is the only current soft top convertible merc which does have a reasonable boot but at 50% more cost than a Chrysler 200 I doubt it'd be in the same group.

Indout96

We have had all 3 of the cars you mention Sebring / Mustang /and last year the Camaro. nicest of all was the Camaro, Mustang was not far behind, both were V6. The Sebring (now called 200) was fine but a bit underpowered, we were in Vegas with that (and Camaro) and it struggled in the mountains.
If you can get a Mustang you should be fine, we had 2 largish cases and with roof up they fit in the boot, when roof was down 1 had to go in the rear seats but its not really a problem.
the only problem I can see is if they give you a Mitsubushi as they are tiny, my daughter is after one for a few days when we hit Vegas this September but she will have no luggage, just driving to San Diego to see an old friend.