When you are going on a trip and looking to rent a car, it can be confusing trying to decide which class of car is the best for you. Do you opt for compact cars, intermediate rental cars, standard cars, or go all out for a luxury model! As a general rule, you need to consider the following points before you choose your car type:

If you are travelling alone, or as a couple, then you can opt for any size really, as long as it fits within your budget. However, when you start to look at larger groups of adults travelling together or a rental car for a family holiday, then you need to see exactly what the car model is offering you. 

If you trip involves a lot of city driving and the need to park in relatively small spaces (think Italy!), then go for the smaller cars available. If you are driving around Ireland on it´s rural roads, then you need a little power, but also nothing too large to cope with the narrow and winding roads. Or are you heading on a cross-country adventure in America and looking to cruise on the highways, then you would choose something with more power and a more luxurious feel. 

Are you looking to get from A to B, for example from the airport to your hotel and then do a little touring aournd, or are you planning a road trip exploring a state or a country as the main aim of you trip? 

When travelling with an overnight bag or small hand luggage, then your options are greater, as you can fit them into any rental car. However, if you are bringing buggies for the kids, or sports equipment such as a SUP or skiis, then you will need to work out how much space the car has.

Now that you have thought about the questions above, we will tell you why we find the intermediate class car to be a great option when renting. 

1. It is a decent size car which fits 5 people comfortably and has space for 4 pieces of luggage.

2. It is suitable for business travel as a nice car to drive without blowing you budget

3. It is a good family car with ample space and is better than a smaller vehicle for safety purposes

4. It is a good car for a road trip and for longer distances, giving you a decent engine size without the expense that the gas guzzling larger models incur!

5. It´s a perfect city car, easy to park and safe in any rush hour type driving scenarios

And the VERY BEST thing about the intermediate rental car is that it is generally much cheaper than a standard class or full size car. With an intermediate car, your starting price is more than $70 per week cheaper than it´s bigger brother, the standard vehicle.

The categories vary slightly between car rental companies, but the general group is known as intermediate, standard or mid-size. The intermediate would be the entry level of these vehicle sizes. Models in America would include Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Cruze, Skoda Octavia, BMW 1 Series, Seat Toledo, Nissan Santra or a Ford Mondeo.

In Europe examples of Intermediate rental cars would include Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi A3, Citrown Cactus, Ford C Max, Renault Scenic, Open Insignia or a VW Jetta. 

All rental car companies usually say "or similar" when you are booking a car, as they can not always guarantee what actual car you will get, because sometime people return cars late, or cars are being serviced or repaired. The important thing is that you get the right car class that offer safety and enough space for you and your travel companions. 

If these intermediate rental car models listed above are not exactly what you are looking for, then you will have to go up a car class to a standard or full size car. These will give a slightly bigger engine and a more luxurious model of car, but you will pay a lot more for the increase in horsepower and the higher spec of the car.