SUV or Full size car for 4 people

SUV. Another option would be an estate car. Remember you will probably also have 4 backpacks/day bags as well. An estate car will give you more space (seating & cargo). You don’t want to make any stops where you leave luggage in the car unattended.

We are a family of 4. Our last SUV rental was a Mitsubishi ASX. (Costa Rica). The back fit 4 carry on size bags perfectly. Our day bags went on top. By the end of the trip we had acquired a couple more bags, and it was packed. Couldn’t see out of the back.

When we rented an estate car, we had two big bags and two carry on bags, plus 4 backpacks. Plenty of cargo space.

European cars are smaller than cars in the US. They typically have smaller cargo areas. For example, we own a minivan and are renting a minivan for our next trip. The cargo space depth is about 6-8” shallower than ours. That’s a big deal when the space is already limited.

Thank you for the quick reply.

I am looking at automobiledimension.com and trying to determine the possible trunk space on European cars that are showing up on autoeurope and sixt.

Booking an SUV size versus full size may be the best route!

We just returned from Sicily where we rented a Citron C3 (according to receipt) from Avis for four people. We had four carry on bags (21 inches) that we squeezed into trunk and were able to cover so luggage couldn’t be seen. I say squeeze because my daughter really overpacked hers. It would have been no squeezing had she packed hers like the rest of ours.

The roads can be very narrow in Sicily. I would rent as small as a vehicle as you can.

We were very happy with our choice.

We rented a Jeep Renegade from Sicily By Car last year in Naples; four adults, with a carryon and back pack each. It was a Tetris, but it worked. However, I will say, 2 of the 4 backpacks were sandwiched between the 2 back seat passengers. It was comfortable enough when everyone, including luggage were in the vehicle, but it is also dependent on the size and disposition of the passengers too.

Jeep Renegade also here but it felt quite small. That’s a positive when trying to park and on narrow roads, but our 2 suitcases and 2 backpacks didn’t fit in the back (at least not easily). I didn’t try too hard because we had the whole back seat to use.

I have no idea what you mean by full size vehicle, but what you want is most likely an estate car. A Volvo V90, VW Passat, Ford Mondeo or similar. Or maybe even a size smaller, Volvo V60, Ford Focus or similar. Estate cars are the best option when you want interior space and still not too large on the outside.

SUVs tend to be rather small on the inside compared to their outside.

Thanks again for the opinions!

It's been 8 years since we rented a car for the 4 of us and I couldn't find my notes on the vehicle we actually received that week.

We are doing a bit of driving so we don't want to be TOO squished!! But we love driving small cars because of the crazy narrow streets we usually encounter!