Type of Car for 5 adults and 1 infant

[dbowe5]

Hi all

 

A bit of advice regarding car hire if anyone can help!:)

 

We are travelling in Florida and having a week in Disney and a week on the FOS. There will be 5 adults plus a 7 month old and 6 cases and a stroller.

 

What size car would we be able to hire. Would a people carrier/mini van be ok to get us all and our luggage into one of these or would we be able to all fit in a Yukon/Suburban SUV.

 

I'd love it to be the latter as part of the fun of cruising in the states for us is to get a different care than what we would have in the UK - our last two hire cars were a hummer and a camaro, so I would rather not have to hire a mini van - but being a parent I know I may not have a choice!

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!:)

Darren

[6rugrats]

Those two cars are going to be real gas guzzlers. Some reviews for large SUVs that may provide you with information:

 

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Chevrolet_Suburban/

 

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Chevrolet_Tahoe/

 

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/Lincoln_Navigator/

[milton333]

There are several versions of the Suburban/Yukon available, including 7, 8, and 9 passenger models (I'm assuming rental will be 7?). Cargo area is 45 cubic feet, so that should fit depending the size of your luggage and stroller.

 

Keep in mind that the infant will need to be in a rear-facing carseat in the U.S. If you are used to LATCH/ISOFIX installation of carseats, you will find at least 2 in the second row and I believe 1 in the third row (depending on the model year).

 

The Suburban/Yukons do not have headrests in the center of rear bench seats, so it is not appropriate for an adult to sit there (need head support to prevent whiplash injuries). The second row will depend on the model, it could be a bench for 3 (no adult in the middle), or 2 captain's chairs.

 

If a second row bench, your seating configuration would be adult driver and adult passenger up front; child seat in center of 2nd row, probably 1 adult next to the seat and two adults in the back (you'll need to fold down part of the bench to get to the third row).

 

If the second row is captain's chairs, child seat in one, adult in the other, and other two adults in the third row.

 

ETA: With no headrest in the center of any bench seat in the Suburban/Yukon, you can't put an adult passenger there, so even if you had a skinny adult who could fit in the center of a 60/40 split bench in the third row, you can't put 2 adults on the 60 side and fold down the 40 side for more cargo space. Most minivans DO have headrests in all seating positions, so you could fold down part of the 3rd row for more cargo space if you had a fairly slim adult to sit in the center of the third row bench seat.

 

So, I guess I revise my statement that a minivan will not give you any more cargo area. In general, the cargo area on the Suburban with the third row fully in use is going to be comparable or slightly larger than a minivan, but a minivan with headrests in every seating position gives you the option of folding down the 40 portion of the third row, which is not an option with the Suburban/Yukon.

[annimal]

Unfortunately you may not have enough room in either type of vehicle (Suburban or minivan) to fit all 6 passengers and 6 suitcases plus a stroller. It depends on the size of your bags. Assuming the suitcases are medium-sized bags (large enough to be considered checked baggage on flights), the back of a minivan can probably hold about 4 suitcases and a stroller laying across the top of the bags. You could wedge a 5th bag in the unused seat in the back row, but there may not be enough room for the 6th bag unless you place it in the space in front of the childseat.

 

Most minivans have 2 individual seats in the 2nd row and usually bench seating (for 3) in the 3rd row. You can seat the childseat and 2 adults in the 3rd row with 1 adult in one of the 2nd row seats and fold down the 2nd seat in the 2nd row. Then you can store additional luggage in that space.

 

As for a large SUV, I think that would also depend on whether or not you can fold down an individual seat like you can do with most 2nd row seats in minivans. If Milton333's calculation about a large SUV having similar cargo space as a minivan is correct, then you may not be able to fit all bags and people in the SUV if you are not able to fold down unused seats. That being said, you may want to look into one of those rooftop cargo bags. They are nylon bags that can house anything you can fit and zipper in (suitcases, stroller, etc.) with straps and clips that allows you to attach to the roof of a vehicle. The bags usually come folded or rolled up making it easy to toss into a suitcase for your flight to and from Florida. This way you can store some stuff overhead in case you can't fit everything in the car.