Often we receive calls from our customers asking for 4WD cars to rent because they are going to snow.
If you hire a rear- or a front- wheel drive car, you will also need to rent the snow chains. Therefore it is a common perception that a 4WD will save you a lot of money on your car rental.
Low Cost Car Rentals staff believes the choice of the car to rent depends on the circumstances.
Multiple adults traveling
If you have more than 5 adults in the car, we would recommend you to hire a people mover.
You can easily find a 4WD which is a 7- or an 8- seater. However, the last row in most 4WDs have a height limit. Depends on how tall your friends and/or family are, it might be just too tight for all of you.
Storage space required
You will probably think the 4WDs have better storage space? You are wrong. People movers like Kia Carnival or Toyota Tarago offer a larger boot space than most 4WDs.
Driving to snow
Our branch manager once said “4WD is only good in snow if you know how to drive a 4WD in the snow!”.
Four-wheel drive systems are helpful options, but they aren’t cure-all for winter driving problems. It is important to become familiar with a few 4×4 driving basics before you tackle snowy roads.
The advices for driving any type of vehicles are the same: slow down on windy roads, keep extra distance from the cars in front of you and take a lot of rest as snowy roads reflect the sun and tire your eyes quicker than usually.
It is also recommended to switch your 4WD into 2WD mode when driving downhill.
Nevertheless, If you have neither a lot of people, nor a lot of baggage, you should be just fine with a sedan or a hatch.
If you planning to drive to the snowfields and not to drive up the snow mountains, then any car will do the job.
Don’t forget there is also a choice of AWD cars to rent too.
Moving house on a budget
Renting a 4WD is a good option when you are moving house on a budget. Vans, trucks and utes can be very costly.
Additional tip is to ask for a car that has a tow-bar and/or roof racks fitted. Some of our 4WDs and people movers do. That will save you on another trip between homes.
Going camping
We will easily find a winner in the selection of the four-wheel drive cars. It is also important to tell the rental company that you are planning on such a trip.
When driving off-road, not all 4WD are the same. It is important to have high ground clearance so if you drive over a stone, you would not damage the bottom of the car.
Off-road is often not sealed. Even straight roads would have some mud pools and cause the car to skid. Rent a 4-wheel drive to do the job, unless you are planning to spend most of your time waiting for road side assistance or towing truck.
