Driving a rental car through Colorado
I have never rented a car before, nor have I ever been to Colorado before, but I am planning a trip that will involve both - specifically, I plan to fly into Denver and then go rafting with one of the full-day outfitters running trips leaving from the vicinity of Buena Vista.
My question is: I get the impression rental places love giving you crappy cars unless you pay a premium, which I would like to avoid doing, so I'll end up with a tiny and possibly old car, which I'm fine with, we pack light, but I would love someone from that area to ease my worry that I might have problems driving that way (I'm sure the rental place will try to convince me I will when I get there). Is the 285 between Denver and Salida windy or steep enough that I could have trouble if I didn't upgrade to a bigger/nicer car?
Best Answer
Unless you are planning on taking some very out of the way trails (in which case I'd suggest renting a pickup truck) the 285 is a pretty good road, from all the info I can find online.
A small car is not going to present a problem if you are just packing light. You wouldn't want to try and shoehorn a lot of heavy luggage into one, but small rental cars will be just fine on that road.
When I go somewhere without the family, I often rent one of the next class up, but this is more for comfort than any need for a car to be capable of taking the roads.
And in my experience (mostly Avis, Hertz, Europcar and similar tier 1 car rental companies) they don't want to provide crappy cars. They would prefer repeat business.
Pictures about "Driving a rental car through Colorado"
Can I drive a rental car across the border?
Generally speaking, both American and Canadian citizens can cross the border into either country in a rental car without much problem.Can you rent a car in one state and return it in another?
One-way car hire is ideal for when you need to pick up a rental car in one destination and drop it off in another. Pick up your car straight from the airport and drop it off at a convenient location when you're done.Do rental cars in Colorado have all wheel drive?
Colorado's traction law requires vehicles to be equipped for the worst mountainous road conditions. But most car rental companies can't guarantee in advance that customers will receive a vehicle with four- or all-wheel drive. This may put some renters between a rock and a hard place.Do I need 4WD in Colorado?
Vehicles with 4 wheel drive (4WD) provide for the best ability to drive in snow as it is the best for actually getting through the snow. However, 4WD does little to help with ice and traction in turning corners or braking.Rallying a Rental Car Through Colorado
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Carlos Pernalete Tua, Maria Orlova, Dids, Masha Raymers