Car Rental ... Picking the Best Car for You: 4WD/Minivan

Introduction to Choosing the Best Rental Car Type for You and Your Family

It can be confusing when you go to rent a vehicle to determine what type you should choose. You may be trying to decipher exactly what a minivan is and whether it would serve your purpose. Then you will need to determine what type of driving conditions you might encounter which will lead to deciding whether a front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or 4 wheel drive vehicle would be the best selection.

The Advantages of a Minivan When You Need a Rental Car

First of all a minivan is just like a full size van but much smaller and usually only used for carrying people. They are different than full size vans because they are not built on truck frames. Minivans are built on a car frame. Today’s minivans are quite often a combination of minivan, SUV, station wagon and passenger van and are normally used as a family car. Minivans can be front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or 4-wheel drive.

The Safety Factor and the Minivan

Many minivans have front wheel drive because front wheel drive is safer and more controllable for the normal driver. A front wheel drive vehicle has the majority of its weight on the front wheels, so that it tends to go straight, like an arrow because the weight is concentrated in the front. If on a slippery surface you give a front wheel drive vehicle to much gas when on a turn, the front wheels will spin and the car will skid straight ahead. The driver will immediately notice the problem and let up on the gas and will regain control immediately. In the same situation a rear wheel drive vehicle given the same condition might spin the rear out causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Overall front wheel drive cars are much safer than rear wheel drive cars and are also great in the snow because of better traction.