Vehicle hire guides
Choosing the right hire vehicle: practical guides
These original long-form guides are written for customers weighing up car body styles, transmission options and van sizes before phoning to confirm availability.
Topics in our vehicle hire guides
Estate cars suit Thames Valley & Wessex journeys where passengers, luggage and easy loading matter more than picking the smallest possible car. This regional version uses Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke as practical reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
Saloons are well suited to smart passenger journeys, while estates offer more flexible luggage access on Thames Valley & Wessex trips involving bags, kit or several stops. In this regional version, Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke serve as useful reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
Both estate cars and SUVs carry passengers and luggage, but the better Thames Valley & Wessex hire option depends on boot shape, vehicle height and parking. In this regional version, Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke serve as useful reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
Hiring an automatic can make Thames Valley & Wessex traffic easier to deal with, whereas a manual may appeal to drivers who like control and familiar gear changes. In this regional version, Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke serve as useful reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
Semi automatic cars do away with the clutch pedal, though depending on the model the driver may still be able to influence gear selection. In this regional version, Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke serve as useful reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
A SWB van is a compact van category suited to smaller Thames Valley & Wessex moves, trade jobs and deliveries where access is important. In this regional version, Andover, Alresford and Basingstoke serve as useful reference points for SDVH Thames Valley & Wessex customers.
How the guides help when you phone to book
The guides are designed to help you explain the vehicle you need before you pick up the phone. They cover choices such as body style, gearbox, luggage room, passenger seating and load length, along with what a smaller van can and cannot realistically do.