vehicle-selection

name	vehicle-selection
description	Guidance for selecting the right rental vehicle category based on trip type, passenger count, terrain, and budget.

Vehicle Selection Guidance

By Trip Type

• Family: Prioritize space over style. An MPV or 7-seat SUV fits car seats, luggage, and restless passengers. Automatic gearbox is strongly preferred — manual clutch work in Alpine traffic or Italian city centres is fatiguing with children.
• Adventure: Ground clearance matters more than engine power. A compact SUV handles most classified mountain roads. Full 4WD is only necessary for unclassified tracks, winter Alpine passes, and Norwegian fjord roads outside summer.
• Business: Comfort over capability. Executive sedan (BMW 5 Series class) for client-facing trips; a well-specced compact for solo city-hopping. Diesel for motorway-heavy legs over 400 km/day.

By Group Size

• 1–2 travelers: compact, compact SUV, or convertible for scenic routes
• 3–4 travelers: estate or compact SUV
• 5+ travelers: MPV or 7-seat SUV; consider two vehicles for 7+

Key Rules

• Always recommend automatic gearbox for city-heavy itineraries and mountain destinations.
• 4WD adds cost (roughly €15–25/day). Only recommend it when terrain genuinely requires it.
• Full electric vehicles are only practical on well-serviced corridors. Avoid recommending EV for rural Southern or Eastern Europe routes.