Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Driving in Ontario (cars)

Country forums / Canada / Canada

Hi, I'm going to travel across Ontario (Great Lakes) with my family (4 people) for 2 weeks.
We are going to rent a car at the airport in Toronto.
Could you please recommend what kind of car is the best for this region? Do we need anything special?
We want it to be comfortable and fit 4 suitcases in the trunk.

Thanks!

Hi!
If you are planning on staying on the roads then any 2WD car will be fine tbh. Even in the winter they will all be plowed and salted - and I would imagine the car rental company would have the appropriate tires on depending on the season you're here.
If you have 4 suitcases I would stay away from smaller hatchbacks as they tend to have less trunk space.

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Your profile says you live in Canada so you know what the car (and SUV) sizes and capacities are like. You should also have access to a multitude of rental agencies, either down the street or on line. Somebody in the family surely owns a car. Get your suitcases together and see how comfortable the fit is for a quartet. Use that to compare other vehicles.
The other variable is fuel cost and you know or can find out Ontario prices on-line. Four passengers with luggage will increase fuel consumption at least a bit. And remember to request air conditioning. New cars have lots of electronic controls, even the base-line rental models, so ask for a thorough briefing at the depot.
My problem with rentals is that the agencies aren't good about supplying a promised vehicle and you end up in the "or equivalent" car which may or may not suit.
As a precaution take photos of any existing damage and point them out to the agent before even starting the engine.

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