Deciding on a rental car

[LCH]

I'll be renting a car for a Coues hunt in Arizona near the border immediately following Thanksgiving. I can get a small car for about $200 less than an SUV, and probably also save that much again in fuel driving from Indiana. Or, pay extra for an SUV and get a little extra ground clearance. I'm sure the tires are going to be worthless regardless of which I get.

I've heard the roads are rough down there. Would it be worth it to spring for the SUV?

 

[1_pointer]

Not sure exactly where you'll be, but I hunted Mearns and Javelina out of a sedan down along the border. I think it just depends on how far you're willing to walk/pack. I for sure would be flying and renting though. That drive from here would be LONG and eat up more time than I'd like in just travel.

 

[glass eye]

Go with the cheaper small car and get out and walk. An SUV might tempt you to go where you shouldn't and insurance is void if you take a rental off road. Mulies are in the lowlands and coues are in the hills and mountains. Plenty of coues are in the transitional zone.

 

[bobbydean]

put a couple of spare tires in the trunk. I have blown a couple of tires on county roads in one trip and no cell access. Had to bum a ride to get cell access and have my wife bring a couple of tires and rims. She was not happy!

 

[Speeddmn]

How about the homedeopt pickups you can rent for the day?

 

[LCH]

Not sure exactly where you'll be, but I hunted Mearns and Javelina out of a sedan down along the border. I think it just depends on how far you're willing to walk/pack. I for sure would be flying and renting though. That drive from here would be LONG and eat up more time than I'd like in just travel.

I'll be in 36B. Call me crazy, but I've never been to the southwest and want to drive to get a better feel for that part of the country. Plus, I'm thinking about leaving Thanksgiving afternoon or early Black Friday, and I'm afraid the airport would be a zoo. Google Maps says it's a 25 hour drive, so a little bit shorter than the Western Montana drive I've done several times.

 

[LCH]

Go with the cheaper small car and get out and walk. An SUV might tempt you to go where you shouldn't and insurance is void if you take a rental off road. Mulies are in the lowlands and coues are in the hills and mountains. Plenty of coues are in the transitional zone.

That's the way I'm leaning. I plan on camping a couple miles in, so I can just roll out of the tent and glass in the mornings rather than trying to hike in and out in the dark. That's one of the big reasons I'm renting a car, I don't want to leave mine vulnerable to the illegals.

 

[Gellar]

I drove to my buddies house who lives between Nogales and Tuscon last year which is the North end of 36 B. I met a few people in St. Louis and from their it took 24 hours, straight through, 4 drivers. The drive there was not bad as the anticipation was high, but the drive home to put it lightly sucked. We were in pickups and did not need 4wheel drive, but clearance in some of the dry washes could be a problem in a car. Watch out for the Border Patrol trucks, they travel at very high rates of speed and very windy mountain roads.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Get the sedan and put some curb feelers on it. You'll blend right in.

 

[Gr8bawana]

If you rent a small car your gonna fill it up with your gear very quickly, trust me I know from experience. Where are you going to put a cooler to bring back your deer if you are successful?
Either way good luck on your hunt.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Fly out there, then rent what you want at the airport.

 

[Gunner46]

Do you want at drive, for hours, at 5 mph ? I've driven that washboard. It ain't Fun. Make your own decision.

 

[LCH]

Thanks for the responses. I'm sure I can get all my stuff in, with a 120 at cooler in the back seat. I'll be solo, with basically a camp I can carry on my back.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Not quite the same, however, when I was in Florida last spring I rented a VW Jetta. A free upgrade. Drove it for 4 days before filling up and still only 1/2 tank. Drives great and I calculated mileage at 43 MPG. OK with me.

good luck to all
the dog