# Rental car size for touring Southwest US

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-car-size-for-touring-southwest-us/627248>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 4, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-car-size-for-touring-southwest-us/627248 "2012-07-04T22:50:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-car-size-for-touring-southwest-us/627248/21 "2012-07-06T14:36:00Z")

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While the convenience of reaching into the suitcase is great with a wagon or SUV, it’s also a lot less secure. With a car and trunk, your suitcases are out of sight and less likely to tempt a random thief looking through a parking lot for easy prey.

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**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-car-size-for-touring-southwest-us/627248/22 "2012-07-06T16:09:31Z")

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> [@TruCelt](#):
>
> While the convenience of reaching into the suitcase is great with a wagon or SUV, it’s also a lot less secure. With a car and trunk, your suitcases are out of sight and less likely to tempt a random thief looking through a parking lot for easy prey.

OTOH, having anything stored in an un-airconditioned trunk that is meltable is a bad idea in the desert. No chapstick, lipstick, crayons, etc. If you are bringing food (even in a cooler) you’re going to want it in air conditioning. I will never own a car with a separate trunk anymore for that reason. Putting groceries into a 140 degree oven and driving home is gross.

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**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-car-size-for-touring-southwest-us/627248/23 "2012-07-06T20:11:10Z")

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> [@Lightlystarched](#):
>
> OTOH, having anything stored in an un-airconditioned trunk that is meltable is a bad idea in the desert. No chapstick, lipstick, crayons, etc. If you are bringing food (even in a cooler) you’re going to want it in air conditioning. I will never own a car with a separate trunk anymore for that reason. Putting groceries into a 140 degree oven and driving home is gross.

Good point. :eek:

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