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Good evening everyone!
I know it has been posted many times about having enough ground clearance on vehicles to drive in STT. I called and reserved a car for one month for my move in September and the woman let me know I would have a Suzuki Aerio. I looked at them at a dealership, and it seems they have minimal ground clearance. Does anyone know if it is an acceptable car for island driving, or do I need to ask for something else? Anyone have any ideas of what kind of car I should try to get other than a jeep as I am trying to keep costs down.
Posted : June 19, 2006 6:34 am
Topic starter
Sorry, I sent it without saying Thank you to all who may answer!
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Posted : June 19, 2006 6:35 am
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We used one on STX when we first got here, and once on STT/STJ with no problems...watch the potholes, though (but that rule goes even if you drive a Hummer). They seem to be THE rental car of choice, or at least offered - we laugh when we see one go by now with the big red DRIVE LEFT sticker on it - tourista! Chances are you won't be off-roading much, so you should be fine.
Posted : June 19, 2006 6:45 am
I'm driving a Suzuki Aerio right now and the ground clearance is not good, especially if the car has passengers or is otherwise loaded. If you anticipate being off the main roads much you might want something else. If it's just you, you should be (mostly) OK in the Aerio. Just remember to *crawl* over the speedbumps.
I don't think the clearance is any worse than other sedans in its size class, though.
If you really want to be able to go all places without ruining the undercarriage, you'd probably need to go with an SUV. Toyota RAV4's are popular and there are some Fords. Oh, and the ubiquitous Jeeps (bad fuel efficiency, though).
I used to rent through Budget, who seemed to have better prices, at least of the airport agencies. There are also some off-airport companies who have better prices. Earlier this year I rented through Hertz a few times and their prices were about par with Budget. I like Hertz better than Budget. Their cars are in better condition and you don't have to walk as far with your luggage to pick up the car. (STT)
Posted : June 19, 2006 8:31 am
I have been driving a Suzuki Grand Vitara for years. Excellent choice.
Posted : June 19, 2006 2:51 pm
Just slow down for pot-holes and don't go off-roading; you should be fine, We moved to St Croix from Kansas City and we think the roads on St Croix are in MUCH better shape than back in KC !!
Posted : June 19, 2006 3:28 pm
Topic starter
Hello everyone and thank you for your replies!!
You have all been very helpful as always, and I am much obliged.
I will have this rental car for an entire month with unlimited miles, therefore I plan to drive it any and everywhere I can. I would like a car that gets good gas mileage, but one that I can also explore the islands with. I'm thinking the Aerio might not be the option???
Thanks again all~
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Posted : June 20, 2006 1:59 am
So far I have not been impressed with my Aerio's fuel efficiency. It's a small car and I thought it would be better. I'll crunch the numbers at my next fill-up. Also, it only has a 10 or 11 gallon tank so I have to fill up more frequently than I'd like. I'm stuck with this car until the end of November but it's not *that* bad.
Posted : June 20, 2006 12:49 pm
Topic starter
Jules...
Thanks, and let me know how the number crunching goes!
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Posted : June 20, 2006 4:15 pm
