Rental Car Sizes: A Definitive Guide

No matter what your reasons for renting a car, you’ll want to know that the vehicle you choose to hire is the right size. Being left short of space can be frustrating, whereas having too much room can be a waste of space!

So that size isn’t a problem for you, we’ve put together a definitive guide of rental car sizes which means you’ll enjoy an altogether more convenient and comfortable drive. Discover the difference between small and compact cars, large and full size vehicles, and what size an intermediate motor is too. Read on to find out more… 

Work out what size rental car you require

Before you begin searching for a rental car, we’d recommend you first work out what size you’ll most likely need. As yourself these six questions:

1. What do I need the car for?
2. How many miles will I need to drive?
3. What kind of driving will I be doing? (Consider whether it will be mainly urban city driving, rural countryside travelling, or motorway miles - or a mixture of all three!)
4. Will you be travelling with passengers?
5. How much luggage are you taking with you?
6. Will you need any vehicle extras? (It may be that you require a roof rack or tow bar, for example)

The answers to these six simple questions will help you determine what size car you will need. All that’s left for you to do now is explore the options available to you - but first, let us help you work out exactly what model would suit you best… 

What are the different sizes for rental cars?

Hire cars typically come in five different sizes. Here at Rent Direct, our hire cars are grouped in the following way:

• SMALL
• COMPACT
• INTERMEDIATE 
• LARGE
• FULL SIZE

Check out our rental car size chart:

Other car hire companies may also refer to their fleet as ‘mini’, ‘economy’ and ‘standard’ sizes in place of ‘small’, ‘compact’ and ‘intermediate’, but in essence, the sizes are the same.  

What size is a small rental car?

Example model: Kia Picanto
Example model dimensions: Up to 3,670mm in length, up to 1,625mm in width and up to 1,500mm in height
Example model cargo volume: 255 litres of boot space which increases to 1,010 litres with the rear seats folded down
Number of doors: 3 to 5
Ideal number of passengers: 2 adults
Suitable luggage space: Hand luggage
Best suited to: Urban city areas

A SMALL rental car is as the name suggests - small! Ideally, the car is best suited to carrying two adults, and while there is space in the back, it is a squeeze for two more adults. Luggage capacity is at a minimum, so the boot is best used for hand luggage and shopping. 

While most small cars come with 3-doors only (two at the front, plus the boot), there are some models on the market that do have room for 5 doors - just like the Kia Picanto we have here at Rent Direct. Small cars are ideal for city street driving and are a dream to park in even the tightest spaces. Plus, they’re extremely fuel efficient too!

When choosing a small hire car from us here at Rent Direct, look out for category code M1 - which stands for small car. If you’re not keen on driving a manual model, then we do have a limited number of automatic cars available in the small auto category - look out for category code A1.    

What size is a compact rental car?

Example model: Mazda 2
Example model dimensions: Up to 4,320mm in length, up to 1,695mm in width and up to 1,470mm in height
Example model cargo volume: 286 litres of boots space which increases to 950 litres with the rear seats folded
Number of doors: 5
Ideal number of passengers: 3-4 adults
Suitable luggage space: hand luggage and a suitcase
Best suited to: City and rural driving

A COMPACT rental car is also referred to as a ‘subcompact’ vehicle and may also be classed as ‘economy’ too - mainly due to its fuel efficient benefits and ability to carry up to four adults. The next size up from a small rental car, compact models like the Mazda 2 we have in stock are a popular choice for many.

The boot can easily cater for one standard sized suitcase, while still having a bit of room for hand luggage or shopping too. These five door cars can turn their hand to city life or rural adventures and are still small enough to park comfortably in any type of town centre or multi-storey car park. Phew!

When choosing a compact hire car from us here at Rent Direct, look out for category code M2 - which stands for compact car. If you’re not keen on driving a manual model, then we do have a limited number of automatic cars available in the compact auto category - look out for category code A2.   

What size is an intermediate rental car?

Example model: Kia Ceed
Example model dimensions: 4,600mm in length, 1,800mm in width and 1,465mm in height
Example model cargo volume: 395 litres of boots space which increases to 1,291 litres with the rear seats folded
Number of doors: 5
Ideal number of passengers: Up to 5 adults
Suitable luggage space: 2 full size suitcases
Best suited to: Motorway driving

An INTERMEDIATE rental car may also be referred to as a ‘standard’ size model and is a preferred choice for many drivers thanks to its mid-range dimensions. Rent Direct customers can expect to get their hands on the wheel of a Kia Ceed that will comfortably seat up to five adults. 

Often a petrol or diesel engine equivalent in this category is available - the latter proving slightly more economical - which can eat away at motorway miles if you have a long trip planned. Compared to a compact model of car, an intermediate option will enable you to fit at least two full size suitcases in the boot.

When choosing an intermediate hire car from us here at Rent Direct, look out for category code M3 - which stands for intermediate car. If you’re not keen on driving a manual model, then we do have a limited number of automatic cars available in the intermediate auto category - look out for category code A3.

If you’d prefer a slightly larger version of the standard-sized Kia Ceed, then we have the estate-sized Kia Ceed SW (category E3) that will give you even more boot space. This model is also available as an automatic (category E3A).   

What size is a large rental car?

Example model: Kia Sportage
Example model dimensions: 4,515mm in length, 1,865mm in width and 1,650mm in height
Example model cargo volume: Up to 591 litres of boot space which increases up to 1,780 litres with the rear seats folded
Number of doors: 5
Ideal number of passengers: Up to 5 adults
Suitable luggage space: 2 full size suitcases plus hand luggage
Best suited to: All types of driving

A LARGE rental car is the perfect choice if you need to travel with up to four passengers, or have small children in tow. To accommodate for the growing love of SUVs (sports utility vehicles) expect to drive the award-winning Kia Sportage at Rent Direct. There’s plenty of room for five adults and ample amounts of space in the boot too.

Even though SUVs are classed as a large car, quite often the engines are small so that they are also an economical choice - especially on motorways and ‘A’ roads. By their design, SUVs like the Kia Sportage have a higher ground clearance which makes them a good choice for rural driving too.  

When choosing a large hire car from us here at Rent Direct, look out for category code M4 - which stands for large car. If you’re not keen on driving a manual model, then we do have a limited number of automatic cars available in the large auto department - look out for category code A4. Better still, you can also opt for a hybrid version for an altogether greener drive (category A4H).  

What size is a full size rental car?

Example model: Kia Sorento
Example model dimensions: 4,810mm in length, 1,900mm in width and 1,695mm in height
Example model cargo volume: Up to 705 litres of boot space which increases to 2,100 litres with the rear and middle seats folded down
Number of doors: 5
Ideal number of passengers: Up to 7 adults
Suitable luggage space: 2 full size suitcases plus hand luggage
Best suited to: All types of driving

A FULL SIZE rental car is the biggest type you can hire before you fall into MPV (multi purpose vehicle) territory. Designed to accommodate up to seven people, the internal layout includes room for two people up front, three passengers in the middle, followed by a further two seats in the rear. This design does however eat into the boot space somewhat.

Classed as a large SUV, full size hire cars make light work of most journeys, although they can of course be a bit juicier to fill up at the pumps. However, if you have a large family or are travelling with friends, then it is a great choice. Just be sure to choose a parking space that can accommodate its wider frame. 

When choosing a full size hire car from us here at Rent Direct, our models are only available in automatic diesel or automatic hybrid versions. Look out for categories A5 (full size auto) and A5H (full size hybrid auto). 

Car sizes summary

We hope the examples above have given you a better indication of what size hire car will suit your needs. For complete clarity, here’s some key takeaways of our rental car size guide:

• A small car is the smallest size you can hire and a full size model is the biggest
• A compact car is slightly larger than a small car
• Large and full size cars usually come in the form of an SUV (sports utility vehicle)
• Intermediate sized cars are also available as an estate version (which means they are longer with a bigger boot space)
• Full size cars can seat up to seven adults
• All size cars are available in manual and automatic versions

Find out more about our car hire categories in our guide to rental car class codes.

Discover suitable hire car sizes at Rent Direct

Whether you’re looking for a small, compact, intermediate, large or full size car to accompany you on your travels, then why not rent a vehicle direct from Rent Direct!

As a well established vehicle rental company with branches across East Anglia, we are on hand to fulfil your short term or long term hire needs and also offer corporate contracts too.

You can also access special offers on a range of rental cars at each of our six branches - including small car weekend hire from just £69.99! Get in touch to find out more.