Which car to rent in winter? Driver guide to slippery roads

Which car should you rent for the winter season? To answer this question, you should consider what you will use your rental car for. Depending on if you mostly drive in the busy area of Bucharest or travel across the mountain paths of the Carpathians, the driving conditions are often very different.

Why is it essential to pick the right car in winter?

Romania has a varied landscape, and about 30% of its land is taken up by the Carpathians, where major cities like Brașov, Curtea de Argeș, or Târgu Jiu can be found. In these places, many homes are positioned on steep hills and can be hard to reach in winter because of snow. In these situations, it is advisable to use a four-wheel drive (4×4).

On the other hand, cities in the south-east of the country, located in flat areas, such as Bucharest, Constanta or Brăila, are less often affected by heavy snow, so good quality all-season tires are sufficient in these places.

What features should the ideal winter car have?

The ideal winter car should be equipped with good quality all-season or winter tires. It should also have safety systems such as ABS, traction control and steering stability control. All operating fluids must be suitable for low temperatures, including winter windshield fluid.

Before the cold season it is worth checking the technical conditions of the vehicle, for example the condition of the seals, which can be damaged in the cold. All vehicles from the DEX CAR fleet they are equipped with new tires and driver assistance systems.

The best types of cars for winter driving

Regardless of the conditions, the best car for winter driving will always be an SUV equipped with all-wheel drive (4×4), which automatically engages when the wheels start to slip.

However, if you do not intend to travel in heavily snowy areas, a classic sedan or hatchback, equipped with driver assistance systems such as ESP, and front-wheel drive will be sufficient. Avoid rear-wheel drive cars or very low sports cars.

Where to rent a car well prepared for the winter

Try to avoid large commercial car rental companies, where you usually only get a car of a certain size class. Instead of the reserved urban SUV, you can get another smaller vehicle with weaker parameters.

Also avoid carsharing: you never know how worn out the vehicle used by another user is. From DEX CAR you will always receive a car chosen according to your needs. In the offer you can find 3 classes of SUV with 4×4 traction.

Holiday car rental: why it’s worth booking in advance

During the holiday season, demand for car rental increases and vehicle availability decreases rapidly. An advance booking not only avoids the lack of car in the desired period, but also guarantees a lower price: the closer you get to the holidays, the more the rates tend to increase. Plus, you have a wider range of models to choose from and plan your trip with complete peace of mind, without the stress of transport.

At DEX CAR car rental we do not increase rates on public holidays. Plus, you can benefit from special holiday promotions!