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I'm going to be in Tenerife for work () for a week or so, staying in Puerto de la Cruz. The work is going to involve several (3 or 4) trips up to the observatory on the shoulder of El Teide with two people plus 50 kilos of equipment. I'd like to hear some opinions on what kind of rental car would be suitable for the trip.
I'm from the US and haven't driven in Europe for 20 years, so I'm not very familiar with the cars there. The choices at AutoReisen (recommended here on the forum) include :
Citroen C2, C3
Seat Ibiza, Cordoba, Altea
Ford Focus
BMW 1 series
I'm guessing the Citroens and the Ibiza would make it, but only with a lot of "persuasion".
Has anyone driven the Altea or the Focus ? They're only EU 20-30 more than the C2, and I imagine they're reasonably powered. Between the two, does anybody have a preference ?
The BMW would be a splurge, but it's not out of the question. I think the thing I'd want to know is how much of a "driver's paradise" is Tenerife ? I already read about the "colorful" choices people make while driving and lack of parking, but in terms of road quality and uncrowded-ness (early March), would you say it's a fun place for driving ?
The roads in Tenerife are in many places in quite bad condition, certainly compared with the UK! Expect pot holes and loose chips as standard. I haven't driven to Teide from the north side of the island but from the south it's quite a hard going drive with tight and hairpin bends on steep slopes, so you definitely need a car with some bite. I'd think a Ford Focus would do the job, as my little Ford Ka manages (with two people but never had 50 kilos of anything in the boot ). However, after a scary experience with a hired Daewoo (Chevrolet?) Matiz in Greece last year that gave up at the first slope and rolled back down after just a few feet, I would always check any hire car to make sure it has the power and control you expect, even if it's a model you would normally trust (not that I've ever liked the Matiz, but I've driven better ones than that heap of junk before!).
I love driving in Tenerife. I think the car you choose depends of the load you are carrying, for a normal load I would choose the Focus without doubt, I have owned many Fords and have always been impressed with the reliability and roadworthyness.
John
I'd think a Ford Focus would do the job, as my little Ford Ka manages (with two people but never had 50 kilos of anything in the boot ). However, after a scary experience with a hired Daewoo (Chevrolet?) Matiz in Greece last year that gave up at the first slope and rolled back down after just a few feet, I would always check any hire car to make sure it has the power and control you expect, even if it's a model you would normally trust (not that I've ever liked the Matiz, but I've driven better ones than that heap of junk before!).
It's my impression that hire cars here have something done to them to take some oomph out of them. I don't know what might have been done, and I don't know it for a fact, but every time we hired a car here we had the same problem with hills ... and that was just two of us averaged size people without anything else in the car.
That said, I've never had a problem getting up Teide in a hire car and I've done it in C2 equivalent as well as bigger ones all be it not with 50KG in the back!
As Janet says, logic tells you to go for the biggest engine you can afford/justify, if you drive sensibly you should get up in most hire cars - the question is, how fast and how 'easy' do you want to get up?
Hi there.
All of the cars that you have mentioned are suitable, however, knowing the states as I do and if money is no object, I would suggest the car with the biggest engine. You guys like to have more power in your engines than we do.
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Re: Driving up El Teide : Car Recommendations ?
Just for the record, it is not easy to hire a car with automatic transmission here, available only on the larger cars (I think). You have to keep stirring the engine with the gear lever. This might just be an issue if you are used to the USA.
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Driving up El Teide : Car Recommendations ? 
) for a week or so, staying in Puerto de la Cruz. The work is going to involve several (3 or 4) trips up to the observatory on the shoulder of El Teide with two people plus 50 kilos of equipment. I'd like to hear some opinions on what kind of rental car would be suitable for the trip.
). However, after a scary experience with a hired Daewoo (Chevrolet?) Matiz in Greece last year that gave up at the first slope and rolled back down after just a few feet, I would always check any hire car to make sure it has the power and control you expect, even if it's a model you would normally trust (not that I've ever liked the Matiz, but I've driven better ones than that heap of junk before!).
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