The compact rental car category (in rental car-speak that’s CDMR for manual and CDAR for automatic) is the workhorse of most European rental car fleets. Typical vehicles in the category are the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Peugeot 308, Alfa Romeo 147, Opel Meriva and a few others. With four doors and enough zip to hold their own on the Autobahn, compact category cars combine low rental cost with enough comfort features to easily satisfy two or three persons.
While the weekly rental price is attractive—under $260 with tax in Germany—many travelers question whether the compact will have enough luggage space. Unless you have unusual needs, the compact has plenty of luggage room.
The two photos below show the trunk space of an Opel Meriva. In the top photo, you see a gray 25-inch rolling Eagle Creek suitcase lying on it’s back. Next to it, just inside the trunk, on its side, is a 22-inch black Eagle Creek rolling suitcase. To the right, is a small black duffel. That should be plenty for two persons. But take a look at the lower photo and you’ll see, lying flat on top of the two Eagle Creeks, the addition of a large Hartman folding hanging bag that, in itself, has a enough compartments and space that it can store the clothing and toiletry needs of at least one traveler for a week or more. And, finally, to the right on top of the duffel, is another small carry-on suitcase. So there are five pieces of luggage in the trunk (or boot) of this typical compact category rental car. Though these pieces are not huge 27- or 30-inch monsters, clearly the compact has enough space for two or three persons.
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