If there are two of you, the Lambo Temerario will work. If you have 4 people, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS or the Ferrari Purosangue might be the tickets. If there are five of you, you can rent one of the Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes G-Wagon, Bentley Bentayga, or Rolls-Royce Cullinan. If you have 7 people, consider an Escalade or Range Rover. Of course, the passenger capacity on the sticker is not the whole answer. The luggage count can also rule out some cars. Let luggage volumes and child seats swing the balance in favour of something bigger.
In the special category of the sports car or other two-seater, you may think that you can fit three, but you will not be happy. The last words anyone really wants to hear while driving around town are “Can you watch my head? It hurts when you shut the door on it.” The Lamborghini Temerario is a strict two-seat, two-door coupe with a trunk of only about 4 cubic feet of cargo. Plan to travel with very little luggage. The Temerario replaced the Huracan.
Not every four-seater is real. Ferrari calls the Amalfi a 2+ car, and that extra plus sign means something. The rear seats are meant for extra cargo and for trips with children. The Ferrari Purosangue is a real SUV, not just a sedan on stilts, and it is more than a two-plus-plus car. Four doors lead to four individual seats, and Ferrari says four adults fit comfortably. Rent a Purosangue if you need the room to seat four adults.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the other kind of four-seater, with a rear compartment built around its rear seats. The rear seats recline and are separated by a champagne cooler. The GLS might be just the car you need if your head count is more about having enough room for two clients than for six friends.
Five Seats Means Five People
The five-seat, five-door SUV is the default format for exotics. One fundamental thing to know about Lamborghini Urus or Bentley Bentayga is that it seats five, with no extra pluses, and it has room for luggage too. In the Urus, the pace is supercar even when you are loaded up with a family of five. In Performante form, the Urus will hit 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. Its trunk is usable, unlike the Lamborghini Temerario.
The Mercedes G-Class has celebrity status for its unmistakable boxy profile, but that shape goes hand in hand with a firm ride that feels more like a truck than the Bentayga or Cullinan. If you are more into a calm, comfy ride, choose the Rolls-Royce Cullinan or the Bentley Bentayga.
Behind the second row of these SUVs, there is space for beach chairs, coolers and towels for a beach party. The same car could handle an afternoon of serious shopping or road trip supplies.
Third Row
If seven is the count, third row is the thing. The standard Escalade fits seven plus carry-ons, but for seven with checked bags, you might need the longer ESV version. An ESV with three rows up will have luggage space behind the third row. In an Escalade, nobody is riding with a suitcase on their lap.
The Range Rover is different. Land Rover sells the third row as an option, up to seven seats, but not every Range Rover has it. Before you book, double-check the configuration of the car in your price quote.
Smaller Children Need Special Seats
Children change the count. Every car seat counts for a whole seat. New York law requires that children younger than 8 ride in a child seat or a booster. In Florida, children age five and younger must be in a federally approved child restraint. From birth through age three, that means a separate carrier or a built-in child seat.
One thing does not change: nobody wants a cramped ride, and nobody loves the person who chooses a too-small car. Before you book, think ahead. Count the adults, count the children who will need child seats, and count the suitcases. Then pick the car that will seat everyone and take all the bags.
