What Euro crapbox should I negotiate for our Europe trip rental?

[12,000 RPM]

I think we are going to pick the car up outside of London, which should help. Driving in London would be too much. That should help with the price too.

[Rich]

I know a place you can rent a car for 50 pounds a week if you have your own insurance

[Raza]

I know a place you can rent a car for 50 pounds a week if you have your own insurance

This kind of sounds like one of those "I know a guy down by the docks that can get you anything you need, if you don't mind it being wrapped in evidence tape" or "I know a place where they pay you to rent their car, but you have to drop off this package somewhere, no questions asked" kinds of deals. 

[Rich]

Haha, they cater to military and have mostly 2000/2001 Honda accords w/ a stick... some are auto.  They are higher mileage, but stout pieces.  There are a couple around it by the base... real no fuss places.  Really laid back and work around schedule changes with a "just bring it in when you're done with it."  They don't add late fees or anything. 

[Laconian]

If you rent a Mini, it's probably going to be a miserable Mini ONE>

[veeman]

Using Expedia, I priced out for a week from London Heathrow airport a Ford Fiesta, automatic, for $24 a day and a Ford Focus, automatic for $30 a day.  If you stick with manual shift yourself, you can get a Fiesta for $13 a day and a Focus for $19 a day.  Insurance is another $11 a day. 

If you fly in to Heathrow, you have to factor in the cost/headache of getting to your rental car as opposed to just renting from the airport.  Both getting there and returning.

I think it's a no brainer to get the larger car that fits your budget and an automatic in an unfamiliar driving environment/set-up, especially with your wife with you.  For a passenger, a larger car is more comfortable in terms of room and ride.  Luggage is less of a pain.  Also you can't enjoy hijinks in terms of aggressive driving with your wife as your passenger (I'm guessing.)  It would be different if you were by yourself and on the autobahn or something.  Why mess around with shifting with your left hand, driving on the left side of the road, getting used to passing other drivers on the right side, staring at your navigation screen, talking/arguing with your wife as she helps navigate, getting used to the different set-up of traffic lights and roundabouts, getting used to more narrow lanes, all at the same time while searching for that perfect off the beaten path pub or restaurant because I know you're a foodie.  You're only going to be there for a short while anyways.  Also, what if your wife needs to drive?   

The two times I've rented a car in England/Scotland, for the first day or two my mantra while driving was "stay on the left side of the road, stay on the left side of the road, stay on the left side of the road".  I had to keep repeating it to myself.

[AutobahnSHO]

I just suggest NEVER taking vehicles to the "drive on the wrong side of the steering wheel".
Like English to continent, and continent to England.

More people smash their cars up that way!!!......   I'd just rent a different car for each situation.

[veeman]

I just suggest NEVER taking vehicles to the "drive on the wrong side of the steering wheel".
Like English to continent, and continent to England.

More people smash their cars up that way!!!......   I'd just rent a different car for each situation.

Point taken but huge numbers of people do it all the time (Chunnel).  6000 cars go between England and France a day on it.

[veeman]

I forgot you were looking at foreign makes.  There are plenty of those as well with similar pricing. A bunch of Vauxhalls which is a GM.  Damn those VWs are expensive there.  What a crock!  No wonder they can afford the several billion dollar TDI fiasco. 

[AutobahnSHO]

Point taken but huge numbers of people do it all the time (Chunnel).  6000 cars go between England and France a day on it.

And a disproportionate number of accidents are people driving on the wrong side of the road and can't see to pass (around moving or parked objects)...   Not saying it can't be done, I just suggest not doing it. Driving a RHD Toyota SUV on the right-side of the road was goofy enough on Kandahar Airbase, where the speed limit was 20km/h (40km in a couple remote spots) ...

[CaminoRacer]

Don't know if you could rent this, but it's cool in a Brit kind of way.

Or this one!

[cawimmer430]

Driving a RHD manual isn't that hard. The first few minutes will be awkward, but you quickly will get used to it.

The most confusing thing about driving a RHD car is not shifting with your left hand, but the position of the blinker signal stalks. Some RHD cars have them on the left, but the standard is having them on the right-hand-side where on LHD cars you usually have wiper control signal stalks.

[Raza]

I think the hardest part would be muscle memory. Needing to shift, reaching your right hand out, and smacking it against the door.

[Madman]

Car hire at Heathrow tends to be more expensive than elsewhere.

In the UK, I've always rented from Enterprise in Reading.  There's a bus that goes from Heathrow to the railway station in Reading and, from there, it's a short walk to Enterprise.  Better prices in Reading and a more relaxed atmosphere there, too.  Plus, you won't have to deal with the insane traffic around Heathrow.

[AutobahnSHO]

I think the hardest part would be muscle memory. Needing to shift, reaching your right hand out, and smacking it against the door.

You get used to it pretty quick though.