02-08-2017, 05:35 AM
Rent a minivan. I don't think it makes sense to get an SUV instead of a minivan unless you are doing serious off-road work (in which case a rental vehicle is a really bad idea) or driving in the snow. I've spent years doing geological field work in the western deserts and except for really serious stuff (i.e. driving through washes and sand dunes, directly cross country and over big boulders) a 4WD SUV was never necessary. Driving on dirt roads can be done with any kind of vehicle. Except in severe conditions, an SUV is a mass of compromises. A minivan will be much roomier, more comfortable, and more economical to drive. It's dumb to get an SUV for regular road or dirt road use.