Guide · 3 min read
How to choose the right vehicle for your group and luggage
In short
Size a chauffeured vehicle by luggage as well as passenger count. A luxury sedan takes up to three passengers and three suitcases; a full-size SUV takes six passengers and six bags; an executive Sprinter takes fourteen passengers and fourteen pieces. Most booking problems come from sizing on seats alone.
The most common booking mistake we see is not choosing a vehicle that is too small for the group. It is choosing one that is exactly right for the group and far too small for their bags.
Five people fit comfortably in a full-size SUV. Five people arriving from a two-week trip with five large cases and a stroller do not fit in a sedan at all, no matter how many seats it has.
The capacity table that actually matters
Passenger capacity and luggage capacity are different numbers, and the smaller one is the one that governs your booking.
- Luxury sedan or Mercedes-Benz S-Class — up to 3 passengers, 3 suitcases
- Full-size luxury SUV — up to 6 passengers, 6 suitcases
- Executive or shuttle Sprinter — up to 14 passengers, 14 pieces of luggage
- Limo Sprinter — up to 12 passengers in lounge seating, limited luggage
- Minibus — 23, 27 or 34 passengers, dedicated luggage space
- Motorcoach — up to 55 passengers, underfloor luggage bays
Things that quietly take a seat
Several things occupy space that people forget to mention when booking, and all of them are easier to plan for than to discover at the kerb.
- Child car seats — required by law for young children, and each one occupies a seat
- Golf clubs and ski gear — a set of clubs is roughly equivalent to a large suitcase
- Strollers and travel cots — bulkier than they look once folded
- Cruise luggage — substantially larger than air travel luggage; size up
- Pets in carriers — welcome, but the carrier needs floor or seat space
When comfort matters more than capacity
For a transfer of twenty minutes, capacity is the only question. For two hours to Palm Springs or ninety minutes to San Diego, it stops being the only question.
On a long transfer, an executive Sprinter with power outlets and real legroom is worth the upgrade over squeezing into an SUV. And for an evening rather than a journey — a wedding party, a wine tour, a night out — the limo Sprinter’s perimeter lounge seating changes the experience entirely, because twelve people who can face each other have a different evening from twelve people sitting in rows.
Questions
From three in a luxury sedan through six in a full-size SUV, fourteen in a Sprinter, 23, 27 or 34 in a minibus, and up to 55 in a motorcoach.
Three suitcases. A sedan seats up to three people and the trunk takes three standard cases — which is why travellers with more than one case each should book an SUV.
Yes, with advance notice. Tell us the ages when booking so we bring the right seats, and remember each seat occupies a passenger space.
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