Let's be clear: there is no “best car to rent”. There is the right car for your particular trip. A Fiat 500 is perfect in Mykonos and a nightmare in Ethniki with two children and suitcases. A BMW X3 is great for a road trip in Crete and completely pointless luxury for 3 days in Hydra.
This guide helps you make the right choice — depending on where you're going, with whom, and what you really need on the road. And finally, we explain why the “CDMR category” that traditional companies sell you doesn't mean anything.
Scenario 1: Weekend in Monemvasia with your partner
The journey
Friday night — Sunday. Athens → Monemvasia, about 300 km, mainly national road with last 30 km provincial road. Two small suitcases, maybe a bag of food for the road. Relaxed schedule, no stress.
What you need
Something comfortable for 3+ hours of continuous driving. Stable to the national, economical in gasoline, small enough for parking in the narrow streets of the lower city. You don't need an SUV — the road is perfectly paved all the way. What you really need is good seats, functional A/C, and enough trunk so that suitcases don't end up in the back seat.
The right choice
Compact sedan or mid-size hatchback. Think Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 208, VW Polo — or if you want a little more space and comfort in the national, Seat Leon or Hyundai i30. The compacts are the sweet balance: big enough for a road trip, small enough for Greek parking.
What to watch out for
If you drive at night on the National Road, make light of the matter — literally. Check that the lights are working properly before you leave. If you're travelling in July-August, air conditioning is not a luxury — it's a matter of survival. In Sync, you can see if the car has A/C, automatic transmission, bluetooth, before pressing “reserve”. You don't hope — you know.
Ballpark price:€25-40/day
Example in Sync:Toyota Yaris 2022 · Automatic · Petrol · A/C · Bluetooth · 38,000 km · Marousi, Athens · Delivery to your door · from €28/day
Scenario 2: Family holiday in Crete (5-7 days)
The journey
Heraklion or Chania, 4 persons (2 adults + 2 children), 2 large suitcases + backpack + child seat, day trips to beaches and mountain villages. Possibly Balos, Elafonisi, Melidoni Cave, Samaria Gorge (up to a point, at least).
What you need
Space. Enough trunk for suitcases + beach bag + mini fridge + mattresses. If you plan to go to Balos or Elafonisi, the road in the last few kilometers becomes a dirt road — a crossover or SUV makes a real difference, both in comfort and in body clearance. If you stay only on the northern axis (Heraklio-Rethymno-Chania), the road is national and you don't need a 4x4 — but space remains crucial.
The right choice
Compact SUV or crossover. Peugeot 2008, Toyota Yaris Cross, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai — or if you want premium comfort: BMW X1, Mercedes GLA. If the family is larger (5+ people), think minivan or large SUV.
What to watch out for
Ask the owner if the car can handle dirt — in Sync you talk directly to him via chat, not call center. Check the actual number of seats, especially if you need a child seat — it takes up space in the back seat and can “squeeze” the third passenger. Many Hosts at Sync offer a child seat as an extra, so ask when booking and save yourself a ride.
Ballpark price:€35-55/day
Example in Sync:Peugeot 2008 2023 · Automatic · Petrol · A/C · Parking camera · 25,000 km · Heraklion · Airport delivery · from €39/day
Scenario 3: Island for 3 days (Mykonos, Paros, Naxos)
The journey
Quick getaway, 1-2 persons, 1 cabin suitcase. Narrow streets, impossible parking, close distances — rarely more than 20 km from point to point.
What you need
The smallest you can find. In the Greek islands, small = advantage. You go through streets where an SUV can't even fit. You park in places where a sedan won't enter. You save gasoline over distances that are small anyway. And most importantly: don't stress. On an island, the goal is not demonstration — it's functionality.
The right choice
Mini or small hatchback. Fiat 500, MINI Cooper, Toyota Aygo, Hyundai i10. If you want something more “instagrammable” — look for a cabrio or MINI in Sync. Otherwise, do not pay a premium for something that you will use for 3 days over distances of a few kilometers.
What to watch out for
On many islands gas stations close early or are scarce — especially on smaller islands. Small tank means more frequent refilling, but also cheaper each time. Check if the Host delivers at the port or airport — you save taxis, the hassle of carrying a suitcase under the sun, and you start your vacation 10 minutes after disembarking.
Ballpark price:€20-35/day (in Mykono/Santorini peak season can be €40+)
Example in Sync:Fiat 500 2023 · Manual · Petrol · A/C · White · 22,000 km · Paros · Delivery at the port · from €25/day
Scenario 4: Business trip to Thessaloniki (2-3 days)
The journey
Flight ATHI-SKG, 2 meetings, 1 dinner with a client. You want to make an impression without looking like you're trying too hard. You arrive at the airport, you want a car quickly, without a queue at the “counter”, without holding a cardboard Europcar in hand.
What you need
Something decent but discreet. Automatic — non-negotiable, you don't want to change speeds in Tsimiski traffic while searching for an address. Enough space for laptop bag and suit in the back seat without creasing. Parking sensors or cameras, because you will park in a dense urban environment.
The right choice
Premium sedan or premium compact. Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 — or if you want a premium SUV: BMW X1, Mercedes GLA. In Sync you find exactly these models, at prices significantly below the “luxury” packages of traditional companies — because you rent from an owner, not a company that has to pay office, employees, and fleet management.
What to watch out for
If you come to Macedonia airport, see if the Host delivers there — you save 30 minutes and a taxi €15-20. Check mileage and condition — in premium cars, the difference between a C-Class with 30,000 km and one with 90,000 km is seen and heard. In Sync, you can see the exact mileage in the ad.
Ballpark price:€45-75/day
Example in Sync:Mercedes C200 2022 · Automatic · Petrol · Leather · Parking camera · 41,000 km · Thessaloniki · Delivery to Macedonia airport · from €55/day
“CDMR class” vs. expensive model — the biggest mockery of renting
This section deserves its own chapter, because it is perhaps the main reason that most people stay unhappy after a car rental.
When you rent to a traditional company you don't book a car. You close indictment. The industry uses ACRISS (or SIPP) codes: four letters that are supposed to tell you what to get. CDMR stands for Compact, 4-door, Manual, A/C. EDMR stands for Economy. The IWMR stands for Intermediate Wagon. And he goes on to say.
In practice this means: you close the “Compact” and you can get an Opel Corsa, Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris, or Citroën C3. These cars are not the same. They don't have the same trunk space, the same feel on the steering wheel, the same engine, nor the same mileage. But the company tells you that they are “equivalent” — because that's how it suits them.
And the worst: if they don't have what you locked out, they give you something “similar or superior” — which can be better or worse depending on what the company considers “superior.” It's not up to you. You learn at the counter.
Let's see how the same rental looks in both cases:
What to see before you close:
Traditional company: “Compact — or similar”. A stock photo of a model you might not get. No items for box, color, mileage, or condition.
Sync: Fiat 500, 2023, white, automatic, 22,000 km, 4.8 ★ from 12 reviews, real photos of this car.
What box will have:
Traditional: “Manual or automatic, depending on availability”.
Sync: Automatic — because that's what you chose.
How many kilometers it has:
Traditional: You never know them. Maybe 30,000, maybe 130,000.
Sync: 22,000 km — written in the ad.
Reviews from previous tenants:
Traditional: None, for this particular car.
Sync: 4.8 ★ from 12 renters — see what they say about this particular car.
What you finally receive:
Traditional: Whatever they give you.
Sync: Exactly what you closed.
This difference is not small. It's the difference between “I booked a room in a hotel” and “I booked room 302, second floor, sea view, king-size bed”. Which of the two do you feel like you know what you're buying?
ACRISS codes were designed in the 1980s to help travel agencies group fleets. They were useful 40 years ago. Today, where you can see photos, mileage, reviews, and exact specifications of a particular car before you pay, “class” is simply a way to sell you uncertainty instead of certainty.
Quick cheat sheet: What trip → What car
Weekend couple, road trip:Compact/Sedan (Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 208, Seat Leon) · €25-40/day
Family, Crete/Peloponnese:SUV/Crossover (Peugeot 2008, Hyundai Tucson, BMW X1) · €35-55/day
Island 2-4 days:Mini/Mini (Fiat 500, Toyota Aygo, MINI Cooper) · €20-35/day
Business trip:Premium Sedan (Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4) · €45-75/day
Moving/transportation:Van (VW Transporter, Ford Transit) · €50-80/day
The essence
There is no wrong car — there is a wrong match. A car that is perfect for one trip can be a disaster for another. Your job is not to look for “the best deal.” It's knowing what you need—and then seeing exactly what you're going to get, before you pay.
If you can't see exactly what you're renting, if you don't know whether to buy a Corsa or Clio or something else entirely, if you don't see photos and reviews of the real car — then you're not renting a car. You rent a category. And the charges are not led.
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