Game day in Knoxville, handled

There's the logistics problem and there's the experience problem. They're different enough that the right car for one is completely wrong for the other.

The logistics problem: you have eight to twelve people flying into TYS from out of state and you need to move them from the airport to a tailgate to the stadium and back without losing anyone or paying for four Ubers. The 2017 NV Passenger SL solves this completely — 12 seats, comfortable highway ride, enough cargo for a tailgate setup. One driver, everyone together.

The experience problem: you went to UT, you haven't been back to Neyland in three years, and the drive down from your hotel on a Vol Walk morning should feel like something. That's the Supra, the STI, the BRZ — cars that make a 20-minute drive worth narrating.

Parking around Neyland is brutal. If you're driving in, build in an extra hour and accept that 'parking close' isn't happening. Game day rentals are mostly about getting your group from wherever you're staying to wherever the tailgate is — not about parking next to the stadium.

Vol Walk runs along Peyton Manning Pass from the Tennessee Practice Facility to Neyland. If you want to drive the actual road near Vol Walk, you're on a public street like everyone else — nothing special needed. But if you want to roll up to a tailgate in something the crowd reacts to, that's a different thing. The Supra orange and black is not lost on an orange-wearing crowd.

Out-of-town groups typically fly into TYS Friday evening, need transport Saturday, and fly home Sunday morning. That's a standard 2-night rental. Pick up at TYS Economy Lot C via contactless lockbox — no counter, no waiting.

If you're a Tennessee alum making the pilgrimage with two or three people rather than a full group, the calculus changes. You don't need twelve seats — you need a car that makes the weekend feel like a weekend. The WRX STI is the pick for a group of gearheads: AWD, turbo, 6-speed, holds four adults. Drive it down from Knoxville to Cades Cove on Sunday morning before your flight if the schedule allows.

The Supra is the show car. Burnt orange in spirit, pulls attention at a tailgate. If your friends are the kind who will notice what you pulled up in, book this one.

Honest note: if your group is bigger than four, skip the sports cars and book the NV Passenger or Odyssey. The fun car is great, but a football weekend with six people crammed in and no luggage space is nobody's good time.