Coleman - Instant Up 4P Gold Series Evo Tent

Coleman instant up 4P tent would be ideal for you - big enough for 2 people and room for your things, easy to set up and pack down and you can stand up in it no worries. It is a bit more than your $200 budget, at $299 currently from Tentworld for the silver series (which is a perfectly adequate tent). Keep your tent zipped up to keep critters out, but it's highly unlikely you'll have a snake enter your tent.

Yep same haha. I love using my Coleman instant up for car camping trips :)

I camp approximately every 1-2 months in Victoria, and my Coleman Instant Up 4P gold has served me very well for several years now. Still in good nick. Find it easy to put up on my own as a short person. Have used it winter camping (not alpine area though, but in June this year past Ballarat it was -3) and it's fine with a good warm sleep set-up. Can't speak for the other option you asked about.

If the budget can afford it, stepping up from the Coleman Silver to the Gold/Northstar range is a significant increase in quality and experience. Treat it well and it will last for years.

I'm obsessed with mine and have recommended them to friends for years. Excellent for car camping, easy to set up with one person, and super easy to put away. Mine has internal lights that easily connect to any power bank with a light switch right inside the door.

I have the model with the mesh top and rain fly. For car camping it's awesome. I've used mine dozens of times. Minutes to setup/breakdown solo. Been through some decent thunderstorms too. My model has a tub floor, which that one looks to have too. For pack-in or hiking its FAR too heavy. I'll bring a more traditional style if I'm doing trails with my gear. But tossing it out of the trunk is perfectl. I got mine on sale thinking it would last a few trips, exceeded my expectations and I've gotten multiple seasons out of it.

I own one. I bought it new and took it camping, but after four hours, I could NOT get the tent up. I had to drive home, over an hour plus, and grab another tent. When I took it home, my whole family was over for a BBQ and we decided to see what "I had done wrong". (That was said over and over.) We learned that the top spoke piece in the center was flawed and the tent could not be set up! My BIL spent a good hour "operating" on it, and fixed it. We have used it in the yard several times, but I have yet to again solo with it, given I camp a good drive away now. I will try it again this summer.

I used to have one. As a tent it worked fine, it got a little lopsided after a few years. It had the rain fly and it never leaked. It does set up remarkably fast. My main gripe was it doesn't pack down well. It gets, crumpled and rolled and fits in a large bag. It was always a pain to pack because how large the bag is. If you're car camping and have a lot of extra space it should be fine.

I’ve had this tent since 2018 and used it probably 70-90 times. It’s been great. Only reason I’ve more recently stopped using it is we got the larger version of the same tent that’s been just as good. I’m sure there’s higher quality brands that people will recommend, but it’s been great overall.

I had one and it had no rain fly, internal or not. Needless to say one sudden rain storm on a sunny day while we were out hiking and we came back to the tent with about 3 inches of water inside. Without a rain fly it's more a screened gazebo than a real tent. I wouldn't recommend it, they're super heavy, and they are not really that "instant" unless you have 4 people to help

I have the 4 man. I had to buy the rain-fly separately. Its a good tent for warmer weather. Its a bit heavy.

You dont assemble the poles on mine.

Another vote for Coleman Instant up  4P, or maybe 6P for 2 people!  I camp solo, and am a shorty, can easily setup in 15 mins, and fits in smallish car!