Car or 4x4 in Costa Rica
 

We are going to Costa Rica at the end of January for 2 weeks and were wondering if it would be better to rent a car or 4x4. My wife and I are travelling with 2 other couples and will be spending a week in MA then heading up the coast, stopping a few nights along the way, heading to Arenal and making our way back to San Jose. One of the couples is leaving after the first week so most of the travelling by car will be done with 4 people. Cars are a lot less expensive to rent and we could easily rent 2 cars for the price of one large SUV. Are the roads bad enough that a car would not be a wise choice?

If you are going to stick to Manuel Antonio and then on up to Arenal, you should be fine in a car. If there is a chance you will be investigating off the main roads you might want to think about a 4x4. There are still plenty of roads that are not paved and where there are streams to cross. Most of your travels should be okay.

Hello, you can't go all ways with a normal car. When the car damaged on unpaved roads may be the assurance will not pay. Have a look in the rental contract.
Saludo
costaklaus - www.costarica-web.com

A regular car for Manuel Antonio and Arenal in Jan will be just fine. It is past the rainy season, you won't have any rivers to cross that won't have bridges over them, and the roads will be paved. You would only need the 4x4 is you wanted to go exploring off roads, or going to Monteverde.

Then, you have to ask yourselves :
How much will we be carrying and will it all fit in a "car"?
Which car are you renting?
Will it be that car when you arrive at the rental place, or will they upgrade you if you determine that you cannot pack it all into one car.
Sometimes, comfort is the key.

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I've said it before and I'll say it again; ALWAYS rent an SUV. WHY? Sitting up high affords you better opportunity to see the road and dodge the potholes. Yes, the roads you'll be traveling on are "better" than other areas in CR; nevertheless having that extra clearance helps!

Just returned from CR. Never rented a vehicle, used Interbus shuttle buses, more direct than public transport, easy to use, much cheaper than renting a car. We went to Arenal and Monte Verde areas. If I were to rent a vehicle it would be a 4x4. Ground clearance not traction, biggest issue, some nasty rocks do stick out of most unpaved roads. Some washouts too. Cars too easily damaged, especially if you load them down, reducing clearance further. You can buy insurance to cover repairs (additional cost factor), but you are going to have a major inconvenience if/when you get stranded. False economy to use regular vehicle if you are going to drive yourself. From what we saw get a 4x4.

Again, it depends on where you are going. For us, knowing the country and the roads, we're able to decide when we can get by with a regular car. For example, like Ally mentioned--driving to Manuel Antonio. Driving to Arenal also no problem. Driving Arenal on over to the Pacific coast, 4 X 4 recommended. When in doubt, we ALWAYS get a 4 X 4. And I agree one of the biggest advantages is the perspective you get from sitting higher--as well as extra clearance.

When I was in CR we rented an economy car instead of an SUV. We drove all over -- even down to the Osa, without incident. We were not able to get all the way to Carate, but had to leave the car in Puerto Jimenez. If we had been in an SUV, we would have made it to Carate.

Even though it worked out for us, I'd still rent a 4x4 next time. You never know where you'll want to take an interesting detour...

Excellent point, Sevastopol! If one is really interested in exploring, a 4X4 makes the most sense!