Montevideo - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Regular car is fine but you will want to park in a garage for safety. Nothing too big because spots are small. - Aug 2022
Small. The parking spots in apartments and in grocery stores are very narrow. - Nov 2021
In the city I recommend the smallest car your family can handle. Parking spaces are tiny and often have lots of columns that make maneuvering difficult. Big cars sometimes don't even fit in the apartment parking lot and you will have to park on the street or pay for a private lot. Car break-ins are FREQUENT. Don't leave anything in your car and be attentive to where you park. Many people tinted their windows as soon as they got to post. There were also a number of carjackings (breaking windows to snatch bags off of laps or car seats). You can't ship car parts DPO so if you need parts and can't get them locally you will have to import at full tax. Even if you can get the parts locally its expensive, so consider that when you choose what vehicle to bring. - Jul 2020
The smallest car possible, as parking spots are small! We know people who have to pay extra parking because their vehicle doesn't fit in their parking space. - Apr 2019
Small cars are better if you want to easily get around, especially downtown. Parking spaces are usually very narrow and city parking is limited. Almost no risk at this time of burglary/carjacking but there has been a sharp increase in windows being broken and things stolen out of cars, so you can't leave anything visible in cars anymore. - Aug 2018
Small SUVs are adequate within the city and outside of the city where road conditions are not as good. Anything larger than a RAV4 size SUV should be avoided due to parking issues in the city. Chevrolet, Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen and Kia are all popular and have dealers in the city. - Jun 2017
Bring a small car: parking is an issue, and gasoline is much more expensive than in the US. - Oct 2016
Small cars are much better if you live closer into the city; parking spaces and streets can be tight. Four wheel drives may be handy because of the dirt roads once you get outside of Montevideo, but it's not a necessity at all. Drivers don't usually stay in their lanes and minor dings and scrapes are inevitable. We are advised not to leave anything in a locked car on the street or you run the risk of getting your window smashed and being robbed. Carjackings are not a major risk. If you plan to buy a car locally, be aware that cars here often come with fewer airbags and features than what is standard in other countries, so be sure and ask specifically what you are getting. - Aug 2016
Small and something you don't mind getting bumped. What parking is here is terrible - small and tight and hard to get into. Parking in our apartment is a 6-8 point turn when the other spaces are taken up. Any car will do, the roads are in pretty good shape, it is the drivers that cause the problems. If you bring a car with you and choose to sale it here, you can get what you paid for it. Again, a very high import tax is placed on cars bought here. I have never heard of a car-jacking here, just some smash and grabs. Fuel prices at any gas station is set by the government. - Mar 2014
Small cars only, due to the ridiculous parking situation and high cost of gasoline. Plan on selling it here at cost when you leave -- embassy employees are exempt from the high taxes the locals pay on imported vehicles, which tends to inflate the prices. Even cars that have been in significant accidents can be sold at cost. - May 2013
Smaller cars are easier to park in the city, but generally anything that's not really huge would be fine. Common models here include Volkswagon, Suzuki, Chevy, Honda, Toyota, Peugeot and Citroen. Diplomats can easily buy a car here tax-free and re-sell it for the price they paid because that will still be a bargain for Uruguayans who would have to pay the price with tax at a dealer. - Mar 2012
Something you don't mind banging up. There are no lanes here! But on the plus side, you can probably sell your vehicle here for what you paid in the States and the end of your tour. - Jan 2009
