Almaty - 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?
Local restrictions require EURO 4 standards and other technical requirements, so you should check that before shipping your vehicle. If you plan on going outside of the city, an SUV with 4-wheel drive is essential. Registration of diplomatic vehicles takes an exorbitant amount of time because of local bureaucracy, so be prepared to not have a car for several months while you wait. Sedans are fine in the city, some people bring snow tires. - Aug 2015
4 wheel drive for winter roads. High clearance is helpful but not necessary. The road are pretty good. - Jul 2013
Traffic in Almaty is insane. Locals drive huge, expensive SUVs and ignore all rules of the road. As an expat you just shake your head and hope no one hits you. Its a snowy mountain town, so bring a 4-wheel-drive SUV. Toyota and Mitsubishi are very popular, so they can be fixed if they break down. Locals drive Lexuses. This is also were old Mercedes and Audis come to die, so you can bring those, too. - Feb 2013
You have to bring one that can handle the winter. Four-wheel drive and high clearance are typical, plus studded snow tires. Many apartments have underground parking, and servicing seems to be available here. If you're single, you can easily live without a vehicle, but it's much more difficult with a family. - May 2012
Within the city any car is fine, but if you want to go out of the city a bit (which you should), I recommend a vehicle with some clearance due to potholes, uneven/unpaved roads. - Mar 2010
Bring something you aren't too proud of. There are many nice cars on the roads here, but most are violently driven, and accidents are pretty common. A SUV or 4-wheel drive would be best if you want to go up to the mountains. We didn't have problems going up skiing in our minivan, but we got studded tires for the winter. - Mar 2008
