Caracas - 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?
Bring a car you can get beat up. And then you can sell it to a local for the cost you paid for it. Cars are very expensive here, so it is easy to sell your car. It is hard to find auto parts if you need any repairs, so bring those with you. - May 2015
Nothing fancy. - Apr 2015
Venezuelans drive a wide range of cars and on the road it will look like a pageant of the last 40 years of automobiles. Parts are not available for any car. Oil and other fluids are not available for any car. Roads are narrow and very poorly maintained, parking spaces are small. Cars parked on dark streets will be stripped, and thieves will take almost any car, as long as they think they can get away-- bad traffic can be your friend; the thieves will roll from car to car in stuck traffic, stealing everything of value, but at least they don't want the car because they can't get away. No cars with engines bigger than 6 cylinders are allowed. No vehicles that have a military look, like a Hummer or some Jeeps. - Nov 2014
SUV if you will travel out of the city a lot; or a tiny car if you want to be able to park anywhere and get through narrow city streets. We sold our SUV in the U.S. and bought a small car -- glad I did. - Sep 2013
Gas is cheap and people tend to like the big SUVs here, even though the windy mountainous roads and tight streets make that very impractical. The roads are rough and so are the drivers, so I wouldn't bring a car that can't take a good beating or that you would hate to see scratched and dented. - Aug 2012
A 4x4 is a good investment especially if you plan on traveling outside the city. There are lots of speed-bumps in Valle Arriba. Parts are difficult to find for some cars. Car-jackings do happen. Many people have armored cars. - Mar 2012
New cars get carjacked more than old cars. No 8-cylinder cars. There are a lot of steep hills and winding roads. The older and more beat up the better. Driving is a free-for-all. Stop signs are completely ignored. It's chaos -- but kind of fun. - Mar 2011
An SUV is best, as these peole are reckless, fast and dangerous drivers. - Jan 2011
A small SUV is best, but in the city any car will do. Not too flashy, and lots of tint is a good idea. - Oct 2010
You need to bring an SUV. Road maintenance is terrible, there are many rough patches on roads, and speed bumps are everywhere. You'll also want the darkest tint you can put on your car, as drive-by robberies on motorcycles are common if they see something they like in your vehicle. - Sep 2010
The biggest 4x4 that you can find that isn't 8 cylinders. Gas is incredibly cheap here; you can fill a small SUV here for under US$1.Parts are poor-quality and expensive, so bring your own. - Mar 2010
Anything is fine. If you plan on driving outside of the city an SUV would be good. Gas is dirt cheap ($1 to fill your tank). However, 8 cylinder engines are not allowed. - Mar 2010
Gas is essentially free, so bring whatever you like. The more flashy it is, the more likely you are to be a target of crime. However when you leave, you can easily sell it for whatever you bought it for. - Feb 2009
You can fill your tank with pocket change, so this is the only country I know of where having a Hummer makes perfect sense! Streets are in bad repair in Caracas, so a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is a must. - Nov 2008
