How are the roads in Mexico? Do I need a four-wheel drive in Mexico?
Kristin Wilson - Orbis Relocation
In most places in Mexico you wouldn’t need a four-wheel drive unless you’re in Baja and off of the main roads, in the dunes, or in mountains, or someplace without roads. Most of the popular cities and towns for expats and tourists have really good infrastructure and pretty good roads and highways just to accommodate all of the tourism. The condition of the roads is very much like the US. There aren’t many potholes except...
In most places in Mexico you wouldn’t need a four-wheel drive unless you’re in Baja and off of the main roads, in the dunes, or in mountains, or someplace without roads. Most of the popular cities and towns for expats and tourists have really good infrastructure and pretty good roads and highways just to accommodate all of the tourism. The condition of the roads is very much like the US. There aren’t many potholes except on some of the very back roads. A lot of people have really small cars in Mexico. In contrast, if you go to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or Panama a lot of people have 4-wheel drives, SUVs, and really big cars. When you get Mexico, everyone’s driving a car like a Toyota Yaris or an electric car or really small compact cars. The reason is probably because it’s cheap and the roads are pretty good.
(Off road vehicle participating in the Baja 500 race in Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, pictured.)
Posted November 2, 2015
Liliana Cota - Stewart Title Baja and Stewart Title Puerto Peñasco
You don’t need a four-wheel drive if you are in Baja, California since there are toll roads here. You would be driving on a paved highway and you pay a toll from one point to another. There are also alternative roads that you can pay for and they are well maintained.If you want to go hiking or go to the mountains or somewhere else, you might need a four-wheel drive but that is just when you are going on vacation around the area. We have mountains, beaches, and other...
You don’t need a four-wheel drive if you are in Baja, California since there are toll roads here. You would be driving on a paved highway and you pay a toll from one point to another. There are also alternative roads that you can pay for and they are well maintained.If you want to go hiking or go to the mountains or somewhere else, you might need a four-wheel drive but that is just when you are going on vacation around the area. We have mountains, beaches, and other places that are great for vacations. Whenever you want to travel to these areas, you might need a four-wheel drive but if you are just going from one city to another, there is no need for a four-wheel drive.
We have main and federal roads all over Mexico. We have Highway One, Two, and Three and these go to all the different parts of Mexico. There might be places in Mexico that you want to visit where you would need a four-wheel drive but in general, most especially in Baja, we do have paved roads and the toll roads that go to the major cities of Mexico so you don’t need a four-wheel drive if you are in these areas.
You might find some roads that need special maintenance but you do not need a special car to drive on them. You just need to be careful while you drive on them. We call the potholes “baches.” Just watch out for baches.
(Toll road in Baja California, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted April 12, 2016
Karen Herrtwich - S&S Auto
Generally speaking, you don't need a four-wheel drive when driving around Mexico, unless you plan on going off-road up some hillside. Here in Mexico, we don't have snow. I have a client in Puerto Vallarta who lives up a very steep hill, and he wants a four-wheel drive, but that's rare. Four-wheel drive cars cost more to fix in the future. In Chapala and Ajijic, we have regular roads- we’ve got potholes just like you do in Montreal and Toronto. Sometimes...
Generally speaking, you don't need a four-wheel drive when driving around Mexico, unless you plan on going off-road up some hillside. Here in Mexico, we don't have snow. I have a client in Puerto Vallarta who lives up a very steep hill, and he wants a four-wheel drive, but that's rare. Four-wheel drive cars cost more to fix in the future. In Chapala and Ajijic, we have regular roads- we’ve got potholes just like you do in Montreal and Toronto. Sometimes they don't fix the potholes as promptly as we do back in Canada, and the rainy season can really play havoc on the conditions of the road. They can also make more potholes and make the cobblestones move around in the process.
Mexico has really wonderful highways. The federal highways, also called the "‘cuotas," are toll road highways, and they're really awesome. They are nice four-lane highways with a speed limit of 110 kilometers (66 miles) per hour in some areas.
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(Toll roads or "cuotas" in Mexico, pictured.)
Posted March 14, 2017