What car do I rent in Argentina?
And why is the Toyota Hilux the best vehicle for Argentina?
Before we offered Toyota Hilux rental cars our rental car service for tourists in Argentina started with a couple of used, chassis closed 4×4 vehicles. For example, the Mitsubishi Nativa and the Nissan X-Terra. However, these vehicles are not manufactured in Argentina. Obtaining spare parts is expensive due to import restrictions. There are also regular problems with these vehicles. The air conditioning in the Nissan X-Terra is undersized. It often fails and has to be repaired constantly. Most European customers come to Argentina in the summer between October and March. Therefore, it needs good air conditioning. Because Europeans like to travel in the dry and hot regions. You will be grateful to have a working air conditioning system in the car in the heat.
Fleet of modern Toyota four-wheel drive vehicles
After the usual initial problems and experience gained, we have completely renewed our fleet. We now only offer the best vehicles in the 4 × 4 segment in Argentina. So the Toyota Hilux double cabin or similar high-quality vehicles.
The Toyota Hilux is currently simply THE vehicle for larger tours through Argentina and Chile.
The Toyota Hilux is built in Argentina (Zárate, Buenos Aires province). It is the best-selling pickup truck in Argentina. Therefore there are no problems with the procurement of spare parts. There are also official Toyota garages in every province. A garage stop is almost never necessary because the Toyota Hilux is an extremely robust vehicle. You drive comfortably at 130 km / h on the (few) motorways. And the diesel also runs smoothly at Andean altitudes above 4,000 m above sea level.
Small car cheaper but unsuitable
Of course, small cars like the Chevrolet Corsa / Classic (Opel Corsa) / Onix are much cheaper to rent. Such vehicles are only suitable for short journeys in the city.
Some of our European customers would prefer a closed SUV instead of a pickup. It is wrongly feared that luggage can only be stowed securely on the loading area. There is a closed version of the Toyota Hilux, the SW4. However, this model is so expensive due to a luxury car tax in Argentina that no one wants to rent this vehicle due to the resulting high rental price.
The Toyota Hilux pickup double cab has the best price-performance ratio
The pickup version of the Hilux with double cab gives enough space for 5 people. Only then must the luggage be stowed on the large loading area (cargo area). It is protected under a tarpaulin (“lona”). Most of the time, our customers are only traveling in pairs. The luggage is then stowed in the back seat without any problems.
We plan to purchase fixed loading space covers and possibly attachable cabins (“jaula”) for our Hilux fleet in the future. We offer these for an extra fee.
You can get anywhere by 4 × 4 or 4WD
Our small fleet of Toyota Hilux consists exclusively of the 4 × 4 or 4WD version. Not only do you get along in difficult terrain and on the Andean passes, you also don’t need snow chains in winter. Because some passes require snow chains for vehicles without all-wheel drive.
Another advantage of the Toyota Hilux is that it has a long range at over 700 km per tank of fuel. So you can fully enjoy your Argentina tour. With a tank you can e.g. from Cordoba to Buenos Aires or Mendoza. And diesel is everywhere. In fact, cheaper in Patagonia, because the diesel is subsidized because of the huge distances.
Conclusion: Do not rent a small car for a tour of Argentina! Better not do that to yourself! Ultimately, just to save a few euros or dollars. Better rent an adequate vehicle right away to enjoy the great landscapes of Argentina with pleasure. The Toyota Hilux double cab is the first choice!