4×4 Rental-Liberia Airport

[frizby]

There are four of us flying into Liberia headed to Nosara. We have been there many times before as a couple and have done OK with a RAV4. I want to explore south to Playa Coyote finally, and am looking to rent a “REAL” 4×4 with snorkle.

Last year we had a good looking 4×4 from a “name brand’ company that left us stranded halfway between nowhere and somewhere else, where of course there was no cell phone reception. The company made good by late that night and brought us an Exterra manual shift, ok for my husband to drive, but not the preferred and paid for vehicle. Due to the lost time, I never got to Coyote last year.

We don’t mind paying for a quality vehicle. Does anyone know who I can contact to lease a land rover type truck for a week?

Thanks much!
Sharon

[*Lotus]

I would stay away from a Land Rover at least a newer one. Rent a nice Toyota 4runner directly from Toyota rentals in CR or a place like Dollar etc, this is a much better and reliable truck. Getting stranded for just one night is not bad service from a rental co if you were out in the boonies on the Nicoya peninsula. I have done the ride from Nosara to Mal Pais a few times and a mid sized 4×4 is just fine(4runner is large, so even better). Ask the locals how high the rivers are, if there has been a lot of rain it can get difficult to ford them. Keep in mind most of the rental companies I know do not allow there vehichles to be driven “off road” especially fording rivers. This you must do at your own risk so to speak.

[mr.di]

We have travelled to cr’s guanacaste area (playa del coco to be exact) four times now and continue to rent only from toyota –new vehicles and fair price. On our first trip i rented from economy and also had no problem. but toyota is closer to the airport, great service and friendly staff –pick up at the airport and vehicle waiting at the compound). I have rented a terios (summer 06), a prado (christmas 06)and the rav4 (this summer). the rav4 seemed to go where ever i pointed it to –trips to flamingo area along the monkey trail, trip to arenal and the vadano carverns), but for room, comfort and off-road ablility the prado (8 passenger, lots of room, hill climb/decend and all wheel drive, higher ride hight, and a turbo diesel automatic, seemed that we could really go off the beaten path –and i did venture to some areas where only service vehicles seemed to have visited. The prado is the new toyota land cruiser and is also marketed in canada and north america as the larger lexus SUV. but as mentioned earlier –all rentals remind you that the cars are for “on-road” travel only. we hope to visit again soon and again it will be from toyota that i will rent.
enjoy your trip.
joe

[grb1063]

Thrifty rents the Toyota Hi-Lux 4WD Extra Cab Pick-up. It has the 3.0L diesel and the best all-around rig we have found in CR. Not sure if there is a Thrifty in Liberia. RAV4’s and the smaller SUV’s just don’t have the clearance for some of the deep rutted roads we encounter. I don’t think Totota Rental actually rent the Hi-Lux for some odd reason, but the Prado is a good SUV with the same engine.

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