SUV Rental in Karon, Phuket

When does an SUV make sense in Karon?

Karon comes in two halves, and a driver feels it by the second day. Below, between the beach and Patak Road, everything is flat: straight streets, a wide seafront, an easy roundabout in the middle. Above, it is a different place. Houses and apartments were built in tiers up the slope, and the road towards Kata Noi climbs for its whole length.

That upper half is why people choose this class here. The difference shows on fifty metres of private drive, not on a long pass. Picture a full car with four passengers and luggage that has to pull away uphill from a standstill. An economy car manages, with some wheelspin, and after rain sometimes at the second try.

When you can skip it

Staying on the first line, with a day of seafront, cafes on Patak Road and the beach? You will not feel any difference. Lower Karon is flat, and the road to Kata crosses a low hill any car takes in 5 minutes. In that case an SUV only buys you a better view over the scooters.

What that means for the car

On the Karon slopes grip and brakes matter more than power. The concrete drives have grooves across them, which hold well when dry. In the first minutes of a downpour they turn as slippery as tarmac: dust and rubber float up and a wheel lets go where it held yesterday.

The run down from upper Karon to the seafront is short but constant. Take it in a low gear using the manual mode of the automatic, not on the brakes; the habit of coasting down costs you overheated pads by the end of the week. There is no off-road driving on the island, so four-wheel drive is not the point. Clearance and approach angle are, since many drives start with a sharp kink right off the street where a low car catches its front bumper.

Look at the tyres at handover and again a week later. Sand from the seafront and daily climbs wear the tread faster than flat roads, and tread depth decides how the car behaves on wet concrete.

If you are staying on the hill, we deliver the SUV to your door: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, the deposit above, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates and the address in the chat or through the booking form.

Where to park an SUV in Karon

The seafront is the easiest parking on the whole southern coast: long, free and nearly always with gaps, even in the middle of the day. A crossover is city-sized, about as long as a saloon, and slots in without trouble. Read the kerb markings and keep clear of the ramps down to the beach.

Up the slope the parking is usually your own, a bay by the house or a pad for a few cars. Go in forwards and come out in reverse down the incline; turning round in a tight bay on a hill is harder than the climb. The viewpoint over three bays has a small car park that is full at sunset. Arrive earlier, leave the car at the far end and walk the last bit.

• Park on the seafront nose to the sea — pulling out into traffic beats reversing
• Turn the wheels into the kerb on a slope — insurance against a roll with the handbrake on
• Keep off the beach ramps — boats and equipment are unloaded there
• Reach the viewpoint before sunset — turning in a queue on a narrow road with a drop is no fun

Where do people drive from Karon in an SUV?

The classic first drive goes up to the viewpoint and on into Kata: a short climb, a scenic descent and a clear junction at the bottom. In half an hour you meet a hill, a town and a narrow beach street, which are the three kinds of road you will use for the rest of the stay.

Patong is 15 minutes away over the hill in easy traffic; in high season the evening flow builds, so go early. South, the road runs to Nai Harn and the cape. East, it leads into Chalong. On those longer runs the higher seat gives a proper view through the traffic.

Delivery and handover in Karon

We bring the car to a seafront hotel, to an apartment on Patak Road or to a house on the slope. If the drive is narrow, say so beforehand and we will hand over at the nearest proper bay instead of turning in someone's yard.

The first kilometres in Karon are good practice. Traffic is calmer than in Patong, the scooters are many but predictable, and driving on the left settles fastest on the straight seafront road. At handover, check the tyres and the air conditioning at idle as well as the usual points, and film a circle round the car.

Which SUV models can I ask for in Karon?

For the slope towards Kata Noi the Mazda CX-3 is a five-seat SUV with a 2.0-litre petrol engine, and the Toyota C-HR a five-seat SUV with a self-charging hybrid engine; both are automatic, and the search shows which is free for your dates.