SUV or Small Car in Phuket: How Much More It Costs

How much more does an SUV cost per day?

The gap is in the table above, read one column at a time. The Economy row holds the small hatchbacks and saloons, the Crossover row holds the compact SUVs, and the Premium row holds the full-size SUVs. Inside the column for your rental length, the distance from the Economy cell to the Crossover cell is what a compact SUV adds per day, and the distance to the Premium cell is what a full-size SUV adds.

Every cell is the cheapest car of its class for that many days, so a particular model can cost more than its row shows. The availability search lists every free car for your dates with its own total, small cars and SUVs side by side, which is the comparison that matters.

Over a week the daily difference is paid seven times, and over a month thirty times, so compare the two totals for your dates rather than two day rates. The table covers the year-round price list; over Christmas and New Year the search prices each car by the exact dates, small cars and SUVs alike.

Which cars sit in each row?

The small cars in our booking search include the Mazda 2, the Toyota Yaris as a hatchback and as the Ativ saloon, the Nissan Almera, the Suzuki Swift and the Honda City. All of them are automatic, and all of them are priced in the Economy row.

The compact SUVs in the same search include the MG ZS, the Mazda CX-3, the Mazda CX-30, the Toyota C-HR and the Honda HR-V, priced in the Crossover row. The full-size SUVs, such as the Ford Everest, are priced in the Premium row, and the search shows which of them is free on your dates.

What else costs more with an SUV?

The deposit is the second line. It is 5,000 ฿ for most small cars and for several compact SUVs, while some SUV models carry a higher deposit; the search shows the deposit next to each car before anything is booked, and it is returned when the car comes back.

The driver's age is the third line. Most cars need a driver aged 21 or older who has held a licence for at least a year, while premium cars and large SUVs need every driver on the agreement aged 23 or older. A driver aged 21 or 22 who wants a bigger car takes a compact SUV, which follows the general rule.

Delivery is not one of the differences. The car is brought to your hotel, villa or the airport on its own line in the total whatever its size, and every car we deliver has an automatic gearbox.

When is a small car enough in Phuket?

A small automatic is enough for a couple or a small family staying on the flat west coast: beaches, markets, restaurants and the airport run. Nowhere on the island requires four-wheel drive, and in Patong the smallest car that takes your luggage is the easiest one to park in the narrow streets behind the beach.

Luggage decides it more often than the number of people. The small class is made up of hatchbacks and saloons, and the saloons have the larger boot, so two large hard cases go into a saloon such as the Yaris Ativ rather than into a hatchback.

The hills are the other test. A small engine copes with two people and cabin bags, while a small car full of adults and suitcases climbs the Kathu to Patong pass slowly. That full-car climb is where a compact SUV or a mid-size saloon starts to earn its extra cost.

When is an SUV worth the extra in Phuket?

A villa up a steep concrete drive is the clearest case. On wet concrete a small car can spin its wheels, while an SUV has the clearance and the grip to make the climb with a full boot. Send the villa name before you book, and the drive decides the class.

A full boot is the second case: four adults with checked cases, or a family with a pushchair and beach gear. Long days off the island are the third, to Phang Nga, Khao Lak or Krabi, where a compact SUV with strong air conditioning is kinder than the smallest hatchback; any trip beyond Phuket is agreed in chat before the rental starts.

A full-size SUV such as the Ford Everest is the car for a large family with a lot of luggage or for a long drive off the island. For most villas on a slope a compact SUV such as the Mazda CX-3 or the MG ZS does the job, is open to drivers from the age of 21 and is priced in the lower of the two SUV rows.

How do I compare the two for my dates?

Run the availability search for your dates and look at a small car and an SUV in the same list, or send the dates, the number of people, the bags and the address in WhatsApp and ask for both totals. Two totals side by side settle it faster than any day rate.

If the stay mixes flat days on the coast with one long drive, choose for the hardest day of the trip rather than the average one. A car that copes with the villa drive and the full boot is the one that keeps the holiday simple.

Cars for this question

Models from our live search with the price per day for a 3-day rental and the deposit for each model. Each name opens the page of the car; more: crossovers and SUVs with prices.

Lowest price in our live search for pick-up in Patong, rentals starting 2 November or 16 November; checked 19 October, Phuket time. Delivery is counted separately; the search shows the exact total for your dates.