SUV, sedan or minivan: which one fits your trip

It is the question we answer most often on WhatsApp: «should I take an SUV or a regular car?». The answer comes from three things you already know: how many people are travelling, how many suitcases you have and what kind of roads you will be on. With those, the choice makes itself.

SUV: the default choice in the Dominican Republic

Locals call SUVs «jeepetas», and they make up most of our fleet for a practical reason: they sit high. That means better visibility in traffic full of motorcycles, fewer scares with potholes after rain, and peace of mind on the access tracks to beaches, which are rarely paved all the way.

• Five seats and a boot that swallows a small family’s luggage.
• Ground clearance for rough tracks without needing a serious 4x4.
• Hybrid versions that barely use fuel in the city.
• It is what almost everyone drives here, so you blend in.

Our SUVs are Honda CR-Vs across several model years and trims, plus the Mercedes for anyone who wants something else. If you are unsure, a CR-V is the safe bet.

Sedan: city, highway and business trips

A sedan sits lower, rides better on the highway and looks tidier pulling up to a meeting. If your plan is Santo Domingo, the airport and the odd motorway run, you do not need an SUV at all: the Honda Accord Sport seats five, has a big boot and is smooth over long distances.

What you should not ask of it is a dirt track or luggage stacked to the roof. That is what the other two are for.

Minivan: when there are six or more of you

Past six passengers, a minivan stops being an option and becomes the only sensible one. The Honda Odyssey Elite seats seven to eight, has sliding doors that earn their keep in any tight car park, and enough room that nobody travels with a suitcase on their knees.

It is the classic pick for families landing together and for groups heading to Punta Cana or Bayahíbe. Two small cars cost more, lose each other on the highway and need two drivers.

Luxury SUV: when the car is part of the plan

Some trips are not only about transport: a wedding, an anniversary, a photo shoot, a client you are collecting from the airport. That is what the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 is for — five seats, an AMG engine and presence. It is the only car of its kind in the fleet, so it is worth asking early.

Do you need a 4x4 in the Dominican Republic?

For most trips, no. The roads between cities are paved and in good condition, and Punta Cana, Juan Dolio and La Romana are all reached by highway in any car. All-wheel drive earns its keep somewhere else: access tracks to beaches and country houses, dirt streets after a downpour, and the odd climb into the mountains.

If your route includes that kind of place, ask for a CR-V with all-wheel drive. If it does not, a standard SUV does exactly the same job and uses less fuel.

And one less thing to think about: our whole fleet is automatic, so there is no gearbox question to ask.

The short version

• Two or three of you, normal suitcases, mostly city: sedan.
• Four or five of you, with beaches and tracks involved: SUV.
• Six or more, or a lot of luggage: minivan.
• You want to arrive differently at an event: luxury SUV.
• Still unsure: send us your route and passenger count and we will tell you what to ask for.

Two things people forget when choosing

The first is real luggage. Four large suitcases do not fit in a compact boot no matter what «seats five» says; if four adults are travelling with checked bags, go up one size.

The second is who is driving. If the driver does not know the country, an SUV with good visibility helps more than anything else — we cover that in Is it safe to drive in the Dominican Republic?. And if the trip involves crossing to the east coast, check the timings in Santo Domingo to Punta Cana by car.

You can filter by vehicle type straight from the catalogue and send your request through the booking page.

Updated on September 23, 2026.