Not anymore! When we think about taking a trip to an unknown country, we try to make sure that our transportation will be "foolproof"; that is why tour companies and individual tourists always think about 4x4 cars, so that "nothing will stop them". Car rental companies always offer this product; however, does it still apply that it is 100% necessary to rent a 4x4 when visiting Costa Rica?
Prepared for everything?
To answer this question, together with the team of Adobe Rent a Car (our car rental partner), we took the task of testing their new Geely Coolray, a 4x2 vehicle, which offers plenty of interior space, high power, comfort and cutting edge technology at a more reasonable price than a 4x4 vehicle and promises the same performance and accessibility OnRoad, to perform on highways, gravel roads, rural roads with little maintenance or other roads that we could normally find in areas farther away from the capital.
We started the day in the community of El Castillo, in La Fortuna de San Carlos, a beautiful place at the foot of the Arenal Volcano, where its mountainous roads put our Coolray car to the maximum test.
We go all the way
From the beginning we wanted to take it further, so the first thing we did was to go up to a private viewpoint, much further away from the line of hotels in the place. We had to go through a very steep sandy road and the weather was not in our favor, it was raining quite a lot, but, despite our low expectations, the Geely behaved very well, climbing to the top like a champion.
We took the opportunity to take pictures and videos there, as the view was perfect. But as everything that goes up has to come down, it was time to go back.
We tested the assisted descent control with which the Geely Coolray is equipped; and the truth is that it surprised us, it went down with a lot of control and stability on that wet and sandy road without slipping and without touching the brakes even once.
The vehicle really drove in automatic mode (it only needed to be guided with the steering wheel).
Afterwards, we drove down to Lake Arenal, where we drove along the roads that run along the shore, encountered many muddy puddles and as if we were children, we accelerated over the muddy bumps, on a stone road until we reached the end of the road, where we encountered a river where we had to turn back. We parked on the shore of the lake and took the opportunity for our friend from Adobe Rent a Car, Douglas Jimenez, to tell us more about the vehicle and the components it offers to provide a pleasant and safe experience during the visit in Costa Rica.
We also visited Místico Park, where its cobblestone and very steep roads put the new Coolray to the test and where it again showed us its ability to travel these types of roads very safely.
So we recommend this new model that is part of the R category throughout the year on the main routes and tourist regions of Costa Rica. During the rainy season, between May and November and only in the most remote areas of the country, such as the Osa Peninsula, Boca Tapada or around the Selva Bananito Lodge in the mountains behind the Caribbean coast, we recommend opting for a 4x4 car category, as road conditions could become very difficult.
Conclusion of the test drive
In short, the Geely Coolray did not let us down! With this we can offer it as a good alternative for the L category which, for the next season will suffer a considerable increase in price and clearly its availability will decrease because of the current challenges of production and transportation for rent a car. It is important to note that it is a 4x2 vehicle, so it should not be used off road, however, for the common use that some adventurer wants to give it in Costa Rica, it is more than enough. Undoubtedly it represents an excellent, economical, and modern option to cover the need for transportation in the country.
Ask for our 4x2 vehicle options both the CoolRay model and also the other option offered by our supplier Alamo Rent a Car, which applies to the SUV Compact category that will be 2WD with the Volkswagen T-Cross model. It will be a pleasure for us to help you with your reservation.
