Two questions come up again and again when booking a car in Mauritius: do you need a 4x4 to explore the island, and is a manual or an automatic better? Here is a straight answer based on actual road conditions and what licensed agencies offer.
4x4 rental in Mauritius: rarely needed
Mauritian roads are overwhelmingly paved: the M1 and M2 motorways, coast roads and mountain roads to Chamarel or Black River Gorges. A small car can tour the whole island, and every major sight is reachable by road.
Higher ground clearance helps in a few cases: dirt tracks to some remote beaches or trailheads, rough tracks after heavy rain, or simply the comfort of sitting higher. An SUV usually covers that; a true 4x4 only adds value for specific uses.
When an SUV or a pick-up makes sense
- Five adults with big suitcases: an SUV or a 7-seater beats a small car.
- Carrying gear (diving, fishing, kitesurfing, bikes): a double-cab pick-up such as the Mazda BT-50 (rentcar.mu/cars/mazda-bt-50-riding-car-hire) or the GWM P-Series (rentcar.mu/cars/gwm-p-series-riding-car-hire).
- Planning dirt tracks: an SUV with good ground clearance, such as the Suzuki Grand Vitara or Hyundai Creta.
- Large family: a 7-seater like the Suzuki Ertiga (rentcar.mu/cars/suzuki-ertiga-riding-car-hire) is more practical than a 4x4.
Budget-wise, an SUV or 4x4 costs roughly twice as much as a small car: around Rs 2,500 to 3,500 per day in low season versus Rs 1,200 to 1,800, according to our price barometer (rentcar.mu/barometre-prix).
Automatic car rental in Mauritius
Mauritius drives on the left, so the gear lever is operated with your left hand. If you have never driven like that, an automatic removes a big source of stress: you focus on your line, roundabouts (taken clockwise) and hill starts, which are common inland and on the way to Chamarel.
Automatics cost a little more with some agencies, but more and more recent fleets are fully automatic. Riding Car Hire's whole fleet, from small cars to SUVs, 7-seaters and pick-ups, is automatic (rentcar.mu/riding-car-hire). See also our driving guide (rentcar.mu/blog/conduire-a-maurice-guide-complet) and how to choose your car (rentcar.mu/blog/quelle-voiture-louer-maurice).
