Which car to rent in Armenia: sedan, crossover or 4WD SUV

The most popular trips in Armenia start in Yerevan and stay within a two-hour radius. Nearly all of them are on tarmac, so any car will get you there. The difference is comfort: a weak engine struggles on the climb to Sevan with four people on board, and above Byurakan a low car finds every pothole.

What the roads are like

The main routes out of the capital run on decent highways. The M4 goes to Sevan and on through the tunnel to Dilijan, while the M2 heads south to the Ararat Valley, Areni and Syunik. The roads to Garni and Tsaghkadzor are paved and are among the first to be cleared in winter.

Things get harder in three places:

• The slopes of Aragats. Above Byurakan the tarmac is old in places, with potholes and patches. The last stretch to Amberd fortress can be broken up or unpaved.
• The south. Tatev is about 250 km and 4–4.5 hours away without stops. On the way you cross the Vorotan Pass (around 2,340 m), and the drive ends on narrow switchbacks down in the gorge.
• Minor roads. Village streets, approaches to monasteries, and the stretch past Shorzha on the north-east shore of Sevan, where the tarmac turns into a rocky dirt track.

A separate point about rental terms. Contracts usually ban off-road driving, and insurance doesn't cover those trips. What else to check before you sign is in the Armenia car rental guide, and speed limits and cameras are covered in the piece on traffic rules.

Sedan: when it's enough

A sedan or a compact hatchback covers most of the classic day trips from Yerevan:

• Garni and Geghard, 28 km and about 40 minutes to Garni;
• Sevan and Sevanavank, 65 km on the M4;
• Dilijan through the tunnel, 95–100 km;
• Noravank, about 122 km, the last 8 km through the Amaghu canyon;
• Khor Virap, Etchmiadzin, Zvartnots and Yerevan itself.

What you gain with a sedan:

• Rental is roughly a third cheaper than a crossover. As a rough guide, a sedan in season costs about $25–40 a day (around 10,000–16,000 dram), a crossover $40–60. Prices vary a lot with the month and the length of the rental.
• Lower fuel consumption. On the Khor Virap – Noravank – Areni loop (about 250 km) the fuel difference against a large crossover is noticeable.
• Easy parking in central Yerevan, where kerbside spaces are taken by morning and courtyards are tight.

Four people with suitcases are cramped in a sedan. It also loses to a crossover on the slopes of Aragats, in the south and in winter. On the narrow canyon road to Noravank, though, a compact car is easier: oncoming buses squeeze past with very little room.

Crossover: the most common choice

A crossover with raised ground clearance handles almost any tourist route in the country and is no trouble in the city. Rental fleets usually have the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-Trail and similar models. They don't always come with four-wheel drive, so check when you book.

Where a crossover is clearly better:

• Aragats and Amberd. In summer, in dry weather, a sedan can make it to Amberd at about 2,300 m and to Lake Kari at 3,200 m if you drive slowly. But after rain, mud and stones wash onto the tarmac, and the last section to Amberd can be unpaved. With more clearance you don't have to leave the car below and walk up.
• The road to Tatev. As far as Goris the M2 is in reasonable shape overall, but the Syunik mountains bring long climbs and the Vorotan Pass. From April to October a sedan gets there too; you don't need clearance or four-wheel drive. A crossover wins on an engine of 1.6 litres or more and a boot that takes luggage for four: four-plus hours at the wheel go by much more calmly. The switchback road from Halidzor to Tatev monastery, about 12 km, is paved but uneven in places, with sharp bends, no crash barriers on some of them and lorries coming the other way. In rain, fog, ice or darkness it's better to leave the car in Halidzor and go up on the Wings of Tatev cable car.
• Shoulder season. In April, May and October mountain weather changes faster than the forecast, and the passes can be icy in the morning.

A crossover makes sense if:

• there are 3–4 of you with full luggage or child seats;
• your plan includes Aragats, Amberd or the south;
• you're travelling in spring or autumn;
• you'd rather not keep wondering whether the car will manage a particular bend.

4WD SUV: winter and big groups

A large off-roader like a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado or Mitsubishi Pajero has little to do on a standard summer itinerary. It usually costs from $70–100 a day and up. There are only a few reasons to take one:

1. Winter in the mountains, November to March. Tsaghkadzor is 55 km from Yerevan, and the trickiest part is the last 7 km up from Hrazdan: ice on the climb early in the morning and after sunset. Four-wheel drive helps you pull away uphill, but on ice only the tyres help you brake and steer.
2. The south in winter. The Vorotan Pass on the way to Sisian, Goris and Tatev is cleared, but after a blizzard it can be closed, and the switchbacks up to the monastery ice over. Four-wheel drive and good tyres give you a margin, but you still need a spare day in the plan.
3. A group of six or seven. Here the choice is between a large SUV and a minivan, and it comes down to seats and boot space. Off-road ability is secondary.

Four-wheel drive won't get you into the high country of Aragats in winter. The road to Kari is usually closed from about October to June, and the one to Amberd is snowed in from November to April. In those months you can't get there in anything.

Route summary table

Practical details

Automatic or manual. Armenian rental companies have plenty of automatics, especially among crossovers. A manual is sometimes a little cheaper, but if you haven't driven one in a while, don't save there. Yerevan's traffic jams on the avenues, the steep streets in the old districts and the climbs on the switchbacks to Tatev wear out even an experienced driver in a manual.

Luggage. A sedan takes two large suitcases and a couple of backpacks. Four adults with full luggage will only fit in a crossover or an estate. If you're collecting the car at Zvartnots Airport straight off a flight, check the boot size against your suitcases when you book, not in the car park.

Engine. A 1.2–1.4 litre engine is slow and loud on the climb to Sevan or heading south on the M2 fully loaded. The comfortable minimum is 1.6 litres, and for Tatev and the mountains in winter 2.0 is better.

Winter tyres, November to March. By law they're required from 15 November to 31 March on all four wheels, but rental companies change tyres on their own dates. Ask when you book which tyres the car will have, and get it confirmed in writing. For winter trips to Tsaghkadzor, Sevan and Dilijan, tyres matter more than four-wheel drive. More on winter roads in the Armenia in winter guide.

Fuel. Many cars in Armenia run on gas rather than petrol, and you'll find this in rental fleets too. Check what the specific car takes and whether it has gas equipment fitted. Fill the tank before heading south or up Aragats: there are fewer petrol stations in the mountains.

Air conditioning. In July and August Yerevan and the Ararat Valley are reliably above +35 °C. Without working air conditioning even the hour to Khor Virap feels long.

Bottom line

If your route sticks to Yerevan, Garni, Sevan, Dilijan and Noravank, a sedan will cope and cost less. A crossover is more comfortable on Aragats and at Amberd, on the long drive to Tatev and for four people with luggage. Four-wheel drive makes sense in the mountains in winter, but winter tyres matter more. Which roads are open when and what the mountain weather is like month by month is in the guide on when to visit Armenia.