Choosing
Which Car Should You Rent in Lahore?
By the number of people, the amount of luggage and the road you are actually going to be on. Not by the picture.
For one to four people inside Lahore, a Wagon R or a Cultus at PKR 4,000 to 4,500 is enough. For five with luggage, or any motorway trip, take a Corolla, Yaris or City at PKR 5,500. Seven people need a BR-V or an APV. Thirteen need a Hiace Grand Cabin. Above twenty, the Coaster. An SUV is for rough roads and the northern areas, not for a motorway, where it mostly buys fuel consumption.
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How many people, and how much luggage
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Where an SUV earns its price and where it does not
Inside Lahore
Smaller is better. The Walled City, Anarkali and the older parts of Gulberg reward a Wagon R and punish a Land Cruiser. Unless the occasion calls for the car to be seen, the hatchback is the better vehicle, not just the cheaper one.
The motorways
The M2 to Islamabad, the M3 to Faisalabad and the M4 to Multan are good roads. A sedan is entirely adequate on all three and will use materially less fuel than an SUV over 375 kilometres. Since you buy the fuel, that difference is yours to keep.
Murree and the hills
A sedan is fine to Murree in normal conditions. In snow, or for the smaller hill roads beyond it, take something with clearance and tell us it is winter, because the vehicle and the driver both need to be chosen for it.
Naran, Hunza, Skardu and the Karakoram Highway
This is where a Fortuner, Prado or Land Cruiser stops being a preference. Long mountain gradients, rough surfaces, altitude and very long days. More on what those roads demand is on the northern areas page.
Every vehicle, with what the day costs
| Vehicle | Daily rate | Duty hours | Overtime per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzuki Wagon RHatchback, 4 seats | 4,000 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Suzuki CultusHatchback, 4 seats | 4,500 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Toyota Corolla GLiSedan, 5 seats | 5,500 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Toyota YarisSedan, 5 seats | 5,500 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Honda CitySedan, 5 seats | 5,500 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Suzuki APVMPV, 8 seats | 7,000 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Honda CivicSedan, 5 seats | 8,000 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Honda BR-VMPV, 7 seats | 8,000 | 12 hours | 500 |
| Kia SportageSUV, 5 seats | 12,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota Hiace Grand CabinVan, 13 seats | 13,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota RevoPickup, 5 seats | 14,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota FortunerSUV, 7 seats | 15,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota PradoSUV, 7 seats | 16,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota Coaster SaloonCoach, 22 seats | 16,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser V8SUV, 7 seats | 25,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
| Audi A6Luxury sedan, 5 seats | 30,000 | 12 hours | 2,000 |
The same 12 hour duty day applies to all of them. What changes with the vehicle is the daily rate and the overtime rate, and both are printed above rather than quoted on the phone.
Questions
Asked before booking
Which car should I rent for a family of six in Lahore?
A Honda BR-V or a Suzuki APV. Six adults in a five seat sedan is legal in nobody letters and miserable in practice, especially with luggage. The BR-V is the comfortable answer at PKR 8,000; the APV is the eight seat, luggage friendly one at PKR 7,000.
Do I need a 4x4 for the northern areas?
For Naran, Hunza and the Karakoram Highway, take a Fortuner, Prado or Land Cruiser. For Murree and Islamabad, a sedan is completely adequate and considerably cheaper. Buying ground clearance you will not use on a motorway is the most common overspend in this market.
What is the cheapest car with a driver in Lahore?
A Suzuki Wagon R at PKR 4,000 for a 12 hour day. It seats four comfortably, parks anywhere in the old city, and is the right answer far more often than people expect.
Which car for a wedding?
A Land Cruiser V8, a Prado or an Audi A6 for the couple, and a Coaster or Hiace for the guests. What matters more than the model is the shift length, which is covered on the wedding page.
What is the best car for an airport run?
A Corolla for up to four people with normal luggage, a BR-V for a family, a Hiace for a group. Airport transfers are a fixed fare rather than a day, so the vehicle choice is about luggage and nothing else.