Vladivostok - Post Report Question and Answers
What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
4x4, winter tires/all weather tires. Even with such a car, I lost control of my car twice and slid downhill. By luck, these never resulted in any collision with others. Russian drivers are often amazing in their winter driving skills (awe-inspiring, actually), but collisions in winter were a daily occurrence. Major roads would also be shut down in winter if the road's grade was too steep, funneling everyone to the same few thoroughfares. That resulted in a lot of accidents, frustration, road rage. I rode a motorcycle here infrequently (there is a big riding community here with a huge festival in May), but road conditions are poor and drivers show little concern for bikers. I quit early in my tour and never rode again for safety reasons.
Parts for Asian-make vehicles (Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, etc.) were readily available. Parts for European and, particularly, American make vehicles were unavailable or extremely hard to locate. I had to order a part through the pouch, but local mechanics are actually excellent and very creative. Theft from vehicles was more prevalent than theft of vehicles. If you don't have a garage or a private parking lot at your building, you may be at greater risk if you are parking on the street. Many apartment complexes have a guard or at least drop-arm gate to protect against car theft. - Jun 2017
A 4x4 with high ground clearance. I know you were told that about your last post, but it turned out not to be true, BUT if you want to drive in winter in Vlad it's a must. One colleague brought a FWD car with studded snow tires, but he couldn't even make it up our driveway in winter. My Jeep did OK, but I recommend winter/snow tires. Even during summer, the roads are horrendous with massive potholes. - Apr 2012
People will say you need 4WD. I don't agree. I have a mini-van and it works just fine. There are PLENTY of potholes, so cars with low clearance should be avoided. In the winter the roads do ice up, so snow tires or studded tires are a must. - Jun 2009
4 WD ONLY - Apr 2009
