We rented a Suzuki Jimny 5-door from Drive-A-Matic for two weeks in March 2026. After tax, we paid $1,100 USD total. No extra insurance, no prepaid fuel, no surprises. The process was straightforward, the car was reliable, and we'd do it again.
Here's everything you need to know about renting a car in St. Lucia, based on what we actually experienced.
Which rental company?
We went with Drive-A-Matic (also rebranding as SunCars). They have desks at both Hewanorra International Airport in the south and George F.L. Charles Airport in the north, and they'll also deliver to your hotel.
We picked up at Hewanorra and the process was smooth. They walked us around the car to note any existing damage, handed us the keys, and we were on our way. The staff were friendly and helpful. No pressure, no drama.
Would I use them again? Yes. I might try a different vehicle next time, but the company itself was easy to deal with.
There are other rental companies on the island, and I'd encourage you to compare prices online before booking. But I can only speak to our experience with Drive-A-Matic, and it was good.
What we paid
For two weeks with the Suzuki Jimny 5-door, we paid $1,100 USD after tax. That works out to roughly $78 USD per day, which felt like fair value for what we got.
We didn't buy the extra insurance or the prepaid fuel option, which kept the cost down. More on both of those below.
Prices will vary depending on the vehicle, the time of year, and how far in advance you book. Peak season (December through April) is more expensive. Booking online ahead of time is almost always cheaper than showing up at the airport counter.
Pre-registration: do it
About a week before your pickup date, Drive-A-Matic sent us a link to fill in some documents online. Your name, where you're staying, licence information, that sort of thing. I would highly recommend doing this. It made the process at the counter much faster when we arrived.
After a long flight, the last thing you want is to spend 30 minutes filling out forms. Get it done ahead of time and you'll be in and out quickly.
The driving permit
You need a temporary St. Lucia driving permit to drive on the island. The good news is your rental company handles the whole thing.
When we picked up our car, they took a copy of my Canadian driving licence and issued a permit right there. It was handwritten on a simple form. The whole thing took maybe two minutes. I didn't even know I needed a permit before arriving, and it was completely painless.
You do not need an International Driving Permit (IDP) for St. Lucia. Just bring your regular home licence.
The permit is usually included in the rental cost. If it's charged separately, expect about 54 XCD (around $20 USD).
Insurance: read this before you decide
This is where rental companies make a lot of their money, and it's worth doing some homework before you arrive.
Drive-A-Matic includes basic collision damage waiver (CDW) in the daily rate, but the excess (the amount you'd be responsible for if something goes wrong) can be high. They'll offer you additional insurance to reduce that excess.
Here's what I did: I checked with my Visa card before the trip. I actually used AI to help me read through the policy details, which was really useful. It turned out that my travel Visa card already provided rental car coverage that was actually better than what the rental company was offering. So I declined the extra insurance and saved a good chunk of money.
Before your trip, check your credit card benefits or your travel insurance policy. You may already be covered. If you are, you can confidently decline the add-on at the counter.
If you have a travel credit card, check whether it covers rental car insurance abroad. Many do. Use AI to help you read through the fine print if the policy documents are long and confusing. It saved me money and gave me peace of mind.
Prepaid fuel: skip it
They'll offer you a prepaid fuel option when you pick up the car. I'd skip it.
There's a gas station right outside Hewanorra airport, so filling up before your return is easy. The car comes to you with a full tank, and you just need to return it full (or close to it). The Jimny was very efficient on gas, so keeping it topped up was never a problem.
Fuel was about $40 USD per fill-up with a quarter tank remaining. There are gas stations in every major town, so running low was never a concern.
The only scenario where prepaid fuel might make sense is if you're worried about being late for your flight and want to skip that last stop. For us, it wasn't worth the extra cost.
Do you need a 4x4?
Short answer: you don't need one, but I'm glad we had one.
The main highways and the west coast road are perfectly fine in a regular car. You'll see locals driving sedans everywhere, including on roads that look like they need a tank.
Where a 4x4 helped us was getting to some of the snorkelling spots and off-the-beaten-path attractions. The road down to Anse Chastanet, for example, has a very steep dirt section at the top where you really want four-wheel drive. Some of the roads in the south around the Pitons are steep and rough enough that the extra clearance and grip made a real difference.
If you're planning to stick to the main routes and popular beaches, a regular car will be fine. If you want to explore more remote spots (and you should), a small 4x4 like the Jimny is worth the upgrade.
About the Suzuki Jimny
I'll be honest. When I saw the Jimny, I was a little underwhelmed. Coming from Canada, I expected something closer to a Jeep Wrangler. The Jimny is much smaller. The trunk is tiny, and I wasn't sure our luggage would fit.
We had four people, one checked bag each, plus carry-ons. The kids ended up with bags on their laps for the two-hour drive from the airport to our place. It wasn't comfortable for them, but we made it work.
Once we unloaded at our accommodation, the small size actually became an advantage.
The roads in St. Lucia are narrow, with deep drainage ditches on the shoulders. A wider vehicle would have made some of those tight passes with oncoming trucks much more stressful. The Jimny's narrow body gave us a little extra breathing room, and I was grateful for it.
The Jimny was also great on fuel. We drove all over the island for two weeks and never worried about gas. It handled the mountain roads, the steep descents, and the rough dirt roads to snorkelling spots without any issues.
If I went back, I might look at the Jimny's bigger sibling (something with a bit more trunk space) but I wouldn't go much wider. The narrow roads really do reward a smaller vehicle.
What about damage and deposits?
They didn't require a deposit from us, which was a nice surprise. They did do a thorough walk-around of the car at pickup, noting any existing scratches and dings on a form. I'd suggest taking your own photos too, just in case.
When we returned the car, the kids had spilled sunscreen on the interior. I was a little worried about getting charged for that, but they didn't seem to care. The return was quick and painless.
Picking up at the airport
When you walk out of customs at Hewanorra, it can feel chaotic. People will approach you, ask where you're going, and some will even claim to work for your rental company.
The best advice I got (from a friend who's been to St. Lucia many times) was simple: just keep walking. Don't engage, don't stop. Walk straight to your rental company's booth. They'll be there, clearly marked, and they'll take care of you.
One guy told me he was with Drive-A-Matic. He wasn't. My friend had warned me about exactly this, so I kept going and found the real booth without any problems.
Once you're at the counter, it's straightforward. If you did the pre-registration, you'll have the keys in about 10 minutes.
Make sure your phone and eSIM are working before you leave the airport. I hadn't enabled roaming on my phone, so we had no maps for the drive to our accommodation. I ended up panicking in Castries traffic without navigation. Get your data sorted before you start the car.
The first 30 minutes
Once you're in the car, take a breath. You don't need to rush.
St. Lucia drives on the left. The steering wheel is on the right. The indicator and wiper stalks are swapped. If you're coming from North America, this is going to feel weird for about 20 to 30 minutes. The airport area is a good place to get comfortable because it's not busy and there are big arrows painted on the road showing you which lane to be in.
Our rental had a "KEEP LEFT" sticker on the dashboard, which was genuinely helpful for the first couple of days.
My advice: take it slow, get your bearings, and drive straight to your accommodation. Don't try to stop for sightseeing or groceries on the way. Just get there, unload, settle in, and start exploring when you're rested.
For more on what driving is actually like (including the roads, the traffic, the shoulders, and the things that caught us off guard), check out our complete driving guide.
What I'd do differently next time
Honestly, not much. The rental process was smooth, the car was good, and the freedom it gave us was worth every dollar.
The two things I'd change:
- Try a slightly bigger vehicle. The Jimny was great on the roads but tight for luggage with a family of four. Something with the same narrow body but a bigger trunk would be ideal.
- Get the eSIM working before landing. Having no data at the airport made the first hour much more stressful than it needed to be.
Everything else, I'd do exactly the same. Drive-A-Matic was solid. The permit was effortless. Declining the extra insurance saved us money. And the car gave us the best two weeks we've ever had on a family trip.