silver Renault Sandero, Super Expresso, Chichén Itzá

Cars in Mexico

I had just boarded the ADO bus from the Cancún International Airport when a dark American pony car caught my eye. It was a current generation Chevrolet Camaro. Nice.

“I have never seen one of those in Mexico,” I thought to myself. And then I remembered that it was 2009 when I was last in Mexico (in Oaxaca.) The automotive landscape can change a lot in six years.

In addition to that Camaro, I saw a couple of Mustangs (ones made in approximately 2000 and 2005). Other notable cars in Mexico I saw included:

  • French cars, including those made by Peugeot and Renault.
  • Cars made by SEAT, a Spanish automobile manufacturer wholly owned by Volkswagen.
  • Small Volkswagen sedans we do not get in the States. (“I bet Volkswagen does not have to worry about emission regulations here,” I quipped, alluding to the company’s current emissions scandal.)
  • Some pickup trucks—mostly Chevys and Fords.
  • Some classic iron like Volkswagen Beetles and American sedans from the 1950s through 1970s.
  • A few sports cars, like the Mazda Miata, Audi TT and BMW Z4.

There were also lots of motorbikes like the Honda Wave. Some had whole families of four riding them, á la Vietnam.

The automotive landscape actually reminded me a lot of that in Guatemala, with many 1990s-era Japanese compact sedans used as taxis. Collectivos were frequently minivans with bench seats along the interior sides. I did not see any “chicken buses” in Cancún, though.

Driving in Isla Mujeres

Here’s a video of my friend Alberto François driving in Isla Mujeres.

YouTube
silver Chrysler PT Cruiser, Cancún
A silver Chrysler PT Cruiser on the streets of Cancún.
silver Renault Duster, Cancún
A silver Renault Duster on the streets of Cancún.
four Mexicans including two kids on a Batman motorcycle, Isla Mujeres
Four Mexicans including two kids on a Batman motorcycle in Isla Mujeres.
silver Smart Fortwo, Cancún
A silver Smart Fortwo in Cancún.
silver Porsche Cayenne, Cancún
A silver Porsche Cayenne in Cancún.
black Honda Wave motorbike, Felix Wong, pink Huffy Panama Jack cruiser bike
Felix Wong with a black Honda Wave motorbike and a pink Huffy Panama Jack cruiser bike in Isla Mujeres.
silver Renault Sandero, Super Expresso, Chichén Itzá
A silver Renault Sandero at a Super Expresso shop near Chichén Itzá.