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mb_123
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: 6-23-2022
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Driving from San Diego to Cabo - Single
Hi There,
As I am not able to fly due to claustrophobia, strongly thinking to drive from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and it will be a solo drive w/ a BMW. Even
the car is 10 years old, still looks new and luxury. My concern is if the car looks luxury and solo driven, would I be increasing car theft chance ?
Staying in hotel in Baja, between Cabo and San Diego, would the luxury car create any issues more than a regular car ?
Is there any Baja highway car stalking by bad actors ?
Thanks for any input.
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Marty Mateo
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Posts: 103
Registered: 12-7-2019
Location: Vanisle Sur
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I’ve driven a few times in a new Ram towing a new toy hauler and never felt like a target and slept on the side of the highway with truckers . I
always feel a so much safer once I’ve left the states and crossed into Mexico. Anything can happen of course but I think it all comes down to your
attitude and how you interact. I’ve always found Mexican folks to be very generous and caring. I highly recommend driving, so much to see along the
way .
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RFClark
Super Nomad
Posts: 2339
Registered: 8-27-2015
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Mood: Looking forward to 2024
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MB_123,
We drive from Mexicali often so I can’t speak to the north part of HWY1. The part we drive is safe during the day. Parts of the road are narrow and
lacking in a shoulder. There’s lots of trucks and livestock on it. A 10 year old beamer isn’t remarkable and won't stand out! Drive carefully and
have a good time!
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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sorry an old BMW is not a luxury car
new cars are way better
people wont even look aat you
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5819
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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While anything is possible, I believe the chances that your car would be stolen while making the trip is low enough to be a non-issue. If anything, I
think your BMW would be less of a target than a more common make such as Chevy, Ford, or Toyota.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6929
Registered: 8-5-2011
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Quote: Originally posted by mb_123  | Hi There,
As I am not able to fly due to claustrophobia, strongly thinking to drive from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and it will be a solo drive w/ a BMW. Even
the car is 10 years old, still looks new and luxury. My concern is if the car looks luxury and solo driven, would I be increasing car theft chance ?
Staying in hotel in Baja, between Cabo and San Diego, would the luxury car create any issues more than a regular car ?
Is there any Baja highway car stalking by bad actors ?
Thanks for any input. |
Consider spending two nights on the road. There are a few options for where to stop for the night. Ask if you want suggestions. You'll get many. Those
of us who drive the peninsula all have our favorite places. It's my experience that flat tires happen more often in Baja. Be prepared for that. Know
where you're going to spend the night and get there before sunset.
Carry and spend pesos. Get them at a Mex bank ATM. No contraband.
A nice Beemer will make for a comfortable cruise.
[Edited on 6-24-2022 by SFandH]
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17338
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by mb_123 | Hi There,
As I am not able to fly due to claustrophobia, strongly thinking to drive from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and it will be a solo drive w/ a BMW. Even
the car is 10 years old, still looks new and luxury. My concern is if the car looks luxury and solo driven, would I be increasing car theft chance ?
Staying in hotel in Baja, between Cabo and San Diego, would the luxury car create any issues more than a regular car ?
Is there any Baja highway car stalking by bad actors ?
Thanks for any input. |
Highway robbery is rare.
Don’t drive at night. Because 1. The cows and other livestock are on road at night, 2. The shoulders are nonexistent in most places, and hard to see
missing road/shoulder or potholes w/o daylight, and 3. The rare highway robberies typically occur at night.
[Edited on 6-24-2022 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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BajaUtah
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Posts: 190
Registered: 10-4-2013
Location: Salt Lake City/La Ribera
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That car won't make you a target but flashing cash and fancy watches and jewelry could - more likely in Cabo than on the road. Just keep your presence
low key and you should be fine.
I would suggest packing some common failure spares in the trunk as those could be hard to find on the road. Oils and coolant should be easy but hoses,
belts and BMW specific stuff would be more difficult. If they are common failures - I have no idea specific to your model - like coil packs, injectors
and sensors they would be cheap and easy to toss in a box. You will find great local mechanics on the road - there was a list published here a while
back, I don't know if it exists anymore - that can do the install but waiting for parts sourced in Baja could be brutal.
Have fun
Andy
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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So, if this is your first trip then:
1 there are tolls on the good road between TJ and Ensenada. One can pay either in dollars or pesos.
2 Every so often there are military check points - they are looking for drugs and arms. Take your purse with you and any documents. Watch them at
all times.
3 Be 100% sure to refill your tank in El Rosario as it is a LONG stretch to the next gas station.
4 There are some small villages, off the beaten path on your way south that you might consider visiting! Start in Bahia Asuncion and look for Shari
at the Bufadora Inn. Tacos at Don Ramon's on fridays and Saturdays. Then go to La Bocana, we are not there but our small hotel is and the village is
won der ful. Our beach restaurant is known for great margaritas and melt in your mouth lobster. Right after us in Punta Abreojos which has Antojitos
Juanita restaurant right on the boardwalk - famous for delicious huevos rancheros and enchiladas suizas.
5 If you do go, please take gently used shoes to La Bocana for a family of 7 kids I help! Any sizes for kids from age 2 to 11 is good.
Feel free to write a U2U for any more info I can help you with!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I have taken brand new vehicles to Baja, before they had plates, and one the same day I got it... not BMWs, but new Toyota Tacoma 4x4s worth 32-34 K.
This was in 2005 and 2010.
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
Posts: 1162
Registered: 2-22-2020
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Guererro Negro is a long drive from Mexicali, and San Felipe (lunch break?) too short for the first day's drive. Anyone have an interesting place to
stop overnite in between on the way down? We were thinking late morning out of Mexicali and then two stops to La Paz, perhaps Loreto would be the
second overnite....suggestions?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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From San Diego, you should drive east to Calexico then south through San Felipe. This is a faster route despite it seems like you are not heading the
right direction going south from San Diego.
There is a terrible construction delay and detour just south of Ensenada. Then there are all the small towns that will slow your progress using Hwy. 1
(too many to name from Maneadero to El Rosario).
The only traffic and stop signs south of Mexicali on Hwy. 5 is in San Felipe. Plus Hwy. 5 is far more scenic with views of the Sea of Cortez and the
islands offshore.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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i was just thru ensenada...no construction ...maybe a couple of yrs ago
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boe4fun
Super Nomad
Posts: 1040
Registered: 1-22-2006
Location: Margaritaville
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Mood: Circling the drain........
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If you’re worried about vehicle theft, go to Harbor Freight for a cutoff switch. Easy to install, I have one one my GMC 1 ton truck.
https://www.harborfreight.com/battery-cutoff-switch-63425.ht...
Two dirt roads diverged in Baja and I, I took the one less graveled by......
Soy ignorante, apático y ambivalente. No lo sé y no me importa, ni modo.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Now, not two years ago... seriously Bob, you know me better than that!
Southbound between Estero Beach and Punta Banda roads, they are widening the highway... Do you not see all the videos and photos of the mess posted on
Facebook and Youtube?
Look:
Posted June 21, 2022:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajaoverlanding/permalink/32...
>>> If you are planning to go down south via Ensenada, think twice. Is a chaos just to get to Maneadero, a modernization work has begun in
the highway but apparently the way they are doing it is not the best. A detour in gravel and no compaction to the road is causing that cars are being
flooded in loose dirt. Up to 2 hours to go only 5km is being reported.
Hopefully it was so bad they fixed it immediately... that would be a first!
[Edited on 6-24-2022 by David K]
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8807
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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did YOU see this because 3 weeks ago i saw nothing...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Bob, this report is dated 3 days ago.
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Alm
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2716
Registered: 5-10-2011
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If this is in fall/winter - consider 3 nights on the road, rather than 2. Makes for more relaxed drive and you are guaranteed to arrive before dark.
There are white-knuckle stretches of Hwy 1 even for somebody with perfectly balanced psyche, especially when you have to drive fast because
it's getting dark soon. In summer you should have plenty of time to make it in 3 days 2 nights.
This is a 2-lane road most of the way, 1 lane in each direction. 8-wheelers will be passing you (or you - them) using the opposite lane. When
slow-moving truck is blinking his left signal and there are NO left turns in sight, it means he can see that the opposite lane is clear for you to
pass. If you don't want to pass, you may crawl at 25-30 mph behind him for hours.
Going through Calexico/Mexicali and Hwy 5 probably will be same time from San Diego - despite a longer distance - but will be way more relaxing.
[Edited on 6-25-2022 by Alm]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Alm, it is actually quite a bit shorter drive in time and only about 40 miles longer in distance from San Diego to Laguna Chapala, where Hwy. 1 &
5 meet.
The drive south of Tijuana has lots of drama and mountain curves.
Just getting across Ensenada to Maneadero can take an hour. Add in the speed bumps and stop signs or lights and farm traffic in:
Santo Tomás
San Vicente
Colonet
Camalu
Colonia V. Guerrero
San Quintín
Lázaro Cárdenas
El Rosario
and maybe a couple more towns!
Hwy. 5, south of Mexicali, is only slow getting across San Felipe.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17338
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Drama? I can only guess what that means.
I have met a few people that won’t visit San Francisco or Wash DC because “it is a big city, and I hate cities.” Some people lead sad lives
that miss out on great things.
The east side will save you 40 to 60 minutes. But east side is hellishly hot, and ugly.
Some people enjoy Ensenada, and appreciate the scenery and experience of the pacific coast and Catavina. Is that drama? Then gimme drama!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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