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Can anyone give me any info on the Great Wall diesel pickup? Particularly would like to hear from owners – like? dislike? goodbuy or disaster?
Thanks, RuthI have a friend who bought a Great Wall SUV and it’s been in the shop 16 times since he bought it NEW in 2006. They are HORRIBLY made Chinese knockoffs. I strongly suggest you look elsewhere! Plus, the service people there are horrible!
If you have read the recent article here by Barry Wilson and Arden Brink, you already know the downside to buying ANY vehicle here. New vehicles are not manufactured to North American standards, and used vehicles result in great risk to both your wallet and your life. This is not opinion, it is fact.
That said, the worst choice you can make as of this writing is to buy a vehicle made in China. Great Wall makes substandard knock-offs of the absolute poorest quality. While the initial price may lure you into the showroom, expect to spend far more in the future than you will save in the beginning. Maintenance will be much more costly. The poor quality fit and finish will cause the vehicle to deteriorate at an unacceptable rate. Add in the road conditions here and you have a recipe for disaster.
Your best bet is to buy a vehicle imported from the U.S. or Canada. If you opt for something used, make sure that you check the title history with CarFax or AutoCheck. Most imported used vehicles here have far more miles than you will see on the odometer, and a high percentage will have a salvage, theft or flood history. The title history is CRITICAL, as those cars will NEVER be right again. As for odometer readings, you are far better off with a high mileage vehicle from North America – one driven on good roads – than a Tico vehicle with a low odometer reading which has been beaten to death on the roads here.
I live in China where these beer cans are made and they are just that. I have seen several in accidents and they crush easily. No rust protection on the metal interiors, spot welds are just enough to hold them together as long as they don’t hit anything. The engines have different warranty terms on each part, the crankshaft is only warranted for 180 days, the rods for 90 days, etc.
Has anyone brought there own car to Costa Rica from the Eastern USA? If so, is it as big a hassle as they say? Are the fees as high as they say? I’d love to hear from anyone who actually brought a car to CR….thanks
Look up Mario Barquero out of New Jersey. They’ll give you the quotes you need . I dont have his number offhand , search on google .
KIA makes a diesel Pickup which I have heard good things about. More like a FUSO truck. Industrial style with snorkel too for crossing rivers. Last time I checked they are running about 20 thousand dollars in Costa Rica. I would stay away from the Great Wall diesel. Obviously there are lot of more pricey options but the KIA looks like a good well built option for lower cost. My friend has a Isusu which he loves but again it will cost more brand new than the 20 grand for a brand new KIA.
To all –
After those glowing reports it looks like the Great Wall is a bust, appreciate your imput, you have likely saved us a great deal of $’s as well as headaches, will continue to look at the alternatives. Thanks!
Ruth
We brought a 2002 Honda minivan into CR in March 2007. Exported it through Port Lauderdale Florida by boat. It cost $500 plus $100 for brokerage.
We brought it in as a tourist vehicle which gave us 90 days to get it registered in Costa Rica. They have their own evaluations about the value of the vehicle, so it doesn’t matter what you think it is worth, you pay the import duties they determine. On a 2002 Honda van with all options, it was about $8000.I am not sure if it would have been easier to just buy a new vehicle here, but this vehicle has been converted for wheelchair access so it was a choice we made. ( no added value for the conversion as far as duties are concerned and no break either!)
AlbertoWhat company did you use to ship your van, and where did you ship it in CR? How long did it take also.
Thanks for any info.We used Crowley Ship lines from Port Lauderdale. They have an office in Limon but you need to contact a ship broker to arrange the documentation.
Crowley has a ship docking in Limon regularly, and there are CR Customs offices so it can all be done in one spot. There is a special window at Aduanas for tourists importing vehicles. The process of actually importing permanently can be many hours, so it was easier to import it first as a tourist vehicle.
From the time we dropped off the vehicle until we picked it up in Limon, was about three weeks. I don’t know how long it sat at the dock before the ship sailed.
One thing cannot be stressed enough. There are signs everywhere telling you not to leave anything in the car when you ship it. They are serious! When it lands in Limon, it will be picked clean while it sits on the dock. Mine was only there for 12 hours and they even took the headrests that were loose in the back.
Alberto
I brought my car from Texas and did not find it to be too much of a hassle. I’m sure glad to have MY vehicle here with all of the US safety standards and optional equipment.
You are going to pay ‘fees’ either directly to the government or built into the price of a nationalized car. Since all cars are charged upon entry, the prices here are significantly inflated.
Having spent 29 years in the car business, I am passionate about vehicles. What I see happening here makes my blood boil. The combination of the absence of consumer protection laws and North Americans wanting to believe what they want to believe whether it is true or not means that a lot of ‘us’ end up making a very expensive mistake on a car that looked like a bargain at the time of sale.
I’m here, I love to talk cars and I care. If anyone would like my input before making a decision about their vehicle here, feel free to write to me for free advice.
We are coming there Dec 1- April 30 to find a house in Atenas. Thought it would be better to buy a used vehicle there, because the import duty on our Tahoe would be astronomical. Would it be better to buy a year old smaller SUV and ship it there? Your advise on this would sincerely be appreciated.
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