The Costa Rica 2015 Car Show – Expomóvil 2015 – is being held right now at the Pedregal Exhibition Centre in Belen and it’s started off with a record number of car loan applications.

In the first 48 hours 33% of the 6,000 who attended the car show had applied for car loans which aren’t cheap in Costa Rica. As an example, Banco de Costa Rica is offering car loans in colones with a fixed 9% interest rate for three years, it costs about half that for a US dollar car loan but why are cars so expensive in Costa Rica?

We asked Costa Rica Tax Expert Randall Zamora why cars are so expensive in Costa Rica and here’s what he said:

“The main reason why cars are so expensive in Costa Rica is the high import duties. Here’s what happens when we look at the numbers.

• The government’s tax department adds up the cost of the new car.
• They add the cost of shipping that new vehicle to Costa Rica.
• Plus the cost of insuring that car while it’s being shipped to Costa Rica and then…
• The government adds 53% to come up with the basic ‘cost’ of a new car in Costa Rica.
• The car dealer then has to add enough of a margin for him to make a profit selling that car.

Of course if the buyer needs financing to buy the car, there will be additional expenses because the financing costs (approximately 9% in colones) are also higher, but this is why the Audi R8 V10 cost $252,000 in Costa Rica (and that’s probably a special low promotional price for the car show) which is about $100,000 more than it costs in the U.S.A.”

There are more hybrid cars on show than than ever before including:

• The Mitsubishi Outlander (4×4) is priced at $45,900 in Costa Rica and about $28,000 in the U.S.A.
• The new Toyota Camry Hybrid 2016 is priced at $48,900 in Costa Rica and about $30,000 in the U.S.A.

• The Nissan Frontier Pure Drive is priced at $36,900 in Costa Rica and about $30,000 in the U.S.A.
• The Suzuki Grand Vitara is priced at $29,000 – $36,000 (4×2 and 4×4) in Costa Rica.
• The Land Rover Discovery Sport is priced at $70,000 – $90,000 in Costa Rica and about $40,000 in the U.S.A.

Start your Spanish studies now by visiting the links to the news stories discussed in the video below:

• Expomóvil 2015 se inició con solicitud histórica de créditos
• Expomóvil abre una vitrina para exhibir lo nuevo del mercado
• Analice 10 opciones de autos de $20.000 o menos
• Policía ebrio estrelló patrulla contra casa en Desamparados

New and used up to three years old = 52.29%

From 4-5 years old = 63.92%

Six years and older = 79.26%

New and used up to three years old = 87.17%

From 4-5 years old = 98.79%

Six years and older = 113.90%

Here are ten different new car options from Cori Motors, Hyundai, Great Wall, Suzuki, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Geely, Nissan, Chevrolet y JAC for under $20,000

1. Suzuki Alto 800 (2015) = $9,900
2. Cori Motors FO GLX-I (2015) = $13,900
3. Nissan March Active (2015) = $13,900
4. Hyundai Grand i10 (2015) = $15,200
5. Chevrolet Spark Lite (2015) = $11,990

6. Geely LC 2016 (2015) = $11,900
7. Toyota Yaris Hatchback (2016) = $19,700
8. Mitsubishi Mirage (2016) = $17,900
9. JAC J2 (2014) = $11,500
10. Great Wall C20R (2014) = $15,900

If there is a specific news item you would like us to discuss, let me know by emailing me here.

This Costa Rica News highlights video was compiled by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raíces en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.