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My husband sold his Lexus 350 to the first person! We are now looking to purchase the car/suv we will ship with us. (Already know all the pros and cons about shipping a car and have made the decision). Can anyone address the availability of good repair services for: Jeep, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner or Honda CR-V. Your replies would be sincerely appreciated – we are in the acquisition stage right now.
Toyota is by far the most popular car in Costa Rica out of the brands you mention…
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comI had very bad luck bring down a Nissan Xterra. While Nissan is all over the place here, the Nissans made here are different. My parents have a Ford and have had good luck with their car and bringing it down. The Nissan Agency is Sabana would not even look at my old car because it was not from Costa Rica. Be aware of this. Also, the major issue is getting parts for the cars that are shipped here. Every time I had an issue with the Xterra, I had to get parts from Florida. Not very convenient.
Historically, Pathfinders have been rated by US auto magazines to have the best ride, if that’s a consideration for you. Toyota’s of the last 3 years or so ride real nice as well. Toyota’s are a bit more reliable. I often hear that the best SUV’s to purchase are (lightly) used by folks living in the SJ area, perhaps 3-5 years old. SUV’s in oulying areas have often taken a beating. Buyer beware!
ps CRV’s are not for off roading and will not last long if used for that task! Jeeps, I wouldn’t consider them for CR due to lesser reliability and relative scarcity.
Edited on Jun 08, 2009 18:25
Edited on Jun 08, 2009 18:26
Edited on Jun 08, 2009 18:27
I just moved here April 1 and bought a 2007, Daihatsu BeGo (aka Terrio). It is a small 4×4 that has a huge luggage capacity when rear seats are folded into floor. The 4WD works well and really is advised for CR roads. My only complaint is that the engine a tad underpowered. When traveling the back roads from San Ramon to Atenas, I had to stay (pretty much) in first gear as I climbed through the hilly country side. Gas mileage is incredible… 30+ MPG.
Can you tell me more. Like how much did it cost? I recently drove one for abput 20 minutes and was impressed with the overall tightness of the vehicle. It seems well made.
it was a 2007. good shape. only 33000 km. owner was asking 17500. i got it for 15500. seemed like a good deal (for CR). I would like to have had cruise control but you can’t get everything. its a very good car and perfect for CR. tight turning radius. easy to drive. appears to be well made and is easily serviced.
As always – go to this forum for the BEST input. I am looking at a 1984 Toyota Landcruiser with pretty low miles for the year (160K – it was garaged for seven years). The upside is that this thing is a BEAST – will go anywhere…the downside is the gas mileage @ 15MPG and it doesn’t go very fast. They have a tendency to do about 70-75 mph without too much difficulty. Is this top speed an issue on the autopista???? It is in excellent condition and I can pick it up really cheap. Any thoughts on this specific model?????
The Landcruiser is indeed a Beast. There are lots of them here and are popular with farmers who use them like tractors. Hauling coffee, water tanks, trailers full of dirt, etc. 75 mph on the autopista will get you a ticket as the posted limit is 60-100kmh. Most driving in Costa Rica is between 60 and 80 kmh.
The money you save on a good deal will help pay for the poor fuel mileage, but don’t worry, fuel efficiency here is a myth. You are either going up a hill or down the other side. Because it is a small country you don’t drive as far, (although you will spend as much time stuck in traffic).
Be very wary of ANY vehicle that’s been sitting undriven for a long time. Over time, the oil tends to drain out of the bearings and there can be a great deal of wear when it’s started up. What’s more, the circulating oil, coolant, transmission, brake, power steering and other fluids all have lubricative functions. When those fluids are not circulating, they are not keeping the various seals and gaskets lubricated and soft. Such a vehicle may require a lot of work to render reliable again.
Thanks David and I agree! But the guy I am buying it from has already taken that hit. It has been up and running (reliably) for over a year! Sounds as if this will be a good car for us there. The hubby is already excited as he can drive it up to Moab for the next big mountain biking event in a few months. These are very, very cool with the mountain biking guys. So he will get the juice of being a cool (older) dude before we ship it off to Costa Rica. We are also paying very little for the vehicle – even better as we will have to bear the import duties and shipping and all the other fun fees.
The Landcruiser is now in our hot little hands and with the help of Arden at ShipCostaRica, I now know the total cost for getting it “in-country”. Considering the purchase price, a real bargain. Thanks to you all for the great input.
I have lived here since 1992 and for the first six years I survived the lack of infrastructure in Guanacaste. Having ridden in many vehicles and listened to the stories about replacement parts as well as the service-ability of various different vehicles, I will share with you the following: Toyota and Nissan service and parts are the most expensive. Ford and many other local dealers will only service what they sell and many times will not sell their auto parts to the general public unless you allow them to perform the installation at very expensive prices. The best and most comfortable vehicle I have found for the roads in CR is a pre-1995 Range Rover. After 1995 they installed hydraulic suspension components that fail quickly and are expensive to replace. I bought a 1988 Range Rover in good condition, with RTV, for $5000 and removed the old gasoline motor and installed a Hyundai 4 cylinder turbo diesel at a cost of $5000. I recently drove from Belen to San Isidro General and back for C16,000 colones in fuel. That’s 8 hours in the mountains for $45.00. A 4×4 with a gas motor would have cost at least $100 of fuel. Plus the durability of the old Range Rover suspension is incredible and the Hyundai motor auto parts are available all over the country and are the least expensive. Tuanis!
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