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I keep thinking a Jeep Wrangler is the perfect Costa Rica car but don’t recall seeing a lot of them there. Neither can I find a dealer in the country which makes me concerned about parts. Does anybody know the pros and cons of this particular vehicle?
i had a neighbor who had one — everytime the thing went into the shop it took a month to get the parts. certain brands of american cars are not that popular here for just that reason. stick to toyota, hyundai, mitsubishi, etc. for mountain driving here, you’d be better off with a stick shift, too. otherwise you will spend a fortune on brakes and eventually the transmission.
KIA Sorento has become a popular SUV in N.America, anyone seen any of these on CR roads? Are there are KIA dealers in Costa Rica.
Jeep, KIA Sorento, and KIA Sportage are all popular vehicles in Costa Rica. There are Jeep and KIA Dealerships and parts and maintenance are readily available. The only thing to be aware of is that models imported new into Costa Rica are not the same as the new models in the U.S. of the similar vehicle. Maintenance and parts for U.S. models can be difficult to get in CR.
I don’t know why anyone would prefer a Jeep over a Toyota anywhere in the world, let alone in Costa Rica. Toyotas have better quality and, in Costa Rica, have a better parts supply chain.
So I see a new Kia Sorento costs $33000 likely a base price, these these similar to US costs.
So the questions, will there now be an import duty cost on top of those quoted prices.
I’m thinking maybe better to use local dealer for better service etc and parts etc.
Each vehicle brand has one importer and seller in Costa Rica. The Jeep importer is AutoStar:
Were it mine to do, I’d consider another make and model for Costa Rica. Unless you’re planning to live or travel way off the beaten path, the capabilities a Wrangler brings would be more than offset by the size of the vehicle, the comfort of the ride, and the fact that no one locally will have parts. Most local mechanics will not have seen many and are unlikely to have the special tools, manuals, etc that would get the vehicle repaired promptly.
As someone has noted above, there are lots of Toyotas, Nissans, Land Rovers and the like seen here. I’d be thinking along those lines, were it mine to do.
I have been looking for a car since I spend 6-8 months here and have researched makes and models out the kazoo–on internet this site and others and with friends who have been here years and mechanics from Jaco and in SJ, and almost everyone I talked to said stay away from Jeeps here–parts hard to get etc. All said Toyota or Hyundai. Some said Nissan but my best buddy has Nissan and I have to bring parts from US everytime I come so if you go Nissan make sure it is not US Nissan–don’t know where CR Nissans are made but hear they are ok. I bought Hyundai and no problems at all with parts and service. Pura Vida Pawdna!
What’s with all the Costa Cajuns on here? We’re from Lafayette and have a place between Dominical & San Isidro in the mountains. I guess we’re accustomed to the rain, greenery and great seafood.
As for cars, our place is a pretty rugged area, so we bought a 77 Land Rover, we love it. We’ve been able to bring our parts down so far, but for the older Series III models parts are hard to find in any country. We don’t live here full time so we’re back and forth more than full-timers so we just haul them down.
We should form a “Costa Rican Cajuns” group so we can all stay in touch. I know there’s another one of us down in Orontina (sp) he’s from Mandeville/Covington area… lots around Jaco because of the fishing.
Good luck to you.
B
I agree with chasebeagle2000. In CR there are 1000’s of Hyundai’s and 100’s of dealers selling Hyundai parts, which means that based on supply and demand, their cost is low. Almost all mechanics work on these motors because there are so many operating throughout CR.
I’ve lived and worked here for 18 years and have owned various vehicles over the years and have many friends who have had experiences, good and bad with vehicles here. I’ve seen how often the old Galloper’s, Trooper’s and Montero’s need suspension parts replaced.
The best vehicles in my opinion are the older Range Rovers. They were manufactured for rough terrain and the suspension is superior to most, with independent springs for all 4 wheels. (Prior to 1991). Additionally, the Range four wheel drive transmission works like a tank.
The trick is to remove the old Rover engine and replace it with a turbo diesel Hyundai motor that gets exceptional mileage.
I bought a Range that had been modified and for the past four years I’ve been enjoying a great ride and exceptional fuel economy. Furthermore, because there are so many Hyundai’s in CR there are hundreds of mechanics who work on them and the Hyundai parts are widely distributed throughout CR and are much less expensive than Range Rover, Toyota and Nissan. Additionally, Range Rovers have spacious interiors and are very comfortable for full grown people.
Never notice any Subaru’s as well, which is now the #1 line. The Korean cars (Hyundai actually owns Kia) have risen dramatically in quality. The best off-road, dependable rig I ever owned was a Toyota truck with a 22R motor. Rovers are suspect for dependability and gas hogs. The Kia Sportage / Hyundai Tucson here runs about $21,000, Sorrento / Santa Fe $30,000. The 3.0 diesel VW Toureg is an awesome off road, luxury vehicle, but $60,000 here.
I have to jump in on the Range Rover recommended. They are British vehicles. I have owned many British vehicles and, while I love the way the drive and look , mechanically, they are crap. I have owned various Brit makes from Mini Cooper, MG, Triumph to Jaguar. I never learned my lesson and kept buying British. My last two cars were Mini Cooper s’s. I have gone back to Toyota (FJ Cruise).
Yeah, put a Japanese motor in a Range Rover and maybe you have something. On the other hand, get a Toyota FJ Cruiser, and you don’t have to replace the motor and you can go anywhere a Rover can go.
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