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It is only necessary to provide a VIN if you want an ‘accurate’ quote. Mitsubishi makes many versions of the Galant. Some are for the Japanese market, while others are for other Asian markets, European markets, etc. I used Arden’s company (Ship Costa Rica) to bring my car here, and it was a seamlessly smooth transaction. There were no surprises. The car arrived in the exact same condition in which it left Texas. I would be far mare concerned about anyone in the shipping business who DIDN’T want to know the VIN of your vehicle. The VIN is the means by which a vehicle is classified for import, and there can be substantial differences in duties. I’m a bit puzzled about why you would not want to provide that number. It’s an absolute necessity.
You are going to pay the duties either way. If you bring a car from the US, you are going to pay the duty directly to the government here. If you buy a used vehicle here, you are going to pay the duty in the price of the vehicle.
Cars cost a lot more here. Period.
Since you are going to pay either way, wouldn’t you prefer to buy (or bring) one where you have some assurance that the odometer is right, there is no salvage or flood history and that has all the North American safety standards built in? It may cost you a little more at the time of purchase/import to have a good North American car, but it will cost you less over time in terms of repairs. It might even save your life.
As for the savings offered in the price-per-liter of diesel compared to gasoline, keep in mind that this country is about the size of West Virginia. I drive a LOT, and yet my odometer only increases by about 600 miles per month. I won’t live long enough to save enough on fuel to offset the difference in price between a diesel and gas engine. And while diesels may save you a few colones at the pump, is it really worth the difference in emissions? I nearly choke to death when following a diesel powered vehicle through the streets of San Jose.
There is no age limit on cars being imported. Every car must pass RTV, which is a safety and emissions test, but you can bring your prized ’55 Chevy if you want. I heard about a 60-something Mustang being imported where the people at RTV required a right-hand outside mirror be installed before they would pass it. With ANY vehicle being imported, you’ll want to make sure that all the lights work, the brakes are good, the tires don’t extend beyond the wheel wells, etc. There may be some special considerations for ‘classics,’ so talk to an expert before shipping to make sure that you don’t have any surprises.
Just to clarify, cars three years old and newer have the lowest import duties at 50-something percent. Four and five year old cars are next with a duty of 60-something percent and 5 year and older cars are the highest at 70-something percent.
They all have a ‘birthday’ of January 1 to the CR government, so a 2004 model will have the lowest duty from now until December 31, 2007. As of January 1, it will be considered 4 years old and the tax goes up.
This is also something to consider if you are running around on a tourist permit in a car which will have a higher duty on January 1. You’ll be ahead of the game if you nationalize it before the end of the year when the percentage goes up. The Hacienda value (the value used by the CR government to determine the taxable value) is only adjusted about once/year (never predictably), so you will probably be paying your tax based on the same value, but at a higher percentage.
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.
Sounds like a great idea to me. If you like the vehicle, you will be miles ahead by bringing it along. I would suggest that you contact Ship Costa Rica. They are very reputable and professional and can arrange to move it here with no surprises. They moved me here with my car and my furnishings and I have nothing but praises to sing about them.
I was a salesman, used car department manager and independent auto dealer for 29 years in Texas.
Hi Jessica,
There are many good 4X4s you can buy which will work well here. As far as recommending a particular model, you didn’t mention what size vehicle you want, or whether you want to buy new or used. I do recommend used, mainly because a big part of the price of a new vehicle is for the warranty. A new vehicle bought in the US will not have a warranty here, so why pay for it?
Between now and December 31, your best value is a 2004 model. The lowest duty is on cars 3 years old or less. If you think you may not get here by the end of the year, look at 2005 models (assuming that age is within your budget). 4 and 5 year old cars are the next best duty rate, while anything over 5 years will have the highest (78%, I think) import duty. They also have lower values, so they may still cost you less in real dollars.
Definitely stick with Japanese or Korean brands. American (Ford, GM and Chrysler) brands are less plentiful here, so parts will be more of an issue. A used Mitsubishi can usually be bought for less money than other comparable imports in the US, there are a lot of them here and they make some very good vehicles. Among the imports, Honda seems to be the most expensive to repair here, but they don’t break very often. Parts won’t be a big problem with almost any import unless you have a problem with an option that is not common here.
I see several key issues which lead me to believe that buying a car in CR is too risky for the average person.
1. Title history – While it is certainly true that not every car offered for sale by dealers here was wrecked or flooded before being imported, there are no consumer protection laws in place to keep the seller honest. The percentage of wrecked/flooded vehicles here is unbelievably higher than in the USA or Canada. Would you know the difference? Caveat Emptor is the rule here.
2. Odometer tampering – A previous article published on this site showed 96% of the cars imported from North America had their odometers rolled back. That is not illegal here. Even honest dealers are often forced to participate in this practice in order to compete. While I would rather have a good vehicle with 120,000 miles driven on North American roads than a similar vehicle with 50,000 kilometers driven on Costa Rican roads, I also want to know the truth about what I am buying.
3. Safety – I drive every day here. The safety of me and my passengers is of great concern to me. Driving in Costa Rica is far different than driving in Texas, and I find that I must pay 100% attention 100% of the time to avoid having an accident. Still I have many a close call. Knowing that I have side impact beams and two air bags is very comforting. Cars built for this market do not have the same standards. Not a big deal as long as I don’t have an accident, but I want to live through it if (when?) I do!
4. Equipment – OK… I’m spoiled. I don’t have to drive a Lexus here, but I do want to have the same level of creature comforts I had before. ‘Equivalent’ models here are not always equipped like their North American counterparts. I didn’t know you could buy a Landcruiser with cloth seats before I came to Costa Rica, but I see them all the time here.
I was a salesman, used car department manager and independent car dealer for 29 years in the USA. I know cars, and I don’t enjoy many things as much as I enjoy buying a good car at a bargain price. If I thought that CR cars were a better deal, I would be driving one. I don’t, and I won’t.
I’m sure that David means well, but his information is misleading if not inaccurate. While it is true that the import duties for vehicles over 5 years old are now 78% of the value, those vehicles have lower values. As a result, your duty expense is still less on an older vehicle than on a newer model.
Further, the Costa Rica value is not based on Black Book values. The Black Book is a wholesale guide used by auto dealers in the USA and is published with regional values which vary across the states. The Costa Rica government may reference the Black Book when setting the value of a vehicle, I don’t know. I do know, however, that they have their own list of values which has nothing to do with mileage, condition, damage, etc. A 2004 Toyota Camry LE has ONE value in the eyes of the CR government – whether it has 10,000 miles or 500,000 kilometers – whether it is in mint condition or is totaled. The equipment level will impact the value, but that’s it.
I was a salesman, used car department manager and independent car dealer in the USA for 29 years. I used the Black Book on a daily basis, and it is very subjective in its approach. With four values per model (Xtra Clean, Clean, Average and Rough), it simply does not fit the CR one value approach.
Hi Gerry,
When you say Toyota Landcruiser Hardtop, I think you are writing about a very old vehicle, not the modern Landcruisers we see roaming the streets of Escazu in great numbers. If this is the case, I think that you have some excellent advice in the previous posts.
If you are talking about a modern Landcruiser, however, there are only two ways to make sure that you are getting the best vehicle for your money. 1.) Buy one before you come, use all the standard precautions you would use when buying any vehicle, then ship it here with a reputable company (I recommend Ship Costa Rica). 2.) Buy a fresh North American import here with a CarFax or AutoCheck report confirming the odometer and title history.
As previously noted in this thread and supported by articles in this publication, used vehicles here are a gamble unlike anything you have ever experienced. Odometer tampering and the absence of prior damage disclosure are the norm here. Vehicles purchased new in Costa Rica, although they look the same as the North American models, are not the same. The safety standards are not the same. The equipment offerings are not the same. Used Tico vehicles have spent their entire lives on Tico roads, so the wear and tear per mile/kilometer is far greater here than in North America.
I spent 29 years as a salesman, used car department manager and independent car dealer in the USA. I thought I had seen everything until I came to Costa Rica. The lack of consumer protection laws results in a very dangerous car buying environment.
If anyone would like my input before purchasing a vehicle here, I’ll be happy to offer free advice. You can write to me at ken@discountplasticbags.com.
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 run my own company from my home. All I need is a phone, a high speed internet connection and an airport. We’ve got all 3 of those, and the health care and cost of living are mighty nice perks, too!
Has this page gone off-topic, or WHAT? I must admit, however, that I like the new topic better than the original. I’m a 49 year-old Gringo who is moving to Escazu in August. I’m just hoping to find an attractive, early 40’s Tica who will appreciate the fact that I earn a living, treat her respectfully, won’t hit her and won’t sleep around on her. U.S. society (especially in large, urban areas) has become a ridiculous social puzzle in which to try to participate. In some ways it’s like high school… The good looking women gravitate to the successful, attractive men. The rest of the women get fat and angry, and are usually in denial about both. ALL the men gravitate to the good looking women. It’s just an evening variation of the daily rat race. Let me outta here!
(OK… I’ll sit patiently awaiting the beating I’m bound to take now that I have written what all of us mature singles know.)
The idea of locking all the luggage down is a good one if you don’t mind the extra hassle. As for my passport and money, I have an Eagle Creek Travel Gear pouch that I wear around my neck and keep stuffed inside my shirt. If I don’t over-fill it, it is pretty unnoticeable. Having been several times without a single incident, however, I may have been lulled into a false sense of security. I spent a week there this month with my wallet in my back pocket just like I was in Dallas. Nothing happened to it, but in retrospect, I think I may have been a little careless. I do keep the majority of my cash in the hotel safe, so nobody is ever going to wipe me out. I also carry a COPY of my passport, while the original is in the safe. This, of course, only works when I’m checked in somewhere. When traveling between various locations between hotels, I don’t know what could be done to totally insure safety.
I have always rented from Rent-A-Cell in the Payless Car Rental Office behind the Denny’s across from the airport. They have a couple of plans from which you can choose, depending on whether you plan to call internationally or just within Costa Rica. They have always been very reasonably priced, friendly and their service reliable.
