Buying a Car

I was asked by a friend how to go about buying a car in Costa Rica. I started with a simple email and then decided to expand it into a more general guide. All opinions are my own and I don’t expect everyone to agree with them but they are based on my experiences here.

Cars are EXPENSIVE and finding a decent car here is very difficult. Be prepared for sticker shock.

• The dealers charge 30% - 50% more than private parties.
• Rolling the odometer is an every day occurrence.
• A significant percentage of the cars that are brought here from the US are wrecks that have been reworked.
• If you are buying a US made car be sure to buy a CarFax on it to see if it checks out.
• Never buy the first car you see. Look, look and then look some more and after you have seen at least 5 of the model you want, make your decision.  If you are considering 3 models, that really does mean that you should look at 15 cars before you decide.

Think about your needs and the reality of living in Costa Rica. Pickups are nice to haul stuff but if you have guests and want to take a vacation, the luggage goes in the truck bed.  There are two problems with that scenario:

• You cannot leave the truck unguarded otherwise everything in the truck bed will disappear.
• Think about what happens when it rains...  So you say you will buy a camper shell.  Well, just where are you going to be able to do that???

The road conditions are so bad that you need a vehicle with large heavy duty tires. Forget the low profile sports tires as they will blow out when you hit a pot hole. We have blown out two tires in less than 4 months. When you buy tires, buy the best quality you can find. Most tires for sale in Costa Rica are junk.  Even the known brand names that are for sale here are not made to the same standards as the US.  For example:  Pirellis that last 60,000 miles in the US are available here but if you get 18,000 - 24,000 miles you are lucky. Why - The roads are bad but the real reason is that they use lower quality rubber on tires for Costa Rica than the tires they send to the US.

Don't buy a gas engine car unless monthly gas and repair bills don't bother you.  Gas here is dirty as the gas station storage tanks may have water and other crud inside them. If you buy premium gas, you will be cleaning the injectors probably once every two years at a cost of $70 - $200. If you buy regular you probably will be cleaning the injectors every 6 to 12 months. Diesel engines are much more economical, simpler to maintain, more tolerant of fuel variations and have better fuel filtration systems than the gas models.  Premium gas is over $4 per gallon and diesel is $3.70 per gallon.

What about Accidents?