I think that i will try and take some rides this summer, if I can find the time.
Quite frankly, I have never ridden on Caribe Tours. I know a lot of my Judo kids take Espinal to Santo Domingo--it is the cheapest, and will let them off at the Olympic Center--and I have heard anecdotal tales of how Espinal never gets past Bonao without breaking down...but those are reports...
I have had, in the distant past, some horrific rides on Metro, especially when the Duarte Highway was undergoing repairs...one time we were sent to Santiago in an urban service bus, with hard seats...an no a/c of course...But that is all in the past--at least for the Santiago-Santo Domingo run....those new buses are equipped with automatic transmissions and very good A/C...
HB