Buying a car

piranha

New member
Jul 20, 2007
21
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0
Hi there. I am a new member to DR1, currently living in the UK but moving out to the DR in the next 2-3 months. Firstly, like many others, I?d like to say a massive thank you to DR1 and all you forum members ? the site is hugely helpful and massively appreciated! Keep up the good work!

I do still have a few questions though and I have posted a few different messages across the forum ? I hope you guys don?t mind and I really hope that you can help me out. I have spent many hours reading through the whole site and message boards thoroughly - and used the search button! - in the hope that I don?t waste anyone?s time or ask the same questions yet again! (Some questions are similar though!)?


Buying a car:
I am going to be living and working in and around Punta Cana / Bavaro. Ideally, I would prefer a 4x4 type of a vehicle but due to a limited budget, a car will be more realistic. For availability of parts and servicing, I would be looking for a Honda, Toyota etc. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn?t want a nearly new car, due to the inevitable bumps and scratches it will pick up. I?d be happy with an older, basic car, in less than perfect condition as long as it has air conditioning and is reliable. It would need to be able to do 40-50 miles per day and the occasional longer journey.

I have been reassured by a couple of friends from that area that US$3,000 should be fine to buy a car like this. However, having read several posts on DR1, people talk of needing to spend at least twice that just to get a car that works!

I have searched on super-carros.com for vehicles but am very confused? A 2004 Lexus RX330 4x4 RD$42,500! A 2002 Ford Explorer XLS 4x4 RD$55,000! A 1988 Honda Accord RD$68,000! A 1986 Toyota Corolla RD$70,000! The prices do not seem to make any sense to me! What am I missing (my Spanish is, at present, almost non existent so maybe this is per month?!) Please help!


- Is US$3,000 realistic? If not, exactly what is? (The more details, the better).

- Can anyone recommend or suggest any reputable car dealers in the Punta Cana area (if not, as near as possible to this area ? a good quality car dealer would be worth a drive)


Many thanks.
 

james

Active member
Jan 14, 2002
407
16
38
I think you have missread some of those. I beleive I have seen the the same ads. Some are US$ not pesos (like the Lexus) and some like the Ford Explorer they have obviously misprinted and left out a Zero..and its in pesos...and that would be about the right price.($550,000Rd and not $55,000.Rd)
 

SamanaJon

New member
Jun 20, 2007
193
2
0
Cars/Automobiles

No $3,000 USD is not realistic. That will not buy anything that you can drive 50 miles/day reliably. You should stiuck with a simple car, I recommend Toyota or Honda. Both very popular and decent cars for the area. Get a car that is economical.. fuel is very expensive. diesel $120/gal and gasoline $160/gal and going up ...($33 pesos/$1.00 USD)
You may want to get a small diesel 4 door truck (Toyota Hilux). I have one ..excellent vehicle and economical to boot. You can get a good used one for perhaps $12-18K USD 2003 or older. Easy to repair and parts are everywhere. Forget any fancy cars, if a real repair problem occurs, it will have to be fixed in Santo Domingo. That is, placed on a flatbed tow in Bavaro and taken to the "Big City"...expensive. Buget min. $10K USD for the most minimal car/truck. Prices in classified are in USD o pesos. It can be confusing at times.
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
1,574
70
0
I have noticed that sometimes on super-carros, high end vehicles which are intended to be quoted in dollars are erroneously quoted in pesos, and show up first when ordered in lowest to highest price. They are just typos.

40-50 miles a day is a lot of driving; over 15,000 a year on Dominican roads. You can get an older vehicle in good shape for 3-5000 USD, but I wouldn't trust it if I needed to drive that much.
 
B

batich

Guest
Hi there. I am a new member to DR1, currently living in the UK but moving out to the DR in the next 2-3 months. Firstly, like many others, I?d like to say a massive thank you to DR1 and all you forum members ? the site is hugely helpful and massively appreciated! Keep up the good work!

I do still have a few questions though and I have posted a few different messages across the forum ? I hope you guys don?t mind and I really hope that you can help me out. I have spent many hours reading through the whole site and message boards thoroughly - and used the search button! - in the hope that I don?t waste anyone?s time or ask the same questions yet again! (Some questions are similar though!)?


Buying a car:
I am going to be living and working in and around Punta Cana / Bavaro. Ideally, I would prefer a 4x4 type of a vehicle but due to a limited budget, a car will be more realistic. For availability of parts and servicing, I would be looking for a Honda, Toyota etc. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn?t want a nearly new car, due to the inevitable bumps and scratches it will pick up. I?d be happy with an older, basic car, in less than perfect condition as long as it has air conditioning and is reliable. It would need to be able to do 40-50 miles per day and the occasional longer journey.

I have been reassured by a couple of friends from that area that US$3,000 should be fine to buy a car like this. However, having read several posts on DR1, people talk of needing to spend at least twice that just to get a car that works!

I have searched on super-carros.com for vehicles but am very confused? A 2004 Lexus RX330 4x4 RD$42,500! A 2002 Ford Explorer XLS 4x4 RD$55,000! A 1988 Honda Accord RD$68,000! A 1986 Toyota Corolla RD$70,000! The prices do not seem to make any sense to me! What am I missing (my Spanish is, at present, almost non existent so maybe this is per month?!) Please help!


- Is US$3,000 realistic? If not, exactly what is? (The more details, the better).

- Can anyone recommend or suggest any reputable car dealers in the Punta Cana area (if not, as near as possible to this area ? a good quality car dealer would be worth a drive)


Many thanks.

From contacts with many people from different parts of DR who invested alot of effort and funds into search of a good reliable used vehicle (and finally asked to buy for them and ship from a wholesale NY dealers` auction ) I came to conclusion that this mission in DR is practically impossible.

99% of all used vehicles that are sold in DR have obvious or hidden salvage history and grossly rolled-back odometers. Add to this poor quality of DR roads, lack of quality shop equipment that is needed for modern high-tech cars, and lack of enforcement regarding quality of gas - and verdict is clear: "Chances of buying a quality reliable used car in DR are same as winning a lottery"

If you have money - buy new with warranty.

Or at least buy used but from a regulated US auction for licensed dealers only.

In both cases expecting to spend for a decent vehicle less than 20-25G (US !!) is not realistic.

MHO (based on eight years in car shipping/export business)
 

piranha

New member
Jul 20, 2007
21
0
0
Any other feedback??

Thanks for the replies. I'd still really like to hear from any other forum members who might be able to offer me any advice.

As in previous posts, such a wide range in what you might realistically have to spend to get a car... from US$10,000 right up to US$20,000+. That is a BIG difference.


james: Aaaah... Thank you. That makes things alot clearer!

Phil&Gerry: To the point. Thanks. Although as I said, I was kind of thinking of a 10 year old car not a 4 year old car - which would obviously go some way to explaining my idea on budget.

SamanaJon: Great feedback - thank you. Again, I was thinking of a much older car than 2003... if there is ony still out there in the DR still running!

sweetdbt: Thanks for your suggestion and thoughts regarding mileage.

batich: You have explained alot. I can now see that maybe finding a 10 year old car isn't so much the issue... more the things that go with a car of that age (winding back of mileage, salvage etc). Even in the UK - which is fair from cheap on anything to do with motoring - I easily could pick up a suitable car for $3000. But I would probably have far more idea exactly what I was getting in the UK! Unfortuntaly, US$20-25,000 is not feasible at all - do not have the budget and to be honest, I wouldn't want to drive or park US$20,000+ worth of car just about anywhere in the DR!!! Thanks very much for the reply though.


Thanks again everyone.
 

Kiboko

New member
Dec 26, 2006
75
0
0
Hi Piranha,

We paid around US$4,000 for my little 10 year old Nissan March (called a Micra in the UK). Apart from having to buy a new battery, it hasn't given me any problems, but I only use it to get myself around Santo Domingo and never take it very far out of the city. I would want something sturdier if I was going to travel very far each day.
 

SamanaJon

New member
Jun 20, 2007
193
2
0
Based on your initial posting, don't plan on buying a car for <$10K USD that your can rely on for 50 miles daily driving and forget a 4X4.You are asking for too much. Live closer to work or take public transportation. A decent 10 year old car in the DR will be difficult to find. Be very careful selecting a seller, as most sellers cannot be trusted. Most people here do not know or understand car maintenance, therefore oil & filters have not been changed routinely. A gallon of multigrade motor oil is approx $500 pesos.
 

piranha

New member
Jul 20, 2007
21
0
0
Thank you!

Thanks for the responses and info guys - very much appreciated.

Kiboko: Oh my god!... US$4,000 for a 10 year old Nissan March/Micra. With average mileage, in good condition, bought from a garage (not privately) in the UK, the car is currently worth about ?700 / US$1,400! Quite a difference. Thanks for the advice regarding price and getting something more suitable for out of town driving.

SamanaJon: More sound and detailed advice. Good stuff. Thanks.

I hope you've all had a good weekend.
 

allesfantastisch

New member
Jul 14, 2018
15
0
0
Thanks for the responses and info guys - very much appreciated.

Kiboko: Oh my god!... US$4,000 for a 10 year old Nissan March/Micra. With average mileage, in good condition, bought from a garage (not privately) in the UK, the car is currently worth about �700 / US$1,400! Quite a difference. Thanks for the advice regarding price and getting something more suitable for out of town driving.

SamanaJon: More sound and detailed advice. Good stuff. Thanks.

I hope you've all had a good weekend.

Yeah... A very cold bottle of Coca Cola in a dessert can be worth 100.000 USD........

If you move to DR on a shoe string budget life will not be too fantastic.