Most popular cars/SUVs?

Afgan

New member
Mar 29, 2009
370
27
0
Good morning dear DR.1 members!

I am a new member!

Thank you for all the valuable information and advice.

I have a question if permitted.

We were in Sosua two times and like it here despite some current crime-related issues. In the fall we are coming for two+ months for language study. We need some local tranasportation around Sosua.

Paying about $2000 rent for something like used Chevr Spark or Kia Picante seems stupid.

Used car prices here are shocking and quality and mileage of vehicles are questionable. So we do not want to buy locally for two months either.

So we decided to buy and bring a quality, proven, reliable vehicle with us from US and to sell it here after two months of light use. We are ready and prepared to go through Customs/port challenges and rip-off. We have a honest friend here to leave the car with her and to keep selling after our departure. We know that by law the car must be five years old or newer and without accident history.

In this regard we have a question for respected long time Dominican residents - What are five most popular/desirable cars/SUVs in this country? The ones that will be the fastest and easiest to sell at a fare price when we do not need it any longer?

Is 4x4 necessary here? Or 4x2 with high ground clearance will be enough?

Thank you very much in advance for care to share the important info and advice!
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
732
113
Anything Japanese.

A Honda CRV will sell in a heartbeat if it's a good one at the right price.
 

jalencastro

Bronze
Dec 15, 2004
1,938
104
63
www.myspace.com
i was going to suggest the Honda CRV but now that i think of it Mitsubishi makes a ton of 4 x 4 and or SUVs that are very common in DR but that i have never seen in the states. i think i remember seeing a mitsubishi pickup truck a few times too, anyone know the name of that vehicle?
for driving around la capital i like Mitsubishi [Lancer especially]
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i am not a car expert but common sense says you would have to bring something that sells. you can bring 4WD or normal jeep, they will both sell well providing you choose:
honda crv
mitsubishi montero
these two will be easiest to sell. you could also do with toyota rav4/landcruiser.
for a normal sedan go for toyota corolla/camry or honda civic.
hope you enjoy driving!
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
most popular mitsubishi pickup is L200. new version is L200 sportero.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i like L200 sportero better. very feminine shape. definitely my future car (when i gain some confidence and money LOL)
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
depending on how old is the car. supercarros lists prices of sportero at around 30-40k dollars. few years old L200 is 400-500k pesos.
if OP wants a pickup (good for transporting goods and ever popular in DR) i would suggest L200 or nissan frontier or toyota hilux/tacoma. all sell well.
for the OP, link to supercarros, this should give you a good idea as to what prices you can expect upon selling the car:
http://www.supercarros.com/reg/do/home.aspx
 

Afgan

New member
Mar 29, 2009
370
27
0
L200 is not available in the States.
Landcruiser - too much funds to invest.
So probably we will go for 2005 CR-V or RAV4.

Any color best preference in this country?

Does leather interior brings an additional $1500 to the price?
Or better to buy a cheaper cloth interior?

Does it make sense to buy a more expensive low mileage car with all papers to prove the miles? Or people here do not trust odometer anyway and we should bue much cheaper high miles in perfect condition?

Smart buyer will pay premium for low miles. Greedy one - will go for a cheaper high mileage. Who are Dominican buyers? Smart? Or greedy?

Sorry for so many questions!

I appreciate your time and support!! If in the end we lose one grand or two - it is not a big deal. We want to try our chances.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
colour - white or silver metallic would probably be the best.
i would not splash on leather interior, crv and rav4 are small and cheap jeeps (relatively). but do get tinted windows :)
dunno about mileage, sorry...
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
I appreciate your time and support!! If in the end we lose one grand or two - it is not a big deal. We want to try our chances.


I hope you realize you will wind up losing a lot more than a "grand or two" on this importing experiment.

You are seriously better of buying a nice late model Jeepeta from someone leaving the country that took care of their car.

There are a number of threads on the subject on this site worth reading.

Good luck!
 

ffritz

New member
Feb 7, 2008
463
30
0
www.gymbar.blogspot.com
I would agree with the other posters - Japanese sell best & they can mostly take the unique abuse this countrys' roads offer.

We bought a Mitsubishi Montero Sport after seeing dozens of them on the roads over here & noted they were mostly in good condition. After all they are based on the full-fat Montero & that won the Paris-Dakar Rally several times.

As regards the L200 Sportero ....... in white it looks like Elton Johns' Passion-wagon lol
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
3,480
732
113
L200 is not available in the States.
Landcruiser - too much funds to invest.
So probably we will go for 2005 CR-V or RAV4.

Any color best preference in this country?

Does leather interior brings an additional $1500 to the price?
Or better to buy a cheaper cloth interior?

Does it make sense to buy a more expensive low mileage car with all papers to prove the miles? Or people here do not trust odometer anyway and we should bue much cheaper high miles in perfect condition?

Smart buyer will pay premium for low miles. Greedy one - will go for a cheaper high mileage. Who are Dominican buyers? Smart? Or greedy?

Sorry for so many questions!

I appreciate your time and support!! If in the end we lose one grand or two - it is not a big deal. We want to try our chances.

Mileage doesn't make a jot of difference here. I wouldn't trust the readings of any odo's here, they've all been wound back. Even those that have the newer digital ones. Most dealers will have a pet mechanic with a laptop that will easily take off several tens of thousands of miles.

The Domincans are suckers for anything with extra toys. If it says Full or Limited all's the better and can command a higher premium. So leather, yes, pumping sound system, yes. Alarm that plays the Dominican national anthem, yes, bling wheels, yes. tinted windows, yes.

Doesn't matter if the car has a blown head gasket or uses gallons of oil, if it is loaded with the above then it will sell.

One thing to note though, is if you are selling to a Dominican, he might bring along his pet mechanic. This mechanic will take off the oil filler cap whilst the engine is running and suck in his teeth and say that it's "baja en precion" and that your engine is shot. That's without even doing a compression check!

So seller beware!
 

ExtremeR

Silver
Mar 22, 2006
3,078
328
0
Cars: Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry.
SUV: Mitsubishi Montero, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
Just a thought!

Why not hire a full time driver with a late model Jeepeta for less than what you will lose on the import tax and sale of an imported vehicle?

I'll be your driver for two months for $7,500!

tambo'
 

Afgan

New member
Mar 29, 2009
370
27
0
a little gambling

We truly appreciate the good advice of respected experienced DR.1 members.

We are aware of the possible pitfalls , but just willing to take some risk. In the worst case scenario if we cannot recuperate our costs we just keep it for ourselves as we visit this country with pleasure and regularly. We have a place here to keep it safely for free.

In our last two visits we spent on renting semi-junk Picante/Spark over $2000. So just in six-seven years we will be even if spend 15G on a good vehicle.

Ten days ago a friend of ours sold a 2001 RAV4 for $14 500 in less than a week. With two accidents and lot of body work and paint job.

A high quality 2005 RAV4 from the Sates without accidents should cost us not more than $16 000- $17 000 including everything (purchase at Manheim, shipping, Customs, bribes, rip-off, etc)

Of course we`ll do first a very good home work with DR Consulate in NY. We have six months for this.

And we keep relying on further wise advice of respected and valued DR.1 members, posters and their friends and loved ones.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
Well, someone I know who decided to leave the country recently sold a 2005 Suzuki Gran Vitara which he had bought for US$14,000 only a few months previously for the grand total of US$10,000 and it took about 3 months to shift.