Used cars

Used cars

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With winter coming, we're thinking about coming back to Ajijic. One thing we are not looking forward to, though, is the drive down from Toronto, about five days on the road.

We have been thinking that, in future years, we could leave our car in Toronto, fly down, and have a second car in Ajijic. Something used, nothing fancy (Jalisco plates would probably be a good way of blending in), just good enough to get us around locally, with the occasional trip to Guadalajara.

Does anyone have any opinions about this, and know a reliable local used-car dealer that they could recommend?

johanson

Sep 7, 2004, 3:47 PM

Post #2 of 22 (2470 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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GTA to Ajijic is a long ways to drive. I live even farther away Just south of Vancouver, in the states. I did something stupid, I went against the advice of my financial advisors and sold some Nortel and MSFT in 2000 and bought two new cars, one for the cottage up north and the other for Ajijic. (soon thereafter the market crashed)

It was the best move I ever made. This summer for example I visited my Ajijic home for one month. I drove my car to the Vancouver, BC airport. parked it there, caught a plane at noon, was picked up late that evening at the Guad airport, and got a ride to my Ajijic home where I have the other car. (hooked to a trickle charger, when I am away for several months

Your biggest challenge will be whether to buy a US or Texas plated car. (Or to bring one down from GTA.) Bubba will tell you it's best to buy a locally plated car, I suggest that isn't always the case. But that should be the subject of another STRING.

ekammin

Sep 8, 2004, 6:17 AM

Post #3 of 22 (2418 views)

Re: [johanson] Used cars

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I've heard a bit about Texas-plated cars, but there are still a few things I don't understand.

First, how would I get one? I don't live in Texas.

Secondly, what's the advantage? I would think that with Jalisco plates, nobody (police, etc.) would know I'm not Mexican, until I open my mouth, that is. With Texas plates, I'm just another gringo.

esperanza

Sep 8, 2004, 7:03 AM

Post #4 of 22 (2407 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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If your car has Jalisco plates, your car will be a car from Jalisco. You--unless you look like a Mexican (and yes, I know that's a generalization)--will always be "just another gringo" while driving or anywhere else, whether your mouth is open or not.

One advantage to having a car with Texas (or other) foreign-plated cars is the cost of insurance in Mexico. Insurance for a foreign-plated vehicle costs about half or less what it would cost you to insure the same make/model/year vehicle purchased in Mexico with Mexican plates.

Other costs which can be higher for cars with Mexican plates are registration, licensing, and taxes. Remember that a Mexican-plated car is taxed annually (and substantially) until the car is ten years old. A new or used vehicle which costs 400,000MN or less is taxed at approximately 2.7% of value for each of those ten years; depreciation is calculated very differently here than north of the border. Vehicles which cost more than 400,000MN are taxed substantially more than that.

Insurance for those temporary trips back to or through the United States is also more expensive for Mexican-registered vehicles than it is for cars with US or Canadian plates, should you decide to drive the vehicle north.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Howard Botz

Sep 8, 2004, 7:15 AM

Post #5 of 22 (2401 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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To have a foreign plated car in Mexico you would have to drive it down. It is my understanding you cannot buy a car (legally) from another gringo and keep the foreign plates. You would need to return to the US for example to make the purchase and swap titles. Then register the car when you re-enter Mexico.
Howard

Bubba

Sep 8, 2004, 8:35 AM

Post #6 of 22 (2375 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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ekammin:

If you have a U.S. plated car and want Texas plates, open a Mailboxes, Etc account and use your Laredo address to get the Texas plates. You will need a 30 day liability poilicy that will cost you about $50US and you will need a safety inspection that costs abot $25US. Then, the tax folks in Laredo will give you those plates without your having to transfer title to Texas which entails more difficulty.

We have a California plated car and a Jalisco plated car we bought in Guadalajara. Esperanza is right that this is a more expensive proposition because of taxes and insurance but we, after three years, are committed to living here and feel better with Mexican plates and Mexican driver's licenses. There is probably no advantage to having local plates but the fact is we have been pulled over by the police under false pretenses several times while driving our California plated car and never attracted the least bit of attention in our locally plated car. That may be a coincidence and is certainly no reason to incur the extra expense of buying a car locally.

The truth is we wanted a Nissan XTrail which we think is the perfect car for driving about the narrow streets of Ajijic and coping with topes when on the road. They don't sell the XTrail in the U.S. so, there you go.

Jasse

Dec 30, 2011, 4:28 AM

Post #7 of 22 (2124 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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I need a used car and have a budget of 6k-7K in mind and thought of the following as my ordering of importance;
1. Reliability, with as low a maintenance cost as possible
2. Efficient mileage per gallon (Since I don't need to do much highway traveling, good in-town gas mileage)
3. safety and a little comfort
4. Good value when I sale the car after 3-4 years.

4x4 shop

(This post was edited by Jasse on Dec 30, 2011, 4:31 AM)

Axixic

Dec 30, 2011, 6:01 AM

Post #8 of 22 (2109 views)

Re: [Jasse] Used cars

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You have a link to a 4X4 shop at the end of your post and you are asking strangers on a site for information about used cars? Does this make sense? If that is your shop obviously you know something about vehicles.

Google can give you information about low mileage vehicles, safety and resale (probably U.S. resale value.) Picking a used vehicle that won't require maintenance is up to the buyer. How are we to know if a vehicle has been abused or taken care of?

Dec 30, 2011, 8:25 AM

Post #9 of 22 (2074 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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I have a friend who finds used cars for gringos. I have two such vehicles at the moment. However, I am going to sell the 1998 Ford Explorer even though it is a great car for the local roads. In any event, I suggest a 4 cylinder stick shift for economy. I would be in contact with him at his cell number which is 333-444-0159 and his name is Craig. In his former life he was a Rolls dealer and knows the in and out of cars. He goes to the tianguis in GDL and looks for what you want within your price range. Two cars, one in Canada and one here is an excellent idea. The other poster looking set a reasonable price range. And if either of you two is looking for a Ford Explorer in excellent condition, such a deal I can make you.

RickS

Dec 30, 2011, 9:38 AM

Post #10 of 22 (2060 views)

Re: [Chapala Payaso] Used cars

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Folks, ekammin made that Post in Sept. of 2004 ! I doubt he is still in the market.....

Axixic

Dec 30, 2011, 4:51 PM

Post #11 of 22 (2019 views)

Re: [RickS] Used cars

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In Reply To

Folks, ekammin made that Post in Sept. of 2004 ! I doubt he is still in the market.....

It popped up in new posts under this post which read that Jasse is the person looking for a used car:

Jasse

Dec 30, 2011, 4:28 AM

Post #7 of 10 (103 views)

" I need a used car and have a budget of 6k-7K in mind and thought of the following as my ordering of importance; "

Most of us don't go to the start of a thread and assume the latest post is current to the thread.

don pedro

Dec 31, 2011, 3:17 PM

Post #12 of 22 (1959 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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we bought this jalisco plated car for $40,000 pesos for my wife. yes it was built for off road racing so topes meant nada.
you can get some decent cars here for under $5000 cdn so ferget bringing something from the excited states or canucklehead land. the insurance was $235 usd. same as my '88 ford ranger from alberta which looks like crap but is excellent where it counts-underneath the body. we street parked both. the vocho is now sold because wife hardly drove it.
ya don't need pretty unless yer a car snob,but i think the vocho was pretty-SNORK!. fer pretty i have my moto and it's 58 years old.
i'm sure my buddy frank [mex/merkin] in guad can find ya something. that's who got us the vocho and he's the only mechanic that touches my bike besides me.
http://chapalamexicoinfo.createforumhosting.com
naivete is a chronIc disease and by its very nature;the afflicted never know they have it.-SNORK!

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Dec 31, 2011, 5:44 PM

Post #13 of 22 (1933 views)

Re: [ekammin] Used cars

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Here is a great used car web site. You can find just about everything on here.

http://www.soloautos.com.mx/index/index.php

Bob
Inside Lakeside
http://www.insidelakeside.com

Dec 31, 2011, 8:48 PM

Post #14 of 22 (1906 views)

Re: [CanuckBob] Used cars

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If you know what to look for you can get some good buys there and in the tianguis in GDL. But if you do not have the necessary background you can also but a pile of metal. Mine came from the tianguis but through a person who knows what is what in used cars.

Rolly

Dec 31, 2011, 9:07 PM

Post #15 of 22 (1904 views)

Re: Used cars

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When you buy a car, there are a bunch of paperwork and new terms to learn.
You'll find some help here: http://rollybrook.com/buying_a_car.htm

Rolly Pirate

Dec 31, 2011, 9:18 PM

Post #16 of 22 (1900 views)

Re: [Rolly] Used cars

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Rolly, are used car dealers in Mexico legally obliged to ensure the vehicle is mechanically sound and free of any liens or encumbrances?

Bob
Inside Lakeside
http://www.insidelakeside.com

Rolly

Dec 31, 2011, 10:31 PM

Post #17 of 22 (1891 views)

Re: [CanuckBob] Used cars

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Good questions. I don't know.

Rolly Pirate

don pedro

Jan 1, 2012, 5:21 AM

Post #18 of 22 (1867 views)

Re: [CanuckBob] Used cars

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In Reply To

Rolly, are used car dealers in Mexico legally obliged to ensure the vehicle is mechanically sound and free of any liens or encumbrances?

in a word-no.
http://chapalamexicoinfo.createforumhosting.com
naivete is a chronIc disease and by its very nature;the afflicted never know they have it.-SNORK!

Jan 1, 2012, 7:43 AM

Post #19 of 22 (1857 views)

Re: [don pedro] Used cars

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That's good to know. Gracias.

Bob
Inside Lakeside
http://www.insidelakeside.com

Jan 1, 2012, 10:04 AM

Post #20 of 22 (1832 views)

Re: [CanuckBob] Used cars

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Same holds true to individuals. Also, if you buy a foreign plated car from another gingo, you cannot get the title placed in your name here, you cannot buy insurance, and the paperwork that came in with the vehicle is not valid.

Jan 1, 2012, 11:16 AM

Post #21 of 22 (1818 views)

Re: [Chapala Payaso] Used cars

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Yeah I know it is buyer beware on private transactions. The dealers in Vancouver, Canada are legally obliged to ensure the vehicle is mechanically sound, passes all emission tests and free of liens so I had wondered about Jalisco. I am looking specifically for a Mexican plated vehicle. Thanks for the info.

Bob
Inside Lakeside
http://www.insidelakeside.com

(This post was edited by CanuckBob on Jan 1, 2012, 11:18 AM)

Jan 1, 2012, 1:12 PM

Post #22 of 22 (1791 views)