Proper Prior Planning ...

@DancingLions....Something tells us this is not true.......Try again !....Nobody is that dumb to ship everything down here to Costa Rica and be renters...If doesn't workout, like it so often does for Americans, then you have to ship it all back....

DancingLions, if you had a good experience with a Costa Rica-based shipper, I would suggest that you go back to him or her to manage shipping a vehicle here from the States. If you give the shipper the Vehicle Identification Number of the vehicle you're admiring, then the importer can give you a very accurate estimate of the total cost of shipping, import duties, and other government fees.

@daveandmarcia

Thanks! We're already working with them to plan the shipment. They've been a fountain of accurate information.

@DancingLions

Good to hear something positive and  want to share something  hes  not only helps others.  I am are retired army F  SGT in 1968 was selected to attend the NCO  academy as was taught two things that i attribute to my success in life.  Selected sounds like i was special but the truth was i actually was.  i have forgotten about what I learned except for two one was seven ps  PRIOR PROPER PLANNING PREVENT PISS POOR PERFORMANCE BUT IF YOU HAVE  A LADY IN AUDIENCE IT IS THE SEVEN P'S P'S PRIOR PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERORMANCE  THE OTHER THING WAS PERSUAVE LEADERSHIP  EXAMPLE INSTEAD OF MICROMAGING GIVE A PERSON A CHANCE TO SCREW UP COMBINE 7 PS WITH PERSUAVE LEADERSHIP INSTEAD OF BELITTING SOMEONE GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO SCREW UP.  Since it was their neck on the line they make an assigned task work  An on the 7ps i made my share of mistakes i ate a lot crow when i did screw up,  My people were happy people  where personel other batteries were begging to serve with my Battery could pick from the cream of the crop  i won 4 back to back superior unit awards. that had happen only two times and i was honored to be one of them   the seven's played a big part.   meanwhile back at the farm you post was very informative and helpful.  I am just starting my planning and i keep hearing that name and it is always good.  thanks

DancingLions, above I should have added that importing a vehicle of a brand and model that's commonly seen here will avoid some headaches.

Many mechanics here are fully competent, but their familiarity has its limits. Too, parts are always an issue. Costa Rican mechanics and others are mindful of the cost of inventory, so whether you need just an oil change or a new alternator, it will likely come from San Jose and be shipped to your nearest intercity bus terminal, then to your mechanic. That means that even the simplest repairs and services can take more than a day. Add to that some unfamiliar brand or model and time will pass slowly.

It might be well to have any vehicle you settle on in the States fully serviced before it's shipped. Change every fluid and filter. Put on new windshield wipers. Be sure the tires are in excellent condition. Have someone competent inspect all the belts and hoses.

@daveandmarcia

We were thinking a Honda CR-V AWD. Regarding your comment, hybrid or not?

We're back in the States for six weeks while I finish shutting down my chocolate shop. A big party for our regulars on October 3rd, a few weeks of wrapping up, then back in CR for good. We plan to purchase the car within the next couple of weeks.

I get the parts challenge. A Tico friend asked me to pick up a couple of minor parts for his Suzuki, since they're hard to get in CR.

@HOMERFROMLAWTON

I was familiar with the first six words of the phrase ;- )

Above, you wrote, "We were thinking a Honda CR-V AWD."

You see plenty of Honda CR-Vs here, but no or very few hybrids. That's a whole 'nother level of complication that the local support system is unlikely to be familiar with. Dunno if the one Honda importer here has ever brought a hybrid into the country. If not, parts and service??

I also question whether or not the AWD capability is really necessary. (That from one who's wedded to Subarus that only come "pre-AWD'd".) For the first thirteen years, we drove a Hyundai Terracan with 4-wd high range and low and only engaged the 4-wd once to pull someone out of a deep puddle. I think AWD will reduce your gas mileage, but Costa Rica isn't that big, so it may not matter. On the other hand, gas is expensive.

Question: Have you come to grips with the import duty implications for bringing in a vehicle? They're the same for everyone, private citizens and used car dealers.

someone correct me if I am wrong, but i read where the import laws were changed in 2021 to encourage more people to move to Costa Rica.  more people means more tax income.  My understanding is I can bring two vehicles example 2 cars 1 car 1 motorcycle , 1 motorcycle 1 boat.  initial import tax is 30% and if you sale the vehicle you pay 30% of the value it was the day you sold it, and if you still have the vehicle in ten year you pay 30% of the value of ten years.  the way I see it importing is the cheapest way to go, but if you buy a car there you don't have any import cost. we plan to move there next year and unless i learn something different i am bringing two new cars.  i plan to put both of them in a 40 ft shipping container.  Using a shipping container the size of the container  determines the cost of shipping.  I am still trying to sort out the cost from my house in Corpus Christi Tx pickup and delivery somewhere around Lake Arnela.  If i decide to sale the shipping container i can sell it and get maybe 75% of what i paid.  Another option is tow a vehicle behind a motor home (for all you fear mongers who have negative stuff to say don't-  I am in contact with people from other sites that make the trip regular.  They are where the rubber hits the road-according to the state department Costa Rica, UK and most of the European countries are also=my way of saying i don't want to hear anything unless you have made the trip.)

Above, you wrote, " . . if you buy a car there {in Costa Rica, that is}  you don't have any import cost". That's not true. In the "normal" environment (excluding special treatment for aspiring expat newcomers) everyone pays the import tax and other governmental costs when importing a vehicle. New and used car dealers simply include that tax in the sale price of any given vehicle. Having bought four new cars here in the past few years, I can tell you that they were much more expensive than the exact same brand, model, trim level and model year than if I had bought them in the States. The difference was the effect of the import duties and other fees.

(Somebody help me out on this.) My understanding is that, when a new arrival imports any vehicle, they pay all the normal taxes and fees on Day One and then later (maybe after your residency is granted) you petition the government for a refund of those fees.

I have always recommended that, when importing anything in a container or not, arrange for a Costa Rica-based importer who knows all the local processes and procedures to do the work. If you do that, you almost certainly will not have to buy the container. You'll only rent it. Most newcomers don't wish to own a container although you can probably buy one once you're here. A Costa Rica-based importer can routinely make all the arrangements to get your vehicle(s) from Corpus Christi to Lake Arenal including shuffling all the paperwork, paying all the required fees, etc.

@HOMERFROMLAWTON....Do not forget to budget for the hidden cost of 'FRAUD'....Pray to God that you do not lose your mind when you start losing money...