Autos

Dtimms wrote:

What would be a good choice for a car, make and model for Mexico.  I would like to consider: economy, durability, service and repair, comfort.  Probably used for short trips and in town.  Rough road use a possibility, but not a necessity.

Rough road use is a  guarantee in mexico. Many choose suv's, but that wouldn't be my choice. Many streets are quite small and narrow., parking is tight, and driving is fast, and suv's are prone to rollover, as well as being a popular car to take. . So a light weight car makes more sense. You also have to look at maintaining that car so you would want to choose one with a lot of dealers or shops familiar with that car. Toyota, and V.W. come to mind. There are Chevy dealers , but with the issues Chevy has had I would stick with proven history.

Dtimms wrote:

Thanks.  I have a Volvo Vagon in the USA, which is quite dependable, but parts and service in Mexico rule that out.

Mexico sells and services Volvos. My doctor has a real nice one.

maryellen1952 wrote:

I would NEVER have a new car in Mexico.  A small SUV such as RAV4 or similar is good because you may get caught in a flood.  Also with the potholes/topes everywhere I wouldn't have a low riding car.  Foreign cars tend to be very expensive when it comes to getting parts.

If I were you, I would move to higher ground and out of that pothole, tope ridden pueblo. New cars in Mexico are serviced here and parts are not expensive unless you brought one in from NOB.

maryellen1952 wrote:

if you are driving anywhere in a larger city it's IMPOSSIBLE to avoid potholes esp. at night if poorly lit...or a sudden flood. And there are restrictions if you buy a Mexican plated car and you don't have the proper visa.

It is true that magic potholes pop out of a quantum fold in the universe, but not often. The same for driving along and then wham, blam - a flood. I have been in severe rain storms and simply pulled off the road to higher ground at a nearby OXXO. I was driving on a well traveled street in Oaxaca when I suddenly realized that an open manhole was directly in front of my left wheel. Within a few feet of the abyss, I managed to swerve and avoid it only to hit the concrete manhole cover. The bump wasn't as bad as the possibility of losing the entire left wheel assembly.

maryellen1952 wrote:

I would NEVER have a new car in Mexico.  A small SUV such as RAV4 or similar is good because you may get caught in a flood.  Also with the potholes/topes everywhere I wouldn't have a low riding car.  Foreign cars tend to be very expensive when it comes to getting parts.

Part availability isn't difficult if you live near the border or in any major city. Foreign cars are expensive to fix everywhere.
I "contracted" a recommended mechanic who works for a GM dealership so he gets all my business and in turn I get a great rate plus I buy his kids something for Xmas each year and small tokens of appreciation for he and his wife now and then. Plus I send him business from friends. Building alliances is part of the charm here & it goes a long way. It's a win-win situation. The biggest plus is the trust factor that's established...I can't do that in Canada - one can expect to always get fleeced. For specialty parts, he can order online and have it shipped but Mexico can get virtually any standard part for any model.