Advice on cars

GM. Toyota seems to be a safe best bet. You can probably get it outfitted for both gasoline and propane.

I've had a chevy blazer with both diesel / propane.   The propane didn't have as much power.  Had to switch to diesel when in the mountains.   It was fine in the low lands.   I also never felt quite comfortable w/propane tank.   almost the feeling of haveing a bomb riding with me.   Eventually sold the propane system & felt better.   The local mechcanics are very creative & can keep vehicles running forever, like the Cubans.  Toyotas most popular for good reason.  The other Japanese & Korean cars are also fine.   Just make friends wth a recommended Dominican mechcanic .   Try to stay away from dealers, they are very expensive & not always trustworthy.   Take your time & talk to many people before making a choice in a car & who will be doing the work on it.  PM me &I'll give you info on those I've dealt with in the past.  As with most things in your new home, patience pays off.

Thank you both for your input.  GREATLY appreciated and will definitely take your advice.  We did find out how dishonest these dealers are.  We decided to go to 3 of them just to look at the various cars and prices from one to the other and oh my how they differ, especially when they see an American.  One car we saw online for 580,000 and when we went to see the car in person all of a sudden the price was 690,000.

First of all - stick to brands you see here all the time. Honda, Toyota, Daihatsu etc.  When they breakdown (and they will)  you can find parts cheap. AND mechanics know how to fix them.    This is a BIG issue. Every mechanic will always say - yes I can fix it...........and often they have no idea how to fix a little know vehicle.  Stick to the popular ones.

Expect to pay 30% more then you would in North America.  It just is that way.

Gasoline - very expensive
Propane - much more economical,  a small vehicle it will make little difference but anything mid to large - convert to propane. We have a large Dodge Durango and NO issue with power with propane at all.
Natural gas - not enough stations to buy it. 
Diesel - also a good option! Less expensive then gas, but more expensive then Propane.

Check out the costs of conversion if you change to a different system,  don't go with cheapest quote as often it is a crappy job! 

Do lots of research on pricing,  send in a Dominican to check it out and negotiate price before you show up!!  Damn gringa taxes.....