What car to buy?

If you bought a car in the US, and planned to take it to Belize someday, what would you buy?

I'd prefer a 4wd truck, but I'm not sure about how difficult it would be to get parts or service for it--say like a Jeep Cherokee (not the Grand Cherokee) or a Silverado.

Paying duty on the car could be a real pain, but I'm thinking of doing the move a few years down the road (pun intended).  So hopefully not too expensive.  I'm also thinking of dragging down a trailer for a temporary home until I can get things setup.

In general 4 cylinder vehicles are charged less duty. SUV s are charged higher. Some parts for vehicles are available (there is a NAPA store in Belize city) But they get it from US,so it takes time to get parts.
Newer vehicles are better to avoid repair and waiting on parts.

This is a very tricky question - several types come into mind for easy Belize travel - it should be 4WD as many roads (ie the Coastal Rd and Hopkins Village roads) are rough and can flood during the rainy season.  You may also find yourself driving through properties that require higher ground clearance.  I think a Jeep would be best as Crystal Car Rentals has several Jeeps, so I suppose there are service places.  I also see a lot of Dodge trucks around Belize.  We are moving down in 2-3 years when our land and house are finished.  We have a Land Rover and while you will see many LR3's down there - there are not good service stations for these.  There is a Defender business on the Western Hwy near San Ignacio and we plan to sell our vehicles and purchase a Defender when we get down there - less taxes and you cannot purchase one of these in the US - yet. 
We also have a 2500 Chevy turbo Diesel truck to pull our horse trailer.  We have to keep this as it runs on the older diesel fuel - which is the normal fuel (and cheaper than regular unleaded) in Belize.  If you have a newer vehicle that runs on the newer low--emissions diesel - the lesser refined diesel in Belize will decrease the life of the engine - just FYI.
Word of caution - check on the import duties on whichever vehicle you are thinking about first - the vary depending on type, GVW, etc.  If you have land and will have a farm or ranch - some vehicles can have the duties waived if used for farm/ranch use.  You have to get permission and approval first - this is how we are hoping to get the large truck and trailer down there for our horse ranch.
I hope this helps and good luck,
Jeff R.

Another FYI - it may be better to scan the "for sale" ads in Belize to find a local used vehicle.  You will not have to spend any duties - just the sales tax, which is much lower.  Also - many newer car sales may be less expensive than importing your vehicle from abroad.  As an example - I plan to take my HD motorcycle down, but the import duties are extremely high.  We have found that it is less expensive to have a business (Belize City HD) purchase the bike from me - ship it down and they pay a much lower import fee since it is for business use - and then purchase back from them with standard sales tax at agreed upon price.  This will save us thousands of $$$$$ - and is totally legal : )

I live part of the year in Belize and have taken a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Blyue Bird Busy. I do recommend 4WD but stick with stock tires as anything over 16 inch is extremely expensive. Parts from Caribean Tire and West Trac Auto are available but can take two weeks for special order. Be sure to have the title and a notarized bill of sale as duty will be based in the amount shown in the bill of sale. We paid $3500 for our 04 Grand Cherokee and without a bill of sale we paid $3600 USD in duty so we learned our lesson. Also don't be shocked when you see gas is $4.50 USD a gallon. Go for a four cylinder whatever you but. We are thinking about a Toyota Four Runner or something similar as we spend a fair amount on gas from Belmopan to our property in the Hummingbird Highway and back and forth to San Ignacio. Watch out for the speed bumps and good luck.

Check with Wolf's Garage in Spanish Lookout and you may be able to buy a bike locally and avoid the duty. Talk to John and tell him Jude and Gary sent you.

The Toyota Hilux is a good bet. Belize Diesel can get spares in BC. Have you seen the Top Gear "Killing a Toyota"? It's on Youtube. You need road clearance, better vision from a slightly higher vehicle, diesel more economic than petrol, and 4WD is useful on some of the roads.

Hello every one ! Hey rokuji I was wondering you mention its better to have notoried  bill of sale When bringing a vehicle to Belize and the reason I ask is because am planing on moving there and I own a 2002 Jeep Liberty 3.7l  Limited And was wondering what amount did your bill of sale stated for you to pay 3500 on duty so I can have a idea more or less what I would pay would really be appreciated ...

Good morning! I believe I read on a blog, that you can bring a vehicle into Belize, and post a $100 bond? Allows you to drive vehicle for 6 months. Can a private party do the same as a business; as far as purchasing the vehicle prior to arrival? Is there a web page for duty amounts?