[BCdoug]

My wife just bought a 2009 Subaru Forester, which she loves. There is a Subaru dealer in Guadalajaha, but I would think that a car made in Mexico would be better because Subaru Forester is very complicated to fix, expensive for parts and might be a nice target for theives. Besides we will be paying for it for years to come and the warrantee is not valid in Mexico. I see cars made in Mexico include several Volkswagen models, Nissan Tsuru, Opel Corsa, GM brands. Which would be the most practical ?

[Intercasa]

I love my VW Jetta. It is fast, goes up to 135mph / 220kph, and is made here in Mexico. Parts and labor are cheap although I've had no problems with it yet. The rear seats fold down so I have room to carry things. The clearance is decent for the topes, considering it is a car. It is a 4 cylinder so it is good on gas but also has a turbo so it moves when needed. You can't beat German engineering. They are also not that expensive, they run under $20,000US for a nicely equipped model only a few years old.

[jimmiller]

We've driven VW's for the ten years we've been here,precisely for the reasons you mention: the car is manufactured here and there is a wide dealer/service and spare parts network. My nightmare is having a breakdown in some little village in the middle of nowhere and having to wait six months for a fuel pump to be imported from Japan or Greenland or somewhere. VW has dealers in some pretty small towns here,so hopefully that risk is minimal.

We recently upgraded to a Bora-the Jetta we owned previously had all its chrome ripped off,so we bought a car with as little chrome as possible. We've had no problems with any of the VW's we've had here,but we make sure to have it serviced according to schedule. Service and parts seem to be a lot cheaper here. Certainly the labor is.

Many cars are manufactured here, VW just happens to be our favorite,based on good experience prior to coming to Mexico.

[newinajijic]

My opinion is that almost any SUV that doesn't have high frequency of repair costs or doesn't have to use Magna premium gas would be good. Their suspension is better made than a cars suspension and it provides the necessary ground clearance.

[Maddogpir3]

Quit the brain damage- - -Honda CRV or Civic or, for that matter any Honda product

1) they build em here EXACTLY the same as in the US and Canada- -not a nut or bolt difference. I have a friend who has a Toyota Tundra. A lot of parts are different on Mexico Tundras. He had to get suspension parts in the US and have them shipped here at ridiculous expense
2) parts are reasonable as compared to others particularly VW
3) they don't break
4) best resale value on the planet
5) 5star safety rating on all Honda product

[Ajijic]

I just got a new Saturn Vue XR Red Line front wheel drive. In Mexico it is sold as a Chevrolet Captiva Sport. It is made in Mexico and other than name change same vehicle. GM basically brought to North America an Opel and named it as I noted. It is similar in size to CR-V; slightly higher ground clearance at 7 inches and parts available at any GM Chev dealership in Mexico or Saturn dealership in Canada and US. Mine has the 3.6 Litre six with plenty of power. As already noted a vehicle with extra ground clearance is great for topes as there are numerous in towns and secondary roads. It is very solid as weighs 4000 pounds. The cheapest place to buy may be in the US but heavy discounts every where.

http://www.captivasport.com.mx/index.html?...tiva_gm_website

http://www.gm.ca/ss/gm/overview.do?model=v...playMode=normal

reviews on www.edmunds.com

Also note: if you buy a car in Mexico it may be impossible to import NOB. This is very different than the constant movement of cars between Canada and the US. A friend bought in Mexico a PT Cruiser and it was impossible to import into BC.
Honda CR-V are also excellent although ridiculous price in Canada and Mexico vs US. Majority of taxis appear to be Nissans.

[Lolo]

Nissans and Jettas are right at the top of the list of most frequently stolen vehicles. A lot of Tsurus are taxis.

[xxv]

Next time you're out take a look at how many Jeep Liberty's you see here and in Guad, there's a reason. They're perfect, the '05-'07 years are small enough to get through the streets, high enough and tough enough to climb curbs which you may have to do from time to time. Strong enough to pull a sizable trailer if needed, short front/rear overhangs so you never scrape when going up steep drives etc. I have 53K miles on the original tires. 20MPG on Magna, you'd have to pry my cold dead hands off mine.

But, for you Jetta lovers there is good news, over a year ago Soriana put out a stock of mirror guards for Jetta's, actually 83 packages, I counted because I was curious, the other day (I didn't take time to count) but it appears at least 80 packages are still there. Guess the market at the Lake isn't as big as they thought.

[ladyoflake]

My insurance broker told me not to buy a Nissan as the insurance cost is higher because they are one of the favorites for thieves. Apparently a Honda is a better buy insurance/theft wise.

[Ajijic]

Insurance a non-issue generally as likely car is registered in Canada with Mexico insurance from someone like Xavier. There rates are generally based on car value when it comes to Mexico insurance. They insure based on what you ask for but will only pay up to appraised value of the car. IF your car is worth 20,000 you save a little insurung at 19,900.... about $50. Insurance on that amount is 300 US with Xavier for a year. If in an accident and at time of accident car is totalled and then worth 17000 that is what you get, 17K. Make of car does not come into play when buying Mexico insurance from what I have experienced.

Yes Honda Civic is at top of list for stolen cars but then again at least in Canada top selling car. So that stat means nothing. I am sure many Lexus for example get stolen but not nearly as many as say a Civic as relatively few sold.

Lakeside has more Nissan taxis than any other make. As John says below CR-V and X-trail very popular albeit the CR-V is many thousands more in Mexico and Canada than the US... like up to $8000 US more for loaded model.

[newinajijic]

I see more new Honda CRV's and Nissan X Trails down here than any other vehicle. The new Hondas look very nice.

I know some of you hailed how great VW is. My Physical Therapist used to drive VW's and he said their suspension is not good on cobblestone roads. He now drives Nissan products which he and I believe are superior.

As far as Insurance goes, your premium is base on the Kelly Blue Book value

[grito]

The next vehicle I buy in Mexico will be a Nissan. There must be reasons they are so popular as taxis. When I first started driving to Mexico I purposely bought a Volkswagen camper as I thought it would be similar to the very common Volkswagen combis. Not the case when it came to repairs and parts. The service people asked me for a service manual. I dumped the VW camper for a Nissan Quest. I brought it to Mexico for many winters. I don't know how service would have been for it in Mexico as it never needed it. I thought I was smarter when I bought a Volkswagen Golf for a full time Mexican car as it is made in Mexico. It turned out to be a piece of junk. When I drive down this time I'm bringing a Nissan X Trail. Mine is made in Japan. It will be interesting to see how it compares parts wise to the ones made in Mexico.

[More Liana]

I bought a brand-new Hyundai ATOS in 2005. In Mexico, it's sold by Dodge. It's not sold in the States or Canada, but it's Hyundai technology--right up there with the best in the world. The ATOS is roomy inside but tiny outside, gets 50mpg, has air conditioning, electric locks, power steering, great CD player, and has caused me ZERO problems. It cost me under $100,000 pesos in 2005. The cost of a new one has barely risen. The ATOS is still like brand-new, with 50,000+ kilometers on the odometer. I love it.

[canuckbob]

So leave my '63 Vette at home??????

[ezpz]

I bought a brand-new Hyundai ATOS in 2005. In Mexico, it's sold by Dodge. It's not sold in the States or Canada, but it's Hyundai technology--right up there with the best in the world. The ATOS is roomy inside but tiny outside, gets 50mpg, has air conditioning, electric locks, power steering, great CD player, and has caused me ZERO problems. It cost me under $100,000 pesos in 2005. The cost of a new one has barely risen. The ATOS is still like brand-new, with 50,000+ kilometers on the odometer. I love it.

I was wondering about these! I used to have a Hyundai Accent (03), which I sold before I moved here. I was surprised to see its look-alike down here complete with the same logo. I also loved my Hyundai, a great car, especially for the money - but, I wanted to go car-less, and am happy with that decision.

One question - how are these Dodge/Hyundais on the cobblestones? I recall the suspension wasn't that great, but OK for smooth streets. Ya know, just in case I might want to buy a car down here someday...

Muchas gracias!