eagles100 Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 We have a Japanese SUV that we love but with all the uncertainty, we might have to sell it NOB and buy locally. We are thinking of starting our life in Mexico with a Permanente Visa to alleviate the stress of renewing, future fees, etc. So it might sound like a silly question but how does one go about buying a car in Mexico? I'm guessing the search process is the same: go to different dealerships and see what they have to offer and at how much. And what about used cars? I know there is a local guy who will shop for you. How do you check to make sure it's not a stollen vehicle? Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 I bought my new car through Spencer at S&S Auto. A really painless experience & I highly recommend. He takes you to the dealers in Guadalajara if you're buying new. http://www.ssauto.com.mx/contact.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Shrall Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 If you are looking for a used car, this site can help you locate cars in Guadalajara. http://autos-usados.soloautos.com.mx/ I bought a 2009 Ford Explorer from Lazher Auto on Patria near the Home Depot and had a very good experience at what I thought was a very good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 We have a Japanese SUV that we love but with all the uncertainty, we might have to sell it NOB and buy locally. We are thinking of starting our life in Mexico with a Permanente Visa to alleviate the stress of renewing, future fees, etc. So it might sound like a silly question but how does one go about buying a car in Mexico? I'm guessing the search process is the same: go to different dealerships and see what they have to offer and at how much. And what about used cars? I know there is a local guy who will shop for you. How do you check to make sure it's not a stollen vehicle? Thanks for your input. My wife and I just bought a New Honda at Excelencia Honda on Lopez Mateos. We knew which model we wanted, and so just called an made an appointment with a fellow who spoke English. The manager also speaks English. They will buy your plates and register your vehicle for you. So far has been a great experience, as they go out of their way to please you. Got a great price also! If you or anyone is interested in buying a Honda, if you will PM me, I can give you the names of who to contact. Goodluck, Fox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cartero Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Amen to using Spencer at S&S Auto. It's really the smartest move you'll ever make here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EscapeTheCold Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 From the 'If you're looking for assistance...' post: #3 EscapeTheCold EscapeTheColdNewbie Posted Today, 09:28 AM I know of a couple of folks who have benefitted from Hugo's assistance in buying a Mexican plated car. He helped with all aspects of the search and obtaining the plates/registration. He contacted the 'bureau of motor vehicles' with the VIN to verify the car wasn't stolen, and to see if there were outstanding tickets. His price is extremely fair, and he is pleasant to work with... Hugo 33-11-78-87-25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcscats Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Amen to using Spencer at S&S Auto. It's really the smartest move you'll ever make here! It is a no brainer to use Spencer for new cars. He is paid by the dealer for comission. If you want him to find you a used car you pay his comission. We used him for a new Nissan March and he did what he said when he said. Nice to have someone to ask questions who understands Gringoes. We highly suggest him for new cars. We have no experience with him on used cars but would probably pay his commission as we feel his opinions are worth the money. In Mexico the Factura is the equivelant to a Title NOB. It is like a bearer instrument so possession is 9/10th of the law here. Many copies and fakes. We bought a used car we used Spenser (the other spenser at Intercasa in Chapala) to check out our Factura and give us advice. New smog test will save you money when you go to register the car. We paid owner at bank. I strongly urge a new/used buyer to get help or at least someone who has done it before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbiohio Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Spencer at S&S might be a great choice when you have a generous budget; however, when I was in the market for a used car on a limited budget (under $50,000-$60,000 pesos), I couldn't get anyone over there to speak with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilligan Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Mark Turford also has a buying service and he does a very fine job. I rented from him and also used him to buy my Mexican plated car and he was very thorough and extremely helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cortland Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 I also would recommend Spencer at S&S. He arranged for a vehicle to be brought to Lakeside so my wife could test drive it as she doesn't like driving in Guadalajara! Spencer and his staff also arranged the insurance, licence plates, emission test (yes, you need one as soon as the vehicle leaves the dealer)and all the other paperwork. When you are buying a Mexican plated vehicle for the first time it is really helpful to have someone who knows the procedure and who deals fluently in both Spanish and English. If you are buying new, Spencer will also provide a driver to take the vehicle to the dealer in Guadalajara for the scheduled servicing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteben Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 Buying a new car should be pretty painless, either by yourself or with help. Probably worth it if you intend to keep the car for several years. Buying used, I highly recommend Spencer at S&S. His experienced eye will spot problems like rolled-back odometers, accidents, etc. that sellers try very hard to hide. He will also try to steer you towards the more reliable brands and best serviceability. We ended up with a 2006 Honda CRV. The climate here is very good on cars, so with over 100,000km, it still runs great. A good choice for the rough roads and high curbs here. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carib Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 We have a Japanese SUV that we love but with all the uncertainty, we might have to sell it NOB and buy locally. We are thinking of starting our life in Mexico with a Permanente Visa to alleviate the stress of renewing, future fees, etc. So it might sound like a silly question but how does one go about buying a car in Mexico? I'm guessing the search process is the same: go to different dealerships and see what they have to offer and at how much. And what about used cars? I know there is a local guy who will shop for you. How do you check to make sure it's not a stollen vehicle? Thanks for your input. Can you start with a Visa Permanente from the very beginning or do you have to go thru the Temporal first? Spencer can answer this question. Do you already have a Visa Temporal? Can one apply for a Permanente out of Mexico or do you have to apply when already in the country. About the car, with all the confusion I will sell my car and buy a Mexican plated one here. A friend bought one from Spencer at S&S and he is very happy with the service and the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 I bought my new Honda CRV last year at the Honda dealer on Ave. Vallarta. Compared to the States it was easy and painless. There is no shopping for prices. The cars are marked and that is what you pay. The dealer has a little leeway as far as add-ons and I was given three free extras. You can get someone like S&S to do it for you but do not be afraid to go ahead and do it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bezerk Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 We too bought our Mexican plated car from S&S ( Spencer) new...we went into Guad by ourselves with a fluent spanish speaker and the prices are set no dealing other than mentioned above a few freebies, and mostly we found same prices all over. WE found going thru Spencer ( S&S) was painless, relaxing and the best way to decrease stress levels...LOL. Highly suggest his services. WE also used him many times after that to bring car in for service to dealer etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagles100 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Can you start with a Visa Permanente from the very beginning or do you have to go thru the Temporal first? Spencer can answer this question. Do you already have a Visa Temporal? Can one apply for a Permanente out of Mexico or do you have to apply when already in the country. About the car, with all the confusion I will sell my car and buy a Mexican plated one here. A friend bought one from Spencer at S&S and he is very happy with the service and the car. Slightly off topic but yes you can get Permanente from outside of Mexico. This will be our first Mexican Visa and our local Consulate indicated that we can go either way. That was about 2 months ago so hopefully they haven't changed their mind (after the change in rules). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagles100 Posted February 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Thanks for all the great advice. We're wondering what type of payment do the dealerships accept as in debit from a Mexican Bank or Canadian account, credit card from Canada or would it have to be a Mexican credit card and cash but I don't think we'd be running around with that much cash. What does S&S accept for payment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 If I remember correctly, I did a wire transfer to S&S from my US bank but check with Spencer at S&S to make sure. It was a Scotia bank & they called to ask if it was from Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Saltos Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I bought a new car from a dealer a few years back. They accepted Mex or NOB Check, wire xfer, credit and debit cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hensley Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Mark Turford also has a buying service and he does a very fine job. I rented from him and also used him to buy my Mexican plated car and he was very thorough and extremely helpful. We also highly recommend Mark. Mark Turford 333-398-9045 765-4341 markturford@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floradude Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Buying my Honda I had to pay in pesos. I made a wire tranfer from my Banamex USA act. in Los Angeles directly to the Banamex act. of the Honda dealership. First there was a $10,000 good faith deposit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canmex87 Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 Thanks for all the great advice. We're wondering what type of payment do the dealerships accept as in debit from a Mexican Bank or Canadian account, credit card from Canada or would it have to be a Mexican credit card and cash but I don't think we'd be running around with that much cash. What does S&S accept for payment? Spencer will take a Canadian or U.S. dollar cheque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otbdiane Posted February 19, 2013 Report Share Posted February 19, 2013 I also recommend Mark Turford for used cars. It may take him time to find one that you are looking for, but is pricing is right on! Very nice gentleman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagles100 Posted February 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 Ok, I know it might be frowned upon to post on an older thread but it's one I started. My updated info is that we plan to buy a new Nissan Juke. I went to a Nissan dealer and negotiated on my own and the salesman, after me insisting on a peso and not a freebee discount, offered me a reduction of 5,000 pesos off a 2014 Juke. I asked the dealer if they could deliver the car Lakeside and the answer was yes. Before this change of heart and budget, we went with Spencer from S&S for a used car but didn't really find what we were looking for within our budget at the time which was 125,000 pesos. I see Spencer's value but if we buy through him, I'll likely be throwing away the 5,000 pesos I was offered as Spencer will be getting it instead of us. The other query is the best way to pay for the vehicle. We're Canadian. If we were to go through Spencer and give him a Canadian cheque, Spencer told us his rate isn't good because his bank is taking a risk that the funds aren't there; they give him the money quickly without going through the whole process (this is what I understood). So we'd like to know which bank/exchange places gives the best exchange rate from Canadian funds. We know that the exchange isn't great right now but we don't want to wait an eternity for it to get better. 3+ months have been challenging without a car. We have used public transportation but there are times it's impossible, like later at night (cat emergency proved taxis won't come later in evening … thankfully, the vet ended up coming to the house). Not being able to read the Spanish contract for a new car, would that be problematic or would the Nissan dealerships be honest? Is there a Nissan dealership you prefer? So many questions but I appreciate the responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 You can have confidence in the dealer. How you pay is up to you and the dealer. It will probably be up to you to convert the funds to pesos and pay in cash or with a Mexican bank check acceptable to the dealer. They might accept a credit card if you will pay the up-charge for the fee they will have to pay. Paying in cash will be easiest. How you get it, and at what rate is for you to determine with your bank, etc. We have dealt with Vamsa Nissan and also with Eurostern Mercedes/Smart. Service was good in both instances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezzie Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 Another option I have used in the past is to directly transfer the money from my Canadian bank (TD Canada Trust) directly into the dealership's Mexican bank account using xe.com. Canadian $$'s in, Mexican pesos out. Takes about 3-5 business days and if you have it set up properly, xe does not charge any fees to do the transfer (ACH/EFT transfer using direct account debit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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