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What's a good choice for a car/SUV Lakeside?


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Honda CRV hands down.  Over 70 cubic feel of load capacity, handles topes with ease, very reliable, made in Mexico and many places to get them serviced.  They are not flashy and don't attract unwanted attention.

Look around and you'll see them all over the place here.

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15 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

Honda Fit

+1 We're in the process of getting one now. I've checked out all the reviews and videos on the internet and consistently the Honda Fit comes out on top for safety, room inside, mpg, and on and on. The only knock I had on getting one is that they are so popular in the lakeside area you can't go anywhere without seeing one.

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21 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

Honda Fit

Bought one in 2008 from S&S auto.  Runs like new, thanks to local mechanics; the Rivas family.  Major advantages:  Being super maneuverable on these narrow streets in the villages around the lake; easy on gas usage, roomy enough with four passengers, easy to park in the difficult spots.  Disadvantages:  Like all inexpensive small cars, you feel the potholes and bumps.  You need to be slow and careful going over topes.  We love our FIT.

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Forgot to mention if you don't want to go as small as the Fit or as expensive as the CRV  there is also the Honda HRV. It's based on the Fit drive train, has more ground clearance a little nicer interior.

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Can you drive a stick shift? Automatic transmissions are expensive to repair and are often the death of older vehicles. Don't get a vehicle with lots of exterior plastic panels - easy to damage and the intense sun here eats them up. Also the plastic parts are very expensive - even used. Metal work can be banged out by very skilled and inexpensive local body shops. Toyota Rav4 would be a good choice. Another expensive car killer are the computers, again expensive to replace and nobody knows how to fix them. 31 inch or higher all terrain tires are a good choice here - but not great for extensive highway travel. Bull bars on the front are also a good idea in case you have to hit an animal to avoid an accident. I'm a big fan of diesels, but more difficult to find in Mexico If a diesel engine cannot get 250,000 miles on it, someone screwed up. Also, with diesel, if you are running low on fuel, most farmers will have tractor tank or a drum you can buy from. Diesel does not go "bad" (losing oxygen) like gasoline and will not catch on fire in a serious crash.

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Purchased a Fit early last year.... Sold it before its first oil change... Bought a CRV... The Fit was a bit small and the quality was not the same as NOB... Very happy with the CRV...Certainly worth the extra pesos... Purchased both cars using my credit card which cost 3% more but the exchange rate given by my CC company more than made up the difference ... plus there was a tidy air mile bonus... Suggest you see Spencer at S&S Auto... Best service in the area...

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My vote is the Ford Explorer 4th generation (2006-2010).  Full frame, rear wheel drive, independent rear suspension (rides and handles very well), good ground clearance, easy to fix and very common here.  Will carry a decent load and can pull small trailers safely.  Ask yourself why so many local Mexicans have them.  Lots of decent used ones at dealers in Guadalajara.

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Nissan Versa. Very inexpensive, roomy 4-door sedan, with seats that fold forward for carrying lots of stuff. Roomy trunk even when sets in normal position. I haul 75 kg of dog food and 20 kg of cat food PLUS other stuff from Abastos in it with ease.

Comes in std. and automatic. I have std. --- prefer it, and think I can maintain speed a little better going up hill (it's only fault -- a little gutless in that area). Gets really good mileage so I can give up a little speed on the few hills I drive for that.

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Ford Ecosport, a small SUV. Has a good amount of interior room. The spare tire is mounted to the back hatch, making it more convenient to open. Has a back up sensor. One of the higher ground clearances in its class. Mirrors fold, too.

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17 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Honda Fit

I love my Fit but it does hit on the topes with four people in car. One learns to go across Topes at an angle in a Fit or many other small cars. Fits are expensive.  Nissan March (Micra same car in Canada)  or Nissan Note are worth looking at and are cheaper than Fit.  March/Note is better on Coblestones as it has a very nice soft suspension. Fit is a better highway car. Nissan Versa is a nice more conventional four door sedan and priced right.  Nissan Tiida are nice also.  All these Nissans are related to each other and all are good cars.  Lots of other good cars also but I only will comment on what I own.  I have a Fit and a old Micra (march in mexico).

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On 1/10/2017 at 1:10 PM, hopeful Mex said:

Good fuel mileage, easy and reasonable to repair in Mexico, good going over topes, decent-sized payload, reliable and affordable? 

 

Also, Rafa at Car Wash Moyoyo in Riberas has a nice RAV4 and equally nice Honda CRV.  You may want to go look at them and see what kind of a deal you can make on one or the other.

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When you make the plunge to actually go out and buy a car I would suggest you go to S&S Auto.   He will take you to Guad, show you the vehicles which meet your requirements and then you can test drive to seek your level of comfort.

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