Updated: Jul 15, 2021
Hi everyone I posted a Facebook post about selling our car in Mexico and got many PM's asking me what the process is like, if buying a car is better/ cheaper then renting and so many more questions. So I thought it would be a good idea to break it down for you a little with your questions.
Are you happy with the decision of buying a car?
YES! It was the best decisions we made! It made our life so much easier. We did take buses in the first few weeks here and it was a bit rough on us with the kids and the luggage. The car gave us the opportunity to go to very special places and stop anywhere we wanted for as long as we wanted and most memorable days are the small towns we stopped at. It gave us the opportunity to meet people and try new Mexican dishes we wouldn't have had the chance to if not stopping at these places.
Was the buying process easy or hard?
The purchase process was very hard! We found it was hard to trust most people who are selling. three times we almost purchased and found very bad mechanical conditions that could of risked our family badly. So, feel the persons vibe! Try buying ONLY from someone you can trust. We got our car from a family who ended their trip, they told us everything about the car. If all you hear are good things, I would say that's a red flag.
What would be the best tip you have for us before closing the deal?
Take the car to a reliable mechanic! Ask locals you trust where they take their car to. Ask the mechanic to check the car with a computer and make sure he does a Thorough inspection.
What issues should we expect while traveling with a car?
Take in consideration that things happen with the car! You will get flat tires every now and then, fixing the tire is very cheap and shouldn't cost more than 50 pesos. In general, cars have issues sometimes, and you will visit the mechanic. Car repair is very cheap in México.
How are the roads in Mexico?
The roads of México are very rough at some areas, especially Chiapas! There are many many speed bumps and broken roads. Make sure you have a compressor for times of flat tires if there isn't a tire shop nearby. Make sure you have at least half a tank of gas at all times cuz you will go on roads with no gas stations.
Would you recommend having a roof rack?
I would highly recommend getting a car with a roof rack! For rainy days make sure you have a tarpaulin.
Budget!
We gave ourselves a budget of 2000$ us. It's seemed enough but we found that the risk was to big. If buying a small car for driving around the city that's fine. Not if you want a bigger, safer, higher car. 5000$ us should be your minimum budget. It's not worth getting a cheap car that you won't be able to trust or sell later.
Paperwork for the car.
We aren't Mexican residents so we couldn't write the car on our name. We got a car with all original papers and an opened contract.
Is it cheaper then renting a car? YES!
If you buy a good car, you use it and take good care of it, you can sell it after you journey. If you sell it for 10k less than what you got it for, that's great! So much cheaper than renting that can cost about 1k$ us a month, not including gas. I hope I gave you some good insights 😅 Feel free to ask anything, just hit me up in the comments.
Michal
