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Do not go to ****!! We bought an suv there and it doesn't run.  They have had our vehicle for almost a year and last they picked it up from our house when we had already left and won't answer our calls.  I am also paying insurance on this vehicle.  The u.S. Embassy told us to file a civil action! What?

@Pamelaannkatz27 Thanks for the warning, and I am very sorry to hear of the trouble you are going through, quite nasty.

@mcforte We bought our Isuzu D-max pick up truck at Bravo Motors in Belize City. We are very happy with the truck.

Motor Solutions, Belize Diesel, Caribbean Motors as well as Bravo have websites and FB pages.

Best dealership and/or best truck depends a lot on your vehicle preferences, budget and often on the salesperson you’re dealing with.

Price is always negotiable.

@Brigitte B

Very helpful, many thanks. I have been studying the posted costs in Belize for a Toyota Hilux, from the dealer, new, automatic, with duties paid. It always comes out to be nearly twice as expensive as buying a Toyota Tacoma in Canada (with all its substantial sales taxes), and then adding on the %46+ Belize duties for a 6 cylinder vehicle. I am not able to find a good reason for buying the vehicle in Belize. On top of that, and the Hilux uses Diesel (very expensive in Belize), whereas the Tacoma uses regular unleaded. Anyway, this surely counts as "too much information," my apologies.

Not at all!

Driving your vehicle down definitely has its advantages, and is always an option.

A few years ago I bought a used Nissan pickup from a very reliable car rental company in Belize City. I bought it from them because because this rental company uses only cars they bring down from USA (built to USA safety standards), and they maintain them well. The price was very good. That truck lasted 10 years before the bad roads I live on wore it out. Get a vehicle that can be easily repaired in Belize, and one for which parts can be easily found.

I also have driven trucks down thru Mexico, one time that went smoothly, the other time it went very badly - please, be very very careful driving in Mexico, or hire a Spanish-speaker to transport it.

@Gales Point Mark

when you say easily repaired in Belize....   what criteria should we use?  Certain brands? Brands to avoid?  Common sense would say dont get a Jaguar....  unfortunately my RAM is a 2015 and while it has low miles, the QRB says no older than 5 years. That leaves me wondering if I should get a slightly used "something" in the US and bring it down (duty free) or get what the local get - whatever that might be.  I heard someone got a Mahindra Pik-Up... 

@paulewatson

So you want vehicles that you see many of here.  This will ensure replacement parts will be in stock. Things like Ford Escape, Honda CRV, anything Toyota, Ford trucks. You see lots of these. Places like Westrac will have parts for these in stock. Other makes and models might require that you ship down replacement parts or keep coming maintenance items (ball joints, bushings, etc…) on hand.

@paulewatson

In answer to your question, "easily repairable in Belize", means a vehicle whose parts are easily found locally: anything Toyota or Mitsubishi; Ford / Chevy / Dodge trucks.  Your common sense is true - avoid Jaguars and luxury vehicles. While QRP says nothing older than 5 years can be imported without a tariff, your 2015 RAM would be easily reparable, and a vehicle that old wouldn't pay much tariff anyway. Vehicles built for and sold in the North American market have much better crash resistant than, say, a Mahindra.  The roads and conditions in Belize require a more rugged vehicle, in my opinion.

I would like to bring an electric vehicle in, but I wonder if their batteries would fail faster in Belize due to heat, rough roads, and salt air.  Does anyone have a learned opinion or experience with electric vehicles here?