Best car to buy for the islands

I believe any car will do as long as it:
sits high enough off the ground- so many roads are in need of a good paving!
isn't a piece of junk- its hard to get parts from the states and have it fixed in less than 2 weeks!
is big enough to fit you and your family and friends for those trips out to the beach that we all love to take!
I shipped my car over when I moved and was sooo happy! Its still "new" so I hardly have any issues while all of my friends bought island cars or 2nd hands cars once they got here and are going to have them fixed continuously! ( maybe a slight exaggeration on my part! 🙂 )
Good luck with your plans! St. Croix is a wonderful place and I am so happy to be here!

Toyota RAV4's are popular here, as are Suzuki Vitaras and Grand Vitaras.

Get a vehicle with sturdy wheels and large tires. Better able to navigate the pot holes. With the hills, particularly if you are transporting four people get a six or eight cylinder engine.

Four wheel drive is nice for getting down un paved side roads and access roads to the more secluded beaches. As previously mentioned you need a car with good ground clearance. Also helps when the low spots flood.

If you are worried about surviving a crash a larger car probably is better. Surprising number of trucks and cars cross the center line going around blind corners. Visibility is even worse because you are sitting on the shoulder side of the road. While even the biggest SUV won't survive a head on with a water truck or a cement mixer you will be at least be even up with a pick up truck. Side impact airbags are also a nice feature.

As mentioned elsewhere parts are hard to get here. Buy a popular Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Jeep, Honda or Toyota to increase the odds that the parts are available locally.

Jim

Wife and I are planning our move down to USVIs and own a Lexus SUV. I am assuming that the Toyota service center can work on it. Low miles(36,000) and when we move we will not have any payments. I feel that it is worth the shipping and other related costs to bring the car with us. Do you? Do you see Lexus vehicles on the islands? Thanks

Stewart

Hi stewart.

Lexus is not a common vehicle here on STT but I have seen a few. The local Toyota dealer has a service center but I doubt they stock many Lexus parts. They can certainly order Lexus parts and as long as your car isn't disabled the extra time it will take to get Lexus parts shouldn't be a problem. If you have specific concerns you can call the Toyota service center and perhaps they can help you. You can find their phone number here: viphonebook.com

Thanks for the link to the phone book and your thoughts. We are doing a PMV move in January and will definitely research this more during our stay.

Another Kansas Citian...there are a lot of KC transplants on STT.
Best car? Well, I say a 4 wheel drive for climbing hills and, pot holes, and some roads were really bad when I was out looking for a place to rent. Didn't have 4wd so I couldn't rent a few places I liked. Whatever vehicle you buy here or ship here will get dents, dings, bumpers bumped, fender benders, scratches....etc...just a warning for you that I made it a game to find a car passing by "without" some sort of wreck, etc....a taxi backed into my husbands brand new truck and didn't let anyone know ...

Hey Nikki

When we moved to STJ (from KC) we purchased a Jeep Liberty and had it shipped. ALOT of the rental cars here on STJ are Jeep Liberty's so we figured parts and service would be available. Just something to keep in mind

Pia

1) 4x4 truck. The roads and hills sometimes demand high road clearance and 4x4 traction
2) Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Jeep. These are the most common cars so parts and backyard mechanics are common.

The problem with luxury cars on island is that regardless of how careful you are you will be dinged up. It's a lot less aggravating to ding your Suzuki than to ding your Lexus. The strain of the terrain (Hey! That rhymes!) and the salty air are also murder on a car in the first place.

People don't attach status to cars down here like in the states. There is no "keeping up with the joneses" when it comes to cars. That guy parking that beat up jeep right next to your Lexus may be filthy rich, but down here that's the norm.

Rich,

Good thoughts. We are thinking about selling the Lexus SUV to buy a Jeep or Suzuki SUV over there. Just weighing the different possibilities. The Lexus SUV handles hills well. no payments, and is reliable so thats why we are wondering which direction to go in. This is nothing to do with status.

stewart

Good idea to sell your Lexus and use the cash to buy a new or used car on the island.

Had to chuckle uproariously at the email I got from Teresa yesterday when, amongst other things about which she was all agog, she said that all the cars in Atlanta were so pristine with no dents or dings or scrapes. She and hubbie are still awaiting their shipment from STT but she said that the truck they're shipping back is going to be a total eyesore and will stick out like a sore thumb!

My opinion? Ship the car. It's paid for, has low miles and it's paid for. And you know all its quirks. Someone will be able to work on it. And, if you need parts, the mechanic can tell you what to order and you can priority/express mail from the states.

If/when you leave, then sell it here. Don't ship it back.

Stewart
With your Lexus SUV being paid for, I would just bring that. The Toyota delearship will have most of the parts depending on the model of Lexus you have. If not there are a couple good mechanics on the Island who work on anything. I use Carlos at the Auto Clinic down by the stadium and I have an Infiniti SUV. Never had to wait more then two days to get my car fixed and any part I have needed Carlos has gotten within days from Miami.
You see a little of everything on this Island. Luxury cars, Hummers, two door sports cars. I even saw a brand new corvette recently. As a former owner of multiple Vets I would think it a crime to own a corvette on STT since the engine on the car was designed to cruise at 90mph+ and there are only a few stretches of road here where you could unwind the engine to blow the carbon out.
If you decide to sell your vehicle I would recommend the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Rav4 or something similar. Those are easy to work on and the size is great for the islands. Much easier to park then a larger SUV. I have looked at the smaller Lexus SUV that is a Hybrid since my current SUV is good for $150-$200 per month in gas.

David,

I do have the smaller Lexus SUV(RX 330). It is the same size as the new hybrid Lexus that came out this year. It makes sense that Toyota would have most of the parts and Miami is close enough. Annual mileage is about 6,000 right now and we do all scheduled maintenance. It is true that we do know quirks of the vehicle and it is very reliable.

where in KC...? My husband and I lived at Lake Lotawana for years before we moved to STT and now we are back in MO again. How old are your kids?

I'm with Sell The Car on this one. Save yourself the hassle/expense of shipping and buy one once you get on island. Then you can also decide what type of car you want, from a $1,000 beater to a brand new one, the choice is yours, and it'll better suit your needs once you find out what your needs are.

Hey Stewart

You might do better to sell the car and buy a new one here. I'm just guessing at what your car is like (yr, condition, access) but Kelly Blue book says you should be able to get about $22000 for your Lexus.

It could cost you around $4000 to ship your car to the islands. Lots of details to take care of. You could buy a nice car here for $22000.

stxer,

The actual Kelley Blue Book comes in at $32,000. It is a 2004 and loaded. Yes it does seem like a great idea to sell it and buy a less expensive vehicle on the island. We could a couple of vehicles for the amount we can sell the Lexus for. I really do not feel like hassling with the shipping and registration once on the island. My wife loves the vehicle and that is why we are thinking about shipping it.

We are coming from California and if we kept if, we would have to drive to Florida and then get to the islands. A lot of trouble for a vehicle.

Hi Stewart,

I shipped a car in from the states and am glad very glad that I did, but it sounds like selling your car might be the more sensible decision in your case.

I think you will quickly find once you get here that the type of a car you drive just won't be as important to you as it is in the states. First of all, for most people, cars are not a status symbol here the way they are in the states (which I find so incredibly refreshing). Secondly you just don't spend anywhere near the amount time in your car on a small island as you do in the states.

My .02 :)!