Car Dealers in USVI

Jeeps are in high demand and retain a high resale value. It may be a good idea to ship one over, easy to sell if you decide not to stay.

Shieba,

Thanks for the response.

If you already had a trusty Jeep it would be worth considering shipping it here but I wouldn't buy one just to bring. There are always plenty for sale here both new and used. I think Caribbean Auto Mart is the sole new dealership on St Thomas but they have plenty of used vehicles; plus you can check the Island Trader which comes out every Thursday for private deals, the Virgin Islands Daily News; and craigslist vi.

Some rentalcar companies do off load them at a good price. Depending on time of year. Budget Car Rentals comes to mind. Have gottena couple of good ones from them myself, also Amalie Car Rental.

old tart/Ronnie

I currently dont have one just trying to figure out if the cost to get one over there is worth it or just buy one when i get there?
Thanks for the responses.

That depends upon where you're coming from...

I say price them where you are, and make a decision after you get here. You can always fly back and buy if there's a substantially savings. Rent one until you decide.

I just came across ads by 2 rental car companies selling off some of their rentals.

Budget: Prices range from $9,999 for a 2010 Ford Focus to $21,999 for a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4. 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unltd for $20,999.
Off Season Sale. Reduced Prices. Call Jimmy at 643-0101

Avis: Prices range from $9,200 for 2010 Kia Sedona to $23,000 for a 2011 Jeep Cherokee.
Fleet Sale Pricing. Sale prices on valid thru 9/30/2012. Contact Natasha Matthew @ 774-4616

Good thread, good info for me as i am bring one car and buying one when on island. On our PMV to STX we saw lots of cars for sale in your range, unfortunatly I don't see as many on Craigslist or on here in classifieds. I do think 4k is more likely... Just from what I saw.

i am not expecting a car for 2-3k, thats how much its gonna cost me to ship a jeep over. I am trying to figure out the pricing difference in the USVI vs US +shipping is much of a difference. Buying a jeep here for 5-10k then adding 2-3k for shipping or just spending 5-10k on a jeep there..

Thanks for all the responses. think im going to be better off buying one in south florida on my way there having it checked out and shipped over. That way i know what im gettting and dont have to spend 500 a month to rent one. Cant wait to make this dream of moving to St john a realitty..

THanks,
Adam

Absolutely, positively do not go to Caribbean Auto Mart! Don't make me say "I told you so".;)

If you already own a reliable, non gas sucking, not too low to the ground (pothole fooder) vehicle, it pays to ship it from FL.
If not, you can easily buy a reliable vehicle here - just take to a good mechanic to have it checked out, prior to purchase.
Lots of cars for sale advertised in Daily News and Island Trader, plus there are reputable car dealerships, Community Motors, for one, that you can check out. Plan on spending a decent amount as a $1500 beater may not last long and cost you more in the long run.

Do you have your heart set on a jeep? You may want to look at more cost effective vehicles....

blu4u

I am not set on a Jeep but thought it would be nice to have on the island. Everyone keeps misreading my post or confusing it with others. hahahaha, i am NOT looking at a car for $1500 (im not a moron) its gonna cost between 1500-3k to have one SHIPPIED so i am just trying to figure out how much more expensive vehicles are there compared to here (the states) , basically is it worth it financially to ship one over to St. John or just wait and buy one.

I looked at some old Land Rover Discoveries as well as old landcruisers but not sure how easy it would be to have those worked on, on the island and figured Jeeps were pretty common so cheaper to have fixed if have problems.

If you can find a nice Jeep and ship it I would say do it if the money is similar to buying one here. The thing is you will have a lot more variety back in the states. If you plan to buy one here there may only be 1 or 2 available.

I would not buy a Land Rover. You would just be asking for trouble.

Land Cruisers are another story. In my opinion this is one of the few ideal vehicles here. I sold my 1993 before coming here and wish I hadnt. They are super tough and reliable. They are not hard to work on or get parts for. Some are known for bad head gaskets and or transmissions so have that checked before you buy one.

If you get a 1991 or newer Land Cruiser remember its AWD and not good on gas. Thats the price you pay.

tiberius, i have heard that from many people. i think i even heard that when you take your car in for an oil change, they don't actually do the oil change, just charge you for it.

No one is misreading. We're all saying that you can find a car in the 2-4k price range pretty easy. So no it may not be worth shipping a car. A jeep on the other hand they are saying is worth more, and finding them for sale is (I would guess) less likely than a 4dr car.

Now if you want a nicer/newer jeep then you may have to ship one. We looked at lots of cars for sale when there but didn't see any jeeps, higher demand. I would do a little CRV or something, better on gas.

Recently I sold my lifted diesel truck and bought a 2000 crv. I'm THINKING of bringing it but 2500 to get it there and it's only worth 4? I paid 3k here in AZ. Tough call but I think I'm going to sell it for the 3 I paid, keep the 2500 and buy a car for 5k on island. From what I saw that should get me a normal economical car on STX.

You can purcahse a new 2012 Jeep on STT. Other than stopping past the dealership, i don't know how to find out the total price. Maybe some one can hook you up with a decent salesman. Yes there are alot of jeeps. You may also want to look at fords since there alot fords on the road too. Ecsape v. wrangler.

Some people say you need a4x4 for STJ. I think that depends upon where you live--dirt road, driveway. 2wd is much cheeper to purchase, fuel and maintain. I never owned a 4x4 in the VI and have never had a problem. Good tires are important.

Oh yea I'm not talking about new cars. I never buy cars new: total waste of money IMO.

Oh yea I'm not talking about new cars. I never buy cars new: total waste of money IMO.

I'm not just talking about new or used car purchase from C.A.M. They tried to charge a friend $85.00 for one front wiper blade on a 2006 Town & Country minivan. I went to Advanced Auto and got one for her for $20.00.:S

My bad too.. the OP was looking for STJ, I missed that completely...I thought it was a overall USVI question, in which I can only speak to STX when I was there. I was looking to buy a car and leave it with friends so I had one right when we got on island.

Whats the deal with CAM?? I see their ads on CL and the cars look decent and decently priced. They total scammers? Ive seen several people say not to use them. Weird that they are still in business if its so well known that they are horrible.

I bought one car from CAM and had no problem. Others have had different experiences. One person who posts rants against them is someone who had planned to move here and work for them. It didn't work out and he has been posting about them ever since. As with most large purchases, buyer beware.

CAM does overcharge, not diagnose the problem(s) correctly, and tries to get you to do unnessarry work on your car.
I go to a private mechanic now and I'm much happier.
CAM not getting another penny from me!

Their parts and service dept. overcharges to the extreme.
I don't know anything about their sales dept. or the condition of their inventory.

We bought our landlords car here on STJ but we are looking for a small truck for my husband i.e.: ford ranger, tacoma, s-10 nearly impossible to find one and I know other people looking for them too so when a truck like that comes up we will have to jump on it. There aren't many cars or trucks for sale on STJ right now. Bring a small truck--you should be able to sell it quick if you leave 🙂