KIA Sorento Suitability for USVI?

I see a lot of them around... but have no experience with them personally. Some spots on STJ are hard to tackle when wet without 4WD. I had a Tracker that without 4WD and wouldn't attempt a few spots if it was raining or wet, but was ok 99% of the time. I have an AWD now and don't have to worry about wet roads now. Just pot holes and really bad unpaved roads since my AWD has low clearance 🙂

Ton of threads about shipping a car... so you can check into those for more info on how that is done.

Thx StJohnJulie, that makes me feel more comfortable with this vehicle working just fine. I'm at that stage in my life where I don't NEED to drive anywhere at any particular time and for that reason it's the first vehicle for which I've opted out of AWD in many years, having had several of them here in Michigan with our snow and ice. Appreciate your timely response!

There is a KIA dealer on St Thomas, but I couldn't tell you anything about them.

Be aware it is usually difficult to ship a car here if it has a loan on it.
I rarely wish for an AWD vehicle but there are certainly rainy days and some driveways that I won't attempt driving with just FWD.

I'm no stranger to MI winters.... the last one I spent there was a really tough one. Tons of snow, and not a peek of sunshine for a month and a half in Kalamazoo. Went to work in the dark, came home in the dark, had to dig my car out of the driveway most mornings. I do not miss that at all. It's a beautiful place, but I visit in July now 🙂

Ha ha, ditto that StJohnJulie, so true.

During my interview on St. Croix, I saw a number of similarly shaped vehicles. I've also read, however, that a 4x4 is almost a requirement on St. John and St. Thomas because of the steep terrain in most locations. I was told that it's not as tough in Str. Croix, but a 4x4 isn't going to hurt there, either. My worry, though:

Be aware it is usually difficult to ship a car here if it has a loan on it.
I rarely wish for an AWD vehicle but there are certainly rainy days and some driveways that I won't attempt driving with just FWD.

Exactly what issues can I expect, Exit? I was told that I need several notarized copies of my registration and a notarized letter from the loan holder, which is Ford Credit in my case. I'm currently trying to decide whether to sell my truck (sniffle) or if I should go through the hassle of bringing it along for the ride. I'll tell you that my biggest fear is that I won't be able to bringing while I'm paying it off, and I won't be able to sell it because the truck is custom built: it's a longbed with ramps and the vehicle isn't popular in my current location. I'd prefer not to let my truck sit in a storage yard in Miami for 2 years while I finish paying it off...that would make me rethink coming.

Many US mainland lenders simply will not let you take a car that has a lien out of the country (off the mainland) unless the loan is paid off in full. The only way for you to know if this limitation applies to your vehicle is to check directly with your lender.

Many US mainland lenders simply will not let you take a car that has a lien out of the country (off the mainland) unless the loan is paid off in full. The only way for you to know if this limitation applies to your vehicle is to check directly with your lender.

Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of, and frankly, expecting.

Guess I better post to Craig's List. LOL!

You might investigate getting a personal loan - even though the interest rate may be higher and pay off the truck - not credit card high but if you can secure it with some other collateral [stocks,] or use your IRA, 401K even with the possible penalties.

Thanks for everyone's input, my loan contract says that my lender's approval is needed to take my vehicle out of U.S. Or Canada, so will probably just pay off the balance prior to.

Thanks for everyone's input, my loan contract says that my lender's approval is needed to take my vehicle out of U.S. Or Canada, so will probably just pay off the balance prior to.

If the contract says "you need approval" and you like your vehicle and you would rather use the cash you have on hand for other purposes why don't you contact your lender and see if they will grant you permission?. All it will take is a phone call and the worst thing that can happen is they say "no" - best case scenario is they say "yes" and you are good to go.