shipping a 6 year old Prius

Hi Jpcaribe,

I don't have any feedback for you regarding how the Prius might perform on the island roads, but having recently shipped an imported car, I do know that you will pay a 3.5% (of the Blue Book value) import tax in addition to all of the other various taxes and fees.

I assume that the Prius is made in Japan, BUT if it is made in Mexico or Canada, the import tax will be 6% of the Blue Book value. I am not sure exactly why this is, but OUCH!!!

check your VIN #, if it starts with a 1 or a 4 there is no customs duty.

I don't know what a VIN # is, but inside the driver's door frame is a sticker with a bunch of date ending with
MADE IN JAPAN
NO. 313

You can find the VIN on your vehicle's registration card, on the insurance card, and on the dashboard (from the outside, look through the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side).

STJ roads are very hilly. I hope your car has some pep, good brakes, and good ground clearance. I think the max speed limit on STJ is 20mph, so you won't need to worry much about shimmying, tire balance, speed-rated tires, or ever needing anything above 2nd gear!

Please be reasonably certain you'll be staying long term before shipping the car, because it's expensive to do. If shipping the car costs more than the car is currently worth, don't bring it. Buy one here instead.

Somewhere on this board there must be lots of info related to shipping cars here.

The Vehicle Identification Number is on a metal plate attached to the dashboard on the driver's side. You can read it if you stand outside the car and look at the dash through the front windshield.

Hybrid vehicles are not popular here so you will need to plan ahead for periodic battery replacements in order for a battery to be here when you need it. Also, good mechanics are dificult to find here and there are even fewer people with the specialized training required to maintain a hybrid vehicle properly. The islands are small so the advantages of driving a hybrid aren't great here.

Be sure the car is worth shipping. It will cost you between $2- $3K to ship your car from Florida and get it on the road in SJU.

Be sure that your car is in tip top shape before shipping it here including replacing the batteries if they are near the end of their service life. Believe it or not the heat is as hard on batteries as the winter's cold. Good car mechanics and auto parts are hard to find in the VI. Dealers are much good here either. They survive because there is only a single outlet for each brand.

Jim

I would think that you will have a tough time when the time comes, finding someone who can get parts and work on it. The salt air might also be very hard on the circuits, They say TV's etc don't last too long this that enviroment.

Thanks for all your input,opinions, knowledge and experience.JP

how would you go about purchasing a car in st. thomas or st. john what are the used car prices?

You can buy cars on STT from dealers or through ads in local newspapers. The prices for cars are comparable to stateside prices plus the cost of shipping to the USVI.

On St. John, check out the bulletin boards at Connections and Starfish Market. There are usually plenty of postings for used cars for sale. I found my 95 Suzuki Sidekick at Connections for $2500 and it runs fine.

Just curious...

Here in NY there is a big market for purchasing cars that have been rentals or leases from Hertz, Avis and the like. Is there a similar market there? The last several years all the vehicles I've rented on St. Thomas have had less then 10,000 miles. I would think it possible to get a decent enough car from a rental agency if they do, indeed, sell them to the public once they are "decommissioned." Of course, I could be wrong and they just collapse or self-destruct after a certain amount of time in the rental market.

Gerie

No Gerie, some of them sell them when they are still in good shape. Budget is best for that. Dependable has some for sale this week. Prices are reasonable and below book value.

RL