TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Driving in Baja

I am thinking of trading in my car for a new one. It is mexican plated. Is it cheaper to buy a new car in Tijuana area. Can anyone recommend a dealership in Tijuana area? If I go to states to buy one, how much trouble is it to trade in a mexican plated car. Thanks for any info.

Are you talking about buying a new or a used vehicle? I'd think you could get the best deal on new in the US because they frequently have sales & I know that there are a LOT of really creative "incentive" deals being offered by US dealers now. I can't speak for TJ specifically, but La Paz new car dealers don't have car sales; the only exception I know of is model year-end closeouts....when, amazingly enough, in my experience, the new model year was priced lower than the old model year!

I think if you're talking used vehicles, I believe you would most likely find the best prices in TJ. I personally would not buy a used Mexican vehicle. Mexicans don't do the maintenance like US owners do. In my experience, they drive them into the ground & sell them. I believe a US previously owned vehicle will have had regularly scheduled maintenance performed.

Trade-in where? I'm pretty sure you can't use a Mexican plated vehicle for trade-in in the US; possibly if it were originally manufactured in the US, but very doubtful. The smog & safety device laws are totally different.

If you're in TJ, I'd think it might be fairly easy for you to check out the local market & then take a few hours to do some comparison shopping in San Diego. Let us know what you find out.

I am looking for a New car only. I plan on paying cash for it with my trade in. My current car was manufactured and titled in USA but imported a few years back. I was just wondering if cars were cheaper here (new ones). I like having a mexican plated car and if I buy a new one in USA I can't import it until its older. Also have to go and register it each year and california taxes have gone way up on cars. I could buy it in Ca and register it in a different state I guess.

You'd have to ask a US dealer what their policy is on accepting trade-ins which were originally manufactured in the USA, but imported to Mexico & currently Mexican plated, but I'm seriously doubting that they'd go for it. It seems that I've heard once a US manufactured vehicle has been imported outside the US, that it can't be imported back in. Have you considered putting a se vende sign in your car & seeing if you could sell it on your own & apply the cash you get for it to the price of your new one?

I had a US licensed vehicle for the first 5-6 years, it was a hassle dealing with the tags & renewals. Life is much simpler since I bought a new one locally & handle the annual renewal locally. For me personally, the bottom line would be purchase price vs the convenience of license renewals. Are you aware that Mexico has a ridiculous "new car tax" which you have to pay for the first 5 years of ownership? It's above & beyond the annual licensing fees, but is collected along with your annual renewal fees. I don't know it also applies to a newer model resale. You'd have to ask a local dealer.

I can say that I'd avoid buying in CA & being subjected to CA taxes!

I'm buying a car 87 TROOPER in California but I plan to register it in another state and then drive back to Mulege....What is the best state to register in and how do I do it?

Richard on the hill

Depends on who to talk to. Some will tell you to register it in South Dakota but I hear that South Dakota is getting a lot more strict with outsiders claiming residence via a PO box. Others like Arizona. Are you planning on keeping it in Mulege?

I may keep it in Mulege...I don't want to have to bring it to the border every time I have to smog her...Tell me more about Arizona?

Richard on the hill

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Last I heard, Arizona still had pretty relaxed smog test rules and they were not too stringent as to maintaining a legal residence via mailing address.

Anybody here know more / anything different?