Mexico

[Gurmail]

I wonder if any one has any experience of visiting Mexico in their Prius? I have been there often but never in my Prius. I know the Prius is not being sold in Mexico yet so, could the bigger dealers srvice it if needed in an emergency? Also, are there any Prius groups/fans there who might like to see it? Since many members live in S CA, I am sure some people have been over the border.

[daniel]

Mexican mechanics are among the world's best, because of their long experience in fixing old cars that people cannot afford to replace with new ones. (Though the rich of Mexico drive the most expensive new cars.) What I'd be concerned about is if your Prius broke down you'd be going to a mechanic who'd never seen one before. We've read plenty of horror stories here about the poor folks who've been the first one at their dealership with a problem or SSC. You might or might not be covered under your warranty, and the Toyota dealers in Mexico might or might not have access to the TSB's or tech manuals in their own language.

I'd also be scared to drive in Mexico. I lived there for 4 1/2 years, and they drive like maniacs. But it sounds like you've been there before, so you know what you're getting into as far as road conditions and drivers.

[Gurmail]

Thanks, Daniel. I have complete confidence and full respect for the abilities and ingenuity of Mexican mechanics and the roads are fairly good these days. Mexico ( and most other developing countries) ahve really progressed a lot in the last decade or so and the infrastructure( on the whole) is excellent. My only concern was if I break down due to something serious, there probably won't be any one experienced with a Prius. I am sure they will be able to handle small stuff like oil changes etc but the hybrid system may be hard. I was also curious if there are people interested in the Prius in Mexico( I am sure there are some) and if anyone had ever gone to a big city like Mexico City or even just over the border and had noticed any interest. While there I wouldn't mind meeting afficionados or displaying it at some place for a few hours if anybody were to be interested. Kind of like what John 1701a and others did here with theirs afew years ago when the Prii were scarce and few people knew about them. I speak fairlygood Spanish and would not mind answering questions.

[daniel]

As for interest in the Prius in Mexico, I can't help you. I left there in 1999.

An additional problem you might have in the event of a serious breakdown would be availability of parts. Would Toyota ship parts to Mexico? Or would you have to order them from a U.S. dealer and have the additional wait time?

I'll agree that the highways were pretty good wherever I went. Condition of city streets was mixed. But my biggest fear would be the drivers. And bandits if you drive cross-country at night, though I'd rank that as much less of a concern than careless drivers.

But then, I'm scared to drive in any big city, even here in the U.S.

If you go to Mexico City you need to be scared of cops. They'll spot you as an out-of-towner, pull you over for a make-believe offence, and demand "la mordida." Someone told me of being pulled over by a motorcycle cop, paying the bribe, and then paying an additional price in return for the cop's promise to guide them to their destination. Of course, the cop just sped away. And a Mexican friend told me that every time he goes to mexico City he has to take extra cash, because he'll be stopped, on average, every second trip there, and have to pay. He keeps a separate roll of bills in his shirt pocket so he can pull out an amount that will satisfy the cop, but not make him appear rich. I think he mentioned 200 pesos ($20) as the usual amount.

[swepri]

Hey Daniel, can you please type slower!!!!

I am using the "View posts since last visit" and can't catch up to make the list shorter :wink:

Obviously I am a slow reader :| .

/Paj

[htmlspinnr]

I think my biggest concern would be the gas - but it's been a while since I was down there (as a kid) myself. Other than the roads, the gasoline quality from Pemex seems to stick out. But perhaps that too has improved in more recent years.

[richard schumacher]

Can you get unleaded gas everywhere? Can you trust the stated octane level of the gas? I wouldn't drive into Mexico with any car built for the US market, much less one as novel as is the Prius.

[Gurmail]

In response to Richard, yes, you can get unleaded gagoline- Magna Sin- almost everywhere and yes, you can trust the gasoline. Hundreds of thousands of people drive across the border every year without any problems. You will be amazed if you haven't been there since childhood.

[flyingprius]

Worrying about the octane of gas in Mexico shouldn't be any more of a problem than in the U.S. Two months ago, the local NBC affiliate in Albuquerque sent out state scientists to test gas quality; they found that 2 out of 10 samples had the wrong octane by up to 5 octane points- (R+M)/2
Some stations were pumping out 82 octane out of the 86 pumps. And no, New Mexico is not part of Mexico. This practice happens all over the country. In fact, Mexican gas is probably better to drive with considering it doesn't have MTBE or that seasonal ethanol us Prius drivers get annoyed by.

[Canuck]

Wife and I sailed in the Sea of Cortez from '85 to '91 "home ported" in La Paz, Baja and had our Ford 150 pickup and Honda scooter down there as well. Never had a problem with the gas or diesel. In fact, met a couple from Alaska who flew down in an old Cessna, camping on the beach and filled the aircraft with the local auto Pemex gas. In addition, I had to have my Perkins diesel rebuilt in La Paz. Quote to have it done in San Diego $9500 -- the local guy completed the job for $2500. It helped that my vessel diesel was the same as the that on the majority of 18 wheeler reefer trucks that have plied the Baja 1000 for years. The Prius will not be a problem in Mexico as long as you stick with a certified Toyota dealer and like anywhere in the world you should check first before driving there. There are areas in the US and Canada where there is no Prius expertise for hundreds of miles but this will be less of a problem as the Prius becomes more popular. Mexicans are extremely clever and ingenious folks.