Mexico

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

So, what is the problem?

 

Ah, very good. If they can do something about the corrupt cops, parasites in the water, and murderous bandits, I'll be happy to go back.

Don't forget to check your car insurance. Your policy may not cover driving in Mexico.

 

Hmm... corrupt cops, parasites in the water, murderous bandits... if we could just eliminate these in Canada and the US as well. 8)
The advice regarding insurance is very important.

 

Parasites in drinking water are not a problem in the U.S. and Canada. Mercury, benzene, herbicides, radioactivity, lead, ... sure, but I wouldn't worry about parasites in the water north of the Rio Bravo. All our parasites are in government.

 

you don't have an edge on parasites in government, we can probably exceed yours by population ratio . Before I made my last post I googled "parasites in US drinking water" just to make sure I wasn't making that remark without justification. Give it a try and see the results. I already know we have them in ours.
I must research this so that when our Prius arrives we will make sure only non-polluted H2O is used in the young lady's drinking water. ;-)

 

You definitely have to get special Mexican automobile insurance, which you can buy near the border. At least that is the way it was 20 years ago when I went to Mexico.

I've been thinking about driving down to Baja, but then I have not been babying my Prius.

 

Now that's rather amusing, as it assumes that you get stopped for something you actually did. I assure you that my Mexican friend knows the Mexican laws and abides by them. But the cops in Mexico City see his Queretaro license plates and know he's from out of town and cannot fight it, so they stop him, accuse him of something he didn't do, and he has to pay. And that's very common.

Another example of how corruption hurts: Mexico has stringent pollution laws. Cars must be tested and get a sticker. But there are enough corrupt inspection sites, that if your car cannot pass, you go to a corrupt inspector and pay a bribe to get your sticker. The result: zero enforcement and the world's worst air pollution.

I spent a month at a language school in Oaxaca, but I had to flee to Guadalajara on one day's notice, because the corrupt immigration officer in Oaxaca wanted a bribe to renew my visa. But of course it's illegal to offer a bribe, so had I tried that, he very likely would have demanded a bigger bribe to refrain from arresting me for bribing him. In Guadalajara I was able to submit my renewal application without a bribe. One of the reasons I ended up in Queretaro, after my semester in Guadalajara, besides Qro being a very nice place to live, was that the immigration office there is honest.

Corruption hurts everyone, and nobody accepts "the odd bribe." The honest ones are honest, and the crooked ones will shake you down every chance they get.

That said, low-level corruption was less common when I was there than it had been. I don't know if it's changed for the better under President Fox.