By Staff Writer Claudia
Buying a car is one of the practical steps that helps life in Costa Rica begin to feel settled. For families moving to ESM, having a vehicle makes school runs, grocery trips, and exploring our new surroundings easier. It can also introduce a few unfamiliar details, from registration paperwork to discovering just how much business happens through WhatsApp.
We chose to buy a new car through a dealership. Having someone coordinate the paperwork, explain the maintenance arrangements, and help us through the purchase made the process feel more manageable while we were preparing for an international move.
From a March visit to a May pickup
We ordered our car in person in March and put down a $500 deposit. That gave us an opportunity to meet the dealership team and begin the process before returning in May to collect the vehicle. We didn’t even do a test drive, but we had previously rented the make and model of our car choice.
Between those two visits, all the remaining payment arrangements and coordination happened through WhatsApp. That part made us nervous. We were making a significant purchase, and a messaging app felt surprisingly informal for something involving so much money.
In our experience, however, WhatsApp became the main connection between us and the dealership. Questions, payment coordination, and pickup arrangements all moved through the conversation. For someone arriving from overseas, it can take a little getting used to. Meeting the team in person first helped us feel more comfortable with the conversations that followed.
What we appreciated about the dealership
One of the biggest benefits was having the dealership handle the taxes and registration for our car. With a house, a move, and family logistics already competing for attention, having help with those details was valuable.
Our purchase also included a maintenance plan that we felt was reasonable. Knowing there was an arrangement for scheduled service gave us a clearer picture of the early ownership costs and somewhere familiar to return for maintenance.
Those details are useful when comparing offers. A vehicle’s price tells part of the story. The service and assistance included in the purchase can matter just as much to a family finding its feet in a new country. Packages vary, so a written explanation makes it easier to see what each dealership is offering.
Understanding the price
A helpful starting point is a written quote showing the total amount needed to take delivery. That gives everyone a shared understanding of the vehicle price, taxes, registration expenses, and any optional additions.
There is also a difference between a new vehicle’s first registration and the transfer of an already registered vehicle. Hacienda’s guidance distinguishes the IVA treatment of vehicles sold before their first registration from the transfer-tax treatment of vehicles already registered in Costa Rica. For a buyer, an itemized dealership quote helps turn those distinctions into a straightforward total.
A few friendly questions can make the conversation easier:
Our $500 deposit and March-to-May timeline describe our own purchase. Another dealership, model, or delivery arrangement may work differently.
Getting comfortable with WhatsApp
For us, the unfamiliar part was conducting so much of a car purchase through a phone conversation. Once we understood the process, it became a convenient way to stay in touch between visits.
A little organization can make that experience more comfortable. Keeping the written quote, purchase agreement, receipts, and payment confirmations together creates an easy reference alongside the messages. Confirming banking details through the dealership’s published phone number or in person adds reassurance before a large payment, especially if account instructions change.
WhatsApp can be the place where the conversation happens while the dealership still provides formal purchase documents and receipts. Having both makes it easier to follow the transaction from the initial deposit to delivery.
Maintenance, warranty, and the years ahead
The maintenance plan was a welcome part of our purchase, particularly while we were settling into life here. For another buyer, the useful details might include how many services are covered, whether there are time or mileage limits, and which workshop performs the work.
Maintenance and warranty also serve different purposes. The maintenance plan describes the scheduled services included in the purchase. The warranty explains coverage for qualifying problems under its terms. Asking the dealership to explain both together can help clarify what ownership will look like after pickup day.
For families living in San Mateo, the location of the service department is another practical consideration. A convenient appointment and a manageable drive can become meaningful benefits over time.
And then there is marchamo
Marchamo is a term new arrivals will hear regularly. It is the annual vehicle circulation payment, combining the vehicle property tax, compulsory accident insurance, and other charges. Even when a dealership handles the initial arrangements, it remains part of the ongoing cost of owning a car.
The compulsory insurance included in marchamo provides coverage for people injured in traffic accidents. Additional insurance can address other needs, such as damage to the vehicle, theft, or liability for property damage, depending on the policy selected. The dealership or an insurance adviser can explain the available coverage in everyday terms.
Looking back, we appreciated having a dealership guide the purchase from our first visit through delivery. Having the taxes, registration, and an included maintenance plan coordinated along the way gave us a little more room to focus on everything else involved in making Costa Rica home.