1. Best Brand for quality and reliability in CR.

Number 1. Toyota
Number 2. Nissan
Number 3. Landrover
Number 4. Isuzu
Number 5. Mercedes
Number 6. Suzuki
Number 7. Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, etc.)
Number 8. GMC (Chevrolet, etc.) and Ford
Number 9. Kia
Number 10. Hundai

2. Best Brand for getting parts and technicians who know how to repair that same brand in CR.

Number 1. Toyota
Number 2. Hundai
Number 3. Kia
Number 4. Nissan
Number 5. Isuzu
Number 6. GMC (chevrolet, etc.) and Ford
Number 7. Chrsyler (Dodge, Jeep, etc.)
Number 8. Suzuki
Number 9. Landrover
Number 10. Mercedes

3. Best Vehicle Type or Style for use on very poor unpaved roads during the worst of the rainy season.

Number 1. Full-sized 4×4 pickup
Number 2. Full-sized 4×4 SUV
Number 3. Small to Mid-sized 4×4 pickup
Number 4. Mid-sized Crossover 4×4 like Nissan X Trail or similar
Number 5. Small 4×4 SUV
Number 6. Full-sized front wheel drive passenger van
Number 7. Front wheel drive minivan or wagon
Number 8. Rear wheel drive minivan, wagon or pickup
Number 9. Small front wheel drive sedan
Number 10. Rear wheel drive sedan

4. Safest vehicle type on those same very poor dirt roads during the rainy season.

Number 1. Mid-sized 4×4 crossover SUV (CUV)
Number 2. Full-sized 4×4 pickup
Number 3. Full-sized front wheel drive passenger van
Number 4. Full-sized 4×4 SUV
Number 5. Small to Mid-sized 4×4 pickup
Number 6. Small 4×4 SUV
Number 7. Front wheel drive minivan or wagon
Number 8. Rear wheel drive minivan, wagon or pickup
Number 9. Small front wheel drive sedan
Number 10. Rear wheel drive sedan

5. Automatic Transmission VS Manual

We have already learned it is difficult to find mechanics who know how to repair or even properly service automatic transmissions. Are there any brands of vehicles who have been carrying automatic transmissions in CR long enough to have a good team of trained mechanics and access to parts for this to be a reasonable choice?

6. Gasoline vs Diesel? I would like to hear CRL members experiences with these 2 fuels. Also even Propane?

7. True New Car Dealers in Costa Rica. I would like recommendations for true factory authorized dealerships in Costa Rica. I see car dealers brandishing brand name signs, but I only want to deal with a full service new car dealer who can do all warranted service and repairs without hassle and minimal delays (I am a realist about the delays).

By Ecorazzi*, celebrity gossip and news

Mel Gibson hasn’t exactly had the best last couple years. Religious passions, anti-Semitic slurs, and various alcohol-related charges have clouded what otherwise has been a spectacular career. Financially, thanks in large part to Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, money is no longer a real concern — and it appears now that media scrutiny is making Mel leave the U.S. behind for a new jungle retreat.

Reports are coming in that Gibson has purchased a us$24 million 400-acre ranch in Costa Rica. Already, he’s sold two of his homes in the United States and sources are reporting that “he’s planning to live in his new location for most of the year.” From the article,

“Gibson’s move will endear him to a nation that is big on conservation. Costa Rica is famed for the richness and variety of its rainforest and wildlife and is home to five per cent of the world’s flora and fauna. The ranch is well away from temptation, located more than 300 miles from Costa Rica’s capital, San José.”

Mel’s new home will no doubt feature some green additions. The actor has been active in eco-friendly initiatives; including starring in 2006’s Who Killed The Electric Car documentary. Recently, he also became a primary investor (along with Bruce Willis) in Green Rubber Global. According to a post we wrote last month, Green Rubber “will use waste-free environmentally friendly technology to produce a rubber compound that can be used to make all kinds of products – including more tires.”

Space and a new setting may be just what Mel needs — he’ll also be using his new southern home to scout locations for his next film, an epic about the Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez De Balboa. Groovy. Hit the jump for more.

By Nathan Rold a long-time resident of Costa Rica

Over the years I have had the opportunity to meet many Americans from all walks of life. To be here you have to an adventurous and different type of person. It takes a lot of courage to move anyplace. Some people have a difficult time moving one place to another in their home town let alone moving to another country.

The majority of the North American retirees I have encountered have been very pleasant people. I have had nothing but good dealings with this group. However, let’s look at the other side of the coin.

A growing number of would-be North American entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly attracted to Costa Rica because of the growing number of business opportunities especially in the fields of tourism and real estate. Unfortunately many of these people are not qualified professionally, lack the fundamental knowledge and life experiences and even ethics. I have heard a growing number of Americans complain that despite the growing crime problem among Costa Ricans, that they have had more bad experience and been victimized more by fellow Americans.

The problem is that we have now have overnight gurus and experts being by the slews. Some foreigners think that by just moving they have enough experience to dole out advise and go into business. Recently, I checked out a tour company and found the owners had only lived in Costa Rica for a few months. How could they possibly have enough knowledge about Costa Rica to run a tour company in such a short time?

Would-be real estate agents are coming out of the woodwork. Many are even wetbacks (no offense to our Mexican brothers) who are working here illegally without having residency. Would you buy property in the States or Canada from an illegal?

I even heard of a person selling Costa Rican real estate in the States who had never even been here.

With the graying of the baby Boomers there are now thousands of web sites springing up all over the Internet by people offering retirement and real estate. Its hard to separate the real deal from inexperienced people and outright scoundrels. Every real estate site has retirement info. They have cut and pasted from a few of the real authorities on the subject. Several groups offer retirement related services and the principals don’t even speak Spanish nor have they lived here for enough time to give good advice. They are just here to ride the gravy train of the gold rush and prey on naive prospects.

One very smooth talking character I met , who passed himself off as a very religious family man, ran a dating service for single men looking for serious relationships. He lured the men in under this pretext and sold them products like off shore corporations, on-line casinos, none of which these people really needed.

An investment company with a biblical name and whose principals are now in jail in California, bilked other North Americans out of about $150,000,000 million dollars a few years back.

Bottom line is most of us who come here just want to live and let live. A few others are here to reap the spoils of the land and take advantage of their naive countrymen. Please be careful! This article is written to both help and protect future and current residents and keep them from making unfortunate mistakes.

This is bound to cause some controversy.