Cool. Puerto Lopez is pretty nice. If I make it down to the coast anytime soon I’ll try to visit. I made it back to Ecuador right before covid shut the world down.

Is your reference to Afghanistan meaning that Quito is violent? Please elaborate, perhaps you have some examples?

Thanks for the info. This video is a little outdated at this point as the rules in Ecuador often change. I’d be careful about expecting the vehicle review to catch problems. My old Hilux passed its review shortly before the axle came off on a curve.

Yeah, Ecuador isn’t perfect. It’s nice but it’s not for everyone.

Thanks. I’ll try to keep them coming.

Thanks Chris. I appreciate it.

I’m glad I’m still making videos too. Hopefully I have many years of videos and adventures yet to come.

How much was the vw van?

Funny you mention bottoming out. We just took a road trip around Ecuador. Near the coast we were on a 100 km per hour road with no street lights. We hit a huge unmarked speed bump. Fortunately the only noticeable damage seems to be to the power steering.

Yeah, I’m not a Peugeot fan… except for the old 404 trucks and their road bikes.

Close. Juan Valdez is a big Starbucks style (but shittier) coffee chain. There’s a couple locations for Rio Intag coffee that blows away anything else, but they’re not the norm here.

I’ve thought about making a video along these lines for some time now. It’s kind of a delicate topic. Eventually I’ll make a video about dating and relationships in Ecuador but it’ll take me some time to get around to it.

Yeah, most people just take taxis and busses, but I like to adventure about too much for that. I've been dying to get out of town and off the beaten path ever since I returned.

Remember me I have followed sense Antarctica. No aliens there right. Well hardcore I enjoy watching your journey while I'm busy taking care of my three boys. I admire you get to leave the country and enjoy seeing through your eyes😎

@@FallofftheMap looking forward to seeing the county and the camping.

Next stop, Mindo, Ecuador for new years and some fishing with the boys.

Awesome! If my plans all work out you might get some videos from northern Greenland next summer. I'm always working on the next big adventure. Makes it hard to keep the wife happy and raise two boys, but I hope I can set an example for them for how to live life fully and have a family at the same time. If your situation and your family makes it hard to take a giant leap into a life of adventure, I hope you can find a way to take small steps... maybe just a camping or backpacking trip with the kids. Get those boys outside and into the mountains! You won't regret it.

Hyundai, Kia, Chevy, Toyota, and VW are all very popular solid choices for Ecuador. Little 4x4 Vitaras are one of the more practical cars and very common. If you’re on the coast compact cars make a lot of sense, VW Gol, Chevy Aveo, Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10. At high elevations it often makes more sense to have something a bit more powerful and better for climbing hills, dealing with sudden heavy rains, washed out roads, etc… for example, I’m still driving my little VW Gol for city driving but I also now have an old 4x4 Toyota Hilux for my farm truck because the road up to my farm is too steep and rough for my VW. Another option is something in between the two. Lada Nivas are extremely capable 4x4 compact cars and one of the most economical options here. They’re very simple. No power steering, no radio, no AC. I’ve test drove a couple of them because I always wanted one, but I didn’t like the sloppy steering for dealing with the contact sport that is driving in Quito, but if you have the skill/confidence to drive one and you’re on a tight budget it’s a logical choice. Yes, it’s a Lada, so not the most reliable choice, but far better than all of Lada’s other cars, and cheap to repair. Kinda reminds me of the concept behind the old Datsun cars. Little things often break, but it’s so simple it usually takes 10 minutes to fix and parts are everywhere and cheap.

Yeah. I’m currently car shopping again since I’m living out in the country now and need a 4x4. It’s brutal, especially when I start pricing Toyota 4x4s.

Poland sucked. I’m back in Quito. The info in this video is a little outdated. Sold the old VW Gol a few months ago and bought a Suzuki Vitara SZ.

When you factor in the low cost of gas (extra just went up to $1.85 per gallon from it's previous 1:43) and how cheap it is for the labor when you need to repair your car, it's not that bad. Swallow the initial investment and it's easy from there on. Previously, I owned a 93 Mitsubishi Montero. I paid $7200. I bought it in poor condition and immediately invested $800 to rebuild the transmission, breaks, and catch up on basic maintenance. I put 100,000 km on it, 4x4ed it, drove it in salt water, and generally beat it to hell, and sold it for $6500. It's expensive to buy a car, but you can use and abuse it, and get enough of your investment back to make it all worth while.

@@FallofftheMap Fair enough, makes sense. Enjoy your rrip!

Yes, new cars are way more expensive than in the US due to high import taxes.

I know. I wish I’d bought it. I still find myself looking at cool VW busses, but not none of them are as sweet as that one.

@@FallofftheMap in 1974 i lived with a girl(my first live in girlfriend).who had a '72 vw bus,every time i see a vw bus it brings back memories.she was nice,but,the car was a piece of crap. first time viewer.

It’s been a long time, but if memory serves the Lada was $4800 and the VW $9000

@@FallofftheMap thank you!

It’s good to be thankful, but it’s also good to be aware that the US isn’t as awesome as many Americans seem to think. Ecuador isn’t perfect, and yes, car prices are silly here, but gas and mechanics are very cheap. After living here, when I return to the US to visit I am so thankful I don’t live in the US anymore.

@@FallofftheMap Oh please Oh please elaborate on that. A whole video perhaps?

No, I lived about 4 blocks away. No opinion on the conjunto itself. It used to be a pretty good neighborhood, but crime has increased the last few years. Still better than most of Quito but I prefer to be a ways outside of the city now.

It’s pretty complicated and seems to change frequently. Depending on how long you’ve been in Ecuador you may need an Ecuadorian driver’s license which requires residency and a cedula. You’ll also want to be sure the matricula for the vehicle is up to date and doesn’t have fines. If you are a tourist passing though I do not recommend attempting to purchase a car here. It has become problematic. If you’re relocating here, sure.

Oh man, I wish it was that easy. Importing a car into Ecuador is almost impossible unless you’re an Ecuadorian and you’ve lived outside of Ecuador for over a year, then there’s an incentive to get you to return, you can import one vehicle (lots or restrictions apply) without paying the exorbitant import duties. For everyone else, it’s cheaper to pay the price for a car in Ecuador than deal with the customs folks. As for importing into Peru, I don’t know if it’s possible but it wouldn’t help me out in Ecuador much unless I wanted to only keep the car here for 90 days.

@@FallofftheMap Wow.

The question has been asked a few times. The only way to import a car that isn’t prohibitively expensive is for an Ecuadorian to import that car after living abroad for over a year. They get a tax break. Otherwise, the import fees make it even more expensive than just buying a car in Ecuador. Importing through Colombia doesn’t get around this. The whole import situation is locked down tight.

@@FallofftheMap yeah. after your video, I went down a rabbit hole researching the subject. It seems some people have gotten away with driving from Columbia and then "procuring" a license plate from a similar vehicle. I plan on renting a vehicle while I'm there. $1,500 for 3 months seems a better deal then trying to buy. Thanks again for your videos!

In my opinion, yes. The only thing worse than climbing a ridiculously steep hill with speed bumps in an underpowered car with low clearance is hitting an unmarked speed bump on an unlit road at high speed.

@@FallofftheMap a quick question if I may? How are leasing terms are in Ecuador an option to buying? Thanks

No. You do don’t drive a car to Ecuador unless you’re just passing through. You can not import a car.

I’ve never looked into leasing options, but I assume it’s likely possible. There are definitely cars purchased on credit, but they interest rates and payments tend to be very high. While it is technically possible to import certain cars from neighboring countries, only Ecuadorians that have lived outside Ecuador for over a year and are now moving back home can import a car without paying prohibitively high import duties. The math simply doesn’t work out as the car would cost way more after paying the import tax. There was recently an article discussing the cost of cars in Ecuador. Apparently 60% of a car’s cost is taxes and fees

@@FallofftheMap , Thank you for that...it helped...

Yeah, I looked at a few old Land Cruisers. Every one I came across during my search was in such poor condition it really should have been parted out. In fact, I tried to test drive one, and ended up parking it and walking back to the dealership because it was so unsafe to drive. If I’d come across any that weren’t garbage I might have gone that route.

@@FallofftheMap Sorry to here that. We owned one down there. Ended up selling to family in good shape for 3k because we moved to the U.S. The VW Kombi would of been a steal.

Maybe a Nissan 90's Nissan patrol

I like Lada Nivas for 4x4s. That, or a Diesel HiAice Van, but for the time being I’m happy enough with my zippy little VW Gol. It fits in my parking and handles the hills at high altitude.

In demand, yes. Adequately paid, no. Also, Ecuador is in a huge economic crisis right now due to the double whammy of low oil prices and covid killing off the tourism sector. I’m guessing here, but I think most highly skilled mechanics are making less than $1000 a month.

@@FallofftheMap Thanks Man... Good Luck With Finding Work Or Making It With Out Work.

No

Well, sort of in specific situations, but by the time you’ve paid shipping and the import tax the imported care will cost way more than just buying one here. Only. Ecuadorians moving back home can get a break on the import tax.

Yeah. If my wife didn’t get carsick in taxis and busses when they speed through the curves I might skip the car too.

I don’t know. My “insurance” has always been to have enough in the bank to deal with any accidents out of pocket. It’s not like the US where it’s a requirement and there’s a organized and regulated insurance industry. This sounds like a good question for the Ecuador Expats Facebook group.

I don’t. I found a nice quiet place out in the country. It isn’t easy to find a quiet area in Ecuador but they do exist.

No

shirley arizaga I’ve been exploiting a loophole in the law. It used to be 90 days, now it’s 180 days from when you enter the country that you can drive with your foreign driver’s license. I travel often enough that I’ve always got a recent entry stamp in my passport. When I get stopped at police checkpoints I always hand them my passport with the entry stamp page open and explain how long I’ve been here without telling them that I actually live here. They assume I’m a tourist and off I go. I do not show them a cedula or anything that would make it clear that I’m using a law that was only designed to let tourists drive while they visit.

@@FallofftheMap Awesome

@@FallofftheMapgenius 😂👍🏾

Wow, 4000 Euros is quite a bit more than a similar Corolla would cost in Seattle. Maybe $4000 at the top end, but it would be easy to find one for $3000

@@FallofftheMap ...That was just the first one I set my eyes on, you could probably go lower, cars here in Ireland are kinda like the housing market....all speculation. I don't have one any more...the camry I had was really fuel efficient, although after dealing with the extras....approximate annually....1000 euros car tax.for that engine size....insurance...3K.....most garages rape you for parts and labour.....then petrol is prices in litres...about 1.50 euros per litre....I think it's about 4 and a half litres per gallon......and a gallon Stateside....in WA anyways, costs about $3.50 per gallon....so fuel efficient or not, your getting screwed for having a car/truck whatever....I cycle everywhere.....I live in a nanny state tbh….forgot to add, because I haven't joined the masses with cars, cable, overpriced mortgages et al.....that's how I'm able to travel, personally I wouldn't call the absence of these things a sacrifice....they're just a hindrance. Just booked a cheapish getaway weekend to Stockholm for Jan 2nd...….better bring my good gloves, could be cold up there. Happy New Year to you and your family

Noelio Emerald-Isle thank you for sharing your thoughts on the subject. It's interesting to learn the differences or not in our different countries. I also think what you shared about the McDonalds location is very sad😢

Because my car would not be able to stay in Ecuador. The police would look at the paperwork showing the last time the car crossed the border from Colombia and they would impound it and auction it off. There are no real loopholes to get around the import taxes on cars in Ecuador which is why they cost so much. Only Ecuadorians that have lived outside the country and are repatriating get a break on the import tax but it still comes with lots of restrictions.

My understanding is that it’s only cost effective to import a car if you are an Ecuadorian living abroad and decide to return. As an incentive to get Ecuadorians to repatriate they can import 1 car tax free provided it meets a long list of criteria. For the rest of us, we pay such an exorbitant import tax that it’s not at all worth it.

Mas o menos. I can communicate ok in Spanish but I don’t structure my sentences correctly.

@@FallofftheMap Well, I admire your bravery. I saw a couple of your videos on Antarctica and I thought you had guts, but you keep yourself exploring to new and different places. You have a good family. God bless you.

Thank you. Yes, I'm very fortunate, I have a wonderful family.

I’ve had pretty bad experiences with private sellers, though yeah, the dealership was expensive. The good thing is that repairs are much cheaper unless of course you have to import the parts. Getting work done on my VW has always been cheap. My 91 Hilux is expensive to keep on the road because parts are hard to find.

There are many reasons. Climate, food, culture. Ecuador tends to stay out of conflicts with the great powers. And the biggest reason, my wife is Ecuadorian. So yes, there are hassles and excessive costs when it comes to cars. It’s a small price to pay for all the other positive things about Ecuador.

Yeah, I mispronounce a lot of things. The car was ok. I still have it and it’s been well used and very reliable even when I take it on roads that should be 4x4 only. We did pay a little more than I think it was worth, but that’s what you get when you buy from a dealership.

@@FallofftheMap What I hear you do in Spanish is pronounce the "i" sound like a schwa sound in English. Can you say Continental in Spanish without saying a single "uh" sound? Try this. Coneteenentahl. It's one of the predominant pronunciation rules in English to only pronounce the syllables in words that are accented with their correct vowel sounds. Every vowel in other syllables turns into "uh". And syllable vowels are short in Spanish. Not in English. You're a smart guy obviously. The first video of yours that I watched, I heard you say "holuh" intead of "holah."

There are ways to do this, but they are not cost effective or logical.

The exception that is cheaper in Ecuador than the US are old VWs. You can find Brazilian made VW buses and bugs for less than 6k. There’s even a few VW Things around but they call them Safaris. The other cool car that is cheaper here are old Land Cruisers. The reason these cars are cheaper is than parts can be problematic. You often need to either import or fabricate parts.

@@FallofftheMap Those are all very familiar VW models. I like all of them just for sentimental value alone. My former Brazilian brother in law was in charge of the Brazilian VW employee pension fund. VW is a very popular brand in Brazil. I just watched a video from Don Shader’s (Grumpy Old Gringo) channel. Don bought a new Chinese SUV for under $20,000. It looks really nice but God only knows if you can find parts etc. when the thing starts to break down.

@@jerrygarcia4390 typically, it’s easier to find parts for Chinese brands in Ecuador than it is in the US. The problems with Chinese cars in Ecuador are resale value, build quality, and engineering that requires more work than necessary to perform routine maintenance. They’re shit cars, but they’re popular due to the low cost and stylishness.

@@FallofftheMapI forgot to tell you. I was eating breakfast in Vilcabamba in mid-January. I conversed with a sharp German man a table over from me. I asked about the Brazilian manufactured VW’s. He said that the problem with those engines is the use of very destructive sugar based ethanol fuels. That is probably a very valid point. He’s an interesting cat. He told me that Vilcabamba was the front line fighting against the Covid lockdown measures and then later on, the vaccine program 💉 He told me that he’s building a house off grid using a Hungarian designed and manufactured methanol burning generator to power his home and EV. He also made a very interesting observation (and very troubling if accurate) about Noboa. He thinks Noboa is aligned with the globalist world economic forum characters and that he would use the battle with the cartels to clamp down on human rights down the road. Let’s hope that’s not the case.

@@jerrygarcia4390 it sounds like you had a lovely chat with someone that was one step away from being a flat earther.

If you're asking about the VW bus, if memory serves me right, $12,000 (probably could have talked it down to 10k). There's a lot of awesome Brazilian made VW busses and bugs in Ecuador that are mid 90's models. If I didn't have to compromise with my wife, I'd probably have bought a bus like this one. If you're asking about the VW Gol I bought, 9.5k, I think. Got it for 8.

@@FallofftheMap Thanks man. appreciate the generosity of sharing this info. you rock!

I’ve driven a spark over the mountain passes. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

The new cars were a little out of my budget.

That’s next on the agenda. I’ll probably get a cheap Chinese bike just for the hilarity and misadventures. It’ll make for interesting videos.

No, Frank, what I’m saying is cars are expensive here.

This is meant to be an informational video for other expats. I’m not insulting Ecuador or Ecuadorians. Also, be aware your car prices are not just hirer than industrialized nations, your car prices are higher than most countries that are at similar economic and development levels as Ecuador. This is due to extremely high import taxes, not a lack of industrialization. Sorry my desire to share information and my experiences has for some reason made you angry.