Japanese Vehicles in Cayman Islands
Getting around any of the islands of Cayman is fairly easy simply because all three islands are very tiny in size. Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands at about 96 km² and contains the capital George Town. Towns on the island are referred to as “districts”. In all honesty, rarely do you ever drive distances greater than 15 kilometres, unless you visiting the East End district, which is about 30 kms from George Town.
As an expatriate, it is always better to buy a car locally or import a Japanese vehicle (which maybe cheaper than buying locally, but be prepared to wait at least 2 months for the vehicle and also there is a lot of paperwork involved in clearing and registering the vehicle). If you are only going to be working for a short while in Cayman Islands, say 1 – 2 years, then it is better for you to acquire one of the locally advertised second-hand cars (in reality fourth of fifth hand). You can get a reliable Honda or Toyota sedan for about US$3,500 and insurance on it for about US$600 per annum. As a work permit holder you will need to get a Caymanian driver’s licence, all you have to do is to go to the vehicle licensing department in George Town and present them with a valid driver’s licence from your country of residence. When I did it, the whole process took me about an hour and the staff at the licensing department, were very helpful.
If you are planning to stay longer term, like 2 to 7 years, then it may be worth your will buying a more upscale vehicle. This really means spending US$10,000 or more. On the island there are very limited credit facilities for new residents and therefore when arriving on the island it is best to assume that you will be required to pay cash for everything until you are more established with your new bank on the island. If you already have facilities with your existing bank in your country and you can use these facilities in Cayman Islands, by all means do so.
Vehicle For Sale In Grand Cayman
Like anywhere else in the world, always make sure that the used car you are going to buy is checked out by an independent mechanic. The thing about the lower priced (or bargain) cars is that after 6 months the maintenance bill becomes pretty heavy that you may have been better off buying an upscale model in the first place. Because of Cayman Islands rollover policy, personally I prefer to look for those selling their vehicles because they have to leave the island, only that you do not really have any recourse once the person has left (hence the mechanic inspection prior to buying).
As for brand new vehicles, most of the top brands are present in the Cayman Islands. You can get a Porsche, Hummer, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota etc from a local showroom. Invariably, because of lack of stock, your new vehicle may have to be brought in for your by the respective local dealer. Because all cars on the island are imported, they will always be more expensive than say, in the US and the UK.
A good source for getting a feel for the type of cars on sale in Cayman Islands or the cost of the various models would be Ecaytrade.
Filed under: Life In Cayman | Tagged: bank, buy, car, cars, Cayman Islands, driving, rollover
