Although executives at new vehicle dealerships in Costa Rica are not quite ready to expand their showrooms to Guanacaste, they are paying close attention to the number of car buyers from that region. The year 2013 was highly satisfactory in terms of new car sales in Costa Rica, and they expect 2014 to be even better. With slightly lower import taxes for new cars in Costa Rica, buyers from Guanacaste can now choose between importing cars or taking a shopping trip to the Central Valley.

According to a recent report by Cesar Augusto Brenes Quiros of business weekly El Financiero, at least one dealership is venturing outside of the Greater San Jose Metropolitan Area (Spanish initials: GAM): Grupo Danissa, dedicated to Nissan and Audi, will test a new showroom in San Carlos, which will make it easier for prospective buyers from Guanacaste. Sales managers at Danissa expect to surpass their 2013 record year of sales, which ended with 3,860 new cars leaving their lots. For 2014, they are forecasting a 20 percent increase.

Grupo Disitali, distributor of fine Italian models such as Fiat and Alfa Romeo expects an even more stellar 2014: The forecast for Disitali indicates a 68 percent growth with 650 cars sold. Fans of French auto engineering who live in Guanacaste will have to make a trip to Heredia for the purpose of researching their Peugeot purchases. This esteemed brand has been suffering greatly in terms of sales in Costa Rica during 2013, which has prompted dealership owners to remodel their showroom and even open a few retail shops for the benefit of car buyers. Still, sales of Peugeot could see a 160 percent increase in 2014.

Another French brand, Citroen, is also expected to see an increase in 2014. In Costa Rica, Citroen is carried by Veinsa, a major dealership that also handles Mitsubishi, Ssang Yong, and Geely.

Not everything is expected to be smooth sailing for auto dealerships in Costa Rica during 2014; the roadway infrastructure challenges experienced in the Central Valley during 2013 are still fresh on the minds of many drivers. The U.S. dollar is on the rise and the national interest rates for vehicle loans are bound to keep climbing.

Buyers from Guanacaste, however, will have the upper hand in this regard: Many roadways in the region are being improved, and dealerships are ready to negotiate sale prices for buyers who arrive at the showrooms with pockets full of greenbacks.

Auto dealers in Costa Rica did not release forecasts for sales of hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles, but a slight improvement is expected in this regard.