Driving our route from Atlanta to Bucerías is 2231 miles (3590 km). Other than snow, we drove through just about any type of terrain you can imagine – forests, swamps, mountains, low desert, high desert, and tropical rainforest. By the time we got here, our white Subaru Ascent was filthy inside and out.
A few days after unloading our things, I started looking for a place to get the car washed. There are quite a few of them. I randomly chose one close to where we were living at the time. The interior still had quite a bit of trash in it and items that needed to be unpacked, so I tried to communicate that I only wanted an exterior wash. The guy I spoke to nodded his head that he understood. He didn’t.
I gave him my keys and went to sit in the waiting area under the umbrellas. Our SUV was third in line and I couldn’t see it from where I was sitting. As they would finish one vehicle, they would move all the others forward. After about 30 minutes, the Ascent came into view. Someone started wiping down the interior. A few minutes later, he started emptying the car. Out came all of the junk inside, including the dog’s car seat that had been buckled into a second row seat. I was transfixed. I watched him wipe down the rear hatch area three separate times.
When I arrived, I had looked at a sign on the wall for pricing. SUVs were listed at 110 pesos ($5.50 US). It wasn’t clear what that included for that price. Another sign said something about asking for quotes if you want your car detailed. I assumed that they added the detailing without permission and I was about to pay a gringo tax because I couldn’t tell them clearly what I wanted and what I didn’t. Whatever. Even if it ended up costing $30 or $40, it was worth it.
About an hour after they had started, they called me over to the car. The doors were opened so I could see inside to confirm I was happy with the work. Oh, my goodness. It looked like the day we bought it — possibly cleaner. They had washed and/or wiped down every square inch, then put our stuff back into place. I told them it looked great and asked how much I owed…
110 pesos.
If they did all of that for their base level price, I’m not sure what would be included in detailing. The only other thing I can think of is waxing. At some point, I’m going to find out. In the States, we have spent anywhere from $35 for a basic wash to around $80 (pre-tip) getting our cars washed and cleaned.
Verdict? Car washes are remarkably less expensive than in the U.S.