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Cross-border car buying hits record

GREG KEENAN

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 8:56 AM EDT 07/07/08

Importing U.S. vehicles became easier last week when Transport Canada announced new bumper standards that are the same as those for vehicles sold in the United States and Europe ...Read the full article

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  1. Paul, Bytown, from Canada writes: This can't be. Jeremy Cato (G&M) and Denis Desrosiers (self proclaimed expert) keep telling us how Canadians are getting such great deals here and that there are no advantages to going to the US.

    I'm confused! These so called (paid for by the Canadian auto dealers association) car gurus can't be wrong.

    Can they?
  2. Mark Sandelin from Toronto, Canada writes: The Canadian Government seems to be on the side of the consumer. They've shown us this buy eliminating the immobilizer issue last December and now revising the bumper standards. We expect to see a continued increase in vehicle imports by Canadian dealers and consumers in the second half of this year.

    We are also members of several Canadian and North American auto dealers associations and I can tell you first hand that dealers are well aware of the savings available in the U.S. and many of them are purchasing their used car inventory stateside.

    Mark Sandelin, CEO ImportTrader
  3. K D from Canada writes: This is great news. I am looking for a car in Buffalo this summer.

    What a boon for the Canadian consumer!
  4. adam mateyko from calgary, Canada writes: Car industry shills still tell us prices are "equivalent" or some such nonsense. A prius US is 22k, Canada 28k. But one example of many. Its easy to take a look at any US car site. We are not talking about Porsches or exotics. Still at the upper end, prices are 25-35% higher in Canada for most. Then again, now SUV's in the US are getting cheaper by the week. Not to mention 5mpg motor homes. So just wait till they are parked and see how much the price goes down, they will even be delivered for free!
  5. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: I used to be a committed Honda/Acura buyer. When it came time to replace our CRV, I saw Honda had bumped the price about 8K even though the Canadian $ rose by50% in the meantime. When the dealer called to try to get me to buy, I laughed. Instead, I went to the USA and bought a Lexus hybrid SUV, 4 months old, for 5K more than the CRV in Canada. Better gas mileage too. Oh, and it had walnut trim, which Canadian Lexuses don't have (there goes another myth). Honda HQ called me a month ago to enquire why I had not yet purchased the new CRV. I told her we no longer had it and that I will NEVER buy another Honda/Acura product so long as 1) they rip Canadians off, 2) they cancel warranties if you bring a car into Canada, 3) they threaten US dealers and 4) they try to deny Canadians recall letter on US vehicles (riv will do it for you now, so this is no problem). I am currently looking to replace another vehicle, and will only look in the USA. The G&M and other auto writers have deceived Canadians. Even in this article, they use US MSRP. Canadians tend to buy at MSRP. American buy at invoice, usually thousands less than MSRP. Go save yourself thousands or, like me, >$20K, and buy in the USA.
  6. Howard Young from Canada writes: Bill Johnson, I admire you're tenacity. All I can say is that this Canadian doesn't buy cars at MSRP (the horror). I negotiate up from dealer cost.
  7. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: Howard, I am on autotrader.com tonight looking at the next vehicle. Maybe an Audi. I like that idea; Audi for Kia Canadian price.

    I should clarify that the writer of this article probably isn't aware that yanks buy at invoice, as he is not an auto writer.

    If you are interested, you can also go to cars.com and price new and used cars.

    Lexus, Toyota, Infiniti, Subaru, Volvo, GM (after 12000 miles), Nissan (after car is 6 months old in USA) all honour warranties in both countries. Honda, Acura, Mitsu, Hyundai, Susuki all cancel warranties if you import, so beware. BMW and Mercedes will honour warranties, but make importation needlessly expensive and difficult.

    The Harper govt deserves credit for removing stupid impediments to importation of vehicles.
  8. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: Canadians interested in learning about importation stories (process, savings, brokers who can get you a new car) go to:

    http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307601
  9. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: G&M is going to spike the thread in about 2 minutes because car dealers are going to go ballistic. Imagine, a newspaper that hides the news.
  10. Tony . from Waterloo, Canada writes:
    The interesting thing is that Canadian car prices really aren't that expensive. Compare how much we pay vs. anyone in Europe and you'll see our cars are usually 40-60% cheaper! Same goes with most of Asia.

    The real story here is not expensive Canadian cars but ridiculously CHEAP American cars. The U.S. dollar has fallen drastically and the cost of raw material has soared, so the costs of cars in the U.S. should be MUCH higher than what it is. Problem is though that the U.S. car market has already collapsed as it is, sales are down 20% year over year! No car company can afford to raise prices to reflect their costs. Any car company that sells into the U.S. is taking a HUGE beating. GM, Ford and Chrysler are getting the worst of it, but Toyota's hurting bad as well and Honda isn't exactly having a banner year either.
  11. E. Biggs from Canada writes: Friends went south to buy a Rav 4 last week and after installing the new immobalizer and all the paper work etc the total they saved was $5800.00. Apparently if you but a car mfg. in the States you also get a break on the taxes because of Nafta. I have to check that out but that what I was told.

    The had to wait three days before getting it as that paper work had to get to customs but that was no big deal. You can bet your booties that I will be doing the same shortly.

    Not only cars but also tires. I bought 4 new Michelin tires in the States and saved approx $45.00 per tires installed, balanced and filled with nitrogen.

    You got to be nuts to buy up here if you have an option.

    Canadian national anthem (bend over here it comes again) I wish with they were going to screw us at least we should get some kissing.
  12. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: E Biggs. You are correct. Any vehicle that is built in North America, including Mexico, is duty free entry into Canada. Non-North American cars attract 6.1% duty on the price you pay. Import fee is about 215$. Some provinces require a safety in Canada, so add another 50$. Most states do not charge sales tax when the vehicle is exported to another state or country.
  13. Gil Johnson from Victoria, Canada writes: I had wondered why the Canadian media had after the spate of articles in the period from October 2007 to February 2008 had not even mentioned the disparity in car prices between Canada and the United States.
    I have continually read that because of our small market the prices had to be higher in Canada. I personally don't accept that argument because with NAFTA artene't we part of a 330,000,000 market. To add to this agument I don't understand how Acuras which are assembled in Canada are sold for as much as $14,000 less in Texas than they are in Canada (Ontario)
  14. Stewart Pid from Canada writes: Tony . from Waterloo, Canada writes:
    The interesting thing is that Canadian car prices really aren't that expensive. Compare how much we pay vs. anyone in Europe and you'll see our cars are usually 40-60% cheaper! Same goes with most of Asia.
    Tony you bring an interesting opinion to the board ... we aren't expensive ... the US is too cheap ... I would love to see things from your perspective but I can't get my head that far up my A&&.
    Good night folks.
  15. double mike from Canada writes: .
    Oh, yes.
    And don't forget books 30% cheaper, little difference in mobile rates, free banking services, etc.
  16. Paul Sallmen from Burnaby, BC, writes: Tony . from Waterloo, Canada writes:
    "The interesting thing is that Canadian car prices really aren't that expensive. Compare how much we pay vs. anyone in Europe and you'll see our cars are usually 40-60% cheaper! Same goes with most of Asia."

    You are correct. Perhaps ironically, we have it good because America is currently struggling. If the American dollar continues to weaken (American voters: Tell Bush to stop printing your currency like it's monopoly money!), I suspect some car manufacturers will be offering fewer models in the US. The American car market is very large, but manufacturers may decide India and China are more where it's at. Unfortunately, this doesn't bode well for Canada as similar models are sold in both countries. It's nice to see Transport Canada has softened the rules to allow easier importation. Now only if they'll allow any EU or Japanese standard car in!
  17. john doe from Canada writes: Importing U.S. vehicles became easier last week when Transport Canada announced new bumper standards that are the same as those for vehicles sold in the United States and Europe. is the big new for that, so is it possible to bring cars over from europe fairly easily now because i have been dying to get my hands on a bmw 330d for awhile now just cause it gets 35 mpg with 400 poud feet of tourque.
  18. IC Weiner from Ottawa, Canada writes: Dumb question, but how do you find out what the dealer invoice price was?
  19. Jimmy K from Toronto, Canada writes: Haha you people comparing Honda Civics and Ford Fusions.

    Take a look at some bigger, more expensive cars. The difference on the Civics maybe a hefty 3-4k, or say 15%, but the difference on larger vehicles, luxury SUV's, or even more expensive vehicles (like a nice Beamer) are more like 15-20k, or 30-40%. It's absurd.

    Bottom line: If you buy a car in Canada instead of importing from a border state, you are a big big big sucker. Why not just burn your money? You get the same thing for less money, with just a few forms to fill out. Half the time the car is made in Canada, yet they charge 30% more to buy it here. Sucker.
  20. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: IC.... in Canada you have to pay to find out. Try carcostcanada.com. It is about $30. In the USA, use Edmunds.com and its new car option on the homepage. It is free.
  21. t killian from montreal, Canada writes: i spent a couple of weeks in southern ontario and did quite a bit of shopping and i must say the malls in hamilton, st. catharines and london were quite busy and full of shoppers. i found some good deals and alot of mark-downs. t-shirts in a variety of colours 5 for $30 at foot locker, they were 11.25 each in buffalo. chapters had a book sale where you buy 3 get one free plus you still get the 10% irewards discount plus %20 discount on some best sellers. all these made books a good bit cheaper than the american price. one other note, remember we pay much less on prescription drugs. just wanted to mention that its not always cheaper across the border.
  22. who me? from Canada writes: It's not just cars folks, but also parts.

    After hitting a suicidal racoon a couple of months ago, I needed a new bumper cover, fender liner and attachment clips, screws etc.

    After making a few calls to local (ON) Honda dealers, I looked on the web and found Majestic Honda (RI) and College Hills Honda (OH) sell parts at approx 30% discount to the US retail price. For example, clips to install the fender liner are $3.00 EACH here, yet $0.80 at Majestic!!!, I bought the fender liner for $28 instead of $60

    College Hills will ship direct to Canada, but Majestic was quite happy to ship to my nearest border-town UPS store, a mere 40mins away from me :)

    A friend of mine saved a bundle on over US$1200 of Odyssey accessories, then had the local dealer install them, which they were happy to do.

    Honda makes a fantastic product, but it's cross-border business practices leave a lot to be desired. Perhaps they're slightly better than the RIAA/MPAA mobsters.
  23. J G from Canada writes: Look at edmunds.com for car reviews, US MSRP and typical US selling prices and discounts. A Honda CR-V AWD loaded with everything except navigation package sells for $26,000 US. Remember you pay GST and PST on this price. In Canada it sells for about 36,000 with twice the delivery charge and taxes on the Canadian selling price. The savings on taxes and delivery alone is nearly another $2000. Total savings $12000. Most of us work a long time to save that much money.
  24. Piltdown Man from Canada writes: what about import non NAFTA vehicle like BMW or Mercedes - where the price differentials are huge?

    Also read somehwere that power tools still remain one area where americans are getting their stuff at a much lower price
  25. The graying pundit from Ottawa, Canada writes: The Government of Canada should do everything in its power to synchronize Canadian auto manufacturing standards with those of the United States. Hell, we could even go with California's standards which are superior to ours in every respect. If the government were to do this, we could cross border shop with abandon. Then we would see showroom prices drop dramatically in Canada. Mr. Flaherty, you are telling Canadian consumer to shop around and demand better prices to advantage of our stronger dollar. I would ask you and Mr. Canon at Transport Canada to harmonize our auto safety and manufacturing codes with the American ones. That would help us out a lot to drive prices down.
  26. Leafs fan from ottawa, Canada writes: Graying Pundit... I'm with you. Hooray! I think the Harper government has FINALLY realized that it's not about sending Jim Flaherty to strong-arm importers into lowering their prices to reflect the higher dollar... it's about lowering the barriers to trade and associated red tape and encouraging the free flow of goods and services across borders. This is a practical example of why I am a strong believer in freer trade and less government intervention. Market forces will do more to lower prices in Canada then Jim could ever do!
  27. Timber 'n from Somewhere, Canada writes: Why after 18 years of NAFTA are we only harmonizing these standards now??? Seems to me there are some government employees that should be answering some hard questions as to why it takes a massive public outcry to get standards aligned that should have been done 10 years ago.
    Competition is good, and companies that are not honor US warranties are doing so in violation of trade agreements and should be stopped immediately. They are attempting to keep the market fragmented to pick the pockets of Canadian consumers and we shouldn't stand for it.
  28. W Ross from Up North (For Now), Canada writes: But wait.....the head of BMW Canada in an on-line interview by G&M late last year said that the reason that delivery and prep charges (and presumably even the car price itself) in Canada were higher than in the US for a comparable product was because Canadian dealers did more for the money. I guess the car was a corresponding 15% better too. I just bet that the US dealers might just take an exception to that statement! And the guy was such an automotive dweeb too.

    In any case, cars, parts, whatever are higher in Canada because that is what the market will bear. The only way it will change is if the sellers of those products bear the weight of potential buyers going elsewhere. I have a Volvo and I buy almost all my parts from a dealer in Texas via the Web. Even with shipping and duty, they are still substantially cheaper than what similar bits cost locally. The only real downside is that I have to plan ahead a bit on maintenance needs and do things like buy a half dozen oil filters at a go. But at substantial costs savings, so what.
  29. Aloha Eric from Toronto, Canada writes: There are still a number of barriers to import, most notably the ridiculous $350 fee charged by BMW for an admissibility letter to determine whether your car can be imported. Then there is the $2000 extortion fee to supposedly modify the vehicle to meet Canadian standards. More work needs to be done by the government to stop these abuses. Where the government is failing, private interests have already stepped in and launched several class action lawsuits.

    http://www.bmw.ca/content/pressReleases/canusfaq_fs.asp?\

    Sign the petition for fair car pricing at www.carswithoutborders.com.
  30. andrew james from Canada writes: I really love my Subaru dealer.. always had great service and good pricing..
    I was looking at a used outback this spring.. similar vehical was 26K in Canada 17K in the US. I would love to support the guy who has had my business for 10 years but...
  31. Rod Rigging from O-Kville, Canada writes: Hurray for a great article. The OEM's in this country have been stuffing the parity dollars right in their pockets and offering Canadian consumers chump change deals assuming we all stupid. As annoying as the price disparity is... check out the delivery charges: A Honda made in Ontario is delivered to Oakville for $1495.00 and delivered to Buffalo for $795.00. Do the OEM's think we can't read?

    Here is tip to avoid the problem of US Dealers refusing to sell to Canadins for fear of their OEM reprisal. a) Set up (online) a Deleware based Company, b) purchase the car in the name of the DE company, c) sell the car used to yourself. The savings are worth the effort.
  32. Paul F. from AB, Canada writes: Bought an Honda in the US a couple months ago: best car buying decision I have ever made. And 3rd party warranties are available, even if they refuse to sell them to Canadians at the dealer.

    I'll definitely buy in the US again (unless Canadian car manufacturers finally decide to be competitive, but I'm not holding my breath).
  33. Lie Detector from Canada writes: Cabnadians are being gouged agressively. I went to my dealer in Ottawa get a quote for a luxury European car I was interested in buying. The price with taxes and a few options came to $69,000. So while on a recent holiday in the US I went to see a dealer and asked for a quote for exactly the same model same specs, colour, same options. Price plus Canadian GST, Ontario sales tax and special import duty for non NAFTA cars: $51,200 The price difference: almost $18,000. or 35% more. I went back to my Canadian dealer hoping to negotiate a better price. "No way, he said with obvious frustration, the head office in Toronto does not give me any room to negotiate. They prefer not to make a sale than to negotiate." He the added: "This is not good for us salespeople, we can't sell cars, they are too expensive." The car stayed on the parking lot!
  34. Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes: An English measure speedometer will substantially diminish Canadian resale value. Some U.S. models equipped with an electronic dash can be reprogrammed from English to metric, sometimes just by flipping a hidden switch.
  35. Aloha Eric from Toronto, Canada writes: Gardiner - Daytime running lights can be activated via iDrive on BMW's or even through your remote on some models. Instead BMW gouges you for $2000 to replace your entire instrument cluster! Of course the speedometers all come with dual miles/km markings. If you can't lower the Canadian price (like Toyota), then raise the import price (like BMW)!
  36. rob T from Kitchener, Canada writes: If more people knew how easy it was to import: the numbers would be far higher.

    I imported my Ducati last year and save ~50% when all was said-and-done. Even our used market is inflated.

    We Canadians are being ripped off and have been for a long time. BMW and MB are trying to extort money from those who are smart enough to shop around and the rest of them are just trying to punish them by denying them warranties.
  37. Geriatric Personage from St. Stephen, Canada writes: Timber 'n from Somewhere, Canada asks: "Why after 18 years of NAFTA are we only harmonizing these standards now???" Answer; because NAFTA is NOT a free trade agreement it is a limited (as in do it my way) agreement. If it were truly free trade ALL specifications would be standardized and ALL personal purchases would be duty and VAT free.
  38. Jeremy F from Alberta, Canada writes: Even better, why don't you guys save all that cash and take the bus? Doesn't require a down-payment, doesn't require a purchase price, and best of all...it's good for the environment!
  39. Edmond Dusablon from United States writes: Gardiner Westbound from Canada writes: An English measure speedometer will substantially diminish Canadian resale value. Some U.S. models equipped with an electronic dash can be reprogrammed from English to metric, sometimes just by flipping a hidden switch.

    A new instrument cluster with a speedo in km/hr and an odometer in km shouldn't be that expensive to buy and have installed (some require the entire dash to be disassembled -- caveat emptor). Besides, every car in the US has both mph and km/hr shown on the speedo, it's just that the mph numbers are dominant.

    Other useful websites are:

    www.safercar.gov for crash test data (who knew the new 4-dr Accord with side airbags only gets 3-stars for rear side impact? Horribel for a new design!)

    www.epa.gov/greenvehicles for sortable pollution and mileage data.

    www.carsdirect.com to get an idea of what your should be paying for your car. It's a buying service so you're paying a 'fee' in their stated price to have them find a car for you.

    www.edmunds.com for their TMV -- true market value for both new and used cars.
  40. David Smith from Toronto, Canada writes: It is very easy to compare US MSRP vs CDN MSRP, just open MSN.com and MSN.ca and go to the auto section then compare the prices.

    Only suckers buy cars in Canada, the more expensive the car, the more the price difference.

    My car will be 3 years old next fall, selling it and buying the next car again in New Jersey.
  41. M C from Montreal, Canada writes: I bought a new car once, am on my 5th car, never want to that again. It's not enough they got a big chunk of my money but they gouged me on service and parts and threaten warranty support if I didn't
    follow the schedule maintenance at the dealership. It not worth it.

    The cost savings of buy car from the US - new or used - is very attractive and sweet revenge. I don't need a dealership to tell me what to do. You want to sell me a car give me a good price and honest service and I'll be back. Till then my next car is from my import broker.

    PS. Many car dealerships are selling US cars in their pre-owned car lots disguised as trade-in.
  42. John Peterson from B.C., Canada writes: Jeremy..if you are being serious..I have heard/read this thought many, many times in this time of fuel costs etc., etc. Not everyone in Canada has this option. Not everyone has access to bus service. It simply is not available to everyone. And after reading these posts I will not buy another vehicle in Canada unless the prices change. To all posters...thanks for the heads up.
  43. Bob Robblee from Innisfail, Canada writes: While in Palm Springs, [A low prices market?] in May, I took the time to check new car sales ads. Never mind the prices of luxury cars, the price of a new Ford Focus, the stripped down version for the sales ads that we all have seen, was $11,000 US. Here, at the same time, about $14500 Can.
    If new car shopping in the US, make sure that the quotes are coming from a state not adjacent to the Canadian Border. The dollar difference will make the extra miles for the purchase worthwhile.
  44. Colin C from Canada writes: The main problem with US purchases is denial of warranty - most manufacturers specifically exclude warranty coverage if the vehicle is registered out of country. Having said that, I purchased a vehicle for about $30,000 landed which the dealers here are selling around $40 to $42K. Some third party warranty may be available, but many of these only kick in after normal warranty periods or are also limited to the US. Anybody know of good warranty coverage here in Canada?
  45. George Levecque from Fergus, Ontario, Canada writes: If you pay Cash for your Vehicle then buy in the USA, otherwise you will still save if buying in Canada, do your Homework first, for Cars such as Civic's and Corolla's it makes no sense to buy in the USA, only on more expensive models imho!
    I recently purchased a RAV4 in Canada, I got a good deal by using a Buying service and knowing what the dealer paid for the vehicle and what his mark up should be, I approached three dealers, only one was willing to deal. I have retired my GMC Rally Van it was over 20 yrs old and had been in the service shop many times over that time, my previous Toyota product that I had for three years was never in the service garage for anything except normal maintenance.
  46. Aloha Eric from Toronto, Canada writes: Colin - here are the warranty policies of the major manufacturers:
    http://www.ucanimport.com/WarrantyPolicies.aspx There are lots of good manufacturers out there still providing warranty including Toyota/Lexus and Infiniti.

    Third party warranties are listed on that site as well:
    http://www.ucanimport.com/Third-Party    Warranties.aspx
  47. George Levecque from Fergus, Ontario, Canada writes: I forgot to mention that Toyota Canada does honour USA Warranty whereas General Motors doesn't.
    Companies that dont honour these obligations should be black listed imho.
    There are good Third Party warranties available, check out this web page www.carhelpcanada.com
  48. George Levecque from Fergus, Ontario, Canada writes: For a Third party Warranty may I suggest Lubrico warranty based in London, Ontario and backed by a large insurance company, all third part warranties are not equal, make sure you read the small print as lots of these companies have gone out of Business
  49. Adam Brin from Toronto, Canada writes: I imported Toyota Sienna 2008. My savings were about 10000$. That is actual savings after considering all negotiated price down here at Canadian dealer and all expenses.
    Import is so easy! Hardest part was to find a dealer. After that - it actually took me 8 days to get a car to my home. I was considering buying Honda Odyssey, but changed my mind because of Toyota waranty. Bye bye Honda, hello Toyota! On top of that I sold my old Honda Civic private by placing free online add, and got 2000$ more than dealer offered me for the same car! That is total 12000$ savings in one car replacement transaction. Don't even think buying car in Canada.
  50. Don Quixote from The sunny cool Pollution Belt, Ont., Canada writes: Who needs bumpers nowadays, with air bags allover in cars?
  51. bill johnson from Quebec, Canada writes: George, in GM's defense, they will honour the warranty so long as the vehicle has 12000-13000 miles on it when imported. Bizarre but true. GM dealers are instructed not to sell new product to canucks. Escalades now. 4 months ago 2 dentist friends contacted a US cadillac dealer to import 2 new Escalades. They said no. Those bozos can't give away those titanics away now.

    RIV.ca updated their lists of acceptable cars today and many that previously required new bumpers are now scot free to come in. Excellent.
  52. Alex D from Ottawa, Canada writes: Thanks for the heads up bill johnson. Oh my, the VW R32 is now legal to import into Canada. Until now, the RIV was keeping me out of trouble...
  53. Richard Hawrelak from Sarnia, Canada writes: My next door neighbor just bought a 2005, XJ8L, 4-Door, Jaguar, mint condition, low milage car in Michigan. Here were his issues. He had to have running lights fixed to ON stds. He had to have child restrains fixed to ON stds. Both were done at the dealer at no cost. He had the car delivered to the border to save 6% Michigan sales tax. He had to register the car with Cdn Tire ($250) to have it checked for incompliance (none other than above were found, which were corrected at the dealer). He had to have it safety checked. He obtained written assurance that all warranties would be honoured in Canada. He saved between $15,000 and $20,000, compared to the purchase of the same car in Canada. They are Brits, and love the Jag. It is in a class with the BMW and the Lexus.
  54. Richard Hawrelak from Sarnia, Canada writes: Oh yes, regarding my above post on the Jag purchase, he had to pay GST at the border.
  55. Colin C from Canada writes: Just checked out http://www.autorepairwarranty.com/ and they cover Canadian imported vehicles. 48 months, 60,000 miles for a Dodge Ram 2500 Deisel 4x4, $1799. Not a bad price, but who knows if they are any good...
  56. Phil . from Vancouver, Canada writes: Can anyone explain to me why buying a car with cash entitles you to some type of discount relative to financing using a car loan? I guess it's less risk to the dealer because you cannot default on your payments.

    How much of a discount (%) should you be entitled to?
  57. Vote NDP in the next federal/ provincial election from Toronto, Canada writes: There should be no price difference between US and Candian prices. So if car X sells for $20000 US in the states then car X should be sold here for $20000 to $20500 CDN. No excuses.

    What bothers me the most is that cars made in Ontario are sold much higher here than in the states despite having to pay for long freight costs on trains. This has got to end. Either pass laws forcing them to match prices or consumers can stand up and unite and hold off on vehicle purchases until prices come down
  58. Marty York from Canada writes: I think it is because they inflate the price for financing, especially for zero percent interest deals. Cash prices are off the lot and no hassle.
  59. j x from toronto, Canada writes: This a has been a very helpful discussion, that should help me save some dough. Thanks! If I buy new in USA, does anyone have suggestions on where to sell my used car? Also, if I sell my used car and buy a new car at the same dealer in Canada, I think I only pay gst on the difference ? Is that true ? Can I still only pay tax on the difference b/t new and old car values if I buy in the States?
  60. Mike Pontarelli from Schaumburg, United States writes: As noted before

    >>Canadians buy at MSRP
    >>Americans buy at Invoice which is upto 30% below MSRP
    >>Less Freight costs and all.

    Add to that you can even negotiate prices way below invoice and you will leave the dealership with the car you want with the money in your pocket.

    Honda Pilot VP 4wd cost me 25K on the Road

    >>Same Model in Canada costs 45K

    its a crime against Canadians.

    Toyota Sienna base model on the street price is 18 K .

    >> In Canada - 30K or more.

    These are actual prices customers paid which Canadian won't know.

    The local newspapers advertise thousands of dollars below MSRP

    I wonder how mad Canadians will be when they find all these things out.

    I say just drive down even if u save a G on it.
  61. Mike Pontarelli from Schaumburg, United States writes: Can I make you any more madder?

    I imported a rebuilt Honda from Canada when I move to Chicago last year.

    "rebuilt" should ring all the bells in Canada if its a US vehicle.

    Guess what?

    It took me 20 mins to get my plates at a local DMV. they ran the VIN and saw its a Canadian gave me my Illinois plates and registration and the title came in mail in 2 weeks.

    The sticker was renews for 1 yr automatically with no emissions nothing.

    I walked out in 20 mins with Illinois license plates for 60$ US.

    Can we talk about getting the same service in Canada? Hell no. They are out there with their hands deep down in your pocket to get every penny from you before they let you drive that car on Canadian streets.
  62. George BrownIII from Christmas Island writes: I remember one of fords ripp off's I lived 40 km of their Oakville plant and they still wanted about $800 delivery charges for a Windstar. Ah the good old days.
  63. J G from Canada writes: I do not undersand the discussion about changing dash and odometer and speedometer. I imported a Volvo XC90 and the speedometer had metric in smaller numbers and odometer remained in miles and all was legal. The Volvo dealership in Pickering stated I had to change the das... nonsense folks. If no metric at all on speedometer you will be given a decal to place on the speedomter with metric at Canadian Tire. Of course you can always remove it. lol Too many myths and fear tactics by dealers. As to warranties... most Hondas never need warranty work and worse case scenario woiuld be to go back to where you bought it which may simply be say Buffalo.

    Easy to save 15000 on Volvo's as big sale prices in US. Their warranty is honoured in both countries. If you want them to be a little more happy with you tell the Canadian dealer you just moved back from the US and they are less pissed. lol
  64. Oliver Dueck from Fredericton, Canada writes: To john doe, who thinks importing a BMW 330d will now be easy: The change in the bumper law has no impact on this. The 330d is not sold in the U.S. or Canada, so to easily import it, you will have to wait until it is 15 years old.

    With the bumper law change, we can now import cars from the U.S. that were previously inadmissible due to their bumpers, including the '98-'01 Audi A4/S4 wagon, '04-'06 Pontiac GTO, '04/'08 VW R32, and '03-'07 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

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