As you might have noticed in my tow vehicle post, I'm in need of a new truck and must buy something soon as mine is written off. This is an awful time to be pressured into buying a new vehicle in Canada because the Canadian dollar has risen in value considerably in the last two years, and rather drastically, within the last month in relationship to the US dollar. It's now worth approx $1.03 US as compared $0.67 US back in 2002. BUT, our dealers are still charging the same prices as they were before the dollar's rise. Add to that, the Canadian pricing was way higher than US pricing to begin with.
I could save somewhere around $12000.00 on a new Chevy pick up if I were to buy one in the USA and it's awfully tempting to do so. Yet, I feel some slight obligation to support my local dealer and don't like the idea of being put in the back of the line when I need service/warranty work. I can't seem to get any straight answers whether Canadian dealers will even honor warranty on a product purchased in the USA by a Canadian resident.
The temptation is to buy a beater to get me thru the winter in hopes that Canadian prices will eventually come down to reflect our dollars rise. Am I right to assume that our prices will come down? I'd feel like an absolute idiot if I paid the big price now only to find a 20% decrease in retail pricing by April.
One of my acquaintences is making good cash right now by buying snowmobiles and ATV's in the USA and reselling them to his buddies here. He bought a brand new Yamaha Grizzly a few days ago for $3300.00 less that he could buy it for here.
Pete
buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
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Liquifire 4/6
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
Peter from Roblin, Manitoba
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Rodimus Prime
- Posts: 738
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
unfortuantly buying a vehicle in the states and bringing it back here could pose a problem as most of the vehicles in the states dont have the safety standard as here aside from cross border fees and gst .
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Liquifire 4/6
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
I did some research and the only two things the vehicles really need to be certified in Canada are speedometers that show kph and day time running lights. I believe most US market vehicles show both mph and kph on the speedos although the mph are the big numbers, but that should not pose a problem. Also, I think many of the new US vehicles have daytime running lights. Would anyone from the states want to comment on this? Does your 07 Chev have DTRL? Even if the vehicle doesn't have DTRL, aftermarket kits are available for under fifty bucks. And as for the GST, we gotta pay it no matter where we get the vehicle, so it's sorta a non issue. Importation fees run about $200.00, again not a big deal when you can save so much on the purchase price. Man, I really want to buy from my local dealer, but it just seems like the whole system is taking advantage of the consumer.
Peter from Roblin, Manitoba
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WinnipegStPaul9
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
Most every new vehicle I'm familiar with have daytime driving lights. RP I seriously doubt Canadian "Safety" or "Emission" standards are much tougher than the U.S. Freely admit that I've haven't been a Chevrolet dealer longer than I was but I sold several cars to Canadian customers and I don't remember any repercussions. Don
Feel free to check out our website www.buscobullet.com for restorations or parts.
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Rodimus Prime
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
actually it has to do with such things as bumper shocks and crush zones..
buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
The US Chevy trucks have been using DTRL's for close to 10 years now. So, that shouldn't be a problem. Another thing would be when registering, find out about sales tax. I bought a trailer in New Hampshire (no sales tax) and when I registered it in Connecticut, I had to pay sales tax. Not sure if you would have to do something like that....
bob
bob
When in doubt, I'll whip it out. I got me a rock 'n 'roll band. It's a free for all.....The Nuge
Make it three yards m*****f-er and you've got yourself an automobile race...James Taylor
Make it three yards m*****f-er and you've got yourself an automobile race...James Taylor
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Liquifire 4/6
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
Hey, Bob....thanks for the information I appreciate it. As for the taxes, I know I'll have to pay 6% GST (federal tax) when I take it across the border and a further 7% PST (provincial tax) upon licencing it, but I'd have to pay these taxes if I bought the truck in my hometown anyways and the price savings I mentioned were based on the best cash deal on the truck in Canada vs USA before any taxes were applied in either scenario. I am going to give my dealer an opportunity to sell me a truck before I head to Minot. I'm going to ask him to sign an agreement stating that if GM Canada does lower it's Canadian retail price within the next 8 months on a vehicle equivalent to the one I buy from him, he will agree to issue me a credit on account at his dealership of 75% of the difference in the future new retail price and the current retail price. This COA would be valid for any service work, parts, or GM accessories at his dealership. Do you think he's gonna agree to sign it? I think it unlikely, but if he does, I'll be more than happy to support my hometown GM dealer.
Peter from Roblin, Manitoba
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Maj_hazard
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
There was a news report that ran here in Ottawa a few weeks ago on Canadian customers heading south and buying from the US and importing back into Canada. For the most part they said the process was fairly straight forward and a fair saving could be had depending on make and model bought .. But there is one problem, generally speaking a US dealer (Depending of MFG) who knows a person is going to export a car or truck north to Canada is not permitted to do so. This is an agreement the dealer has with the factory as part of their dealer license. Back many moons ago when I used to sell Jeeps we sold dozens of Cherrokes and Grand Cherrokes to customers, knowing they where being shipped to the middle east as well as eastern block countries. We where instructed to claim ignorance if ever asked what happened to the vechiles sold. Some dealers may or may not not care.
The warrenty sold with the trucks is a North American warrenty so service in Canada should not be a problem..
I would agree that it's great to support the local dealer but if the mfgs continue to gouge the Canadian market then there comes a point when loyality to a local business is overcome by the facts of the mighty dollar...
FYI...next time you buy a paperback or magazine look at the US and Can price difference listed on the cover.
Cheers
Mike
The warrenty sold with the trucks is a North American warrenty so service in Canada should not be a problem..
I would agree that it's great to support the local dealer but if the mfgs continue to gouge the Canadian market then there comes a point when loyality to a local business is overcome by the facts of the mighty dollar...
FYI...next time you buy a paperback or magazine look at the US and Can price difference listed on the cover.
Cheers
Mike
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Maj_hazard
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buying a sled/vehicle in Canada vs USA
Read this in this morning paper...
Cheers
Mike
Quebec man's new Civic is car without a country
Allowed last month, car built in Ontario now banned from Canada
Jan Ravensbergen
Montreal Gazette
Thursday, November 08, 2007
MONTREAL - Robert Lamb dutifully jumped through all the Transport Canada hoops.
He did an exhaustive amount of homework and has a thick file and an extensive trail of e-mails to prove it.
But the resident of Kirkland, Que., has been left in the lurch.
Lamb is the angry owner of a 2008 Honda Civic EXL that was declared a car without a country last week - more than three weeks after he legally imported it from the U.S.
Lamb isn't alone.
Many Canadians have been taking advantage of the surging Canadian dollar to save big bucks by picking up a new set of wheels from a dealer south of the border. There are possibly hundreds who have suddenly been stuck in bureaucratic limbo, said both Lamb and George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association.
Because Canadian retail car prices haven't dropped to the same extent that our loonie has risen, he said, a captive Canadian car market provides "a windfall for them. And they want to hang onto it as long as possible."
Jessie Chauhan, a Transport Canada spokesperson, said Wednesday she couldn't provide even a ballpark figure for how many Canadians have been caught in the same bind as Lamb - following all the rules, then finding themselves stuck with a car properly imported but later retroactively declared inadmissible.
"We are looking for possible solutions," she said.
Lamb bought his car Oct. 2 at a U.S. dealer for $21,145 US - a net saving of about $5,500 Canadian compared with dealer prices north of the border.
On Oct. 29, his Civic was declared by federal authorities as inadmissible to Canada, apparently on Honda's instructions.
Other 2008 Honda and Toyota passenger cars have also been declared inadmissible:
. By Toyota, 2008 models of the Yaris Hatchback, Corolla, Prius and Matrix;
. By Honda, all of its 2008 passenger cars other than the 2008 Acura TSX, TL, RL and Honda S2000.
Adding some irony, Lamb's Civic was assembled in Ontario.
His orphan car's temporary in-transit plate expired Oct. 31.
Transport Canada, Chauhan said, depends on manufacturers to certify whether their vehicles meet all Canadian safety, emissions and other regulatory standards. The manufacturer's decision is then posted on a detailed website maintained by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles.
"It's a self-certification regime," Chauhan said.
Honda Canada officials couldn't be reached for immediate comment.
Toyota Canada officials insisted they are following Transport Canada rules about a compulsory anti-theft device that took effect Sept. 1. They refused to provide copies of their correspondence with the registrar.
"The 2007 and 2008 U.S. and Canadian Honda Civic have the same immobilizer (anti-theft device)," Lamb said in a recent detailed e-mail to Transport Canada, citing extensive research he's done with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, certified Honda technicians and others.
Indeed, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles' list confirms that 2007 Civics are admissible to Canada.
The suddenly emerging immobilizer barrier, well into the 2008 model year, "is a trumped-up situation," Iny declared.
How many Canadians have been trapped in such a snafu?
Chauhan referred all such questions to Gary Moriarty, deputy registrar. He's the sole official authorized to talk to media. He hasn't returned calls since Tuesday.
Calls to the registrar's toll-free line surged to more than 7,000 Tuesday, Chauhan said, up from a recent daily range of about 5,000.
"The number of calls started to increase with the rise of the dollar," she said. But it would be speculation, she added, to tie all of the 2,000 additional calls to people with problems like Lamb's.
Lamb has already drawn his own conclusions:
With Transport Canada's help, he said, "the manufacturers . . . are putting the boots to the average Canadian consumer" by erecting fresh regulatory roadblocks to discourage Canadians from taking advantage of the Canadian dollar's surge, "attempting to block Canadians from purchasing cars in the U.S."
About a week after he bought his Civic, he said, Honda "told their U.S. dealerships not to sell to Canadians."
When Lamb drove his new EXL over the border Oct. 5, "I followed all the procedures as described in all the government bulletins.
"I paid my GST and the fees required by the RIV.
"The border services personnel of both countries approved all of my documents."
Because the dollar keeps getting stronger, Lamb said, the deal that saved him $5,500 a month ago would today save another Honda buyer about $7,000.
"It's the small guy that's getting ripped off here - there was never any problem when people were saving $30,000 or $40,000 bringing in fancy cars from the States."
Details: Import checklist for Canadians, along with registry of admissible and inadmissible vehicles: www.riv.ca or 1-888-848-8240.
Cheers
Mike
Quebec man's new Civic is car without a country
Allowed last month, car built in Ontario now banned from Canada
Jan Ravensbergen
Montreal Gazette
Thursday, November 08, 2007
MONTREAL - Robert Lamb dutifully jumped through all the Transport Canada hoops.
He did an exhaustive amount of homework and has a thick file and an extensive trail of e-mails to prove it.
But the resident of Kirkland, Que., has been left in the lurch.
Lamb is the angry owner of a 2008 Honda Civic EXL that was declared a car without a country last week - more than three weeks after he legally imported it from the U.S.
Lamb isn't alone.
Many Canadians have been taking advantage of the surging Canadian dollar to save big bucks by picking up a new set of wheels from a dealer south of the border. There are possibly hundreds who have suddenly been stuck in bureaucratic limbo, said both Lamb and George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association.
Because Canadian retail car prices haven't dropped to the same extent that our loonie has risen, he said, a captive Canadian car market provides "a windfall for them. And they want to hang onto it as long as possible."
Jessie Chauhan, a Transport Canada spokesperson, said Wednesday she couldn't provide even a ballpark figure for how many Canadians have been caught in the same bind as Lamb - following all the rules, then finding themselves stuck with a car properly imported but later retroactively declared inadmissible.
"We are looking for possible solutions," she said.
Lamb bought his car Oct. 2 at a U.S. dealer for $21,145 US - a net saving of about $5,500 Canadian compared with dealer prices north of the border.
On Oct. 29, his Civic was declared by federal authorities as inadmissible to Canada, apparently on Honda's instructions.
Other 2008 Honda and Toyota passenger cars have also been declared inadmissible:
. By Toyota, 2008 models of the Yaris Hatchback, Corolla, Prius and Matrix;
. By Honda, all of its 2008 passenger cars other than the 2008 Acura TSX, TL, RL and Honda S2000.
Adding some irony, Lamb's Civic was assembled in Ontario.
His orphan car's temporary in-transit plate expired Oct. 31.
Transport Canada, Chauhan said, depends on manufacturers to certify whether their vehicles meet all Canadian safety, emissions and other regulatory standards. The manufacturer's decision is then posted on a detailed website maintained by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles.
"It's a self-certification regime," Chauhan said.
Honda Canada officials couldn't be reached for immediate comment.
Toyota Canada officials insisted they are following Transport Canada rules about a compulsory anti-theft device that took effect Sept. 1. They refused to provide copies of their correspondence with the registrar.
"The 2007 and 2008 U.S. and Canadian Honda Civic have the same immobilizer (anti-theft device)," Lamb said in a recent detailed e-mail to Transport Canada, citing extensive research he's done with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, certified Honda technicians and others.
Indeed, the Registrar of Imported Vehicles' list confirms that 2007 Civics are admissible to Canada.
The suddenly emerging immobilizer barrier, well into the 2008 model year, "is a trumped-up situation," Iny declared.
How many Canadians have been trapped in such a snafu?
Chauhan referred all such questions to Gary Moriarty, deputy registrar. He's the sole official authorized to talk to media. He hasn't returned calls since Tuesday.
Calls to the registrar's toll-free line surged to more than 7,000 Tuesday, Chauhan said, up from a recent daily range of about 5,000.
"The number of calls started to increase with the rise of the dollar," she said. But it would be speculation, she added, to tie all of the 2,000 additional calls to people with problems like Lamb's.
Lamb has already drawn his own conclusions:
With Transport Canada's help, he said, "the manufacturers . . . are putting the boots to the average Canadian consumer" by erecting fresh regulatory roadblocks to discourage Canadians from taking advantage of the Canadian dollar's surge, "attempting to block Canadians from purchasing cars in the U.S."
About a week after he bought his Civic, he said, Honda "told their U.S. dealerships not to sell to Canadians."
When Lamb drove his new EXL over the border Oct. 5, "I followed all the procedures as described in all the government bulletins.
"I paid my GST and the fees required by the RIV.
"The border services personnel of both countries approved all of my documents."
Because the dollar keeps getting stronger, Lamb said, the deal that saved him $5,500 a month ago would today save another Honda buyer about $7,000.
"It's the small guy that's getting ripped off here - there was never any problem when people were saving $30,000 or $40,000 bringing in fancy cars from the States."
Details: Import checklist for Canadians, along with registry of admissible and inadmissible vehicles: www.riv.ca or 1-888-848-8240.