[Auto] WOW ---- New and used cars from US up to 30% cheaper - Read post #1

[Monsieurmaggot]

Somewhere on the RIV site I read non-NAFTA cars are subject to 6.1% duty.

Most cars have a NAFTA component and I'm guessing aside from the uber-luxury models, most should conform.

[fireguy9]

There is alot of miss information on here.

My brother saved over $10k buying his BMW in the U.S used and bringing it home. It is not difficult. He had to get daytime running lights installed on it to get the car to comply. It was a great deal.

I also bought my motorcycle 6 months old in Fl and brought it home without a problem, saving about 4k

[Casper]

I also bought a bike in delaware and imported it a couple months back. No duty, just the RIV charge. One note...a copy of the ownership must be presented/faxed to US customs at your border crossing 72 hours before importing the vehicle. They check on liens, against stolen lists etc. You then present the original when you cross with the vehicle, and they stamp it. There's no charge from US customs.

[mwong]

hmmm. i always wondered about this. thanks for the info. so far! all i am assure of is that cars completely made in the USA and mexico are duty/tariff free due to NAFTA. However, duties might still be assessed if some part of the car is mfg. elsewhere.

[nodlive]

after wondering through the CCRA pages it looks like most cars built in the US do not need an inspection to be brought into canada. The car has to be assembled in the US, which a lot of cars are (ie, nissans, hondas etc.. ) to be brought in without any added duty. You'll pay your GST (pst too if youre outside of alberta).

Looks like there is a 250$ customs fee, but thats not a big deal I dont think.

Ive talked with people who have bought Nissan Z's in washington state, and brought them back, and they saved around 8000$ each on the price.

When the CAD was lower americans used to come to canada to buy cars.

[srtor]

Not a hot deal...warranty will not be recognized in Canada.

Wrong, most car company recognizes warranty all over North America. Best to check with concerning car company. I know Toyota does (Honda does not )

[Jon04CTS]

Wrong, most car company recognizes warranty all over North America. Best to check with concerning car company. I know Toyota does (Honda does not )

Cadillac does too

[johnsa]

Much mixed information out there..I recently researched this topic and found the following: You CAN import a new vehicle but many dealers will not sell to you as they may jeopardize their dealership franchise with the manufacturer by doing so.(this was discussed at length in the STAR)

The warranties DO vary from company to company. Most will repair your car if you are a Canadian visiting the US and need warranty work but many will not if you have imported it out of the USA..or the warranty may be different. As discussed in the Star, Ford will honour the 3 yr warranty as it offers in the USA but you will not get the 5 yr power train as it is not offered in the USA.

RIV just increased to about $220 in Canada..GST at the border, PST once you register it in your province.



Many vehicles indeed do require some modifications as our Transport Canada standards are different. Daytime running lights is most common..Another one that sucks is the 5 mile per hour bumper. A fellow I know brought over a Porsche Boxter and had to replace the entire bumper! This is the reason the Pontiac GTO and Mitsubishi EVO are not sold here...they do not meet the 5 mile per hour bumper test and the manuf. does not want to spend the money for the mods for such a small market.

Moral of the story..do your homework and do your research..Treat each vehicle differently and also each state differently ..In some states, if you buy from a dealer, you have to pay the state taxes even thought you are exporting the vehicle. Then pay PST/GST up here! that would suck!

[krazykanuck]

I did that with my CTS-V. But I bought it used. You can't bring the car over unless it's 6 months old or has a certain amount of mileage on it. That prevents you from buying brand new cars from the US.

Same thing for my buddy who bought his CTS-V...it was +6 months old...he saved over 25K dollars by getting the car in the states! IMHO..that's a hot deal!

[iamdman]

Is there anyway to get back the american tax you pay when you buy the car in the states? Similar to how americans can apply to get back their canadian tax when they visit canada.

Seems kinda crummy to have to pay american state/federal tax on the car and then again pay GST!

[johnsa]

Is there anyway to get back the american tax you pay when you buy the car in the states? Similar to how americans can apply to get back their canadian tax when the visit canada.

Seems kinda crummy to have to pay american state/federal tax on the car and then again pay GST!

Many states will not charge you the tax if you are not a resident. Just check with the dealer before you sign on the dotted line....I don't know if you could get it back..I doubt it..

[andjules]

There was an article in the Saturday Star about two weeks ago. Yes a lot of dealers - especially near the border - are getting advised by the car companies NOT to sell new to Canadian.

as per the last post, when you show them documentation that you do not reside in their state, they won't charge you their sales tax in the first place.

I just bought a used car last night in the States. It's European, so I'm in for th 6.1% duty. There is also a $100 air conditioner tax, a $209 importation fee. You still have to pay GST and PST. My car ain't in Buffalo, so I am also going to pay for a one-way flight to go pick it up. Facing all those costs... I still did WAY WAY better than I would have for a comparable car in Canada.

[kanatatech]

Adding some stick on numbers to the speedo and an aftermarket daytime lights kit is alls thats needed for most.
Do you have to float it to get it home?

[pulsar]

I have always wondered these two points as I have been thinking for a while to purchase my next vehicle in the USA:

1) How difficult is it to get the recall clearance letter from the manufacturer and do you need to get it prior to importing the vehicle up?

2) Are you sure most Japanese vehicles are not subject to the 6.1% duty? I thought it had to do with where the majority of parts are made on the vehicle versus where most of the parts are assembled? I know most Hondas, Toyotas are assembled in USA/Canada but the majority of their part are made outside North America. I also didn't know Subarus were assembled in North America either.

[Brian2k1]

so glad to hear this. I like many other people realize that with the large decline in the dollar companies have been taking advantage of canadian customers by maintaning the current price structure instead of adjusting to the new currency exchange rates. It's not like the decline happened overnight, the U.S. dollar was been weak for a long time.

Fundementally, there is a problem with importing from the U.S. Whether you buy in the U.S. or Canada the company still makes a sale and collects revenue, inevitably this hurts our domestic market, and the economy which we rely on, IF enough people did this. Theorhetically, the low US dollar should correct itself with greater U.S. exports to countries like Canada who realize the advantage. Also theorhetically, Canadians should realize lower prices on imported products, but multi-national corporations don't exactly play by the rules laid out by Adam Smith, they don't have to rush to re-adjust prices on currency fluctations, especially when we are accustomed to buying at higher prices.

At the end of the day, whose interests are we to protect, our own or our country's? In the end, the company earns their bucks, we as consumers choose where they are spent, in Canada or the US.

Something to think about.