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-- buying a car from the states....

buying a car from the states....

Just wondering if anyone here has any information or any previous experience with purchasing a car from the other side of the border...


I know theres quite a bit of paperwork thats gotta be done in order to bring it across and i was wondering how much of a hassle all of this is gonna be and even if it'll be worth it in the end.

Any useful info is appreciated.


Thanks in advance!

Be careful and use someone you know...

They have different "branding" there that won't transfer on the ownership. A lot of states have the lemon law too which you should weary of (new cars that have had excessive warranty work will be replaced).

Just be careful.....

I think Dima got caught at the border on his way back from getting his Audi and had to pay a hefty tax.

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmic Fur I think Dima got caught at the border on his way back from getting his Audi and had to pay a hefty tax.

But you are Dima

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Originally posted by VERTiG0 But you are Dima

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmic Fur I think Dima got caught at the border on his way back from getting his Audi and had to pay a hefty tax.

one of my friends got lucky and I think he saved close to 20,000 (vs what he would have paid for if he had bought it here) on a brand new infiniti he brought over earlier this summer!

quote:

Originally posted by VERTiG0 But you are Dima

It's Katie. I was too lazy to log out of his account. I'll go do that now.

I almost went through with one of these deals, but decided against it at the last minute because the dollar wasn't all that strong and they were offering a bunch of incentives here (like cheap financing).

Paperwork isn't difficult. The major drawbacks are:
- You still have to pay taxes when you register here;
- You might have to modify some things (i.e. if it doesn't have DRL);
- You won't be able to get warranty service here;
- You have to pay cash; if they're offering incentives you won't get them;
- Any other incentives like factory rebates, etc., you also can't get.
- Some dealers just won't do it. Some definitely will, but you might have to shop around.

None of these are insurmountable, but they add to the hassle. Back 6 months ago when the dollar was above par, the car would have had to cost $40,000 or more to make it worthwhile. With the dollar where it's at now, I'd say maybe $45K or even $50K.

Also, it's more of a hassle and less cost-effective to do this with imports than it is with American cars. If you're looking for a Mustang or a 'vette or something then go for it, definitely, but if you're looking at Honda Accords then you're wasting your time.

All the information you need is available from the Registrar of Imported Vehicles.

Don't bother trying to get a Honda as their warranty expires when you leave the US. Also they are really cracking down on Canadian buyers especially the dealers in the bordering cities (Buffalo, Detroit, etc.) They require state driver license, do an address check, etc. The sales people barely talked to me after finding out I was Canadian. Then there are issues of getting insurance. You can try to enlist a broker who charges a fee but will coordinate the process for you. I attempted to purchase a car in US but finally gave up and got it in Canada because it was just too difficult, time consuming and too many uncertainties.

It was better when the dollar was a dime better than the US's... but now... meh...

http://www.riv.ca/

I bought my car here but after doing so I kicked myself when the F/X dramatically changed about a month later, but I did all the research.

Audi will transfer new car warranty to Canada. So will Porsche but not sure if you want that

BMW will charge you a $500 fee to get the paperwork to recognize and transfer the VIN.

When you get to the border they'll inspect the car, you could call ahead and make an appointment. Don't have the contact stuff anymore...also, you can look at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website (mto.gov.on.ca I think) for more info on this.

You have to get the certification, emissions test (if applicable) and pay the taxes and duties on it. For some cars, you might have to change the front bumper because the crash test standards in Canada are more strict than the US but that is changing I think and there is a site with an up-to-date list to see whether the model/year you picked needs that change.

And of course, the daytime running lights conversion has to be done, and the speedo changed from miles to kms, if that is available (but the speedo change isn't required by law).

Then you're set!

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/...ad.php?t=307601

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut Paperwork isn't difficult. The major drawbacks are: - You still have to pay taxes when you register here; - You might have to modify some things (i.e. if it doesn't have DRL);

Those are the two biggest ones, yeah. Also, from my experience, it'll take about a month from the point you get your car into Canada till the point where it's all set and legal to be driven in Canada. You have to get all the safety and emissions done, as well as get a letter from your car manufacturer clearing your car of any outstanding recalls. Then there ate the modifications you have to do which have to be checked by an authorized dealer (usually a Canadian Tire shop).

It's a bit of a hassle, but the bigger risk is if the used car is in proper mechanical order.

MODIFICATIONS CAN BITE YOU IN YOUR CHEAP ASS. Example: I was looking for an Audi TT, but the Canadian TTs have vastly different front & rear bumpers than their American counterparts. Replacing the bumpers was a ~$5000 job. Once you factor in the taxes and the extra time you spend doing it all, the savings might be minimal, if any. Check what modifications are needed for the vehicle you're planning to import.

Also, having all the gauges in Imperial is kind of a pain, but you get used to driving the American way.

Lastly, you can cheat a bit of taxes by understating how much you bought your car for at the customs, but I would advise against that. The customs people are really very good at what they do.

I bought my car in the states 2 years ago. There were a lot fewer people doing it back then than there are now. Not sure if I'd bother with it now.

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmic Fur I think Dima got caught at the border on his way back from getting his Audi and had to pay a hefty tax.

LOL i fully saw Dima on Queen West one time... in his audi. I wasn't sure if it was him, but this confirms it

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Originally posted by MKpacha LOL i fully saw Dima on Queen West one time... in his audi. I wasn't sure if it was him, but this confirms it

hehe, I saw NuEra and The Wiz on King & John one time, from my Audi.

I'm so happy for you

just get a car from Japan.

Re: buying a car from the states....

quote:

Originally posted by vendetta999 Just wondering if anyone here has any information or any previous experience with purchasing a car from the other side of the border... I know theres quite a bit of paperwork thats gotta be done in order to bring it across and i was wondering how much of a hassle all of this is gonna be and even if it'll be worth it in the end. Any useful info is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I bought my corvette from a guy in Texas 2 years ago for $16000
At that time 98 corvettes were selling here for around 26-28K.

first thing that you should check with is the registrar of imported motor vehicles. they will tell you which vehicles are admissable.

Next I found a shipping company that would handle the shipping importation and brokerage

they charged $3000 and that included the shipping , brokerage fees and the gst/pst (can't remember if I paid both)

Menwhile registrar had sent through the modifaction package with the list of required changes, these included daytime running lights and kmh speedometer , but since the corvette has a dual metric/english option in the electronics module this was a programming item only , daytime running lights unfortunately cost $500 as the 98 didn't have an option in the OBD II for switching to canadian spec , post 98 corvettes can be simply programmed for it

Then I had the car safety inspected , again this cost me $1000 as the car needed 1 tire and thats how much goodyear F1 supercar runflats cost.

Finally I had to take the car to canadian tire as they are recognised as the inspection center that gives you the final approval

A week later i got the door jamb stickers in french that are required and that was it.

Total cost around $22,000 so I saved around 4-5K on the deal , but it was also fun so I would do it again
One of the Dj's at circa has recently done the same thing with a Nissan 350z and again has saved around $6K

Re: Re: buying a car from the states....

quote:

Originally posted by techead but it was also fun so I would do it again

this is key, if you put a cost on the amount of time spent and any stress caused from delays in any of the steps, it might not be worth it. That is, if you're going for something that's $20,000 plus range (and especially $50K plus). Peace of mind = buying a car from the manufacturer's dealership with OEM warranty.

But if you're buying a $5K rust bag, I don't think you should be very concerned.

Re: Re: Re: buying a car from the states....

quote:

Originally posted by fayraree this is key, if you put a cost on the amount of time spent and any stress caused from delays in any of the steps, it might not be worth it. That is, if you're going for something that's $20,000 plus range (and especially $50K plus). Peace of mind = buying a car from the manufacturer's dealership with OEM warranty. But if you're buying a $5K rust bag, I don't think you should be very concerned.

Kind of agree

For cars in the 10-20k price range I will always go south of the border

If i was buying something new ( for example my cadillac) there is no way I would have strayed from my local dealer considering the warranty and free service/free loaner cadillac etc


However the one exception is ferrari
I see loads of mondials going for mid 30s in Florida and would buy one of those next time
and 360 modenas can be had for mid 90's in Florida too
So I guess its more of age and warranty rather than price and how much money I can save over canadian pricing

On a seperate note I almost never fly from YYZ prefering buffalo on cost (Usually 1/2 the price or better)

Re: Re: Re: Re: buying a car from the states....

quote:

Originally posted by techead For cars in the 10-20k price range I will always go south of the border If i was buying something new ( for example my cadillac) there is no way I would have strayed from my local dealer considering the warranty and free service/free loaner cadillac etc

That sounds ass-backwards to me. You save almost nothing in the $10K-$20K price range, and you have all the warranty issues. If you buy a $50K car and save something like $10K (although it's not that much of a savings anymore), you can have your car shipped to the U.S. for warranty service 4 times, including the cost of a rental, and still come out ahead.

The risk is much greater for lower-priced cars because if you ever have to get warranty service you might end up paying more over time.

Oh, and regarding Dima's point about modifications - that's the main reason I said you should generally buy American if you want to go shopping for cars in the U.S. Fords and GMs don't really require much in terms of mods.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: buying a car from the states....

quote:

Originally posted by DigiNut That sounds ass-backwards to me. You save almost nothing in the $10K-$20K price range, and you have all the warranty issues. If you buy a $50K car and save something like $10K (although it's not that much of a savings anymore), you can have your car shipped to the U.S. for warranty service 4 times, including the cost of a rental, and still come out ahead. The risk is much greater for lower-priced cars because if you ever have to get warranty service you might end up paying more over time. Oh, and regarding Dima's point about modifications - that's the main reason I said you should generally buy American if you want to go shopping for cars in the U.S. Fords and GMs don't really require much in terms of mods.

Don't see why you say ass backwards
10-20k cars i am talking used vehicles with no warranty anyway
and shipping the car to the states is kind of stupid for me as my hobby cars are for the weekend whereas my new cars are my commuting vehicel that I need 100% reliability and instant replacement should I have issues

quote:

Originally posted by fayraree I'm so happy for you

i rofl'ed so hard the cleaning lady gave me a look
bwahaha

quote:

Originally posted by FunkyCrew i rofl'ed so hard the cleaning lady gave me a look bwahaha

say hi to ur boss for me

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