Recommend a car dealer

[amorak]

Originally Posted by amorak

I just did a little searching:

Chrysler Town & Country

in Canada, Town & Country Touring out the door before tax: $31,245

in the USA, Town & Country LX out the door before tax: $26,300
source: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2010/chry....html?action=2

Not a huge savings, but decent at just under $5,000. However there can be equipment differences between a CDN spec and US spec vehicle, so always check them in detail.

Please read the provided APA link, it appears Chrysler does not honour the warranty on US purchased cars imported into Canada, probably better to buy here unless you're confident in not having a warranty.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Dude, you should really check out the new Sienna first. I'm not a Toyota fanboy, either. I have a Chrysler 300c and I love it. For minivans, though, the Sienna cannot be beat and the new model that just came out is by far the best minivan EVAR.

I just did a little searching:

2011 Toyota Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6

in Canada, 2011 2011 Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6 out the door before tax: $40,800.00

in the USA, 2011 Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6 out the door before tax: $31,557
source: http://motors.newcar.ebay.com/newcarconfigurator?referrerid=V0&postalcode=97201& dealershipId=1959&trimId=230817&catid=31874&daf=Co ndition,New,Make,Toyota,Model,Sienna

Nearly $9,000 in savings on a bottom-to-middle spec Sienna with full Canadian warranty!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by amorak

I just did a little searching:

2011 Toyota Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6

in Canada, 2011 2011 Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6 out the door before tax: $40,800.00

in the USA, 2011 Sienna XLE 7-Passenger V6 out the door before tax: $31,557
source: http://motors.newcar.ebay.com/newcarconfigurator?referrerid=V0&postalcode=97201& dealershipId=1959&trimId=230817&catid=31874&daf=Co ndition,New,Make,Toyota,Model,Sienna

Nearly $9,000 in savings on a bottom-to-middle spec Sienna with full Canadian warranty!

And on that $9000 savings, you'll save $450 in GST. That alone will pay for your plane ticket to the US, gas back and even a night at a hotel if you want.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Sliver

And on that $9000 savings, you'll save $450 in GST. That alone will pay for your plane ticket to the US, gas back and even a night at a hotel if you want.

+1 for small but important nugget of info - You're charged GST @ the border on the sale price, not the Canadian price, so you save 5% GST on the difference of $9,000, so you can have paid for the plane ride to get the car with that savings!

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Whoa - be sure to take into consideration the differences in models of Sienna. The XLE in the US is optioned out differently than the one in Canada. There is no CE model in Canada, and the Limited in Canada has Nav and rear DVD standard while the US on has those as options.

That said, I too estimate a $10k difference in Sienna pricing between the use and Canada, depending on what options you want.

However, I should point out that unless you have a US address or relative/friend, it will be tough to:

1) Get a Toyota dealer to sell to you
2) Be able to claim any of the cash incentives.

Sounds like amorak has ties to the US that have made that easy but for the rest of us with no links to the US it's a bit more tricky. Not impossible, but it's not like you just go down and get one on a whim.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Whoa - be sure to take into consideration the differences in models of Sienna. The XLE in the US is optioned out differently than the one in Canada. There is no CE model in Canada, and the Limited in Canada has Nav and rear DVD standard while the US on has those as options.

That said, I too estimate a $10k difference in Sienna pricing between the use and Canada, depending on what options you want.

However, I should point out that unless you have a US address or relative/friend, it will be tough to:

1) Get a Toyota dealer to sell to you
2) Be able to claim any of the cash incentives.

Sounds like amorak has ties to the US that have made that easy but for the rest of us with no links to the US it's a bit more tricky. Not impossible, but it's not like you just go down and get one on a whim.

If you look at the link I post, it is very easy - There is a fellow who registered an Alaskan Corporation and for a few hundred bucks, will buy the car in the Corps US citizen's name, you pay the dealer when you go down, they sell it in his name and you have already signed the sale for $1 paperwork from the corp to you for the Toyota... No risk, and the car is in your name when you leave the lot!

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Why book a test drive?

If a place can't help me when I go there and demand to be helped, I go to the next dealership.

Because we have an 8-month old baby and it's a pain in the ass to spend all day Saturday driving around with her to different dealerships demanding help, when we could just as easily book it in advance.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Warranty work is completely problem free. They happily do the work - Toyota pays them and a customer will never say no to free work. It's a North America-wide warranty you get (with Toyota, anyway) whether you buy in the States or in Canada.

I admit that I was worried about that when I bought mine, but I figured even if they didn't honour the warranty, the probability of a major problem affecting a brand new car would be low enough that any little things I would have to pay for myself would be outweighed by the $11K I was saving. Plus if something major did happen, just throw the vehicle on a trailer and take it back to the States for service.

Like I said, though, they honour the warranty so you'll be golden.

Do you think this holds true for any potential recall repair work as well?

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Do you think this holds true for any potential recall repair work as well?

It holds true for anything - they don't treat it any differently than a Canadian bought unit.

[Table 5]

Speaking of vans, has anyone had the chance to test drive the VW Routan? If I was in the market for a van, I would definitely take a look....if only not to get lost in the sea of other Caravans, Sienna's and Odysseys.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Speaking of vans, has anyone had the chance to test drive the VW Routan? If I was in the market for a van, I would definitely take a look....if only not to get lost in the sea of other Caravans, Sienna's and Odysseys.

It is a Caravan! It's a Doge Caravan, made at the Dodge plant, it just has a different front and rear fascia, and a slightly tweaked interiour.

When I had my GTI in for service last, the shuttle was a Routan - felt just like a Caravan.

They've stopped making them - in fact they stopped over a year ago and STILL have stock - They made 22,000 of them in the first few months, but only sold 5,000 and change in the first 6 months.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/g...rtedly-not-lo/

[Table 5]

I did not know that. Wow, why would VW ever do such a thing? Seems like such an awful way to screw up your brand equity.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I did not know that. Wow, why would VW ever do such a thing? Seems like such an awful way to screw up your brand equity.

That's why - 99% of people don't know, thanks to a mildly revised front and rear fascia.

VW then tried to keep the quality up by installing their own 'krauts at the end of the Routan portion of the Caravan plant and doing final-assembly inspections... But with that said, it still feels like a Caravan.

However, with that said, the Caravan isn't as terrible as it once was, the advent of completely computer generated parts of the past decade has resulted in a much narrower gap between manufacturers than you'd expect - In fact, VW likely uses the same suppliers for many of the items GM does, etc.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

Whoa - be sure to take into consideration the differences in models of Sienna. The XLE in the US is optioned out differently than the one in Canada. There is no CE model in Canada, and the Limited in Canada has Nav and rear DVD standard while the US on has those as options.

That said, I too estimate a $10k difference in Sienna pricing between the use and Canada, depending on what options you want.

However, I should point out that unless you have a US address or relative/friend, it will be tough to:

1) Get a Toyota dealer to sell to you
2) Be able to claim any of the cash incentives.

Sounds like amorak has ties to the US that have made that easy but for the rest of us with no links to the US it's a bit more tricky. Not impossible, but it's not like you just go down and get one on a whim.

I don't get why people just assume it's a hard thing to do. Probably because usually if something sounds too good to be true, it probaby is. In this case, however, it isn't. That spreadsheet I posted earlier is my own - I made it based on my own experience. I'm just a typical guy in Calgary like you probably are - I have no experience importing anything. The process is so easy and you save soooo much money, you can't not do it.

It's also so easy to find a dealership in the States that will take your money. The economy there sucks and they need the sales. Plus it's perfectly legal, so why wouldn't they. Any of the border cities have a lot of experience doing this anyway, so they can hold your hand through it. At the border they're experts at this as well. It took me less than 15 minutes to get through.

Originally Posted by Peanut

Do you think this holds true for any potential recall repair work as well?

Yep, it does hold true. Toyota or whoever has all your Calgary information, so that's where they send anything they need to send you.

Originally Posted by amorak

That's why - 99% of people don't know, thanks to a mildly revised front and rear fascia.

VW then tried to keep the quality up by installing their own 'krauts at the end of the Routan portion of the Caravan plant and doing final-assembly inspections... But with that said, it still feels like a Caravan.

However, with that said, the Caravan isn't as terrible as it once was, the advent of completely computer generated parts of the past decade has resulted in a much narrower gap between manufacturers than you'd expect - In fact, VW likely uses the same suppliers for many of the items GM does, etc.

This is about they only thing we disagree on, Amorak. I was in a 2010 Caravan last week and they are still terrible. Cheap and crappy IMO. That's why the guy should at least check out a Sienna...there's really no comparison. The Toyota is better in every way and it has the most HP. That should sell you right there lol.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Do you think this holds true for any potential recall repair work as well?

Recalls are required to be completed prior to entry into canada. You have to provide a printout from the manufacturer stating there are no active recalls on the vehicle. Future recalls would be done by the dealers in Canada.

[Sample00]

one thing I just want to mention is that many people do get dealership financing. Chances are if you purchase a vehicle in the USA and are a Canadian Citizen and you need/want dealer financing, you may not be able to get it there. You will then have to have pre-arranged bank financing or pay cash for the vehicle.

just wanted to put that out there.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I did not know that. Wow, why would VW ever do such a thing? Seems like such an awful way to screw up your brand equity.

I'm sure hecho en mexico did enough damage that using a canadian built van probably couldnt hurt.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by amorak

If you look at the link I post, it is very easy - There is a fellow who registered an Alaskan Corporation and for a few hundred bucks, will buy the car in the Corps US citizen's name, you pay the dealer when you go down, they sell it in his name and you have already signed the sale for $1 paperwork from the corp to you for the Toyota... No risk, and the car is in your name when you leave the lot!

Sorry, which link? (You've posted quite a few) The RFD one?

[wooohooo]

I'm thinking about buying from the States... but is it easy to change the speedometer to Km/hr instead of Miles?

[chummer]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

I'm thinking about buying from the States... but is it easy to change the speedometer to Km/hr instead of Miles?

Good luck with that,just something you'll have to live with.

If a guy does his homework buying from the States can make a lot of sense.
If you can save 10k on a 40k car go for it.

No-one has been able to answer why cars in Canada are 25% more than the U.S. Until Canadian dealers drop their prices I say screw 'em.

With the dollar surging my next purchase will be south of the border.