Buying a car from the States

[burn_this_city]

He should count himself lucky he only hit a deer.

[cral12]

Has anyone checked out recently difference between Subaru Outback 2012 in USA & Canada?

I'm considering option of getting one in Great Falls or Billings, Montana.

Has anyone used Bennett (Great Falls) or Rimrock (Billings)?

Interestingly, Bennets states on their dealer website that they cannot sell new vehicles to Canadians, but Rimrock says they can. Comments?

Any further thoughts appreciated.

As well, any issues with warranty work when bringing back to Calgary?

[killer_carlson]

my thought has been to go to a particular economically repressed state and go to a re-po auction or police auction and buy the cars there. Sure a roll of the dice, but I think it's a roll of the dice regardless.

I'm nervous though because I don't want to get stuck at the border hammered with a bunch of extra money I hadn't thought of.

[billybob123]

Some Subarus are made in North America - I think Outbacks are one of them. If not you get hit for 6.5% duty at the border in addition to taxes and the RIV fee. Be careful. Subaru also does not allow Canadians to claim incentives from the manufacturer. Odds are you're still way ahead of buying in Calgary.

There's a great long thread about buying on RFD. A friend imported a WRX STI to Edmonton two years ago.

[cral12]

Outback is made in US so no duty.

A friend bought 1-2 yrs ago and saved around $10,000 or a little more...

A quick look comparing dealers here and there and it still appears to be around the same.

[BlackArcher101]

Regarding Subaru warranties for imported vehicles, I believe it works this way.

The Canadian Subaru dealer will perform the work at regular rates, which you pay for. You then have to submit a reimbursement to Subaru of America, which will give you a cheque. However, the amount will be equivalent to what they would pay a dealer in America for doing to the work (which is discounted rates).

So be sure your savings are appropriate and don't import a model with a history of problems. Yes, dealers in the US have been advised not to sell to Canadians. They get slapped pretty hard when caught. Here's a good site about Subaru's, buying used and importing. http://www.cars101.com/canada.html http://www.cars101.com/

I believe the Impreza (non WRX/STI), legacy and outback are all made in the US, so no extra duty will apply. I did a cost analysis of US vs Canada for a WRX and after all the fees, taxes and duties, the savings were not enough to warrant the trouble and missing features (no heated mirrors or seats).

[maverickstruth]

We're looking at doing this as well, although likely not until 2013 since we'll make it part of our summer vacation down to the US.

In my research, one of the really big things I've found is that you don't really want to just do a price comparison based on the MSRP. In Canada, negotiations tend to focus around the MSRP, but in the US, negotiations tend to be based more on invoice. Try http://www.edmunds.com/ to see what US prices can typically be negotiated to (by region) and you'll see the significant difference, even when you take into account what you could expect to negotiate up here.

The aforementioned thread on RFD is a fantastic resource, as is http://www.monsieurmaggot.com/Autoimporthome.html (as well as many of the other links mentioned above).

[cral12]

For those interested, MonsierMaggot responded to my post on RFD (similar to above):

Depending on the options, you're still going to save about $8000 buying in the US.

If Bennets chooses not to sell to Canadians, that's their prerogative. It's certainly not a corporate decision. FUJI Heavy Industries (Subaru's parent company) has no issues with US Subarus being sold to Canadians. The US dealership only loses their internal incentives credit (but still make a profit). Some dealers are adding $250 - $750 surcharges to Canadian sales.

Warranties are completely covered on Subarus. You simply pay for the repair and submit the receipt to the US home office. In many cases, somr Canadian dealerships will do it for you.

[Top Shelf]

Somewhat related to this thread, we've been thinking of buying a travel trailer out of the states, same reason, about 4-5K savings.

Same run around here too with the dealers, one even went so far as to say they would not honor the manufacturer warranty! The icing on the cake was I called the manufacturer and they said the dealer "shouldn't" be doing that, but that they had no power to stop them. At that point I was speechless.

Anyone bought an RV out of the states?

[Titan]

Originally Posted by bossy22

I bought my 2010 Honda Pilot in the US. Was pretty painless. The dealer did all of the work for me. I just had to give him the day I was crossing the border. The Pilot is made in the US, so I didn't have to pay duty. I just had to pay for the Alberta inspection and GST. You are required to get an AB and Federal inspection. Federal is free. Canadian tire will do this for you.
I'm looking at Subaru's right now. Only the outback is made in the US. It's made in Indiana, so no duty, but if you buy and imprezza, it's made in Japan. At least that's what the dealer told me.

Here's the catch, I had to buy the vehicle, and register it to my place in the US. When the registration came in, I then sold it to my wife, so we could bring it across. The Canadian dealers will honor the warranty if it's a used vehicle. In the end I save about 12k. If I were to do it today, it'd be more like 14k.

Could you let me know what dealer you used? Please? Thanks.

[Derek Sutton]

My Dad ought a Van out of the US a few years ago, no problems with anything, he paid a broker to look after the paperwork and transportation of the van to Great Falls. He was at a Toyota dealership in the city, I don't know which one, about a month ago, and they offered him about 2k below trade in value. They said that since it came from the US he didn't have to pay as much when he bought it, so they weren't going to pays as much either.

My Dad said then the "so is the next one, now give me my keys, we're ******* outta here.

[lazypucker]

Somewhat an OT topic, but is there a way to lease new cars from the US? Like leasing under a Canadian corporation?

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by Titan

Could you let me know what dealer you used? Please? Thanks.

It was at Eisinger Honda in Kalispell. I will PM you the salesmans info when I find his card.

Does anyone know how a person goes about becoming a broker?

[Phaneufenstein]

Bump...

I'm going to California for vacation and to look into USED vehicle purchase, however I don't have one picked out yet.

I can't get a certfied cheque made up before I leave since I don't know the exact amount or the seller's name.

It's going to be in the region of 30K so I don't want to carry that type of cash around either.

Do I have any options other than wire transfer to pay for my purchase?



Also, what are some good resources to be looking at while searching for a vehicle down there?

I've been looking at Craigslist and Autotrader.com so far.

Any input very much appreciated.

[Shin Pad]

Somewhat related to this thread, but I now only get my Toyota serviced in the US. I have been severely ripped off at local Calgary dealership where I bought it. Anyway, I find the service much better down south.

I would like to eventually buy a vehicle down there and keep it there. Has anyone had an experience in registering a car in the USA (and getting US insurance), when you have a Canadian Driver's Licence? Are there any problems? Are there any hoops I have to go through to do this?

[Phaneufenstein]

Is it true that if I were to buy a used car from the dealership I would have to pay the local sales tax (in my case California)?

[AMG_G]

Originally Posted by Phaneufenstein

Bump...

I'm going to California for vacation and to look into USED vehicle purchase, however I don't have one picked out yet.

I can't get a certfied cheque made up before I leave since I don't know the exact amount or the seller's name.

It's going to be in the region of 30K so I don't want to carry that type of cash around either.

Do I have any options other than wire transfer to pay for my purchase?

Also, what are some good resources to be looking at while searching for a vehicle down there?

I've been looking at Craigslist and Autotrader.com so far.

Any input very much appreciated.

Point 9 is important...this is the reason why you see so many cars left on the side of the road by the Sweet Grass border. You have to fax a copy of the vehicle title to the border crossing 72 hours before you show up.
Steps to import a car into Canada

1. Make sure the vehicle you are interested in is on the Registrar of Imported Vehicles admissibility list. Some manufacturers do not allow their dealerships to sell new vehicles to Canadians.
2. Check to see if the manufacturer honours the warranty for your chosen vehicle once it has crossed the border into Canada. Some manufacturers have the owner pay for warranty expenses out of pocket and then apply for reimbursement.
3. Find out if the vehicle you will purchase is subject to the high emissions excise tax. NRCAN is a great place to look this up as these taxes can run $1000-$4000 on inefficient vehicles.
4. Check the list of vehicles that have had safety recalls.
5. If you are buying used it is worth investigating the vehicle’s history. There are numerous online services that allow you to check the VIN number. The peace of mind is worth $20-30.
6. Find out if you will have to pay duty on the car. Cars manufactured in North America are not subject to duty tax but those built outside North America are subject to duty under NAFTA. Duty is often 6.1% of the value of the vehicle. Even with duty, you can often still save thousands of dollars importing. Industry Canada can help you look up the vehicle you are buying.
7. Arrange your currency exchange.
8. Arrange payment, vehicle pickup or delivery. Delivery or the use of an Importer can make quite a dent in your savings, so carefully evaluate if you want to use these services. Some dealerships accept payment on delivery if you pick the car up in person. It is also wise to request a temporary licence that can be taped to your rear window. Don’t leave without an outstanding recall letter (if the dealership will provide one).
9. Fax in a copy of the vehicle title to the U.S. border crossing where you intend to cross. This must be done 72 hours in advance of exporting the car.
10. Arrange to get motor vehicle insurance for the car if you intend to drive it back to Canada.
11. Plan your trip to the dealership where you intend to buy the car.
12. Meet with the dealership. Double check that the VIN on the bill of sale matches the one on the vehicle. There is usually a sticker on the driver side door that has the VIN on it.
13. Drive to your desired U.S. border crossing and identify yourself with your passport and licence. The officers will check that the title, VIN and bill of sale. They will then release the title to Canada Customs.
14. Drive to Canada Customs and identify yourself with your passport and licence. Inform the officers you are importing your new car and fill out the Vehicle Import Form 1 (It will be provided).
15. You will now pay the $195+GST RIV fee, $100 A/C tax (if the car has A/C), duty (if so required) and possibly the aforementioned emissions tax. You also pay the 5% GST (QST in Quebec, GST portion of HST in Ontario and British Columbia). Your rewards credit card should handle these payments as most Canadian Customs offices won’t take cash or cheque payment.
16. Customs will release your Form 1. Keep all your paperwork available in case you are pulled over, which is possible if a police officer sees a car with no plates.
17. Drive home!
18. Within 10 days of submitting your Form 1 Canada Customs will mail you the Form 2 – Federal Inspection.
19. You have 45 days from the day you submitted to get any required modifications done to your vehicle (common items include metric speedometer updates/display, daytime running lights, child tether anchorage) and have your vehicle inspected at Canadian Tire.
20. At the inspection ensure you have all of the documentation you’ve accumulated. The Forms 1 and 2, letter of recall, title, bill of sale are all required.
21. The techs at Canadian Tire will conduct their inspection. This will take 30-60 minutes. The inspection is included in the RIV fee you paid at the border.
22. If the vehicle passes inspection, skip ahead to 24.
23. If the vehicle does not pass inspection, determine where you want the upgrades done and get the work completed within 45 days.
24. Take your paperwork to the provincial licencing office and register your car. You will pay provincial tax at this point.

http://www.findthebestcarprice.com/h...car-to-canada/

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by AMG_G

The techs at Canadian Tire will conduct their inspection. This will take 30-60 minutes. The inspection is included in the RIV fee you paid at the border.

Does anyone have any recent experience with the Canadian Tire inspection process and how often the inspectors find something bogus that needs "fixing" in order to pass the inspection (like an alignment or whatever)?

Some internet research suggests that the Canadian Tire inspectors are somewhat pressured to increase revenues and so they come up with all sorts of oddball and dubious "issues." True?

Also, does anyone have any experience with temporarily importing a car to Canada under a 3-year work permit (and thus being exempt from the RIV import process, but being required to remove the car from Canada when the work permit ends), and then extending/renewing the work permit?

Does extending the work permit (whether for 3 years or less) grant you an additional exemption from the RIV import process, or do you have to fully import the car at that time? And if you have to fully import it, how do you export it to the US and then re-import it since (i) the car has been in Canada for the past 3 years; (ii) your (US-based) car title already shows that it has been exported to Canada; and (iii) you aren't going to be able to re-title the car anywhere in the US (since, after all, you have been in Canada for the past few years and will stay in Canada for a few more with the new work permit)? Any ideas?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by HockeyIlliterate

Some internet research suggests that the Canadian Tire inspectors are somewhat pressured to increase revenues and so they come up with all sorts of oddball and dubious "issues." True?

False. The only thing the Canadian RIV inspection looks at is that the car is up o Canadian import standards (ie daytime running lights, bi-lingual warning stickers, car seat latches, etc.). This is the only thing you need to go to Canadian tire for.

It's the provincial inspection that looks at mechanical issues. In which, yes, Canadian tire or a shady shop could sell you parts to repair dubious issues.

My solution was to take my car to a different brand dealership for the OOP inspection. That way they can fail the vehicle, but it's not like they can sell you parts

As for the work visa issue, I can't help you there.

[casucks]

My federal inspection at C-Tire only took 15 mins! And I asked guy to leave the daytime light option off so I can turn my lights off at anytime which he did