How to check cross-border car prices
By Gordon Powers, Sympatico / MSN Finance
In most cases new cars in the U.S. are still less expensive than they are in Canada, but the gap has narrowed significantly.
Now that the Canadian dollar is quickly catching up to its U.S. counterpart and struggling car companies have either lowered their prices or boosted their incentives, it's a toss up as to whether they are any bargains to be had south of the border. In fact, cross-border comparison shopping has always been a bit awkward – until now.
One way to make sure you’re getting a good price on a new car is to unearth the best deals other buyers are negotiating. That information has been available only sporadically, primarily from car-crazy user groups.
But a new site, TrueCar, now offers you a straightforward snapshot of what others are paying for particular models, in their area, regionally, and nationally. Unfortunately, the site only deals with the U.S. side of the equation at the moment. But Toronto residents, for instance, can easily get a quick baseline for the car they want by looking at prices in nearby Buffalo.
After you enter a zip code and details about the exact vehicle
you’re considering, including optional equipment, TrueCar presents
“good” and “great” prices, after factoring in rebates,
factory-to-dealer fees, and other variables. It will also tell you
whether prices are trending up or down.
Here's a sample report on the top-selling sedan, a 2009 Toyota Camry.
A quick glance can tell you if the price for your vehicle is on par
with the price others have paid in the past. And then you can see how
this compares with prices for a similar car at home.
Check out the company’s blog, called The Truth, for car pricing facts and trends and then do some comparison shopping at your local dealer.
Posted by: deetee | Aug 19, 2021 10:25:27 AM
Be sure to do your homework before importing a vehicle. Check out Canada govenment sites regarding procedures and charges (taxes, gst, transportation, federal and provincial inspections etc.). Also, (and not many people know this) some cars like BMW, Mercedes etc. have to be 'Canadianised', which is nothing but an indirect way of paying the company a royalty, before one can use those cars in Canada. This 'Canadianisation' has to be done through the auto manufacturer only (BMW, Mercedes etc.). There are no exceptions. One must allow for all these additional costs when comparing prices. Even after all that, sometimes it still is worth importing a vehicle.
Posted by: WarrenT | Aug 19, 2021 10:52:12 AM
Check out info for warranty claims in Canada on a vehicle purchased in the US. Most are not honoured.
Posted by: robert | Aug 19, 2021 11:23:43 AM
why worry about the warranty if you can save 10000+ who carse i bought a 2008 saturn vue the locals will not warranty it but the edmonton journal today has an artilce about car dealers crying about not getting service work from their clients hounor the warranty and i will use you
Posted by: Dennis | Aug 19, 2021 11:48:33 AM
I have done this for a number of vehicles-1 car, 2 snowmobiles, and a number of motorcycles. The procedure is the same in all cases. Make sure that the vehicle is eligible for importation-MOST IMPORTANT. Then check prices, being sure to add about $300 or so to comply with Canadian standards. When bringing the vehicle into Canada, you will have to pay GST at the border, and you will also get a RIV form 1, and a charge of $195+ for RIV. Get recalls done, better to get them done south of the border. Once all this is done, you will get a form 2 from RIV. Then go through the federal inspection (at any Canadian Tire store), and then you will be ready to get a Canadian registration.
One thing to consider, if the vehicle is 15 or more years old, it is exempt from the RIV program, and registration can be done immediately. Of course, GST and PST are still applicable.
Posted by: Dave | Aug 19, 2021 12:01:58 PM
I am somewhat disappointed in this article as it does not seem to add much value for readers. There are a number of existing sites which will do the same thing for new and used cars, including a proprietary service on MSN with reviews and competitive intelligence on new and used vehicles in the US. Autotrader is an even better site in order to determine real regional price ranges in value for used CDN models.
Posted by: Jeremy | Aug 20, 2021 1:57:43 AM
There are also other sites similar to truecar such as http://www.realcartips.com