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vehicle import -deals?

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Steve G. 
#1 ·
I've read through some of the vehicle import threads and have found enough to know about the process, and where to go to find the paperwork etc. But I'm curious about where people have found is the best to actually go to get the vehicle (whether it be bike or car) in terms of what state and how you haggled.

I'm in the market for a new car, and while I've been looking at a vw jetta sport wagon (dont make fun, I need a place to throw all my skydive gear, but still want a fun ride), one of the options available in the states is not yet offered in canada (the 2.0t engine). For me then its not about going to the states to save money. Even with the current dollar hit, I think I could do about even, but rather to get the option I'd like on the vehicle I'd like.

The hope being that the fucked up usa economy would at least allow me a bit of a better bargain position, so I'm curious for those of you who've bought in the states, was it worth your time to go to oregon instead in washington, are there benifits to different states, even different locations within each state that might be more likely to offer discounts? How far were you able to chip off the dealer price?

Seeing as our dollar is shot right now, I'm trying to find all ways to at least save a bit of coin, or if its worth it until our dollar recovers a bit more.

reply's or pm's appreciated.

thanks
 
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#8 ·
1. Go on the Jetta forums before you finalize that purchase decision. Lots of issues with Jetta's. Seems mostly like VW has a quality control problem, some people drive them forever and nothing ever fails, most other people have lemons riddled with issues.
2. If you need a wagon, look at an A4 Avant from the US. As you might guess from the username, I bought a used Audi A4 (sedan imported from the US) with 50K on the odo. I've put 70,000 km's on it in a year and a half and it has been spectacular. Other than replacing 2 $35 coilpacks and a driveshaft seal ($130 parts and labour to replace) I have spent nothing on it other than gas, oil changes and brake pads. You get the 2.0 motor and way better build quality (and Audi interiors are awesome.)
3. I bought mine in Tennessee, it seems like you have to go south to get the deals, Wash. and Oregon are close enough to Canada and Canadian buyers that the deals are few and far between. The further south you go, the less the Canadian effect is felt. The one thing to watch out for in the south is flood damaged cars. Mine came with the carfax so I knew it had spent it's life in New Jersey and never been in an accident. Bought it from an Audi tuner down there that also buys and sells them unmodified. He buys them from Audi of America's off lease auction. The Audi lease comes (came) with full service included as part of the deal, when I bought the car I had FULL service history from day 1, so I knew the car had been properly maintained. I also had an awesome roadtrip home.

PM me if you want the guys contact details, he was great to work with (totally honest and up front)
 
#9 ·
I've been out of the auto industry for a few months now, so there may be some changes I'm unaware of. Here are some generalizations from my professional (dealership) & personal experiences:

> The CAD$ is key & the current rate will make things tough for you, deal-wise. Also depending on how much North American content is in the vehicle you will also pay 6.1% duty. This surprises many people & even caught me off guard when a Pontiac G8 was imported from Arizona (due to its Aussie content)

> Unless it's a domestic truck, a classic, or a rare vehicle with an unusual & very desirable option set, anything you 'save' from buying in the U.S. you will 'lose' at resale time -- thus leaving you with at best a wash when factoring today's rates. Dealers will give you less for your Jetta (than a similar Canadian unit) at trade-in time & the general public will turn up their noses as soon as they hear it's from the U.S. I couldn't begin to count the times someone would look at a car we had brought in from the U.S. & turned away even though the car was in fantastic low mileage shape

Do your research:

> Just because the Jetta you're looking at is in Seattle, for example, doesn't mean it wasn't in New Orleans in 2005 duking it out with Katrina

> A clean Carproof/Carfax means absolutely squat. I can remember more than a few times someone would be trading in a U.S. car & bring the 'clean' Carproof they had run when they bought the car. I'd run another Carproof to be safe -- it's pretty shitty to have to tell someone their 2004 330i has a $14000 claim (most people are in shock/denial, others simply cry). What happens is that cars are sold immediately after being in an accident because many people are aware that the insurance paperwork takes time to move its way thru the system.
 
#12 · (Edited)
> Unless it's a domestic truck, a classic, or a rare vehicle with an unusual & very desirable option set, anything you 'save' from buying in the U.S. you will 'lose' at resale time

What you're ignoring is the fact that in the mean time you haven't been parted from your cash, or worse yet, been carrying the difference as a loan and paying interest on it. Not to mention that the cheaper car can't depreciate as much in total as the more expensive one can, the value simply isn't there to deteriorate. The cheaper car is the better deal.

There are a couple of big reasons to buy in the US, price is one of them, selection is another, when I bought my US car about six years ago, there were maybe 3 or 4 choices in BC, I test drove more than a dozen in So Cal. I got the options I wanted and a price that was, even with the 63 cent dollar we had at the time somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 of the prices being asked here in BC, after counting, exchange, the cost of the trip down, importation costs, and conversion to Cdn. spec.
 
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