I would think the dealers south of you would be quite savvy and eager with Canadian customers importing. I know my experience with dealers in Washington, Oregon and California is that they know the process, know not to charge the taxes and know the loop holes in the system to make the whole process easier. (Eg in California you pay the sales tax if you buy the car in the US but if you have it "exported" to the boarder you can avoid the tax, etc).

Sorry but that information is just wrong. Yes our population is 1/10th but taxes are not much higher in Canada. In fact states like California have slightly higher sales taxes on vehicles than we do. If that were true explain the multitude of cars sold in both the USA and Canada that sell for the same price within a couple of hundred dollars?

You may be familiar with the insane markups from Ford, etc the Japanese vehicles don't have the same luxury of price spread. The total markup is 9% on a 370Z and the dealer needs to make something on the car. You would be hard pressed to get 5% off.....

If you think 9% is all the mark-up a dealer gets on a Z, you're dreaming.

I know its the base and they get whatever incentives from Nissan but as most people know it's not a huge mark up. I have no clue what you do or know but staffing, rent, etc that it takes to run a car lot takes a lot of cars to pay for. How much did you get off on your car and do you have any numbers to back up these huge discounts everyone should be able to get?

Markup on a brand new car is in the 6-9% range from factory invoice...this is average. However, dealers will always get a kickback from the Manufacturer of about 2% MSRP to ensure they make something on the sale even if they sell the car at MSRP. Plus they charge you an arm and a leg for Freight and PDI in this country - about 1800 or so, when really it only costs them about 3-400 per car. So now they have made over 2 Gs on a car that sold at a 35k MSRP.

Oh also, dealers get kickbacks from the manufacturer for meeting certain sales targets which is another revenue stream on new car sales. Aside from that, dealers also make their money by selling add ons (tint, rust proofing), extended warranties from 3rd parties, accessories (which are marked up huge), and of course the biggest of them all, service.

One thing you have to consider when importing vehicles that are not NAFTA exempt is that the 6.1 duty is also subject to tax. So the calculation is Vehicle Price in US * Conversion Rate * 6.1% * Provincial/Federal Sales Tax + all the other fees for importing the car.

Also, buying in the US doesn't give you the option to lease the vehicle, which means you have to pay cash up front or finance through a bank loan, which typically doesn't offer as good an interest rate as through dealer financing.

Um...i have been doing this for years..buying used is the way to go...i have seen some 09's used going as low as 22K...after all is said in done...you can have one landed in Canada for about 28-29K....good luck finding one for 28K taxes in here in Canada.

370Z 2011 7AT touring Coupe Nav n sport pkg 39000 car price Columbia South Carolina + 300 sales tax. **** Smith dealership Angel Vargas Salesman. Drove home 3300 miles (approx 7-8 tanks gas to Alberta 500$) 1200$ to transport cost if you want instead ( Red Carpet transport). Federal RIV 210, don't need a provincial RIV if under 5000 km. Hotels over 4 days, 3x80 approx = 240 miscellaneous 1000$ = 41240 approx + 4400 duty and gst total=45640. Wayyyyyyy below this vehicles price any where in Canada. Oh yeah Travelling route 66 back to Alberta PRICELESS. Could have did over phone and saved more money. Signed: done it so don't ******** Papa

Boy, all these "great deals". Where you you folks when there were no used ones to be had.... say... in the summer of 2009?

Of course used is the way to go noooowwwww (sarcasm intended). There's plenty of them noooowwwww.:shakes head:

after everything was said and done I saved 6-7k from the nearest comparable...just finished making the transaction. going to have it transported from the dealership to my door, im using a customs broker for the border dealings (125$).
(this is including total taxes of 19.1% duty/gst/pst)

I'd love to see the breakdown for that. 6 to 7k after a 19% take. That's crazy

:iagree: Show us the breakdown (completely).

let me remind you it is a previously owned vehicle not new. 09 370z 8000miles black on burnt orange, touring NAV, sport package-fully loaded. I have been trying to find one in Canada with all the bells and whissels for total under 40k- the closest I came was one in saskatoon for 37,800CAD same package but with 19000k before any tax or shipping as I live in Ontario. (the total after haggling them a bit with taxes and all would have been 44,000 to 44,500....So here is the breakdown-purchase price-29,000usd (27,912cad @ .9625 exchange). all taxes (gst 5%,pst 8%, duty 6.1%= 5,331cad). shipping via open transport to my door 1,200cad. 125$ for broker plus 100$ AC tax (=255$ including some other small fees).....only thing left to pay is RIV fee (approx 195 plus tax), and plates. Hopefully it has daytime running lights or those will have to be added to meet canadian reqiurements. basicaly everything added up came to 34,698cad (plus 500$ for plates and riv fee). so when I say 6-7k less the nearest comp I mean it-unless you can find a really good deal on one used here, your best bet with the strong dollar too is to buy from the US. thanks-will post pics once vehicle arrives.

Thanks!

a bit more info....vehicle is located in Richmond VA at a Honda dealership, clean title, asking price was 32000$ talked them down to 29,000 (basicaly told them the total had to be under 30k or no deal, they made the numbers work). I spent time contacting dealers in the US for demo models and slightly used 370z's and told them all the same thing-find me one with all the features im looking for in MB for under 30k and you got yourself a deal. if you dont want sport package and NAV and your flexible on color than there are plenty of options in canada asking prices low 30's- getting all the features with 6MT in my colour was a bit more difficult unless I was forking over 38k-44k plus tax....

I just imported my Z from Tacoma Washington, I paid $30,250 U.S. Which turned into $29854 Cad., GST+6.1Duty+A/C tax $3405.29, Riv $218.40, Wire transfer $60.07, Flights for my wife and I Edmonton to Tacoma $616.58 and finally the inspection. After all said and done $34,619.83 for a 2010 Sport w/touring (no nav) with the Rays wheels.

Nice deal! Bet it was a fun drive home :)

I'm just itchin to go on a nice driving trip. Took a quick jaunt up the Sea to sky highway to Whistler yesterday. Beautiful sunny day, hardly anyone on the road, no radar! It was f'n awesome.

So did you pick this up at Bruce Titus Nissan? If so, that was the same dealership I bought mine at :)


Cheech

to easy
 

Hey great job, love my country but the prices are suffocating. I bet your wife and yourself likely would not purchase a vehicle any other way from now on. Listen if sales tax is ever an issue in a state possibly by using a transport to carry to port of entry would be an option to avoid state sales tax (Just don,t let the tires hit the road ). You would have to crunch the numbers and research (1200 from florida). Lot a smoke been blown up you know where by people, looks like you choose to find out for yourself.

Your right it was so fun, that is the only way to buy a car, I actually bought it from a Dodge Dealer in Tacoma, across the street was a Nissan dealer... same ownership! Damn I love the car, we don't have the Sea to Sky but regardless sunny, warm fun cruise.

Didnt have to pay PST orr??

No P.S.T in Alberta!:ughdance:

By the way, the Canada Border Services Agency puts on free seminars on how to import a vehicle into Canada. The seminars are held in the BC Hydro building in downtown Vancouver. Go to their website for a schedule and to reserve a spot.

What about the odometre? Since it is digital can the units be changed from miles to Kilometres thru a program change in the ECU?