Is it possible to import a new Prius from the US to Canada? The reason I ask is because I've heard: - Toyota will not honor the warranty at all - The 08 Prius was not admissible by RIV for a while Obviously I can save thousands $$$ by buying from the US. The only downside is that I can't get the $2K govt rebate. But if I can save like $8K then who cares!? I may be buying this coming week so all info is appreciated!
A savings of $10,000 cannot be ignored. Same reason I am buying mine in the West Coast vs in the East. All dealer I talked with in my target areas in the East were charging MSRP and would not sell lower. I talked to Toyota dealers on the San Francisco Bay area (there are dozens in a 100 mile radius) and the best price I am getting is $500 below invoice. That's a savings of over $3,000 between East Coast and West Coast...and driving coast to coast should cost you less than $1,000 even with gas at $4 a gallon!
Toyota will honour the warranty on US-imported vehicles. Secondly, I recommend importing from a northern state. The southern states will not come with extra items needed in the north (e.g. heavy-duty battery, rear seat heater ducts etc... I do not know how they're packaged in the Prius but for other Toyotas like the Corolla, they are an optional extra)
I have it in writing that Toyota will honour the warranty. Processing claims might take a little longer though. I believe the RIV silly issue with the 08 model (immobilizer) is now resolved - check it out. You'll have to add DRLs to the Prius in order to drive it in Canada. Ontario will give their residents the $2K PST rebate (not sure of the other provinces). Good luck,
Well I did some number crunching. Option 1 - Import car from US. Costs: - 08 Prius touring with option A (HID, JBL, 16" wheels, fog lights, VSC, backup camera, bluetooth, homelink, smart key, etc.) - $26,135 - RIV fee - $204.75 - DRL activation - $150 (estimate) - Inspection - $150 (plus tax?) - A/C excise tax - $100 (plus tax?) - Duty (6.1%) - $1,594.23 - GST - $1,306.75 - PST - $1,306.75 - Block heater - $130 (plus tax?) - Travel/pickup - $1,000 (estimate) Total = $32,027.48 Option 2 - Buy car in Canada with special edition package (smart key, bluetooth, 16" wheels, fog lights, backup camera, homelink, block heater, etc. no HID in Canada) - Car - $ 34,020 - GST - $ 1,701 - PST - $ 1,701 - Federal govt eco-auto rebate $ -2,000 Total = $35,421 So... in the end I'd only save just shy of $ 3,400. If you lived in a province with a provincial rebate (I don't) the story would likely be different. I know Manitoba has an extra $2,000 rebate which would give you $5,400 in savings!! IMHO it's easier to just buy a car here. Think of the time involved getting the inspection, driving it back, dealing with customs (& potential delays), etc. I've seen numerous other cases where people are saving $8-10K on other vehicles, but in this case I've crunched the numbers and it's just over $3,000.
Where do you live that the PST is 5% like the GST?!? It will not be $5,400 if you lived in a province with the PST rebate because the PST rebate applies (at least in BC) to any hybrid vehicle even if you import it. It's the GST EcoAuto rebate that applies to Canadian-bought vehicles only. Also you forgot to add the A/C Excise Tax to your Canadian Prius calculator.
SK No, I didn't. Here's a more clear breakdown of the CDN price: - 08 Special Edition - $32,530 - Freight & Delivery - $1,240 - Federal Excise Tax - A/C - $100 - Block Heater (Mandatory) - $130 - SK Tire Levy - $20 Total: $34,020
I think with the recent drop in Canadian prices, the difference isn't as much as it was. How much the hassle is worth to you is another question. Any ideas on importing an Aptera?
ohhh lol. One of the rare SK members heh. No. You guys in CA won't order the all-weather package cause you don't need it. I mean WA, ID, MT, MN, ND, SD, MI, NY, NJ, RI, VT etc etc etc
