Has anyone here imported or know someone who's imported a new car from the States into Ontario?
I've found all the info on paying the 6.1% duty and the registration fees and all that jazz.
What I can't find is any info on how I actually get the dealer to give me the car and then how I get it insured to bring it home. I'm finding plenty of info for importing one into BC where the province-run insurance co. will allow you to temporarily insure the car based on the VIN but I called my insurer and they said they can't do it.
They said they can't insure the car until it's registered in Ontario and I can't get the car registered until it's been through the importing process.
I need help. Anyone?
your best bet would be to get in touch with the MTO
they do the temp insurance under your company as long as the vehicle is registered,
not sure about the states but call and find out
So a mazdaspeed 3 is cheaper in the states to make it worth it??
deflux wrote:So a mazdaspeed 3 is cheaper in the states to make it worth it??
Not really... but it has an available nav system that I want and can't get here.
Thanks guys. All the info I've found so far is for Alberta and BC. Apparently there the insurance companies will insure the car based on the VIN until it makes it to Canada. Then you just need the temp permits to drive through whatever states you need to go through.
Here in Ontario, the ins. co's are telling me they won't insure it until it's registered in Ontario and I can't register it here until it's been through the import process so I'm stuck.
I'm gonna try calling some brokers to see if they can find me an insurer...
^^^^^^^ you should call Mazda first, i have seen a few cars where systems like that do not work in Canada if the car wasn't here with that option.
one other way to bring it in would be to drive it to the US/Canada border, and tow it from there. i have a friend who drives a flat bed he might do it for a set price.
http://registry.gmenthusiast.com/images/my2005cav/my%20car%20the%20bash.jpg
Driving it to the border is the problem. I can't seem to get it insured to drive it from the dealer to the border. Once it's at the border, I can register it and have my insurance in place.
Also, the dealer I've been talking to is in Michigan so having someone drive a tow truck out there would be prohibitively expensive.
Hmm... the dealer is only 20 km or so from the border. I wonder if they'll just put dealer plates on it and drive it to the border with me. Then I can take it from there.
First I am suprised that a US dealer is considering selling a car to a Canadian, I believe they are not allowed to. Second importing a new vehicle is usually more expensive. The GST and PST payments will be the same but you will also have to pay the state taxes and being an import vehicle it is subject to duty. Plus various import fee's, a safety and e-test. Its generally a big hassle and a lot of paper work for new vehicles.
Plus check with a local dealer for any issues with the warranty, I know with GM they will not do any warranty repairs on US vehicles less than one year old (I had a customer that was denied warranty on his Z06 because he bought it in the States and he had to pay out of pocket for the repairs).
It's generally the companies with huge price differences like Subaru and Acura that have policies regarding selling cars for export.
I've talked to both Mazda Canada and Mazda USA and neither of them care. The warranty will be good and everything.
When I first started looking into this, it was a month or so ago and $1 USD was $1.12 CAD. With those numbers, it all worked out nicely even with the fees and taxes and duties and everything. And you wouldn't pay state taxes.
But now that $1 USD costs $1.20 CAD it's a whole different story. That 8% difference amounts to nearly $3k which sucks out any advantage I would have had in getting it from the US. When I add in the added financing costs of going through a bank, it becomes over $4k difference.
Ah well. It was an interesting endeavour while it lasted...
