AlmostThere12

And I second it. When you first come over, you need the comparison to the UK. If not, expats would head out to buy a car & be totally unaware. Also, a Canadian born & bred may take for granted their knowledge of the process & assume everyone knows the ins-and-outs of buying cars.

The info on this site for various processes(houses, cars, taxes etc) is invaluable to me and I'm sure it is to many others too.

It's wonderful that so many expats, who have been here for many moons, still have the time to help out the newbies, when they could quite easily not bother and leave us floundering!

lookingtogo

I think we might check out the VW cars, new and old as AWD is required. 2nd hand makes sense money wise, as long as it's not a lemon but
I suppose you can get a new lemon too. Cheers.

dbd33

I've driven my 2007 VW just short of 200,000 miles in Canada and the US. It's rusted through in a good number of places so I'd watch out for that. The electrics have always been erratic but never eccentric enough to stop the car from running, it's just that electric things don't work reliably when it's raining. It's a shame it has electric wipers.

I can't fathom why anyone would want AWD if they're going to drive on roads; it's just something else to go wrong.

lookingtogo

Maybe suckered in by advertising.

What brands would you deem 'good' dbd33? ("Good is subjective" already agreed)

dbd33

Ford. I leased umpteen Fords (Escapes, Exploders, and a Mustang), admittedly for a maximum of four years each, and nothing went wrong with any of them.

The only reason I don't have a Ford now is because I live in the country, in an area of serious snowfall, and think FWD is prudent. Ford don't offer a FWD convertible (and I'd really rather not have to drive a hardtop car).

Aviator

Check out the Lemon Aid Guide for buying used vehicles. New VW Golf and Jetta are made in Mexico. I had one way back and the electrics were flaky to say the least.

Honda CRV or Toyota Rav 4 are two I would consider.

lookingtogo

Great leads. Thx so much, Aviator and dbd33. I'll look into those.

R I C H

The high performance Golfs are built in Germany.

Aviator

The OP should check the VIN for where cars are built, http://www.carfax.com/vin_decoding.cfx

withabix

Mrs Withabix has decided that I am buying her a 2013/14 H(y)undai Santa Fe.

Do the stealers over here do good cash discounts?

The main problem seems to be that it is a very popular vehicle....hence not much 'new' discount and high second hand prices....

...but then that's the difference over here I suppose.

haggis88

I thought the "in thing" to do in BC was to purchase some sort of hippy wagon like a Prius since they're "better for the environment" ?

RICH, what high performance VWs come over here from Germany? The only one i could think of was the Golf (in GTi trim and R trim). I know all the Audis in North America are German built but are more expensive in Canada for some reason.

OP, have you considered a small pickup truck? I've found no end of uses for my truck and have used it to its full capacity a few times now. Its invaluable for ski-trips and camping trips as you can just dump everything in the back and go, no need to arrange the trunk area carefully for spacial issues. I've also found it useful for the sweaty hockey gear after a game, means it doesn't stink out the car and 4 of us with equipment and sticks are able to carpool no problem!

R I C H

The 2 Golf models that you mention Haggis. Exchange rates muddle things, but when I purchased a GTI in 2011 it was slightly cheaper here than the UK RRP.

WRT Withabix's question, just haggle as hard as you can. If you've cash, put a pile on the table in front of the dealer. Show him you're serious and ready to commit. Go in at the end of a month, take a peek at the inevitable sales white board showing which salesmen are meeting target, and pick the down and out that needs a sale or 2 to meet his. Always be prepared to walk away. Never pay BS add on costs like nitrogen fill, documentation fees or PDI costs.

If a vehicle really isn't available with any sort of discount (unless it's something exotic or in extremely limited supply, I've never experienced a dealer unwilling to haggle to some degree), ask for extras instead - an extended warranty, all weather floor mats, undersealing, 3M paint protection, winter tires or whatever you fancy as part of the deal.

lookingtogo

I've bookmarked this thread - all the ops and experience is invaluable. Will look into all the tips including the truck

dbd33

A truck would make you popular at the petrol station. The weekend before last I rented a truck. It used more petrol in going a 100 mile roundtrip than the VW does in a typical, 400 mile, week. We had something large to collect so it made sense to spend the $47 it cost for the two days (tax in). To drive all the time, nah, bonkers. Especially bonkers when they're easily and cheaply rented.

There's also the consideration that a pick-up needs something in the back before it can go anywhere in the winter. This one was a Dodge 1500 4x4 but I've also been unable to get a lightly loaded GMC Sierra 4x4 up the driveway. A driveway the pastel Beetle takes with ease. The only truck like vehicle I've had that was as capable as a small FWD drive car in driving on ice was the 1987 Land Cruiser with a manual box and that one got about 10mpg.

MountainHiker

Depends where you live with fuel costs, we only ever fill our truck up in Montana at $3 a gallon. Plus I've never had a problem with driving in the winter without weighing down the back.