Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

you've received some good advice here, and that comes from a guy with 30 years experience in the car business. Not all dealerships are created equal. Form an opinion of the sales rep. If he is a fast talker, be careful. If he puyshes for the sale. Be careful. Definitely, on a used vehicle, seek a second opinion on it's mechanical condition. Sometimes it's worht the money to pay a mechanic to perform a checkup. Not sure if Alberta has a mechanical fitness law, but Ontario does. A vehicle here has to meet standards for brakes, steering components, suspension, fuel tank, etc. If there is no such standard there, definitely see a mechanic to give you an honest opinion of the cars condition. Chrysler vans...if it's a 3.0 litre, get a compression check. Of course I'm not ceretain if they still make the 3.0 anymore. They loved to burn oil and rattle after a bit. 3.3 is better. Chrysler transmissions have been prone to problems. You probably can't get service records, so depending on metrige, you might want to have the tranny flushed and the screen cleaned. I don't mean a pull the plug and drain flush. I mean a forced flush with a special unit that pushes the old fluid out one end and the new in the other.

Buying private has it's risks. Is Alberta a 'title' Province? If so, there should be free title before you buy. Ontario is not, and one needs to be very careful about liens. Nothing worse than a tow truck hauling away your car that someone else failed to pay for.
You also want to get, in writing, an assurance and statement that the vehicle has not been an 'accident and repair' unit. Insist on knowing about nay body repairs that may have been done. You would be surprised how many 'write offs' are put back together and then sold to some unsuspecting fool. Also be wary of anything that came out of the U.S. A lot of flood cars from Katrina have been making their way north.
Calgary, and Alberta in general, are pretty loose in the car selling department. If you have any questions about anything, ask me. Before you buy, give me the details and the price, and I can tell you if you are getting taken.
Someone said to look at Auto Trader. Good suggestion, I do it often, and I'm in the business. Just remember, prices there can be all over the map. Look close at the low to the high. Good luck.

Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

Ah but in another place I did tell Mrs DTLE to avoid one dealer. ;)

Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

You did buddy you did and that has been noted - nice to see you back here :D

Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

Do I need to register it in Ontario? Just a thought, cos the guy I spoke to seemed to think it was worthwhile to travel to Alberta to buy and drive back here. He could of course be totally wrong...unfortunately I spoke to him whilst travelling.

Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

My experience indicates that cars are more expensive out west than in Ontario. If you buy a vehicle in Alberta and bring it to Ontario, a few things apply. If bring it to Ontario on a transit sticker, you will need to have an Ontario safety check performed before it can be plated here. If the vehilce has not had a safety check in Alberta, you may get a surprise. You will also have to pay Provincial Sales Tax on the purchase price. What is interesting is that I have clients who have purchased vehicles here and shipped them to Alberta for their family members. Why? Because the price here was generally much better, as well as the selection.

And...unless you have a residence in Alberta, it is doubtful that you can register a car there. I would think you can only obtain ownership or title, but no license or plates.

Also, as I indicated in an earlier post, I am in the business, so happy to give advice if you find something and want to know what it really should cost you. Or any other information about vehicle reliabilty or potential problems.

Re: Buying a car in Calgary
 

You'll need to register it somewhere and driving on out of state plates is a pain in the arse when it comes to insurance and renewing the sticker.