willrr

Hi, I’m coming over to Canada next year. I’ve budgeted around $3,000 for a first (Canadian (as in car bought in Canada) ) car, I wonder if you guys had any advice/things to avoid from experience?

Have been researching online so far thinking a VW (maybe a Passat/Jetta), as from my experience these tend to be reliable even with a high mileage. But I’m guessing Ford/GMC/Dodge might be cheap in terms of spare parts?

As to other expenses how have you found car insurance compared to the UK? And is there a Canadian equivalent of the UK’s MOT and Road Tax

Aviator

Depends where in Canada you are going to.

$3000 for a car won't get you much once you add the sales tax to it, maybe a 15-20 year old Jetta. Car insurance is higher, especially if you cannot prove no claims history. Buy privately, get it inspected by CAA, do a lien check and ownership check. Careful of cheap cars off used lots. Avoid cheap domestics.

Tony_Tiger

I had a golf gti. I found it reliable but maintenance and parts were expensive. It was to the point that I started doing the maintenance myself!

Parts for domestic (Ford/GMC/Dodge) will be a lot cheaper but don't expect the same built quality..

Danny B

Used cars in Canada are notoriously expensive and overpriced in my opinion.

I don;t know where you will be living but have a look at http://bc.kijiji.ca/ and then change the location in the top right hand corner. It has a search for cars under $5k

Piff Poff

Again depends on where you're going. $3k isn't much for a car here if you want reasonable age, mileage and condition - you'll have to give at least one of those requests up for $3k

The 1st car we bought here was a early '90's explorer that had almost 200k on it for around 2 grand if I remember rightly. It had some rust. OH repaired it and we eventually sold it, we then bought the same one back twice, the last time we sold it it had 300k on the clock and it was running a bit rough lol, the guy wanted it for parts.

mudcat

Had an awful time looking at used cars both at dealerships and privately here.

Ended up with a lease takeover - google lease takeovers plus your area, there are a few sites and for $3k you could get a decent car for a year.

If you want to buy use Carproof, however at $3k most cars will be F***ed anyway

Animal

I bought a '98 Saturn Wagon with 300k on the clock when I got here in November last year for $1500 with e-test & cert. It was originaly just for a run around until I got settled. And yes, I'm still driving it

I've had no problems with except changing the belt on it recently which cost me $50. There is no rust on the body as it's all plastic - apart from the bonnet (sorry hood) and roof. I even topped up the Air con 3 weeks ago for $14 and that works now.

My wife and kids are joining me in 2 weeks and I've already been 'informed' by the wife I wont be driving it anymore and I need something better

My 16yr old has said he'll have it though so he can run it into the ground.

I got it from autotrader.ca

Novocastrian

I bought a 5 year old Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme when I first crossed the pond and paid $1000 for it. I drove it for another 5 years with only minor problems. An excellent buy I think.

I suppose I should mention though that this was in 1977. Prices may have gone up, who knows?

dbd33

$850 for a 73 Olds 98 Regency Brougham. It was rather a large car.

Oink

When I first came to NA, I bought a brand new VW Golf Mk2, manual gear box, no ac and only one side mirror for $7000 US on the never-never. I had no money, but luckily VW were giving a $1000 cash back so I used that for a deposit. I got a free Blaupunkt radio/cass although the salesman wanted to give me some no name brand as in his words "its got European styling" which I have never figured what that was.

SambaDeAmigo

Where is the OP landing?

Novocastrian

Canada, I suppose.

iaink

as imports VWs are expensive to get parts for here, and many of the Canadian market ones are made in Mexico, so not the best combination...

$3k isnt going to get you much, you might as well drop to the bottom of the "etested and safetied" (ie still drivable) end of the market at $1500 ish, its going to have all the same issues as something selling for twice as much.

agr

Your $3k budget, sad to say, is not compatible with aspirations for reliability (although you might get lucky). We arrived in 2009, bought a 4-year-old Jetta wagon (=estate) for $20,000. It has proved reliable (see my other post on the Dempster Highway trip) but not necessarily cheap to maintain.

MillieF

We have just bought a 2008 Hyundai Accent, it's quite a nice little thing in goodish nick, via a dealership on Kijiji, but it was 5,200$. Depending on where you are going I think Kijiji is the best place to look, as independent dealerships seem to advertise on it. All of the dealerships closer to the centres seem to have very inflated prices, perhaps this is the norm?