本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Seeking a cheaper car? Cross the border
Loonie's rise gives Canadians a break south of the border
GREG KEENAN
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
The massive gap in prices that led Americans to flood into Canada to buy vehicles has vanished, so that now Canadians can save thousands of dollars if they purchase a new car in the United States.
Canadians buying luxury sport utility vehicles will save as much as $14,000 if they buy them in the United States, auto industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers said yesterday in his annual comparison of vehicle prices between the two markets.
"It appears that, to date, auto makers have not adjusted their MSRPs [manufacturers' suggested retail prices] to reflect our dollar's new-found strength and Canadian vehicle buyers have not reaped the benefits resultant from a strong currency," he noted.
The reversal of the price gap that hit its peak in 2002 means that the flow of cars from the United States into the Canadian market is growing, vehicle brokers and others said yesterday.
"There's a lot of cars going over the border to leasing companies, dealers and individuals," said Rick Izzo, vice-president and general manager of Superior Auto Sales Inc. in Buffalo, N.Y.
The firm set up a sales operation in Oakville, Ont., last December to take advantage of the growing trend.
Superior's Canadian office will locate a U.S. vehicle and sell it here at a lower price than a Canadian new vehicle dealer, Mr. Izzo said.
"You should save at least $2,000 to $3,000 on any new vehicle over $30,000," he said.
Based on the exchange rate from January to June of this year, the average vehicle is $5,842 more expensive in Canada or about 17 per cent higher than it is in the U.S. market, said Mr. DesRosiers, who noted that he studied MSRPs, not actual transaction prices, which would include rebates and financing costs.
When the Canadian dollar was trading at record lows against the U.S. currency in 2002, Canadian prices were about $6,200 lower and U.S. dealers and vehicle brokers on both sides of the border were snapping up both new and used vehicles here and shipping them south.
The current price gap is biggest on higher-end vehicles such as luxury passenger cars and luxury sport utility vehicles.
There are costs to bringing in a U.S. vehicle, but they're minimal, brokers said.
One Calgary resident -- who insisted on anonymity -- flew to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he bought a one-year-old Nissan Titan pickup and drove it back to Alberta. He said he saved $5,000, even after paying about $300 for installation of daytime running lights and another $400 or so for a provincial inspection and a federal registry fee.
One hidden cost on new vehicles is that if they originate in Europe or Asia, they are subject to a 6.1-per-cent duty because they don't meet the content requirements of the North American free-trade agreement.
The issue has caught the attention of auto makers.
General Motors Corp. issued a memorandum to its northeastern U.S. dealers last month reminding them that selling vehicles for resale outside the United States is prohibited under the company's sales and service agreements.
Similar memos were sent to Canadian dealers earlier this decade when new vehicles were flowing out of Canada. Some auto makers fined their Canadian dealers and in one case took a dealer to court in a bid to terminate his franchise.
U.S. auto makers also told their dealers to refuse to honour warranties on cars originally designed for sale in Canada.
The U.S. moves led to a class-action lawsuit against auto makers on both sides of the border that is now being heard in a court in Maine.
DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. spokesman Stuart Schorr said comparing MSRPs doesn't tell the whole story.
When adjusted for rebates and other incentives, equipment levels and currency, the average price of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles was "virtually the same" in Canada and the United States last month, Mr. Schorr said in an e-mail.
He pointed to the Jeep Compass, a new SUV scheduled to arrive on dealers' lots later this year. The base price in Canada will be $18,195 and the U.S. price, once adjusted for content, currency and destination charges, will be within $100 of that, he said.
Canadians buying cars from GM's U.S. dealers will not have their warranties honoured here for at least six months or 12,000 kilometres, General Motors of Canada Ltd. spokesman Stew Low said yesterday.
Market conditions differ widely in the two countries and are one key reason for the price differences, Mr. Low said. Currency differences are monitored, but do not determine market strategy, he added.
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