Looking to import from US
 

Hey guys....

I am in the vancouver area and have been searching for my Z for way too long. I am looking for a black sport/navi hard top but havent been able to find a used 2009-2010 one. So..i figure i should just buy new but in my attempts to save some $$ I want to explore my options down south.

Has anyone here done this? The big question for me is...would it be worth it to buy a brand new 2011 in the states or just buy a brand new 2011 here...I dont think saving 2000-3000 is going to be worth the time and efffort of going down there and jumping through the hoops.... Any thoughtS? :stirthepot:

Not worth it, I would just order one in Canada.
Dealing with importing, registering, tax, fees, etc. will eat through any amount you would save if any.

BIG TIME not worth it, because the car is made in Japan there is huge huge import taxes!

6.5 or 7% tax on Japanese imports to Canada IIRC.
That means you will be paying approx. 20% tax on the price tag.

Might as well just try to find a cheaper deal locally.

You probably won't save much (less than $1K IMHO after the duty tax for Japanese made goods). So, why would you?

Plus, think about the speedometer and daytime running lights. A new imported car (and I said ... new), must comply with Canadian laws.

Yes, my freind did this with a BMW. In the end he only saved 2k from what they were going for in Canada. I'll bet you can get a dealer to nock that off the sticker price. Now if the car was made in North America i would say go for it.

Go see Ken down at King George Nissan. I went to quite a few Nissan dealerships on the Mainland and VI and told them point blank I'm buying a 370Z as soon as you have them in stock. King George and Newcastle in Nanaimo were the only two that could give me the time of day. I highly recomend them.

Save yourself the hassel. I was really worried Nissan was gonna try and screw us like they did with the 350Z at $17K more in Canada than the same car in the USA. Fortunately they droped the price $10K and made it not even worth importing any more. If it's more than 15 years old though its definately worth it. They are giving their stuff away down there right now. I've bought two Z cars from the US in the last year or so and I'm going next week for a third..... my wife says its time for an "intervention" ;P

You really only save importing if you are buying privately and usually a couple years older

Last summer, a friend of mine picked up a 2007 350Z Sport for 16K...while they were still goinf for more than 25K here....

Plus the legality issue of a Dealer selling it.

I guess I'm a minority here :)

Was looking for a 2010 Z for about 6 months, searching all the internet car databases that are out there. Finally found one down in the Seattle area with all the options and colour I was looking for.

The best prices I could get up here for a 2010 PG Touring, sport, nav 6MT was around $47K. Add your taxes on and you're out the door for $53K.

In the U.S. they were being offered at invoice pricing, approx $37,500, factor in duties and exchange and it came to about $44K. That's a significant savings.
Try this web site for calculating the import cost:
Import Car To Canada! Vehicle Import Price Calculator

The process to import was much easier than I thought, and would highly recommend it to anyone.

The dealerships in the lower mainland were just not interested in dealing (guess our economy is hurting as bad, I thought it was.... to some degree). I've purchased my last two nissan vehicles from one dealership, had worked on the computer systems and had a pretty good rapport with them, dealt directly with the owner, offered to bring in a brief case full of cash for the Z and they still wouldn't touch it.

Another dealership is trying to sell a used 40th with 10K Km's on it as "new", asking $47+ for it. Offered them $43 in October and they wouldn't accept. It's still on their lot!

The U.S. dealerships IMHO are a little hungrier and willing to deal. They even offered to drive the car to the border for me to inspect it.

As far as the DRL's issue, it is only a matter of re-programming the ECU. Cost me $56 at the dealership to get it done.

Good luck with the "Z" hunt.

Let us know how you make out.


Cheech

i buddy brought in a Nismo last year save a good amount, plus he couldn't even find a Nismo where he is.

Ouch! You folks are getting squeezed in B.C.. I got mine for $46374 (all-in) and drove away. You could probably get that deal again. Really not worth importing (IMHO).

And then there's the ICBC thing. You would have to do the following on a NEW car from the USA.

1. Change the dash cluster to a metric cluster. (difficult)
2. Install a DRL module. (easy, but expensive)
3. The ICBC inspection costs etc.. (pain-in-the-a$$)

Now, if it was used.... THAT'S a different story. Depending on the deal and your "tolerance" for used.....??

Really wish I could have found the dealer you bought your car from. None of them in BC could come close to what you got yours for. Looking in Ontario, the prices were worse!!

Fortunately you don't have to change the dash. It has both metric and english.

The DRL module already exists, reprogramming the ECU is all that is required, $56.00

Crappy tire or other listed auto shops can do the Federal & Provincial inspection. One is covered with the RIV fee, the other is about $120.

Out of curiosity, what's the difference if a 2010 car is used or not? I never came across any literature stating otherwise.

The name of the dealership is Sherwood Nissan in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Just outside Edmonton. Many members on this forum have purchased there. (Even from other provinces.)

A used car is not subject to Canadian laws regarding required "equipment". IE: a used vehicle from another country would not be required to have the metric dash. Because it has already been in service, that requirement does not take effect. But if it was new (not yet into service), then it would be subject to Transport Canada regulations regarding what is required in Canada. Another easier way of looking at it would be the DRL's. In Canada, it's a requirement on all vehicles (and has been since the 90's). In the USA, for example, not all states require them.

Hope this helps.