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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > Regional Forums > Canada > Steps to import a car from the USA.



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      03-14-2011, 09:56 PM   #133
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EliteAutoImport View Post
The car looks like it is great shape. If you could negotiate them to $27K you would be in good shape. If I were a betting man, I would bet that you will not be able to pick this up for $27K, and furthermore, the dealer will have other charges/fees that need to be included as part of the deal.

That being said you would be responsible for when importing it: (assuming complete parity)

6.1% Duty $1647
Excise Tax $100

$28,747 + HST
+RIV Fee of $195

If you try the "show license" trick to the dealer, they will most likely call your bluff when the search the VIN. Also, I would consider keeping your plans to yourself as this is a public forum.

On the note about the warranty, I would try to confirm the warranty status with them. No CPO or Extended Warranty will survive the export to Canada. You could buy an extended warranty here, but it would have to be 3rd party as BMW does not offer BMW extended coverage in Canada for this year of vehicle to my knowledge.

If there were some 328xi Coupes in the CDN Auction Pipeline, I could take a stab at getting you what you are looking for, but right now there are only 2011, 2010, and 2008 328xi sedans that would be worth looking at.

Cheers,
Good point on the VIN! That was just a stupid idea on my part....I'd rather drive down to Buffalo than to humor these wankers with their power grab up here. Think about this -- a German company which sells cars to Canadian dealerships at a higher price than it does to US dealerships is now imposing a protectionist regime to dissuade buyers from buying in the US.

The car is $27k. The only problem is that it had an axle shaft replacement for some reason. They took off the CPO because it's no good in Canada and nor in the US once exported out of there.
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      03-16-2011, 08:30 AM   #134
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EliteAutoImport View Post

In my experience, the difference in CDN and US pricing has come down now to the point when factoring in other costs such as Duty, it makes the most sense to find these cars on the CDN side.
I have to correct myself and admit you're right.

All the 328xis that i was looking for 2008 or 2009 with cold weather+premium pkgs + either nav or Logic7 in the 30,000 miles range were around $25-27,000.

Add on 3000-5000 duty + 2800 for extended warranty because CPO status is lost, you're back to Canada prices.

The only compromise: you'll get a 2007 in Canada for US 2008 price and a 2008 for a US 2009 price. But one can negotiate and get a free extension on a CPO warranty here.
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      03-16-2011, 10:35 AM   #135
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanInToronto View Post
I have to correct myself and admit you're right.

All the 328xis that i was looking for 2008 or 2009 with cold weather+premium pkgs + either nav or Logic7 in the 30,000 miles range were around $25-27,000.

Add on 3000-5000 duty + 2800 for extended warranty because CPO status is lost, you're back to Canada prices.

The only compromise: you'll get a 2007 in Canada for US 2008 price and a 2008 for a US 2009 price. But one can negotiate and get a free extension on a CPO warranty here.
I just wanted to clarify something before the flames start by those who have imported or are still planning.

Like I have mentioned, from my perspective the wholesale prices on cars such as the 3 ad 5 series have come to the point where i don't bother looking in the US unless there is an availability issue. Just take a look in the Auto Trader and you will find many retailers partying like it is 1999. 42K for an 08 335? Then you will find others that have come to grips with the new post parity reality and making $5 to $7K on a 3 series is not possible.

I am not going to name names, but if I take a drive down to a local premium dealer where I live, I will find the same cars there on the lot that have been there for well over 6 months. The prices are out of wack, and I can't for the life of me figure out why they have not come to grips with the new reality.

That being said, these dealerships with their heads in the clouds, provide me with the opportunity to provide exceptional value in what I do.

Now, back to the CDN vs US pricing and the possible flames. If you are looking to buy let's say an M3 or M6, you will find a much better deal in the US vs Canada. The reason for this is that in the last 12 months, only a handful of these went through Canadian auctions. Why? Because they are scarce and most likely the dealer can still party like 1999 on the pricing because guys like me can't get access to the cars as they generally will not hit the auction.

I don't blame the dealers for trying to make as much as they can. They have huge overhead with showrooms and sales people to feed. I don't.
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      03-16-2011, 12:39 PM   #136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanInToronto View Post
I have to correct myself and admit you're right.

All the 328xis that i was looking for 2008 or 2009 with cold weather+premium pkgs + either nav or Logic7 in the 30,000 miles range were around $25-27,000.

Add on 3000-5000 duty + 2800 for extended warranty because CPO status is lost, you're back to Canada prices.
Dude, sorry to tell you this, but your math sucks! As I said above, duty is 6%, so how in the world do you come up with $3k to $5k in duty on a $27,000 car???

Duty would be $1,600!

Last edited by Lotus99; 03-16-2011 at 02:12 PM..
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      03-16-2011, 01:36 PM   #137
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savings are maximized when youre looking for an M car or P-cars. You might get some savings and more selection for a 3 but def. not as much as higher end vehicles.
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      03-16-2011, 03:27 PM   #138
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotus99 View Post
Dude, sorry to tell you this, but your math sucks! As I said above, duty is 6%, so how in the world do you come up with $3k to $5k in duty on a $27,000 car???

Duty would be $1,600!
Sorry, I said it wrong.

On a 25k car, it's 1600 for duty, 2800 for extended warranty to replace the CPO and 200 for the RIV fee + AC fee and voila, 25k is now 29600 (plus 13% on top).

edit: So my point was that once the duty and warranty is done....US car is almost at Canada price.

Last edited by AmericanInToronto; 03-16-2011 at 05:39 PM..
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      04-16-2011, 10:06 AM   #139
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My update:

Car was $29,200 in USD. It was imported yesterday and the CAD value was assessed at C$28,130.

Paid $3300 in 5%GST+6.1% duty and $100 AC tax.

I have yet to pay RIV fee of $205 + 8% PST.

The US car will end up being appx C$34,000 after all taxes.

This is a white exterior/red interior 328xi with nav +premium pkg + cold pkg + comfort access. Mileage was 28,800 miles at time of purchase.

Import went very smoothly, RIV accepted the Warranty Inquiry document from the dealer and all's well and goooooood!

Next step is for me to go to Canadian Tire for an inspection and then MTO for changing my US license and getting Ontario registration for the vehicle.
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      04-16-2011, 10:28 AM   #140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanInToronto View Post
My update:

Car was $29,200 in USD. It was imported yesterday and the CAD value was assessed at C$28,130.

Paid $3300 in 5%GST+6.1% duty and $100 AC tax.

I have yet to pay RIV fee of $205 + 8% PST.

The US car will end up being appx C$34,000 after all taxes.

This is a white exterior/red interior 328xi with nav +premium pkg + cold pkg + comfort access. Mileage was 28,800 miles at time of purchase.

Import went very smoothly, RIV accepted the Warranty Inquiry document from the dealer and all's well and goooooood!

Next step is for me to go to Canadian Tire for an inspection and then MTO for changing my US license and getting Ontario registration for the vehicle.
congrats!
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      04-16-2011, 10:43 AM   #141
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Originally Posted by turkish335 View Post
congrats!
Thanks!

Now, I'm researching on whether I should take it to a car wash because there's dead Ohio bugs on it because I drove it up 9 hours from Ohio!
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      04-20-2011, 12:51 AM   #142
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I am looking at RIV.ca and it says that all BMW's have to go to an authorized BMW dealer to make it Canadian legal.
link: http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/...fety/vafus.pdf

how is it that you guys are avoiding this and going to Canadian tire for the inspection and not modding the cars at BMW?
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      04-20-2011, 08:06 AM   #143
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Quote:
Originally Posted by liniatom View Post
I am looking at RIV.ca and it says that all BMW's have to go to an authorized BMW dealer to make it Canadian legal.
link: http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/...fety/vafus.pdf

how is it that you guys are avoiding this and going to Canadian tire for the inspection and not modding the cars at BMW?
Because you don't have to!

I got my Canadian Tire inspection completed last night because

a. the car has DRLs which are programmable through the car's computer
b. the car has km/hr on the speedometer

BMW Canada has managed to insert a FUD statement onto RIV's website.

Trust me -- i imported my car on Friday and as of last night, it is RIV certified. Next step is emissions and smog and then Ontario registration.
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      04-20-2011, 11:53 AM   #144
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On an aside, seems less people are importing: (who knows if its true.)

http://www.wheels.ca/article/795154
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      04-20-2011, 12:56 PM   #145
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Originally Posted by BavFan_08 View Post
On an aside, seems less people are importing: (who knows if its true.)

http://www.wheels.ca/article/795154
"Less" is subjective.

Ok, fine -- less people are importing. But are LESS people buying cars in the first place?

Btw: I imported a 2008 bmw 328xi last Friday. Directly from a sales person@BMW Toronto, that car would be 36-39,000 in Toronto (before taxes). I paid 29,500 (incl. duty). So my saving is anywhere 7000-9000.

And i haven't lost out on anything by buying in the US.
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      04-20-2011, 07:13 PM   #146
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanInToronto View Post
My update:

Car was $29,200 in USD. It was imported yesterday and the CAD value was assessed at C$28,130.

Paid $3300 in 5%GST+6.1% duty and $100 AC tax.

I have yet to pay RIV fee of $205 + 8% PST.

The US car will end up being appx C$34,000 after all taxes.

This is a white exterior/red interior 328xi with nav +premium pkg + cold pkg + comfort access. Mileage was 28,800 miles at time of purchase.

Import went very smoothly, RIV accepted the Warranty Inquiry document from the dealer and all's well and goooooood!

Next step is for me to go to Canadian Tire for an inspection and then MTO for changing my US license and getting Ontario registration for the vehicle.
congratulations! looks like everything went through pretty much the same as mine did.

i think that before you go to the MTO, you need to get an emissions and safety test done from Midas or any other authorized garage. the MTO won't give you your license and ownership without that.

hope my write up helped.
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      04-20-2011, 07:14 PM   #147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AmericanInToronto View Post
Thanks!

Now, I'm researching on whether I should take it to a car wash because there's dead Ohio bugs on it because I drove it up 9 hours from Ohio!
got mine from Ohio as well! Elyria to be exact -- however, the drive was only 4 hrs.
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      04-20-2011, 07:16 PM   #148
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Quote:
Originally Posted by liniatom View Post
I am looking at RIV.ca and it says that all BMW's have to go to an authorized BMW dealer to make it Canadian legal.
link: http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/...fety/vafus.pdf

how is it that you guys are avoiding this and going to Canadian tire for the inspection and not modding the cars at BMW?
I'm pretty sure that document you've linked is an old one and was amended by the registrar and BMW Canada.

Trust me, you don't need to do jack with the dealership as far as I know.
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      04-20-2011, 08:55 PM   #149
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Originally Posted by jigga View Post
congratulations! looks like everything went through pretty much the same as mine did.

i think that before you go to the MTO, you need to get an emissions and safety test done from Midas or any other authorized garage. the MTO won't give you your license and ownership without that.

hope my write up helped.
your write up DEFINITELY helped! i was reading it during all my dealings with the dealer, calling up RIV, before i drove to the border, after the border...everything!

I got my Canadian Tire inspection last night, tomorrow is smog and emissions and done. Then MTO where I turn in my California license and pay 8% and get registration.

It was smooooooth to get the vehicle here.
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      04-20-2011, 08:59 PM   #150
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Originally Posted by jigga View Post
got mine from Ohio as well! Elyria to be exact -- however, the drive was only 4 hrs.
i got mine from Cincinnati (BMW Store). White/Red like yours except mine is a 328xi.

This used market in the US right now isn't the most favorable for BMW purchase....these guys wouldn't go lower than USD 29,000. I ended up paying a $1500 premium for the white/red combination. The black/black, silver/black, space grey/black etc etc are going for 27,500 USD.
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      04-20-2011, 09:10 PM   #151
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Up to a couple of years ago at least, when I last checked, BMW Canada was able to insist you get a KM/H only speedo, and managed to force people to trade in their dual MPH/KM speedos for a CDN KM only one, to discourage importing, since that alone would set you back like $1,000. IIRC they'd force you to do that before they issued their recal letter or something.

Guess they're not doing that anymore?
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      04-20-2011, 09:38 PM   #152
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Originally Posted by Lotus99 View Post
Up to a couple of years ago at least, when I last checked, BMW Canada was able to insist you get a KM/H only speedo, and managed to force people to trade in their dual MPH/KM speedos for a CDN KM only one, to discourage importing, since that alone would set you back like $1,000. IIRC they'd force you to do that before they issued their recal letter or something.

Guess they're not doing that anymore?
There was a class action lawsuit against MBCanada, BMWCanada, Transport Canada and they dropped the requirement for the speedo change. But since this Canada, the literature hasn't been updated and people still think BMW Canada is required to do all the work on changing the speedo and the DRLs.

Also: nobody needs a recall letter from BMW Canada...the seller in US can provide what's known as "Warranty Inquiry printout" and that's the warranty statement from BMW's service database stating NO OPEN Campaigns on the vehicle. This is completely acceptable to RIV. This is what i provided to the RIV and I had NOOOOO problems!
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      04-25-2011, 11:24 AM   #153
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Originally Posted by jigga View Post
congratulations! looks like everything went through pretty much the same as mine did.

i think that before you go to the MTO, you need to get an emissions and safety test done from Midas or any other authorized garage. the MTO won't give you your license and ownership without that.

hope my write up helped.
Hey Jigga,

Why is an emissions check needed for a 2008 model when they don't require emissions testing for vehicles less than 5 years old?
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      05-15-2011, 02:45 PM   #154
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Hi!

First timer here.....

I am planning on picking up a new U.S. 2012 3 Series when they come out and am gratified that people here have not had difficulties bringing their cars into Canada.

Have any of you been given hard times by Canadian BMW dealerships when claiming warranty work? I know that I will have to pay for the regular servicing, but am concerned about the dealer refusing warranty work as I do not intend to change my speedo nor install permanent DRLs. It appears that the existing U.S. speedo is acceptable and that Canadian Tire folks do not check to see if the DRLs are permanently on.

R
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