North of the Windsor-Detroit Line.

"Canada, America's Hat"

"Canada, we have French People here too"

That would be because we can still afford to buy new cars after paying for our mortgages - even if they are extremely overpriced.

The only places jobs are really being created in Canada is out West in Alberta due to the oil boom. Ontario has been hit as hard by recession as anywhere.

People who buy this car in Canada have money and for them it's more hassle to buy it in USA than just paying the difference (pay for taxes/customs/auto evaluation to make sure it's up to Canadian standards, which are more severe than USA's). You can say that this is close to a luxury car.

What's annoying in price disparities in Canada, mostly concerns everyday businesses, like IKEA. Those assholes charge often double of USA price.

Once again, the journalists fail to mention the fact that even though MSRP is higher, the dealer will give you "cash back" or a ridiculously low APR on your loan, to equalize the higher MSRP in Canada. It's standard practice since the dollar parity thing happened at most dealers, but that doesn't make for exciting news. This news is older than a good bottle of Scotch. It's obvious that manufacturers can't adjust the price every time the value of the dollar changes - which is different every day.

Price disparity on vehicles is only the tip of the iceberg, everything is cheaper in the US than in Canada.

It's the price Canadians pay for not having the rest of the world hate them.

@mutedthud: Except for health care and pot.

This would never happen if Saab were still independant. The Swedes, being in tune with our socialistic ways, would give us the hookup on cheap torque steer.

I own a SAAB. Here is my input for anyone thinking of buying one. DON'T. The mileage on my Turbo is no where near what is stated. I get about 19 mpg. If you get a model with the low front end air wing please note that you will drag it on the slightest incline. The leather on the seats has started to split. I've had in in a number of times for warranty replacement of parts. Not costly, but a hassle.

@graverobber- Same great taste, new low price!: I hate Canadians. They're merely displaced French. Same attitude, only they tolerate the cold and like hockey.

@topgun

It's ok. We don't hate you back. We enjoy watching you arrogantly think you're running the world while you finance your country using a credit card from the Bank of China. None of us up here would even consider moving south. ;-P

Whatever, whoever buys a Saab deserves it. GM bastardized rolling hunk of depreciation...

@ Wes Siler: It's bUOyant innit?

This is turing into a "Bash Canada" post! Take that, you maple-syrup producing surrender monkeys!

Sorry, i'm just not an angry person, and am rubbish at insults.

@topgun: Well, you are a good example why the world hates USA. You just generalized, based on ignorance. By the way, in Canada, there is only 1 French-speaking province. Out of 10. And by the way, your ancestors are ''displaced'', too. So get lost racist.

@mutedthud: "everything is cheaper in the US than in Canada."

I've lived in both countries (I just recently moved back to the US from Ontario) and this is complete horseshit.

I am still blown away at how expensive it is to go grocery shopping in the US compared to grocery shopping in Ontario. Energy costs more, food costs, health costs more, many of my bills cost more. Now, when it comes to consumer good, then things get cheaper such as: electronics, cars, games and other one-shot purchases.

@Victo: Canada totally rocks. Look what you have given us:

Good moral values:

Quality entertainment:

Cool names for cars that look like ours:

Socialized Medicine:

So I salute our brothers to the North. Raise a glass of Molson in their honor.

In the interests of promoting cross-border peace, I'd like to point out that Canadians have fought proudly beside Americans, every time you guys weren't wrong. Actually, in WWII, a joint Canadian/American commando unit killed more Nazis than any other division.
So, community spirit guys! Let's all go kick some Welshmen around!

And don't bring up Bryan Adams, we've apologized for him enough already.

One thing I miss about Detroit is that Windsor is right across the bridge. In the states, most "gentleman's clubs" are nude and alcohol-free or topless and liquor-riffic. No so in Windsor! The strip joints were totally nude and - ahem - wet. It was like Tiajuana with snow and back bacon.

@Dr. Schm Im better than you, and I knows It!:

"Canada, America's Tuque."*

I'd bet you could make a killing in arbitrage selling gently used cars from the US in Canadaland. Too bad importing is a pain.

@JimBobJoeBobJim: Yes you can and no it's not.

@13oostedwgn: I am intrigued, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

If I'm not mistaken, don't you need mucho cash in a Canadian bank to set up as an importer?

I well and truly like the Turbo X and I think it's the only nice Saab in years but who in their right mind would pay that much in Canadia? You could buy a 335xi sedan for that kind of money!

@Dr. Schm Im better than you, and I knows It!: I'm one of those French People ;)

@graverobber- Same great taste, new low price!: I thank you for that.

Should you ever decide you need a vacation, you're officially invited to my part of the world. Hop the Alaska ferry, you'll get here. We've got fantastic halibut fishing, quality Canadian booze, oh, and one of the best driving highways I've managed to find thus far in western North America. Lots of long straight stretches, and even more tight twisty bends going through scenery that is almost good enough to make you pull over and take photos.

@topgun: You're not invited.

So much to say, so little space. #1, it's a Saab 9-3... and it's $55,000. For those who cry incentives and low finance rates, you get those too, south of the border. Compared to an M3 or an RS4 it's a bit of a "bargain" I guess but it's still a pricey bit of kit. Once nice thing about Canada is that cars like this don't tend to depreciate as much as they do in the U.S.

Secondly, about this US/Canada price disparity. Guess what? While the Canadian dollar has gone up in the last couple of years to parity, the cost of goods in the U.S. has unfortunately risen. If you compare the cost of lettuce, milk, meat - even gasoline - between Ottawa, Ontario and Jacksonville, Florida you'll find they're now pretty much the same (I found hamburger meat to be actually more expensive at Publix). I was shocked to find that video games at Target were more expensive in US funds than what I'd be willing to pay in Canada. Yeah, cars, diapers and some other stuff is cheaper south of the border, but the end result is this folks, Canadian companies no longer have to lower their prices to become comparable with the U.S.; a lot of prices in America have gone up to the point where they're now equitable. Sucks to be a consumer, always.

@Victo: "Well, you are a good example why the world hates USA. You just generalized, based on ignorance. By the way, in Canada, there is only 1 French-speaking province. Out of 10. And by the way, your ancestors are ''displaced'', too. So get lost racist."

There are officially TWO provinces that are considered francophone/fully bilingual: Quebec and New Brunswick.

I'm sure that there have been a few companies in the states who - being told that the Canadian dollar has been at par for a while now and that the prices they're charging in their Canadian subsidiaries are substantially higher - decided that rather than lower their Canadian prices they should raise their American prices to match...

@graverobber and Polar, You guys can come around my pad and party all the time. You guys are good people. There aren't many twisty roads, but I made myself a man shed with a sat dish and a fridge.

@staaave: That's "America's Toke"

I live in Moncton, New brunswick which is about 4 hours from the US border, and importing has become rampant, local importers are charging as little as $500 to handle all the paperwork, it has gotten so bad that the local dealers have taken things in their own hands.
Firstly, I know of one that when you call to book an appointment, they ask for your VIN and if it comes up as a US car they make you wait up to six months for warranty work, stating that local cars have priority. Secondly, if you do get in for warranty work the customer has to pay the full amount of the labor/parts and when/if the dealer gets credited from the manufacturer for the job the client gets a refund. Lastly, the dealers are offering as much as 50% less for US trade-ins which has created a buzz around town that if you buy a US car you might as well keep it because even though you paid less in the first place you are going to lose out in the long run.

This by no means is intended to bash our brothers to the south, I would just like to see that everyone BUY LOCAL and keep your hometown economy feeding itself.

btw, my wife who works in insurance tells me there's at least
a half dozen of her clients that trundle down to the states and buy new and used cars every month. They all experience significant savings. I imagine buying such vehicles in States that don't have a state tax further compounds the savings.

its about 88k in Sweden.

i wouldn't complain.

@mariospants: Nope, Quebec is francophone, New Brunswick is bilingual. (This is all from local laws point of view, however you can find bilingual people in any province).

@noremac: How many people in Sweden actually buy it?

Le Marquet des autos es plus forte en Canada parse que nous sommes toutes d'heuil dans L'Alberta.

I have noticed in the last little while that Automotive Warehouse prices have fallen in line with Autozone prices, even on "performance" parts. Car parts are starting to fall in line.

@slowinthefastlane: You have no idea how many people we get in Quebec for bachelor parties because of strip joints. It's a bit creepy, seeing guys drooling, like they never seen a naked women before. (What, are they dressed in strip joints in USA? And no alcohol, serious? What are bouncers for then?). Anyway, brings a lot of tourist money in.

(If I would be a bride to be in US, I'll forbid the future husband bachelor parties in Canada).

@danio3834 - you may or may not be an idiot, but you have no idea what a recession is.