Creative Car Shopping for a Bargain Deal

If you were told you could still buy a new car for under $10,000 you would probably ask where the rest of the car is. This sounds silly, ludicrous and like some type of swindle when you think about the base cost of even the least expensive car on the market today being over $12,000 easily. The reality is you can actually purchase a car for under $10,000 but you have to get a bit creative when it comes to the purchase of this vehicle, and you really shouldn’t tell too many people because things might change in a hurry.

For many years there has been a favorable exchange rate of money for us when it comes to Canada. In fact many people who live in the northern states will make regular trips into Canada to purchase goods because they come out much less expensive than they do in the US. Unfortunately cars are one thing that usually sucks up the exchange rate and Canadian versions of the same vehicle that is sold in the US will typically carry a higher MSRP than the ones we get here, making for an item you might want to buy on the cheap, but have been foiled out of.

Currently the Chevrolet Spark is an exception to this logic. The MSRP for the Spark LS in the US is $13,535, which should show a higher number in Canada, but the Spark LS only costs $11,595 in Canada. Using the current exchange rate this total comes out to be $8,780 in American dollars making the Spark a car you can have for a huge discount, but there is a catch. There are certain fees you have to pay for items that come across the border into the US.

Because the US and Canada are two different countries there are different rules that must be followed for a Spark LS, even though its technically the same vehicle in both countries, to pass through customs and come into the US. There is a duty fee for bringing this car into the US and the car has to meet the EPA standards we have here. So now you are feeling stressed because you went to Canada under the impression you could have a Spark for under $10,000 and I’m telling you there will be duties to pay and possibly changes that have to be paid for to make your vehicle one that meets the standards in the US. What is the final cost of this transaction going to be for you?

Starting with the base price, the Spark cost you $8,780 and the duties you have to pay comes to $219.50 and the MPF fee to make the car compliant with EPA standards comes out to $30.40 which brings your grand total to $9,029.91. There are services that will help you bring the car into the country as well and help file the forms you need which could cost you $75 for an entry clearance fee, $90l85 for a single entry bond fee and $65 for a handling and special attention fee. With all these fees the car comes to a total of $9,260.76 giving you a great discount on one of the lowest priced cars on the market today.