Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are there any major differences between a USA vehicle and their Canadian counterparts?
No. Cars manufactured for the USA and Canadian markets are almost identical, and they come off the same assembly lines. There are only two notable differences, which do not affect the way the vehicle drives, those being the speedometers (m/hr vs. km/hr.) and the system know as the ‘Daytime Running Lights’ or ‘DRL.’ The speedometers often have both the metric (km\h) and imperial (m\hr) listed on the instrument cluster, and have the ability to be converted to read in kilometers on the odometer readout. Some modelsdo not have the ability to have their odometer readouts to be converted to kilometers – in this case you will be made aware of this, and at your request this can be modified. All of our posted vehicles have their mileages listed in kilometers. Vehicles manufactured for sale in Canada after January 1, 1990, must have Daytime Running Lights (DRL) for improved road safety. DRL is not a requirement on most US models, and therefore this conversion will be fully completed prior to offering any vehicle for sale.
2. Are manufacturer’s new car USA warranties transferable once the vehicle is imported into Canada?
Yes. All major automobile manufacturers, with the exception of Honda, have provisions in their warranty systems to extend you full warranty benefits here in Canada. If the original factory warranty was based in mileage, it is usually converted to its equivalent in kilometers – for example, on a 2006 H3 Hummer the original manufacturer’s warranty of 4 years/50,000 miles transfers into the Canadian equivalent of 4 years/80,000km’s.
3. I’ve found a vehicle located in the USA that I am interested in purchasing, however I don’t feel comfortable completing the transaction – can Envision Auto broker the sale for me?
Absolutely – we can arrange a complete importation package for you which will include vehicle transportation, border brokerage, documentation, inspections, and Canadian registration for you. We have gained experience in the importation procedures and specialize in the entire process. Allow our experience to work for you and take the risk out of your new car purchase.
4. How can we be sure the vehicle has not been in an accident or has been flood damaged?
We take every precaution possible to avoid having involvement with any vehicle that may have a questionable background. This is possible by running complete service record checks, carfax reports, and having the vehicle inspected by electronic paint thickness gauges. Additionally, once the vehicle arrives in Canada a complete comprehensive out-of-province and federal out-of-country inspections are performed. All documentation is available to the purchasing party for verification. We also welcome independent third-party inspections to satisfy any unanswered questions of the vehicles history. Since we are specializing in late model, low mileage vehicles, still under the original manufacturer’s warranty, the mechanical condition of these vehicles are almost always in near new condition.
5. Why should I buy a car through Envision Auto instead of directly from a USA dealer?
While you could do it yourself, the process of sourcing and importing a pre-owned vehicle from a foreign country is time-consuming and complex. Steps include locating the right car at a reputable dealer, arranging for a mobile inspection, negotiating the sale, arranging for shipping, insurance, taking delivery in the US, temporary licensing and insurance, a scheduled border inspection, paying import tariffs, a federal inspection, a provincial inspection, procuring a recall clearance letter from the manufacturer, installation of Daytime Running Lights, vehicle-specific compliance upgrades to Canadian standards where applicable, etc. We take the hassle, risk, and wasted time out of the equation for you by arranging everything for you.
6. Where do you source your vehicles from? Why are you purchasing from the USA?
We have relationships with a network of reputable dealers in the United States that provide us with a vast selection of vehicles at prices far more competitive than you will find here in Canada. Envision Auto helps Canadian car buyers to take advantage of the recently strengthened Canadian dollar by sourcing quality, pre-owned vehicles from the United States. Additionally, vastly larger vehicle inventories allow us to source only the crème of the crop, “cherry picked”, fully optioned out, top notch vehicles. Many of the vehicles we import are vehicles that have not been subjected to the harsh driving conditions of the Northern US and Canada, which include rain, ice, sleet, snow and, worst of all, salt.
