Newbie advice: which Touareg to choose?

[Bluelines]

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can provide. I've been lurking here for a while, but have finally made the decision to get a Touareg. Now it's all about which one to get...

In my local area (Toronto, Canada) there are quite a few for sale. The one I like most is a 2008 V8 "Execline" with air suspension. It is CPO with 14k KMs (approx. 9k miles). No nav, but everything else. They are asking $50k CAD ($45k US), which I know is crazy by US standards, but prices are so much higher up here... I haven't negotiated yet, but I doubt they'll move too far from the asking. The main appeal of this one is the combination of the Touareg 2 updates and air suspension. The only V6 I've seen locally with air suspension is a 2007 with almost 60k miles, which is far more than I want on the car. Other 2007 V6s are few and far between, and again have big mileages.

However, in the US I've seen quite a few 2007 V6s, none with air suspension, but with around 25k miles and prices more in the $25k (US) range. Even after the hassle of importing the car (inc. paying 6.1% duty), we're still talking a lot less than the equivalent car locally.

Of course, I could probably search around and find a similar V8 air suspension in the US for a lot less, but even so would you guys say it's worth the premium over the V6?

[Mike's Panzer]

Don't buy the V6 for gas savings, the mileage is the same. Get the V8 if you tow or like the extra power.

[kippyman]

I would go for the V8, I have been very impressed with mine over the past year. The smooth power moves this heavy vehicle along nicely. We do pay a fair bit more north of the border, just not as many vehicles. If you are looking to bring one from the US you may want to look at a importer service. My buddy brought in a 2005 Audi Allroad using a company called US auto imports out of St Catharines.

[NorthVan997C2S]

I test drove the V8 and the V6, V8 was so much nicer. However I was considering trading mine in on a V10TDI.

If you do consider buying a US vehicle, don't bother with an importing service, it is easy to import a car as long as you do your homework Registrar of Imported Vehicles and do your research. Also 2008 and newer warranties are not transferable in Canada, so buy an 07 or older.

Do you play D?

[Bluelines]

Thanks for the reply. I agree on the importing stuff -- I looked into it a year or two ago and it seems very straightforward provided you follow all of the steps. I had no idea that the '08 warranties were not transferable. I thought that was just 2009s?

Originally Posted by NorthVan997C2S

I test drove the V8 and the V6, V8 was so much nicer. However I was considering trading mine in on a V10TDI.

If you do consider buying a US vehicle, don't bother with an importing service, it is easy to import a car as long as you do your homework Registrar of Imported Vehicles and do your research. Also 2008 and newer warranties are not transferable in Canada, so buy an 07 or older.

Do you play D?

[NorthVan997C2S]

I asked my local VW dealer when I was pondering the idea of trading up to a V10, and asked the question. I guess VW Canada is getting tired of carrying the US warranties.

[Bluelines]

I think the dealer might be misinformed. Everything I've checked says that '08s are fine. In fact the VW dealer here in Oakville has two US V8s, both 2008s, in the showroom. He told me that they are both covered by the full factory warranty.

Originally Posted by NorthVan997C2S

I asked my local VW dealer when I was pondering the idea of trading up to a V10, and asked the question. I guess VW Canada is getting tired of carrying the US warranties.

[NorthVan997C2S]

If you have them confirming that then I guess my dealer is wrong. Might not hurt to call another dealer just to get the best two out of three.

[AltaTour]

What do the import services charge?

Do you end up paying market even if they get a good deal or do you just pay a fixed commission of some sort?

What else is involved?

[Bluelines]

It really depends. Some charge a flat fee on top of the price of the US vehicle. For example, I saw one company that charges $3,000 (CAD) in addition to the US price, taxes, duty and RIV fees. In my opinion, that's a bit of a rip-off, since it is fairly straightforward. Here are the steps as I understand them:

Find your US vehicle and check it against the admissibility list provided by Transport Canada. Virtually all modern VWs are admissible.

Get insurance for the vehicle so that you are covered while driving it in the US, and before it is registered in Canada.

Once you've purchased the vehicle, you will need to make sure you fax the certificate of title to the US customs office where you will be crossing the border back into Canada. It has to get there at least 72 hours before you cross, and that does NOT include weekends or holidays.

Make sure you get a recall clearance letter on manufacturer's letterhead showing that all recalls on the vehicle have been performed. You will need this letter to register the vehicle in Canada.

When you pass through US customs, you will need them to stamp the title documents to show that the car has been accepted for importation.

At Canada customs you will be required to pay the RIV fee (about $200), duty of 6.1% if the car was manufactured outside of the US, Canada or Mexico, AC tax of $100 and GST of 5% (on top of the duty, unfortunately...).

Once the car is in Canada you will need to have any required modifications done (usually just permanent activation of the daytime running lights) and have an inspection done at Canadian Tire to confirm your vehicle meets the RIV requirements.

Once that's done you can register and insure the vehicle in Canada. You will need to pay PST on the CAD purchase price (i.e. the original US selling price converted into CAD -- you don't pay PST on the duty).

I think that's it!

Originally Posted by AltaTour

What do the import services charge?

Do you end up paying market even if they get a good deal or do you just pay a fixed commission of some sort?

What else is involved?