Topic: Buy a used car as a foreigner in Canada

[eman]

I read something about buying a cheap car in Canada you need to pay up about 5,000 CAD to get a somewhat reliable car.. Which isn't music to my ears exactly. Will be looking for a car to take me from A to B. Simply to get to work u know.

I would wanna get a car for about 2,000 CAD. But would I have to be extremely lucky to find a car that wont break down every week for that kind of money?


Oh yeah, do you canadians have any special paper forms or anyting that makes it tougher and takes longer time to be able to buy, own and drive away with the car?

[aquadorhj]

depends on your destination within canada, and i am NOT really sure what the regulations are with regards to foreigners, but to start off,

as long as you have valid drivers license and address, (and insurance) you should be able to buy a car.

for 2k, i would think some rough and worn cars, but if you browse private sellers listings, you may find some good ones.  from used car dealership, probably not.

cars in 2k range CAN BE reliable.  my bro's kia rio (2003, less than $2k) had been flawless reliability wise for nearly 2 years.  even in the dead cold of the winter, which can reach -40 degrees, it started and ran right on the turn of the key.

on the other hand, you will have to filter thru million + garbages to find few that will serve you well.

[eman]

depends on your destination within canada, and i am really sure what the regulations are with regards to foreigners, but to start off,

as long as you have valid drivers license and address, (and insurance) you should be able to buy a car.

for 2k, i would think some rough and worn cars, but if you browse private sellers listings, you may find some good ones.  from used car dealership, probably not.

cars in 2k range CAN BE reliable.  my bro's kia rio (2003, less than $2k) had been flawless reliability wise for nearly 2 years.  even in the dead cold of the winter, which can reach -40 degrees, it started and ran right on the turn of the key.

on the other hand, you will have to filter thru million + garbages to find few that will serve you well.

Address, you mean like a permanent address and not a hotel room? Nah, I wont even bother with the used car dealerships.
Do you have some tips on typical common work horse cars that's used in Canada? I know what models I would be looking for in Sweden in this price range but in Canada, that's a different story.

[The Mighty Duck]

The usual suspects would be Honda Civic, Acura Integra, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Echo.

[blur911]

You could always stick with something maybe a bit more familiar.

http://kingston.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1997-Volvo-850-T5-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ306019500

Also, where would you be buying said vehicle?  Licensing and insurance is different province to province.

[eman]

Hehe, a Civic or especially a Corolla are kind of favourites to me. But as you guys say, would have to dig deeper for those.
Ford Taurus sounds perfect but you bring up a good point in insurance. Will have to look into that more closely.

I have no clue where I will buy the car in Canada, i'm going there to find a job "on the fly" hopefully a job in the oil fields in Alberta, so if I had to guess where, I'd say AB.

Yeah blur911, that would definitely be a fun car. Would have to empty my pockets every time I fill her up though. 

[Vanstar]

Duh!  Ford Taurus!!  Cheap, a lot cheaper than a POS Civic or Corolla and at least you'll feel like you're driving a car instead of a tin can.  I can't imagine how old a Civic or Corolla would have to be to be in the $2000 range.  Ancient probably.  A Taurus is mediocre on gas (deplorable is more like it), does 26-30 Imperial mpg sound good?  A Buick Century (good luck finding one for 2-3g) will get you an easy 35+, though it truly is a worse POS than a Taurus, and if you find a decent one (Taurus or Century), it'll last a lot longer than your stay in Canada...assuming you're not staying that is.  Somehow I think your biggest obstacle will be getting insurance.  Maybe it differs from province to province.  Mb is gov't run...I doubt you'd get it at all here.  Buying a car though should be easy.  There's a lot of cars out there...who knows, maybe you can find an old Lexus or Infiniti for your $ figure.

Here on the Wet Coast, there are loads of good Centuries and LeSabres available for like $2000 because this is, ahem, not exactly American Iron country. Have a look here:

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/2597450651.html

Insurance is easily available in British Columbia, even for foreign drivers.

When I first met my wife, she had a 2003 Taurus. Not my kind of ride, unfortunately.

[Cord]

Get a pickup truck and get the whole experience.

[eman]

Here on the Wet Coast, there are loads of good Centuries and LeSabres available for like $2000 because this is, ahem, not exactly American Iron country. Have a look here:


Insurance is easily available in British Columbia, even for foreign drivers.

When I first met my wife, she had a 2003 Taurus. Not my kind of ride, unfortunately.

Cool car. That's what I thought about B.C. I will mostly be using the car in Alberta and it's probably not a good idea to insure (is that even a word?) it in B.C and then use it in Alberta though

Get a pickup truck and get the whole experience.

It has crossed my mind

[eman]

What are some common problems with canadian cars that I should look out for?

For example, it's pretty damn cold and snowy in Canada. Might be a good idea to check out the rust with all the salt on the roads and stuff like that?

Anything else?