Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

So this is not exactly Delica related, but it is an observation of import laws. Just wanted to vent.

I know how we tend to rant a bit about import rules and how backwards they can be. But until today I didnt realize how backwards they really are. My brother lives in nicaragua and wants to buy a cheap used school bus. I thought that a simple solution was importing one from north america ($1500 for a 15yr old bus in the USA vs about $6500 in nicaragua for the same one in worse shape). Here is where it gets entertaining.

Nicaraguan vehicle import rules: you cannot import any vehicle older than 10 yrs old.

Canada: you cannot import any vehicle younger than 15 yrs old. (not completely accurate, but we know what I mean).

So dont you think both countries have it backwards? Wouldn't it be beneficial for a depressed economy like nicaragua to be able to import older vehicles from countries like ours that dont want old vehicles on the road? The vehicles would be more affordable to the average nicaraguan who makes less in a month than we do in a day.

And vise versa, wouldnt we be smarter only allowing newer vehicles to be imported to canada, therefore eleminating older vehicles from the roads (like ICBC tries to do by writing off older vehicles easier).

Just my two cents. actually it was long enough of a tirade to be 25 cents.

Josh.

Well Nicaraga is doing what Canada pretends to be doing, working in the interest of safety, their rule makes sense, they only allow newer, safer, vehicles in to the country.
Canada on the other hand has been bought and paid for by big business, the big auto makers don't want us to be able to buy newer vehicles from around the world, because we might then realize just what garbage they are trying to sell us around here....

Green1 wrote:Well Nicaraga is doing what Canada pretends to be doing, working in the interest of safety, their rule makes sense, they only allow newer, safer, vehicles in to the country.
Canada on the other hand has been bought and paid for by big business, the big auto makers don't want us to be able to buy newer vehicles from around the world, because we might then realize just what garbage they are trying to sell us around here....

Bingo! Could not have said it better myself

I don't get why anyone would buy a domestic vehicle when the track record of the big three has been sooooo bad for soooo long. Even if we couldn't get JDM's, I would still own a Japanese made vehicle - Honestly, I think one would have to be a little daft or a bit of a chump to buy a Ford, or a GM, or *gags* a Chrysler... They've been ripping us off for decades!
But then I don't get why everyone doesn't have a Mac computer....

But then I don't get why everyone doesn't have a Mac computer....

because they cost more... and there's nothing wrong with a PC as long as you don't put windows on it...

but you're right about domestic vehicles, thing is though, that even the foreign manufacturers only bring the most boring vehicles in to north america, they refuse to bring in their better vehicles, because people still buy the garbage...

Green1 wrote:

But then I don't get why everyone doesn't have a Mac computer....

because they cost more... and there's nothing wrong with a PC as long as you don't put windows on it...

cost more, but work better - cost twice as much but are twice as good....
AND they have a hot help line. I've called a few times - never waited more than 5 minutes for very polite and super helpful help.
Love my Mac and Japanese cars!
Quality is always worth the extra cost :)

I believe Nicaragua is on the same saving-the-rainforest-team as Costa Rica. It makes sense to only import newer cars: better emissions control, which in the sensitive ecosystem like the rain forest is important.

From a money standpoint, yes, our respective countries have got it backwards, but it's the same dilemma as owning a Mac (thanks for the segue konadog): if you want something to work right or you want to do it right, you generally have to pay more. You pay more initially, but there tends to be less upkeep and maintenance over the life of the item, less losses due to down-time, etc.

What I learned tool shopping -buy the best you can afford and you only have to cry once.

Nicaraguans make on average about $150 a month... i look back to my highschool days and remember the beaters I drove, they were way better than no vehicle, and they were all i could afford.

Anyhow, it was just a curious observation.

Josh.