Feds wrote:First: I'm just a JDM window shopper at this point. Haven't bought anything from anyone. However:
It's very easy to sit in Vancouver and scoff at Ontario prices, but if I were to buy the white L400 at RS imports for $11,900, my costs would go something like this:
$11,900 to buy the van
(I don't know if I need to pay taxes in BC AND Ontario, so I'll leave them out of the calculation)
$1,000 to ship it by train to north end of Toronto (where RD is located, more or less)
$200-500 to get it towed to all the places it needs to go for the following:
$75-$100 for the Ontario safety, plus anything the random Ontario mechanic sees that he doesn't like
$50-ish for an E-test
$20 for a UVIP
$100 for a 3rd party appraisal (so MTO can assess taxes)
$75 for a plate and 1 year sticker
$100 to clean off 4,200kms of rail dust (I've shipped cars across country before, they come out filthy).
For a total of $13,500. On top of that, I've taken at least 2 full days off work (@ $41/hr) to get all the shipping/pickup/standing in line at MTO accomplished. I've likely gone to 3 different MTO offices and 2 different mechanics, and exchanged some nasty phonecalls with both, as the average MTO office will tell you that they can't register the vehicle, and the average mechanic will try and rip you off for something.
So, dollar for dollar, RD's price is $400 more than a BC dealer. What does my $400 buy? Aside from a 1 year warranty and a hell of a lot less aggravation, RD is in Ontario so if there is a problem with the car I'm not dealing with someone 4 timezones away. They stock parts, and I can get them the next day.
More importantly, they are also very active in the Ontario JDM scene, proactively dealing with insurance companies, the MTO, and dealer organizations to keep RHD on the road in Ontario. Plus, they bring in good cars. There are dealers in Ontario who are very happy to sell you a $6000 RX-7 or Skyline that will blow up in 3 months. IMHO they do more to feed the anti-JDM stereotypes than an 18-year-old drifting in a Timmies parkinglot.
Again, not trying to start a flame war, not trying to crap on any other dealer. I've bothered pretty much every JDM dealer in the country at one point or another, and they've all been very patient and professional. I've crunched the numbers on everything from importing my own car to flying to BC and driving home, to buying off the lot in Ontario. At the end of the day, unless I count my time as being worth $0, RD's prices are pretty competitive for what they offer.
Nice comparison! Good job.
But we have different prices list for each model/trim/condition.
$11,900 is our highest price in the SWB model ( We have a NO HST sale now, though ).
RD ‘L400 in this post is a Low Roof but ours in your comarison is Super Exceed model as they are way different from the beginning, not to mention of services.
Anyway, RD’s price reflects their cost/effort for importing in hard business environment, etc.
Well deserved to get and I respect it.
Steven
