Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Dave
Do they build vehicles that could tow an Escape in Canada? If so, can an American go to Canada and buy one and have it US delivered like an Escape? How about boats, ATVs Snow machines too? Are a considerable number of Canadian manufacturers being caught in the current wedge?
Dave
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Since the Auto Pact of the 1960's - since replaced by the
Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement and then by
NAFTA - vehicles have moved essentially freely (by the manufacturer, not after being sold to the consumer) between Canada and the United States. As a result, it doesn't matter in which country a vehicle is made.
Pricing is usually adjusted quickly enough that it would be difficult to benefit from this sort of cross-border shopping. Even if you do, it is common to have difficulties with warranty service, because the distributor or dealers in the destination country don't want you buying from their counterparts in the other country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota...
However, plants are moving to Mexico...
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Sure, plus Honda, and maybe others. Most manufacturers with large sales in Canada and any manufacturing in North America has put some of their plants in Canada. The tendency - in all countries - has been to concentrate a particular model line in a single plant (or small number of plants) so one brand will have some models made entirely in the U.S. with some shipped to Canada (such as my Toyota Sienna) and other models made in Canada with some shipped to the U.S.
Within the trade zone, auto plants go where the combination of labour costs, labour (unioin) issues, other costs, government incentives, and political forces push them. Your "domestic" vehicle could come from any country in the zone, and since that has expanded to include Mexico, there's lots of production down there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnB
I once heard that a new Toyota made in Canada and sold in California is cheaper down there than in Canada 
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Since the trade agreements mean that there is no duty charged for vehicles crossing the border, it doesn't matter if the factory and the consumer are in the same country or not. At times vehicles have been cheaper in Canada than the U.S., but for many years it has been the other way around. There are lots of factors in pricing beyond manufacturing cost, and so prices are different.
Escape doesn't price separately for the two markets, but it has a pretty simple distribution system compared to the car companies and their distributors and dealerships.