OT. Welcome back! I thought you were still down south.

 

Perhaps because people there aren't as brand loyal and marketing centric as they are here in the us. I mean if they're moving vehicles, then its all good. Plus, is the hyundai stigma as significant there as it is here?

 

Come to the US, buy a hyundai, ship it up - no?

 

Then you'd have to go back to the US for warranty support. Not sure if any import/customs fees would also be added on.

 

Thanks! Got back in September and loving it.

 

Actually, it's changing fast, much like in the USA. The Civic is definitely the most common small car here but the Mazda3 is always popular as well. The newer Sonata is selling decently and the new Elantra is selling well also. No, they don't have the reputation Honda has (yet!) but the features and price are compelling. As I said, heated front AND rear seats in a compact car? That's awesome! You don't know the value of heated seats until you get into your car in -30* weather.

Possible but you'll pay 7% import taxes and roughly $300 in A/C and import fees. The new Elantra is built in Alabama so it keeps import fees down. A quick trip to Montana would probably save $3000-$4000 or so on the initial purchase (assuming MSRP). One would have to pay cash, though, or get a pre-approved loan for a cross-border transaction (not as difficult as it used to be, since so many people are doing it).

Actually, Hyundai Canada and USA honor full warranties so if you buy in the USA, you would actually still get a full 10yr/100K warranty back in Canada.

 

All Canadian cars follow the "severe" maint. sched. right? My guess is Hyundai doesn't want a lot of 8-9-10 yr old cars under warranty where the climate is so harsh and cars don't last as long anyway.

 

I'm not sure what schedule they follow. I know most places recommend oil changes every 5K kms (roughly 3K miles) here but that's ridiculous. The cold in the winter means a synthetic oil is a good choice but the spring/summer/fall seasons are not at all extreme and standard oils work fine. My vehicles all use standard oil and worked fine through the winter, even without a block heater.

I believe they aren't warrantying them because they don't believe they'll last. Bearings and lubricated parts are definitely challenged here. Parts get brittle and snap so material selection is crucial to vehicle longevity. One thing is certain: cheap parts or workmanship are readily apparent within a year or three on most vehicles. Consider that it gets cold enough that the LCD screens in a car take more than a second to respond to changes in display during the colder winter months and you realize how difficult it is to build a car that can take the environment.