# Best place in the US to buy a used car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272 "2011-05-18T01:27:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/1 "2011-05-18T01:27:58Z")
We’re planning on leaving Nunavut in a year or two and as a present to myself I want to buy a 1 or 2 year old Dodge Challenger R/T and spend a couple of weeks driving across the US before importing the car into Canada. Are there places in the US where car prices are lower than other places? Has anyone from Canada imported an American car and what was your experience with that process? Ideally we’d like to buy the car in San Francisco, drive down the coast of California, across the south (we’ve never really been to the south before) and finally back up the east coast to Toronto. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/2 "2011-05-18T02:03:38Z")
Used cars in the southwestern United States are supposedly in better condition because they haven’t been exposed to the inclement weather conditions of the other parts of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/3 "2011-05-18T02:13:03Z")
The story I keep hearing is that used cars from Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico --the interior Southwest-- are in the best shape because they haven’t been exposed to road salt or salt air found in the Northern States and along the sea coasts. That has nothing to do with price. It suggests that rental cars from the Phoenix airport might be in better shape in terms of quality of finish and freedom from rust and corrosion. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/4 "2011-05-18T02:29:42Z")
> [@Spavined\_Gelding](#): > > The story I keep hearing is that used cars from Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico --the interior Southwest-- are in the best shape because they haven’t been exposed to road salt or salt air found in the Northern States and along the sea coasts. Utah uses many, many tons of salt each year on it’s roads and highways… ---
**Author:** ![Saratoga\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Saratoga\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saratoga_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/5 "2011-05-18T02:38:02Z")
Delaware has no sales tax for consumers, which can save you a bundle from a dealer. Not sure what difficulties you might encounter registering the vehicle in that state, however. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/6 "2011-05-18T03:59:54Z")
For a car like the Challenger, Southern California or Florida would be the place with the most number of them, since there are larger populations of elderly baby boomers who tend to buy them. Importing it to Canada is fine - Go to riv.ca. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/7 "2011-05-18T04:05:05Z")
You can search nationwide on [Autotrader.com](http://Autotrader.com) to get a sense of availability and pricing. It’s not comprehensive, but hopefully it’ll at least give you a feeling for what’s out there and relative cost. I’m confident that SF is not going to be the cheapest. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/8 "2011-05-18T06:34:41Z")
I’ve never imported a car from the US into Canada, but this [Transport Canada](http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safevehicles-importation-index-443.htm) site seems to have some useful info. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/9 "2011-05-18T13:46:39Z")
> [@Saratoga\_Sam](#): > > Delaware has no sales tax for consumers, which can save you a bundle from a dealer. Not sure what difficulties you might encounter registering the vehicle in that state, however. He’s not going to register in the US. He’ll get a 30 day dealer tag. And if you’re not a resident of the state where it is purchased, they don’t normally charge you sales tax, you will pay that in the state you register it in. In the OP’s case back in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/10 "2011-05-18T13:50:57Z")
Here’s [listings of 2008-2010 Challengers for sale within 100 miles of San Francisco](http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?lastBeginningStartYear=1981&num_records=25&search_lang=en&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&search_type=used&distance=100&address=94108&marketZipError=false&make=DODGE&model=CHALLENGER&make2=&start_year=2008&end_year=2010&min_price=&max_price=&seller_type=b&transmission=&engine=&drive=&doors=&fuel=&max_mileage=&color=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&keywords_display=&sort_type=priceDESC&body_code=0&certified=&advanced=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&showZipError=y&default_sort=priceDESC&awsp=false&systime=&rdm=1305726506155). Prices range from $21k - $40k. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/11 "2011-05-18T13:57:19Z")
Another article that may help: [http://www.ehow.com/how\_2060267\_import-car-from-united-states.html](http://www.ehow.com/how_2060267_import-car-from-united-states.html) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/12 "2011-05-18T14:29:45Z")
Just popping in to say that sounds like a lot of fun. One obvious hint: avoid buying cars near the coast (salt air = corrosion). ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/13 "2011-05-18T16:08:19Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Just popping in to say that sounds like a lot of fun. One obvious hint: avoid buying cars near the coast (salt air = corrosion). Is a 1-2 year old car really going to suffer from salt air corrosion? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/14 "2011-05-18T16:24:22Z")
In 6 years a car that spends 2 years in salt air will probably be in worse shape than one that doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/15 "2011-05-18T17:47:09Z")
> [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](#): > > Is a 1-2 year old car really going to suffer from salt air corrosion? :dubious: > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > In 6 years a car that spends 2 years in salt air will probably be in worse shape than one that doesn’t. But the newer model Dodge Challenger comes with undercoating and has a 60 month/100,000 miles corrosion protection warranty. The salt air will around San Fran should have limited impact on it, especially compared to a car driven in the Northeastern winters with salt on the roads. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/16 "2011-05-18T18:08:45Z")
If you want to buy a Challenger, the best place in the US is Dave Smith Auto in Kellog Idaho. They will even fly you in if you are buying a new car. The web site looks kind of funky but a couple guys I have talked to at car shows swear by this place. > **[Dave Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram | Car Dealer Kellogg, ID](https://www.davesmith.com/)** > > To buy a new car in Idaho or get auto service nearby, come to Dave Smith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Visit the World's Largest Jeep Ram Dealership! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/17 "2011-05-18T18:26:30Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > But the newer model Dodge Challenger comes with undercoating and has a 60 month/100,000 miles corrosion protection warranty. The salt air will around San Fran should have limited impact on it, especially compared to a car driven in the Northeastern winters with salt on the roads. Corrosion warranties are a bit of a joke. They cover _perforation_ of exterior metal due to corrosion, rather than corrosion itself. I agree with your other point, though. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/18 "2011-05-18T18:35:25Z")
> [@Nunavut\_Boy](#): > > We’re planning on leaving Nunavut in a year or two and as a present to myself I want to buy a 1 or 2 year old Dodge Challenger R/T and spend a couple of weeks driving across the US before importing the car into Canada. Are there places in the US where car prices are lower than other places? Has anyone from Canada imported an American car and what was your experience with that process? > > Ideally we’d like to buy the car in San Francisco, drive down the coast of California, across the south (we’ve never really been to the south before) and finally back up the east coast to Toronto. Would cars around there have the heating thingers for the engine? Don’t we have some junk in our vehicles here in Canada to account for the cold? ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/19 "2011-05-18T18:38:25Z")
There is no such thing as “salt air”! Where do you guys get this idea from? Unless you live on the beach and actually take your car driving through the surf, you are not going to get any salt on your vehicle, from the ‘air’ or otherwise. This is a myth boardering on an old wives tale, that there exists a zone around coastal areas where the “salt air” corrodes cars. Now, salt is added to roadways in some areas of the country, but that is a completely different issue. Salt Air. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272/20 "2011-05-18T18:41:00Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > Would cars around there have the heating thingers for the engine? Don’t we have some junk in our vehicles here in Canada to account for the cold? Block heaters. I believe those can be added to a car later; they don’t need to be factory-installed. And, depending on where the OP plans to live when he returns (he mentioned Toronto in the OP, but doesn’t say he will stay there), he may not need one–I never used my block heater when I lived in Toronto, but here in Alberta, it is necessary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-in-the-us-to-buy-a-used-car/582272.md?page=2)