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Canadians Cross Border for Car Deals

By Jack LaDuke, WCAX-TV News

Plattsburgh, New York - A number of Canadian shoppers are finding out that cross-border shopping means more than a trip to the malls. Canadian shoppers are flocking to automobile dealers in northern New York and Vermont and saving a bundle.

McBride Chevrolet and Subaru in Plattsburgh are having a banner year in sales and a good number of the sales are coming from Canadian buyers purchasing Subarus. The Canadian dollar is on par with the American dollar and that makes buying a car in the United States cheaper than in Canada. Depending on the model, savings can range from five to 15-thousand or higher. "Before this happened we were on track for about 175 new Subarus for 2007. We ended up in the 260 mark," said the dealership's Brian McBride.

Subaru is the only manufacturer making it easy for Canadians to buy cars this side of the border. Others discourage their dealers from selling in Canada. They want to protect their Canadian car dealers and will not honor a warranty from the United States. Subaru will re-pay the customer for any warranty work done in Canada.

McBride said that some buyers are apprehensive at first about buying a car in a foreign country. "Once they realize we've done this before and we've got a process in place that makes it very easy for them," he said. "It's like an adventure for them. They leave very happy because of the savings."

McBride said that this unique situation came at a good time when auto sales nationally are falling. He said they were in the right place at the right time.