110phil

I think a 2008 is out of the question anyway, as riv.ca has the 2008 RDX as being inadmissible to Canada. A used 2007 is still possible.

HOiYA

I read on some other forums that the RDX is classified as a multi-purpose passenger vehicle and that it was originally allowed. Looks like riv.ca updated their list of MPV's to exclude all Acura's. I am hoping that this is just because the 2008 models are so new that they haven't had time to inspect them?

mau108

apparently honda and toyota are stating their 08's are inadmissible.

There was a story about a guy who is currently trying to import his 08 honda civic and honda has stated the car is inadmissible but the bloddy car is built in Canada!

Honda and Toyota are gonna see huge losses in Canada. Toyota already has problems with its reliability recently with the v6 motor and tundra.

HOiYA

From what I can tell, it seems that the new requirement on MPV's manufactured after Sept 1/2007 is that they need to be equipped with with an immobilzer. Anyone know of any after market ones?

rdxon

you can buy one from Honda for 20,000 dollars. That is the difference in price between to navtech MDX and the Canadian MDX.
Honda has no part for you to buy. It took Canadians 10 years under NAFTA to be able to buy new cars in the US. This one sided safety feature is not only against the spirit of NAFTA, but is a restraint on trade. I hope there is a person out there with more time and energy, because this would make a great complaint about restraint of trade and restrictive trade practices. Thank the Canadian Government, Honda and the dealers they are trying to protect (while they make as much profit as they can.) Just love my Honda

mau108

Most if not all cars after 01 have immobilizer built in. Heck my 99 prelude does!

HOiYA

Honda USA is saying that the current 2008 RDX doesn't meet CMVSS 114 standards. Which is a bunch of BS. When I asked isn't the immobilizer on the 2007 and 2008 the same, the response was the in the 2008 the positioning is different and thus no longer meets the Canadian standards. I read rumours on another site that RIV might be allowing retrofits of immobilizer that meets the standards. Anyone else hear this?

Metal_Driver

I was a long time customer/believer of Honda/Acura vehicles. That is until recently..

I was looking to buy a 2008 MDX Elite (Sport/Ent) or 08 RDX Tech. With the price differences between the same vehicle in Canada and the US over CDN $21,000 for the MDX, and CDN $14,000 for the RDX, I naturally decided to buy South of the boarder as NO warranty was worth this much!!. I was, however, deeply disappointed that Honda made the warranty an issue between boarders so that they ensure to make a WHOLE LOT EXTRA $$ for the same vehicles here in Canada. Some of the other major automobile manufacturers made it clear they would continue to honour thire warrantyies on both sides of the boarder.

When I called a couple of dealerships South of the boarder recently, sure enough I was told they could not sell to me because I am CANADIAN!! What the **** . Great way to treat a loyal customer.

Now add in the latest action by Honda/Acura to have the 08's removed from the riv list and that's it - I'M DONE. They can keep their vehicles. This is one Canadian who will not buy from this company as long as they treat Canadian customers this way. I am sure I am not the only loyal customer who feels this way. Time to take a look at other manufacturers as there are a whole lot of other vehicles out there. Others should be doing the same thing.

Just the opinion of one Canadian.

mvwood

We hear you.

You should let Honda know exactly how you feel too.

mav238

Beware... 08' RDX is not admissable and cannot be currently imported into Canada.

Metal_Driver

That is exactly why I have finally given up on Acura's for now. I am now looking at the Lexus RX350. Like the MDX there is a huge cost savings to be made when purchasing South of the boarder AND unlike Acura, Toyota has not set up any warranty road blocks, etc, etc. With price differentials approaching $20,000+ CDN after factoring in currency conversion and Cdn taxes for a fully loaded luxury SUV it makes it pretty hard to resist these kind of deals. I cannot possibly justify paying the much higher prices for a MDX or RDX here in Canada. So if Acura wants to set up all these road blocks for us Canadians it time to vote with your wallets and move on to manufacturers who are far more accomodating.

googlefish

Just managed to get a 2007 into Canada. Thanks to rdxon for being the trailblazer!

rdxon

it doesnt make any sense. honda products are excellent, but their resistance to allow fair market prices is costing them market share badly. hundai is making great strides and toyota is allowing anyone to import a vehicle. most buyers i know are taking a pass on honda/acura because they believe the prices are artificially high.
this is damaging the brands reputation. trust is hard to earn once lost.
they are either stubborn or have poor managers or both. its too bad. this will be a business school case one day, just like betamax.

Metal_Driver

Question - How do you get around the US address requirements when it comes to the bill of sale? Can you use the Cdn address on the bill or do they have to put the US address on it? If it was the US address was this a problem at Cdn Customs or when you went to get your plates ??

casa7

Acura currently has factory incentives to dealers of $ 3,000 CDN for the 2008 base RDX and $ 4,000 for the tech.Also low financing for purchase or lease. Cannot combine though. Of course this PMO since I bought my 2008 at the end of August.

googlefish

Unfortunately US dealers can't sell new to Canadians. Best bet is used ... mine was a "used" 2007 with 40 miles on the ODO. 2008's aren't admissible anyways (until the immobilizer fiasco gets sorted out). Too bad dealers can't sell to Canadians ... I've seen some incredible prices down there, especially on remaining 2007s. The American market is so competitive a smart shopper typically gets pretty close to dealer invoice pricing (sometimes below when there are manufacturer's incentives), whereas in Canada ... well, we're lucky if we can get a few hundred dollars off MSRP!

googlefish

Well, not entirely true about Toyota. Most dealers can no longer sell NEW to Canadians anymore, even the ones further south of the border. The one good thing about Toyota vs Honda is that they will honour the warranty on vehicles imported into Canada. Toyota in Canada have pretty outrageous prices too. Price out a loaded Prius and it's like CAD$38,000 before fees and taxes!

rdxon

what did you buy?

googlefish

2007 RDX Base ... Black / Taupe + Roof Rack and Ski Attachment (bad decision on the ski attachment)

Metal_Driver

A few things have changed since my post in Nov. As it turned out at that time several companies were using the new Cdn immobilizer standards as a smoke screen to submit that there new 08 models were not compliant. As reported on a couple of other sites it appears that in many cases that the part numbers for the immobilizers in the 08 US and Cdn models were in fact the same. By Dec TC saw the light and essentially made the immobilizer issue go away by issuing a quick amendment. Also in Dec Acura Canada quietly announced 9,000 cash off the MDX Elite which was reduced to 7,000 in Jan.

Since the immobilizer road block was removed by Jan and prices South of the border were still well below those in Canada (even after the cash incentives being offered) I went back to work on finding a good deal. I am happy to report that after a lot of calls and some foot work I was able to locate and purchase a new 08 loaded MDX (Elite equivalent) with roof rails, X-bars, protect pack (all-wx mats and cargo tray), boards, cargo cover and locks for a great price. After the RIV fee, AC tax, GST, and PST (Ont) I saved well over $15K compared to the same vehicle here in Canada even with the 7K off that was being offered in Jan. It was worth the effort but you have to be sure to follow the process carefully. For those who may be interested a must read is RIV.ca (complete) to understand the process and sites such as carburner.com and this thread at redfalgdeals.com (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/s...d.php?t=307601).
Hope this helps.

googlefish

Congratulations on the new ride!! Another RFD member I see. Damn that site, I wasn't even looking for a car!! But after reading that mother of all threads ... well, the rest is history ...

White92

Congrats on the car. How did you get a new 08 MDX? I thought you could only buy used cars?

Metal_Driver

Thanks White92.

Definately happy with it up to now!

As for the "how to" there are a couple of different ways you can approach the problem as discussed by others on other forums:
- Find a friend or relative with a US address who will 'buy' the vehicle for you and 'sell' it back to you. Have them buy it out of State to avoid having to pay State taxes.
- I've heard of some getting a US PO address or using a friends US address which may work in certain cases.
- You may be able to arrange to purchase a 'used' vehicle from a dealerships are they technically only prohibited from selling new to Cdns.
- There are also a number of importers who will charge a small fee to take care of the process for you. In some cases they have US contacts who purchase and sell the vehicle to the importer who in turn gets it to you.
- The odd dealership may be able to put you in touch with a company that will charge a small fee to purchase the vehicle and then sell it to you.
- I even read about one person who went through the trouble of setting up a US registered company on paper to work around the process.
Check out the thread at redflag.com as I mentioned earlier. There are contacts and more details on the short list I provided above.

Hope this helps.

rdxon

canadians buying their cars, rather than leasing are only about 15% of honda sales. they claim all sorts of justifications for the 1750 dollar transportation fee, and the huge difference in price.

the bottom line is, leasing is their market. people buying are in a minority, so their is very little incentive to be fair. nice company (not)

Metal_Driver

Thanks Googlefish. How do you like your new ride?

Rdxon - Wow, that number is staggering . I didn't realize that purchasers represented such a minority. I leased for the first time on my last vehicle and that will be the last of that. Purchasing works far better in my case as I keep my vehicles in good shape and run them for longer than most.

By the way, thank you for getting this thread going. Your information was one of the first sources I used to get the ball rolling on doing this myself. Had a good look at the RDX as well. Really like the Turbo. How is it working for you so far?

ericssonboi

Good to see another Ottawa Aziner.
What color is your MDX?

Metal_Driver

I really wanted to get the Nimbus Grey with Taupe interior but the wife didn't like the Grey. Settled for Aspen white with a parchment interior (her first choice, my 2nd). We also liked the Black on Black but given our recent experience with a black vehicle we decided to pass (tends to show marks and can get hot in the summer). Nice addition to the garage to go with the Red TSX.

holders

I also bought a RDX from the states, but it's a used vehicle. Hope there's enough people doing this so Honda will drop prices in Canada.

Ibn Rushd

Out of curiosity...was it only the 2008 RDX/MDX that couldn't be brought over, or it's the entire lineup for Acura/Honda as well as Toyota?

Someone mentioned Toyota wasn't allowing it for their 2008 but then someone was looking into a Lexus?

What about Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru?

Metal_Driver

When new imoblizer issue was an issue it blocked most of the Acura's except for the TSX and TL. Interestingly, sales of the TL were down. To see alist of vehciles allowed for import see RIV.ca. In most cases the problem is finding a dealer who is willing to sell to Cdns.

manitou1

Hello RDXON,

We have the same story, last year I buy a full equipped MDX and have saved 20 000 $, and I just bought a 2009 TSX Tec next week and I have 10 000 $ difference!

My only problem in my cars is my voice recognition system, but the U.S. model does not in French but I'd like bein find what change do so does it work?

If anyone here know how modiffier the navigation system Acura to bring it into French! I give him $ $ $

Sorry for my English

Tanks
The only bright side of the thing is that I practice my English but I'm rotten

rdxon

english is the language for all aircraft