We arrived in Canada with optimism, and we thought we had been ready: we had financial savings, work expertise and a help system. However one go to to a automotive dealership throughout our first week within the nation confirmed us how little we actually knew. In just some hours, we received a crash course in shopping for a automotive in Canada, and in how the techniques round cash, credit score and on a regular basis life truly work. That have turned out to be much more formative than we anticipated.
Shopping for your first automotive: What nobody tells you
We assumed shopping for or leasing a automotive can be pretty simple. We had been on the lookout for a mid-size SUV, much like the one we had in Dubai, and leasing appeared just like the smarter alternative. It didn’t make sense to spend over $40,000 in our first week in a brand new nation.
Then got here the credit score examine.
My spouse had a powerful credit score rating, however her Canadian credit score file had gone dormant after she declared non-residency. I had simply landed, so I had no credit score file in any respect—a standard state of affairs for newcomers. Even after we supplied to pay outright in money, the dealership required paperwork from the financial institution to confirm the supply of the funds. Understandably, that wasn’t one thing we had thought to arrange for therefore quickly after arriving.
We thought of asking a member of the family to co-sign the lease, however that wasn’t real looking—it was an excessive amount of to ask, particularly realizing that co-signing might have an effect on their very own credit score rating. Auto insurance coverage prices had been one other shock. Regardless of our lengthy driving historical past, my spouse and I had been each thought of “new drivers” within the system, which meant greater premiums. And since my spouse had the higher (although nonetheless restricted) credit score profile, she must be the first policyholder, with me added as a secondary driver.
Finally, we pivoted—leasing now not appeared viable. Between the shortage of credit score historical past, paperwork necessities and unexpectedly excessive insurance coverage prices, it simply wasn’t a sensible possibility. We rented a automotive for just a few months, then purchased a modest used car. It was a troublesome adjustment on the time. Going from a high-end SUV overseas to a second-hand entry-level automotive in a brand new nation was humbling. However it was additionally the proper resolution. It gave us time to settle in, work out Canada’s monetary system, and begin constructing the credit score and paperwork path we wanted.
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7 car-buying suggestions for newcomers to Canada
Whether or not you’re shopping for your first automotive, exploring auto financing, or shopping for a used automotive in Ontario or one other Canadian province, listed below are just a few sensible classes we discovered alongside the best way:
