but you guys are all missing something...$40,000 is $40,000....it doesn't matter if it's in Canada, or not. I honestly don't think a GTI is worth that. And if cars are more expensive in Canada, then don't drive expensive cars. I would argue that just because it's "normal" doesn't make $40k for a GTI any more "acceptable"...
You can't compare money like that. Our countries are very similar in a lot of ways but we have different economies. Literally everything is more expensive for us, from simple stuff like books and toys to the big stuff like cars and houses.
Take the price of gas, 91 octane is at ~$1.55/liter right now. Basically $6/gallon, I would say that's normal (although it's 5 cents above where its been for a long time) and you'd say its unacceptable, but I wouldn't t sell my car and get something that takes 87 just because the Americans pay less.
It's only unacceptable because you guys have a different perspective on it, for us this is the way it is and there's no way to get around it. If you don't want to by a GTI for that much then you still have the problem of buying a car that's unacceptably expensive since they're all "marked up". What else would you buy?
A Mazdaspeed 3? $34,000
A Ford Focus ST? $40,000 optioned like my car, including tax
Even a Honda Civic Si comes to $35,000 after tax. I'd say a GTI is worth $5000 more than a Civic and $6000 more than a Speed3.
So maybe for that money you want RWD. A Mustang GT is $43,000, plus another $1000 if you want Recaros and $2200 for Brembos. A Hyundai Genesis 3.8 is $39,000.
But maybe you want to by CPO. I bought my car, a loaded 2008 manual two door in 2012 for $23,700.
We're not talking about expensive cars here. And even if we were, I work hard, why would I not buy the car I want because you guys can get them cheaper? How does that make any sense?
What currency do you use in Canada ? And what is the exchange rate to the USD
The us dollar compared to other currencies is ridiculously pitiful we pay less for things than most countries because out dollar is worth next to nothing
The Canadian dollar.
1 USD = 1.10 CDN according to Google.
Prices for things in Canada have always been this way, our dollar was worth 60 cents American when I was growing up and prices were this way then too.