Much of today’s auto industry finds carmakers creating vehicles for a global audience. That doesn’t mean that every version of every car is available everywhere, mind you — and the ways in which borders can affect the way cars are bought and sold from place to place can be fascinating to study.
Sometimes, that can mean a model phased out in the United States but maintained overseas; sometimes, it can take the shape of the issues surrounding selling the Teslas that are made in Texas within the same state.
The latest instance of a bizarre automotive cross-border discrepancy comes via Steve DaSilva at Jalopnik, and concerns the 2022 Subaru BRZ. It’s been getting a lot of attention, with Car and Driver‘s review dubbing it “a pure sports car for everyone” and hailing “its affordable and fun-to-drive nature.” That all sounds appealing — but it turns out that, if you live in the United States, you might be better off crossing the northern border to purchase one.
As DaSilva’s article points out, the BRZ is selling for considerably less in Canada than it is in the United States — namely, around $4,500. Even when you factor in a tax you’d likely need to pay upon crossing the border back into the U.S., it’s a discrepancy worth noting.
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