Buying a Car
Do you need a car?
If you come from the US, you’ll find that transit in Vancouver is amazing. The lines are efficiently designed, and the fares are cheap. A car might prove more trouble than pleasure if you live in a crowded area such as downtown.
As an example:
If you live in Surrey Central and want to shop downtown on a Saturday, the train costs you $2.40 and takes about 26 minutes each way; a car drive is easily a 45-minute drive one way, and you pay $30 parking + some $10 for gas.
Me, personally—I’ve lived in Vancouver for 7 years and I spent 5 years without a car. Even now, we occasionally prefer the bus when the traffic is bad: weekend trips to downtown, dinner in Richmond, or seeing fireworks in Kits.
There are also car alternatives that I stayed with for years. Car share services like Evo allows you to rent by the minute, hour, or day, and you don’t have to drive it back both ways.
Buying a car
Everyone has their own opinion and style when it comes to buying a car. Use your judgement; do your homework—you’ll be fine. I’ll skip this part as I’ve only done it once; I’m happy with my purchase but I have no experience to offer.
If you are not a Permanent Resident or Citizen of Canada, the dealership may require that you either:
- Pay a deposit if you buying the car outright; or
- Take out the car with a lease
The dealerships do this to prevent people from buying to export. I’m not going into discussion on the legality (it’s probably legal—they are legitimate branded dealerships) or reason of the conduct. It’s just something I’ve heard happen to friends of friends.
Car Insurance (Owner)
When you buy or lease your car, the dealership usually helps you with all the paperworks and sells you insurance. It’s a one-stop-shop experience.
In B.C. we have ICBC being the provincial basic insurance provider. ICBC also has enhanced insurance that provides more coverage.
For the basic insurance, ICBC is the only underwriter. You are also legally required to get 3rd party insurance for $200,000. However, $2m or higher amount is recommended.
You cannot buy from ICBC directly; you buy from a broker.
Winter Tires
Winter tires are a great idea in… well.. the winter. They use softer rubber that have the right grip in winter temperatures. They also have wider patterns so that your car is more grippy on slush or snow.
You must use winter tires if:
- You travel along B.C. 99 north of Horseshoe Bay, October–March
- You travel east of Hope along Trans-Canada 1, or along B.C. 3 or 5, October–March
- Further north or east, winter tires are legally required until April
See B.C. Government website for details.
When you buy your car and you know you will drive outside of Greater Vancouver in the winter, budget $2,500 to get a set of snow tires on rim. You summer tires will also last longer, so the money isn’t extra expense; it’s just more money paid up-front.
Using winter tires in the summer is not recommended. The rubber gets too soft and they wear out much faster.