[budgam.boonyi]

Personally i would look at Japanese cars that are older or with higher mileage when compared to a VW, look out for older lexus or acura cars aswell. Hondas are the most stolen vehicles in Canada specially the civic, hence higher insurance premiums compared to others. Subaru is also a good choice allowing you to get AWD in most if not all their cars.

The main thing I would like to suggest emphatically is the fact that because of price constants if you have to choose between AWD or be able to afford to get good quality winter tires, Please skimp on the AWD not the tires. AWD DOES NOTHING TO HELP YOU STOP, it is only useful in getting you going. Considering you will be in GTA most of the time, where the roads are generally cleared quickly, AWD again is not a must have, front wheel drive is better than RWD as the weight up front helps give traction. For ease of use i would also recommend a second set of rims for your winter tires if you have the storage space. This also helps keep your summer alloys clean as well as less painful and expensive to replace the 2 times a year you will be doing this. Please keep these associated costs in mind.

TLDR: Make sure to account for the cost of a set of HIGH QUALITY winter tires.

[ritz3645]

From personal experience you do not need winter tires for GTA. Snow removal on public roads and pathways is well managed along with salt.
Expensive the car higher will be insurance. If more than one person buys insurance with the same address ie. family/relative/etc, insurance premium go down by $10 for both. I did calling the TD call center directly for insurance.

If you want to buy from auction or track price. Pay a deposit and participate remotely.

Link : https://northtorontoauction.com

Few post above mention of Night driving restrictions on G2 which is false.
Source :
https://www.insurancehotline.com/ont...-restrictions/

[v1kram]

Originally Posted by pratyush6

As winter approaches, a car becomes a necessity more than anything else.
My daily travel is around 30 kms one way.

Since your daily travel is about 60 kms, please make sure you get good set of winter tires. Insurance companies may also ask you whether your vehicle will be equipped with winter tires during winter.

Unless and otherwise you need extra space, settle for Jetta if you like to go with VW.
Parking could be a pain with Passat, also make sure the car you are getting is not from rental fleet (carproof report helps here).

Corolla, Civic, Accord, Camry, Elantra and Sonata are default options, you can also check Mazda 3 or 6.

Also look for 2018 stock clear out offers, you would get good deals such as winter package, better finance rates and discounts.

[mohit]

Some very good replies in the thread!
For insurance reduction, the best option is to get a group rate. Try your workplace, professional organizations and the like.
Assuming you need a car means you are not living in core downtown ( cheaper insurance). As mentioned above, Brampton and Mississauga have high rates. Oakville has the lowest in the area.
Civic and corolla are new driver favorites and typically have higher rates. You can compare cars at Belair direct or kanetix so get an idea of rates based on your situation.

Most insurance companies give you a discount if you use winter tires. Let me know if you need referrals for local tire shops.

Volkswagen was trying to sell its fixed TDIs. Might be a good option for you as you have high running per week. Hyundai or kia can be good option too as resale is typically lower than Japs.

Whatever you get, do not buy a third part warranty. If you want a warranty, get a CPO car.

[Traveler]

Close your eyes and buy a Toyota Rav 4. It is built for the Canadian Winter and has next to nothing maintenance. Having lived in Canada I can safely say that you can't go wrong with it. Save your money now and buy a bigger SUV later once you are settled.

[pratyush6]

Thank you so much for all the replies! A couple of clarifications:
1. Parking isn't a problem, I have the whole covered garage to myself.
2. Driving with G2 is allowed all the time, the only real restriction being I cannot let a learner (G1) drive my car.
3. Hondas (specially Civic) as stated above have a high premium, hence that isn't even on the radar.
4. All my research on RAV4's tell me they are ridiculously expensive.
5. Personally, I am also okay with the Corolla, I would do a TD to see if it suits me. It's a bit more flashy than I like though.

Again thank you for all your suggestions! I will update the thread whenever I finalize the deal.

[aks2010]

Originally Posted by mohit

Some very good replies in the thread!
For insurance reduction, the best option is to get a group rate. Try your workplace, professional organizations and the like.
Assuming you need a car means you are not living in core downtown ( cheaper insurance). As mentioned above, Brampton and Mississauga have high rates. Oakville has the lowest in the area.
Civic and corolla are new driver favorites and typically have higher rates. You can compare cars at Belair direct or kanetix so get an idea of rates based on your situation.

Most insurance companies give you a discount if you use winter tires. Let me know if you need referrals for local tire shops.

Volkswagen was trying to sell its fixed TDIs. Might be a good option for you as you have high running per week. Hyundai or kia can be good option too as resale is typically lower than Japs.

Whatever you get, do not buy a third part warranty. If you want a warranty, get a CPO car.

I am looking for winter tires for my Hyundai Sonata. what tire shops would you recommend in Brampton or Mississauga?

[mohit]

Originally Posted by aks2010

I am looking for winter tires for my Hyundai Sonata. what tire shops would you recommend in Brampton or Mississauga?

Tires23 at 5391 Ambler Dr #2, Mississauga, ON L4W 1H1

Call for a quote.

Simply tire in North York is good too and has his prices online. Not sure if his winter pricing is up yet. He runs a group buy on redflagdeals forums that can get you some discount.

[Technocrat]

Wow I didn't know there were so many folks from GTA here

As for the winter tires, I am buyng them this year for sure for both MDX & TLX. My daily drive in TLX is 110 kms, so wont take any chances. MDX is family vehicle so again wont take any chance with that either.

For insurance, try https://www.surexdirect.com/ they got me a really good deal for both cars(less than 5k)

p.s. we all GTA folks should plan for a meet up

[mohit]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Wow I didn't know there were so many folks from GTA here

As for the winter tires, I am buyng them this year for sure for both MDX & TLX. My daily drive in TLX is 110 kms, so wont take any chances. MDX is family vehicle so again wont take any chance with that either.

For insurance, try https://www.surexdirect.com/ they got me a really good deal for both cars(less than 5k)

p.s. we all GTA folks should plan for a meet up

That's a quite a hit in one winter! Budget for new rims + TPMS sensors too unless you have accord style ABS based sensors.

But kudos for considering winter tires. Most people with AWD cars or SUVs skip on these and pay a price afterwards.

Depending on where you are in GTA, check with Allen at Simply

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/simpl...ybird-2227521/

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by aks2010

I am looking for winter tires for my Hyundai Sonata. what tire shops would you recommend in Brampton or Mississauga?

Have you looked at tirerack.com? They have installers everywhere, the tires are shipped directly to the installer. You don't need to rely on coupons or deals. You will find a whole bunch of tire brand options, & lots of reviews. If just 2 tires are worn out, you can replace just that.

I hate the 4 tire package deals offered by Costco and tire shops. Because of the option of buying just 2 tires on Tirerack, I do not rotate tires anymore. I just let the tires connected to the drivetrain when they fail the penny test. The other 2 tires usually last twice as long.

[Technocrat]

Originally Posted by mohit

That's a quite a hit in one winter! Budget for new rims + TPMS sensors too unless you have accord style ABS based sensors.

But kudos for considering winter tires. Most people with AWD cars or SUVs skip on these and pay a price afterwards.

Depending on where you are in GTA, check with Allen at Simply

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/simpl...ybird-2227521/

Yeah and that's why planning to get just the tires (will put them on same rims) this year, will go for extra pair of rims next year. Will explore all tire options this weekend. Simply tire is on the list to check.

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Have you looked at tirerack.com? They have installers everywhere, the tires are shipped directly to the installer. You don't need to rely on coupons or deals. You will find a whole bunch of tire brand options, & lots of reviews. If just 2 tires are worn out, you can replace just that.

I hate the 4 tire package deals offered by Costco and tire shops. Because of the option of buying just 2 tires on Tirerack, I do not rotate tires anymore. I just let the tires connected to the drivetrain when they fail the penny test. The other 2 tires usually last twice as long.

I won't recommend the 2 tire approach. Longer life on rear tires doesnt mean they are safe, in hot weather they will actual get worse with age and while you will see full tread depth the rubber will become too hard to provide the rated safety.

[mohit]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

Have you looked at tirerack.com? They have installers everywhere, the tires are shipped directly to the installer. You don't need to rely on coupons or deals. You will find a whole bunch of tire brand options, & lots of reviews. If just 2 tires are worn out, you can replace just that.

I hate the 4 tire package deals offered by Costco and tire shops. Because of the option of buying just 2 tires on Tirerack, I do not rotate tires anymore. I just let the tires connected to the drivetrain when they fail the penny test. The other 2 tires usually last twice as long.

Tire Rack shipping to Canada kills any deal they might have. Even otherwise, the 30% premium of USD over CAD means pricing is almost at par.

Your two tire technique works in SoCal but not in Canada. We have to switch tires twice every year with changing weather so rotating them is easy.

[14000rpm]

Guys, thank you very much for the guidance. I went with the Swapalease option and I got an inquiry from Minneapolis within 2 days of listing and the paperwork between the transferee and I is underway. However, Toyota finance is really dragging their feet and want 60 days for the process to be complete. Both parties are merely trying our best to expedite by overnighting documents on FedEx. Hope the whole thing is closed soon.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

I don't think there is an option to let go of the lease car, until you pay the entire lease amount or try to sub lease the car to somebody who is interested (Diff to get a sub leaser).

Probably anybody who has come across this situation and overcame it, can help further.

Opted against both these options. I did think of paying off the full lease amount and then sell it in the open market but then, Toyota Finance wants 30-days minimum to send me a clear title. Killed the idea right there.
Sub-Lease would always leave me in the liability which is not ok.

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Have you checked www.swapalease.com? You can potentially hand over your lease to someone else and walkaway with no or minimum payment.

Originally Posted by hema4saran

Try swapalease website. It is good option and my colleague recently got rid of his CX5 in the same way. He lost $1k which he has paid as initial amount.

Yupp. Thats underway now.

Originally Posted by jraj

Try to find a buyer. Every month Toyota Financial Services will give a estimate of what the car is worth currently. You can get this figure in your TFS account and that's the money you owe Toyota.

Camry retains its value good and with such low mileage, the difference between what you owe Toyota and the price you can agree with a potential buyer will be less - you have no other choice but to cough it up. That's the least expensive option you have.

Good luck.

Thanks.

This is the Camry that I am parting with-

[hema4saran]

Originally Posted by 14000rpm

Guys, thank you very much for the guidance. I went with the Swapalease option and I got an inquiry from Minneapolis within 2 days of listing and the paperwork between the transferee and I is underway.

Yupp. Thats underway now.

This is the Camry that I am parting with-

Great that you are able to get rid of the car in short time. BTW your car looks good. If you don't mind sharing the details, Can you please tell how much you are losing on this car? It might help few folks with me who are crossing their fingers due to visa issues.