“My friends say I don’t look a kilometre over 85,000.” Meanwhile, what the unsuspecting, hopeful single who swiped right doesn’t know is that deceitful old Buick’s odometer has been rolled back 100,000 km.

 “I keep my body in great shape!!” Yeah right, that Venza was a complete write-off with structural damage that cost over $14,000 to get into “great shape”.

Both are classic cases of “carfishing”, quite similar to what online daters refer to as “catfishing”… simply, false advertising.

Shopping for a new car? Before starting the hunt, you should ask yourself: “How much car can I afford?”

Costs that come with buying a car

Let’s break this down a little bit further. You need to think ‘big picture’ when considering making a significant purchase, like a car. Unlike real estate, most vehicles are a depreciating asset that begins losing value the very second you turn the key in the ignition to drive it home. So what are some of the costs that you need to consider? 

Buying a new car can, and should be, a very exciting experience. When buying a used vehicle, consumers really only have two options: buy from a dealer/salesperson or buy privately. But remember, car-buyers are only protected by Ontario’s consumer protection laws when they purchase a vehicle from an OMVIC-Registered Dealer and therefore must take extra care when buying privately.

You've signed on the dotted line and taken possession of your new vehicle—congratulations! It was everything you dreamed of and more.

Lose weight. Exercise more. Eat healthier. Spend more time with family. Spend less time with family. Get organized. Be kinder to yourself. Be more determined. Ah yes, New Year’s resolutions. Surveys suggest 30 to 40 percent of us make them – a desire for self-improvement…an inspiration. Unfortunately, those same surveys demonstrate the vast majority of those who make one, fail to see it through. 

Thinking about decking the driveway with a new set of wheels this holiday season? Or resolving to improve your ride in the New Year? OMVIC would like to gift you with some great holiday car buying tips. 

Thinking about decking the driveway with a new set of wheels this holiday season? Before you go dashing all the way to the dealership or checking out the nice and naughty list in the online car classifieds, find out if you’re a Dasher, or Blitzen? Take OMVIC’s ‘smart’ car buyer quiz to find out:

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall…the “458 Italia Speciale?”

Rumours swirling around the North Pole claim Santa Claus is considering trading in his trusty team of reindeer for a 597 horsepower “black prancing stallion”. According to the elvish grapevine, the Ferrari’s front and rear movable flaps cut drag and its side slip angle control are better able to tackle unpredictable equatorial cross-winds. An elf at S.L.E.D. (Santa’s Lead Engineering Department), who wants to remain anonymous, described the current sleigh as having the aerodynamics of a “flat-sided igloo”.

All-In Price Advertising is the law in Ontario. If an OMVIC-Registered Dealer advertises a price for a vehicle (new or used), that price must include ALL fees and charges the Dealer intends to collect – minus the licensing fee and HST.

However, as with many rules in life, there are exceptions.