Canadian car buying tariffs are reshaping which vehicles are actually worth the money this year, and the answer isn’t always the one buyers expect. Automotive journalist Lorraine Sommerfeld lays out which cars are genuinely built here, how to check a VIN in under a minute, and what that means before you sign anything.
Days-on-lot numbers reveal where the real leverage sits. Cadillacs are moving in about three weeks while big trucks and SUVs can sit for four months or more, and that gap is exactly where negotiating room lives. The used market isn’t offering much cover either, with prices still elevated since 2021 and industry data pointing to 2027 before real easing shows up.
Long-term financing is quietly changing what ownership looks like too, with eight and nine year loans keeping payments in a budget long after the warranty runs out. This one lays out how to avoid getting stuck underwater, and why the smaller, simpler option might be the safer bet right now.
Topics: Canadian-made cars, car tariffs, used car market, car loans, negotiating car prices
GUEST: Lorraine Sommerfeld | http://driving.ca
Originally aired on2026-07-06
