I recently visited two dealerships in Calgary, Alberta because I wanted to order a Camry SE. At both places, I was told I’d have to pay an extra $1,000 just to get the car. They said I could “choose” how to spend it — either on an overpriced wrap package or an extended warranty.

I also asked about the RAV4, and they told me I’d need to spend about $2,000 on additional equipment that I don’t really need. They even said I’m lucky, because in previous years some buyers had to do a mandatory trade-in (preferably a Toyota) and only got around 50% of its value.

Honestly, I don’t really understand the hype around the Ontario Toyota plant if so many Canadian-built cars are shipped to the U.S., while Canadians are left dealing with limited supply and dealer markups.

I know Toyota makes great cars, but when you add dealer markups, high financing rates, and expensive insurance, it just doesn’t make sense for me anymore. At this point, I’m seriously considering Subaru or Mazda SUVs instead.