Buy a new car in Anchorage or lower 48? (sales, buying)

[lazysunday]

If we were moving to Anchorage and needed to purchase a new car anyway,
should this be done before coming up to Anchorage or is it better to
buy one in Anchorage (no sales tax??)?
Thanks.

[warptman]

Where are you moving up from? Drive the Alcan!

[flu189]

Before I left Anchorage four years ago to move back east I bought both a new Subaru and a Ford F150 and we drove them out of state. I actually got good deals on them which saved me some money versus having waited to buy them once I moved. Unfortunately, moving from Ak to tax state you will get nailed when you title/register the vehicle, but moving to AK it is an incentive to avoid sales tax. Of course I don't know what deals the auto places in Ak are offering now, but would have to assume with the economy being what it is you could still do better money wise by buying there.

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by flu189

Before I left Anchorage four years ago to move back east I bought both a new Subaru and a Ford F150 and we drove them out of state. I actually got good deals on them which saved me some money versus having waited to buy them once I moved. Unfortunately, moving from Ak to tax state you will get nailed when you title/register the vehicle, but moving to AK it is an incentive to avoid sales tax. Of course I don't know what deals the auto places in Ak are offering now, but would have to assume with the economy being what it is you could still do better money wise by buying there.

Just wondering here, how do you like Vermont? It is a beautiful State.

[Jonotastic]

It depends on the specific car. We were looking to buy a Porsche Cayenne and the stock is very limited in Alaska...thus a lot more expensive and less choice. If you are looking for a Ford or Chevy, wait until you come to Alaska.

[Chilkoot]

If you're coming up to check it out before you actually move you can get an address and an Alaska Driver's license and then you could purchase the vehicle before you come up as an Alaska resident and avoid the tax. Washington State allowed that when I purchased my truck.

[lazysunday]

Probably will look for a Jeep. The move will be probably from the Atlanta-area.

Chilkoot thanks for the info. I didn't know that you could do that with the sales tax. I guess the answer is if the car is
not hard to find in Anchorage, purchase it in Anchorage? Otherwise, Washington state w/ AK license sounds like a good
idea if it saves you a lot of money even after doing the Alcan

[akck]

One thing to keep in mind when purchasing locally in Alaska is shipping costs. When we purchased our last two cars locally, we subtracted $600-$800, the cost of shipping, off the local price for comparison to the lower 48 prices. Lower 48 prices would have to be several $100s lower for us to consider it.