[bmorton]

Buying new from the US makes the most sense when the car you're buying was made in the US, to avoid duty. Since the RAV4 is made in Japan that's an extra cost to be paid when you import it. Probably not worthwhile. Lots of dealers are giving good discounts on the RAV4, so shop around or hone your negotiating skills. 8)

 

[bmorton]

The key seems to be "built to US standards" and not "built in the US". Don't take my word for it, that's simply my interpretation.

That's the key from a safety standards point of view, but when it comes to import duty, it matters where it was assembled. You won't pay duty on a Kentucky-built Camry, but you will on a Japan-built RAV4. As was mentioned above, this issue will go away when the RAV4 is assembled in Canada.