Documenting My Journey to Buy a Grenadier in Canada

[Lexx]

We split our time between NorCal and Vancouver, B.C. My wife is from Vancouver and our kids are dual citizens. So we're up there during the major week long holiday breaks and all summer long. I hope to buy a Grenny by the time we return to BC this summer. There's a LOT to explore in the PNW. Is it easy (or even possible) to toggle the speedo between MPH and KmPH? It's easy enough to do the mental math but it's way easier to just glance at the speedo.

 

[Dogwood]

We split our time between NorCal and Vancouver, B.C. My wife is from Vancouver and our kids are dual citizens. So we're up there during the major week long holiday breaks and all summer long. I hope to buy a Grenny by the time we return to BC this summer. There's a LOT to explore in the PNW. Is it easy (or even possible) to toggle the speedo between MPH and KmPH? It's easy enough to do the mental math but it's way easier to just glance at the speedo.

Apparently it’s not possible to toggle the speedo on US spec vehicles. I would assume Canadian spec are also locked to only display KM/H.

And yes, the PNW has so much to explore! My Xterra has 260,000km on the odo, so she’s certainly getting long in the tooth. And more importantly I’ve lost a degree of confidence about taking her up logging roads. If something serious broke on my Xterra 50km up a logging road, then it makes for a very long walk back to civilization. Hence the desire to acquire a Grenny!

 

[Dogwood]

I love Vancouver, BC. In fact, headed there this weekend for fun. I do weekend trips several times a year to get out of dodge. Such an incredible city.

I use my IG as a daily driver, Erewhon/Equinox, occasional PNW and Joshua Tree visits mobile.

• All I need is the diff locks. Any serious 4x4 comes factory triple locked. Non-negotiable.
• I can't stand sunroofs so safari windows are a deal breaker. They all inevitably leak over time. My current loaner has them and the heat beats down on your noggin and I don't want some corny aftermarket cover.
• I want leather, but the quality is meh so would be fine with cloth.
• I absolutely don't want more ADAS so a 24-25 strongly preferred since that amazingly useless lane change braking feature can't be permanently disabled.
• 17" steelies a must. A $90K USD car that dares to come with tiny steelies in this day and age - . The 18" alloys are ugly af, but if it came with them, remedied easily enough.
• Premium sound would've been nice to have; it def sounds better than without.
• Must be Donny Gray

FWIW, I've come close to dumping my IG because I have vehicle ADD, yet it remains in the stable because of its tank-like feel. IMHO, there's nothing wrong with how it steers or behaves on road bone stock. It's a truck with character and the moment you mess with the original design with aftermarket parts, you sully it and its generous warranty coverage. I love its purity with zero equivocation around who it's supposed to be: Unapologetically, brutally truckish in a 36 month rent-a-car era where even Toyota and Mercedes tapped out with IFS pandering to the North American soccer 'rents who go full steering lock in Costco parking lots as the norm (mechanical sympathy: clueless).

Enough of my soap box action. Enjoy the search! In all my visits, have yet to see an IG in Vancouver.

Totally agree on Vancouver being a beautiful place. I’ve travelled a lot and I can’t think of a place with a more perfect summer. While April 25th might be perfect elsewhere, between May and September in the PNW is basically perfect. Just the right temperature. Not humid. Long days. Stable weather. No bugs.

Regarding your point on the safari windows; You meant I ones that they all eventually leak. Is that a grenadier specific thing, or a limitation of that design of window?

But I’m with you on the ADAS stuff. The 2026 model year with the camera in the rear view mirror is a big red flag. After test driving I can see why a wolf box mirror is a popular upgrade, the stock rear view mirror’s field of view is probably 40% obscured by the cargo door pillar and spare tyre.

There is a nice counter flex to having 17” steelies on an expensive vehicle. I didn’t actually clock that bachelorette number one in my OP actually had 18” alloys. That’s another strike against her. The PNW logging roads will chew up those alloys wheels faster than a chicken hawk in a coop of crippled roosters.

Onward!

 

[Dogwood]

Hey another Canuck! I was looking for new too, used was more in my price range and I happened to find my exact spec in Weissach. Bought it last week and should ship to me (YYC) tomorrow.

So excited, I’ll post when I put hands on. I already have a long list of upgrades I want to add (don’t tell my wife)

Congrats on the purchase. Which one of the inventory did you decide to pick up? That was lucky that they had exactly the configuration you wanted on the lot. And question, if you’re buying from Alberta do you get hit with BC PST? Or do you not have to pay that since they’re shipping to AB?

 

[OkGo]

For U.K. vehicles that’s the case. Not so for US Grenadiers I understand.

Wait... Don't tell me... Weight saving ? They saves 0.001gm by removing the 10 bytes of code

 

[Krabby]

Wait... Don't tell me... Weight saving ? They saves 0.001gm by removing the 10 bytes of code

It's all about fuel economy - every bit counts!

 

[Dogwood]

It's all about fuel economy - every bit counts!

It’s kinda crazy to think that the Grenadier software couldn’t simply geofence the option to adjust KM/H to MPH based on where the vehicle is physically located. It’s not like the truck doesn’t know where it is all the time for things like the ADAS speed limit bing-bong alerts. Honestly as a software guy myself, I’d think it would be simpler to have the option geofenced rather than hard coded based on regulatory market. In one case the software just takes care of itself in the other you’re dealing with code base or configuration forks for each regulatory market. We can only hope that the rise of AI makes software engineering “too cheap to meter” and these types of things go away. Who knows, maybe us posting about this here will eventually spawn an improvement once a swarm of bug fixing AI bots gets deployed with the objective of “make the grenadier’s software suck less”.

 

[landmannnn]

It’s kinda crazy to think that the Grenadier software couldn’t simply geofence the option to adjust KM/H to MPH based on where the vehicle is physically located. It’s not like the truck doesn’t know where it is all the time for things like the ADAS speed limit bing-bong alerts. Honestly as a software guy myself, I’d think it would be simpler to have the option geofenced rather than hard coded based on regulatory market. In one case the software just takes care of itself in the other you’re dealing with code base or configuration forks for each regulatory market. We can only hope that the rise of AI makes software engineering “too cheap to meter” and these types of things go away. Who knows, maybe us posting about this here will eventually spawn an improvement once a swarm of bug fixing AI bots gets deployed with the objective of “make the grenadier’s software suck less”.

I am unaware of any car manufacturers who do this, so wouldn't want Ineos to lead the way. So no thanks.

 

[Krabby]

Are you doubting the software prowess of the IA team?!

 

[Dogwood]

Are you doubting the software prowess of the IA team?!

It's a bit of a pipe dream, but it would be amazing if Ineos decided to open source their software and allowed side loading of custom firmware to run on the infotainment system. I can't help but feel like doing so would match their DIY traditional modifiable brand ethos.

 

[Dogwood]

Question for any and all who've gone down the PPF route... in the Pacific Northwest, the forests grow at a furious rate. Logging roads that get choked with alder within a few years of being cleared as the fast growing deciduous trees grow into the road path to get more light. As a result any PNW backcountry vehicle is going to have "pin stripes" down the sides from branches as it pushes its way through. On my 26 year old Xterra, that's not an issue. But if I'm dropping a fair bit of honk on a new(ish) Grenadier, I'm considering ways I could minimize the damage to the paintwork.

It seems like paint protection film is the gold standard here. And it seems like "thicker = better" when it comes to protection. My reservation is about the cost. I was quoted around $10K CAD for a full wrap on a IG by the dealer trying to sell me bachelorette number one. That's probably on the high side, but PPF installs are a labour intensive process, and Canada isn't a cheap labour market. That sent me down the DIY university of YouTube rabbit hole and I was wondering if anybody has any experience with the BushWraps DIY kit? I see there are also full cover cut DIY kits on AliExpress. Both seem similar in price, although I'd trust the quality of the BushWraps film more than some random kit form AliX. Fortunately the PNW has very low UV and I park underground, so I can probably be tolerant of slightly lower quality film from a UV perspective. I'm more interested in anybody's experience with how hard the install is for DIY PPF on a Grenny?

 

[The_Ick]

I think the install is both easier and harder. The panels are mostly flat which really helps. But all the little pieces on the body have to come off that makes it harder. I finally just decided to skip the PPF and roll the dice. If it gets too scratched up I'll just wrap it a different color down the road.

 

[Braxo]

You could also wrap just portions of the vehicle. If you're worried about the pin striping, then you could do partial front and half doors.

I don't have the front wing checker plates on mine, but was thinking of having some PPF installed on the wings - I can see myself setting my toddlers on there as they grow into kids and such. I did have xpel windshield protection film installed for piece of mind even though I have full glass coverage on my insurance.

 

[Lexx]

PPF along the sides is probably the way to go. I wonder the cost though.

 

[Dogwood]

I received a message from the dealer that was selling bachelorette number one (pictured below since I assume the link may eventually go dead).

The dealer said that the vehicle had sold. I'm not terribly surprised since it was listed for $77,900 CAD ($57,500 USD) and I calculated that it would have retailed (as optioned) for around $116,000 CAD ($85,500 USD).

But remember this lady had a checkered past: there was a $0 collision record on her carfax that the dealer refused tell me anything about. The dealer sent me the following:

Dealer: Due to privacy regulations, we do not have access to any additional details beyond what is available on the vehicle history report.

The dealer's comment about not being able to access or share information due to "privacy regulations" struck me as odd. I'm not a lawyer, but I have a reasonable vibe for how laws and regulations in BC usually come down in terms of protection of privacy vs. consumer protections and what the dealer was saying didn't feel right in terms of how I felt the laws and regulations in BC would have been written. But I've been surprised by how BC law works in the past, so I started researching.

New and used car sales in BC are governed by the BC Motor Dealer Act. The BC Government has delegated the administration of the Motor Dealer Act to a private non-profit regulatory agency called the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC (VSA).

The VSA has an useful Q&A pdf that goes over a dealer's duty to disclose and also a dealer's positive duty to investigate a vehicle's history. Quoting from the PDF:

Q: What do I need to declare?
A: Under the Motor Dealer Act Regulation, you are required to declare damages if the cumulative total is over $2,000. This is in addition to prior vehicle usage, odometer readings and previous registration information.

Q: A vehicle history report shows no details. Do I have an obligation to find out more?
A: Yes. You need to get additional reports or do further research or inspections to identify the nature of the no details report.

This leaves me with somewhat mixed feelings. Part of me feels like maybe the issue with this vehicle was genuinely minor (under $2000) and the sales person was walking the narrow line between not violating the regulations on disclosure and not wanting to disclose some minor damage that might have given me leverage to negotiate on price. But my other thoughts (and the thoughts that dominate) are that this sales person was probably well over the regulatory line by not disclosing and was operating under an "ask for forgiveness if I get caught because it's unlikely that anything bad will happen if I bend the rules" framework.

The more time goes by the more I think it was likely the latter. I've only purchased one vehicle ever (my 2000 Nissan Xterra) and that was 20 years ago and it was a private sale. So I don't have any expectation antibodies / immunity for how used car sales people operate. Obviously there are the memes about "dishonest used car sales guys" but the delta between reality and mimetic humour is often vast, so I'm trying to keep an open mind and not draw general conclusions from small datasets (something humans have a bias against).

In December 2025, Autoblog reported that there are roughly 500 Grenadiers in Canada. This aligns with the 452 vehicles affected by the Transport Canada recall for sticky door handles. Autotrader.ca lists 24 used Grenadiers for sale in Canada, of which 4 (now 3 since Bachelorette Number One is still listed for sale) are in BC. I've checked every one of the other used listing and none of them have the combination of must-haves I'm looking for (front/rear lockers, heated seats, safari windows, and high load aux wiring).

So for now I'm in hurry up and wait mode. That's ok. I'm about to head to Japan for some skiing and then after Japan I'll be visiting Taiwan with my gf to do some foodie stuff (she's not a skier), and then I'll be heading to Bali and Papua for some diving. So I'll be away for over a month. Plenty of time for the market to reset (and for my Xterra's battery to die, I need to remember to disconnect it before I leave on Friday).

 

[abbeyroad]

I received a message from the dealer that was selling bachelorette number one (pictured below since I assume the link may eventually go dead).

View attachment 7921269

The dealer said that the vehicle had sold. I'm not terribly surprised since it was listed for $77,900 CAD ($57,500 USD) and I calculated that it would have retailed (as optioned) for around $116,000 CAD ($85,500 USD).

But remember this lady had a checkered past: there was a $0 collision record on her carfax that the dealer refused tell me anything about. The dealer sent me the following:



The dealer's comment about not being able to access or share information due to "privacy regulations" struck me as odd. I'm not a lawyer, but I have a reasonable vibe for how laws and regulations in BC usually come down in terms of protection of privacy vs. consumer protections and what the dealer was saying didn't feel right in terms of how I felt the laws and regulations in BC would have been written. But I've been surprised by how BC law works in the past, so I started researching.

New and used car sales in BC are governed by the BC Motor Dealer Act. The BC Government has delegated the administration of the Motor Dealer Act to a private non-profit regulatory agency called the Vehicle Sales Authority of BC (VSA).

The VSA has an useful Q&A pdf that goes over a dealer's duty to disclose and also a dealer's positive duty to investigate a vehicle's history. Quoting from the PDF:



This leaves me with somewhat mixed feelings. Part of me feels like maybe the issue with this vehicle was genuinely minor (under $2000) and the sales person was walking the narrow line between not violating the regulations on disclosure and not wanting to disclose some minor damage that might have given me leverage to negotiate on price. But my other thoughts (and the thoughts that dominate) are that this sales person was probably well over the regulatory line by not disclosing and was operating under an "ask for forgiveness if I get caught because it's unlikely that anything bad will happen if I bend the rules" framework.

The more time goes by the more I think it was likely the latter. I've only purchased one vehicle ever (my 2000 Nissan Xterra) and that was 20 years ago and it was a private sale. So I don't have any expectation antibodies / immunity for how used car sales people operate. Obviously there are the memes about "dishonest used car sales guys" but the delta between reality and mimetic humour is often vast, so I'm trying to keep an open mind and not draw general conclusions from small datasets (something humans have a bias against).

In December 2025, Autoblog reported that there are roughly 500 Grenadiers in Canada. This aligns with the 452 vehicles affected by the Transport Canada recall for sticky door handles. Autotrader.ca lists 24 used Grenadiers for sale in Canada, of which 4 (now 3 since Bachelorette Number One is still listed for sale) are in BC. I've checked every one of the other used listing and none of them have the combination of must-haves I'm looking for (front/rear lockers, heated seats, safari windows, and high load aux wiring).

So for now I'm in hurry up and wait mode. That's ok. I'm about to head to Japan for some skiing and then after Japan I'll be visiting Taiwan with my gf to do some foodie stuff (she's not a skier), and then I'll be heading to Bali and Papua for some diving. So I'll be away for over a month. Plenty of time for the market to reset (and for my Xterra's battery to die, I need to remember to disconnect it before I leave on Friday).

Car dealers not being transparent?

Just move on to the next one. lol. Enjoy your vacation. I just got back from a month in Brazil (no Grenadiers spotted not that I gave af).

 

[Lexx]

Anytime you feel the seller is not being transparent ----> RUN!!!
Trust your gut.
There will always be another deal.