A trade war between the U.S. and Canada could drive up the cost of buying a car. Here's what buyers need to know.

If you are even remotely considering buying a new car in the near future, it's time to be fully aware of what is going on in the world. The now fully engaged trade war between the United States and Canada could have an impact on several brands. 

The car market has been on edge for a while, and prices for both new and used cars have been climbing. In the last week, the heat got turned up to high. 

One of the reasons is that tariffs have been an undercurrent in the car sales world since the first wave hit in the spring of last year. 

"It didn't affect the sticker price by 15% because the automakers and dealers absorb as much of it as they can, but they can't do that forever," explained Kelley Blue Book Managing Editor Sean Tucker. 

Tucker said that Kelley Blue Book is watching the U.S.-Canada trade war very carefully to know what this will mean for the consumer. 

"When a tariff hits, we do see prices go up, but it can take months for that to actually start to show up on the sticker," he said. 

The threatened 50% tariffs on Canadian auto parts and Canadian-assembled cars and trucks are slated to take effect on Jan. 1. 

"It's really an average of 75 days or so before the price at the border becomes the price at the dealership," Tucker said. 

According to Tucker, the types of vehicles that will feel the most sticker shock from this trade war are full-sized trucks, which are among the best-selling vehicles in the United States. 

Beyond Chevy Silverados and their trucking cousins, other popular models such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V contain a lot of Canadian parts, so buyers will need to be aware of that fact. 

"The CR-V is built in the United States and in Canada, and certainly dealers order from both factories; some of them will be tariffed, and some of them will not," he said. 

So, with the proposed tariffs not hitting the sticker until perhaps March or April, it prompts the question: should I buy now or do I wait? 

"I would say actually buy now," Tucker said. 

Tucker based that on the fact that prices are already climbing, and with the latest tariffs, should they happen, they will hit in a few months, and that will further drive prices up. 

While Tucker couldn't put a specific number on how much prices are expected to increase, he said to expect it to be in the thousands. He said the first wave of tariffs, which were about 15%, increased the average vehicle cost by about $1,600 for North American-produced vehicles, and $8,000 for those built in Europe.