Airbullard, you should try texasdirectauto. Just be extra careful on making sure you check the carfax because some of the vehicles have been in a few accidents
Another reason why I have been hesitant to buy a used car. There's always the risk of buying something that's been in someone else's hands.. For an investment like a car, I'd rather get something new.
You can get a used car that's a year or 2 old and still have a good portion of the warranty left. That way if there is anything immediately wrong with it then you're covered.
I disagree with boring. My Accord is nice ..fully loaded black on black leather. Love that car..and of course its good on gas and very dependable.
Given your new input I'd still say give the barely used car market a quick chance where the car is still under warranty. I know you are time crunched so if that fails, then I totally agree with spending the least to get the most on a new car. And I think Ford or Hyundai will give you that - with Hyundai having the longer warranty. You can pit them against each other and tack on the cost of the better Ford warranty if you want to sleep better and compare apples to apples though extended warranties are usually not a good deal. When shopping for new cars, see if you can have someone with a USAA membership tell you what you should be paying. If they know you are serious (you are in a rental) and since you have cash, it should be a easy deal with easy money for them so they shouldn't expect much profit IMO. But be firm on the price. Ok go up $100 or so because it's not worth the hassle but don't cave. Oh and stepping down is an adjustment. Some things might be a deal breaker for me but not for you...and visa-versa. Know what those deal breakers items are (pw, pl, keyless, leather, heated seats, navigation, etc) and find that car. You don't want to get something you aren't happy with, but if you are the only driver of the car, memory seats may not matter much to you.
I would definitely look at the Altimas. I bought a 2011 2.5S earlier this year, and it is by far the best car I have ever driven. Between handling, looks, and gas mileage you will be hard pressed to find anything better, especially in the price range you are looking at.
I'll be the first to go way out on a limb and say that Ford is better looking (in those pictures) than probably 90% of the vehicles today. Heck, it's better looking than the new NSX.
wow the 2013 fusion does look good. I bought a Corolla S 2 weeks ago for a great price+ near nothing interest...I kinda wanted to wait for the Prius C, but decided I had to get something now ... I had to get a family-ish car due to kids..The ones in the running were Corolla S Ford Fusion Kia Optima All 3 looks nice, but chose Toyota based on price. After the Corolla gets passed to the kids, I'll reassess what I want.
we bought an altima last year..and the drive quality..and the feel inside of the car is subpar. only plus is that it gets 30mpg. considering we spend 23500+ttl on it..we should have just went with a fusion or a camry (we already had 2 camrys at that time).
Seems like US manufacturers finally figured out that the Euro Style works even here in the US...these lines have been used in Europe for quite a while.. I think the Ford Mondeo has the same lines
Yup. I had the power steering recall done. They have to fix recalls. I would've called Acura services and b****ed that the dealership wasn't responsive. Was the whistling more like a loud buzz? If so, it's probably weather stripping/rubber that tore. That happened to me and it was really loud at 60+ mph. I thought the car was going to fly apart or something. I finally found it and just snipped it. No more sound. But if your sound was really a whistle, I'm not sure what that is.
I saw pics of the Ford Fusion from the N.A. Auto Show in Detroit and thought it looked great. Kind of like "Aston Martin meets Kia". lol. Dare I say, I may be looking at a Ford for my next car?! :grin: I just need some proof or a track record that these suckers run fairly trouble-free for 150,000+ miles.
I got a certified pre owned Audi A4 turbo, loaded, 6 speed (rare) for 22k last year. Then put some black and chrome 19's on her. Good car, 35ish miles per gallon, turbo, fun to drive, etc..