so looks like i'm going to have to take the plunge and buy a new car after the hand me downs/used cars i've been able to use are just about to kick the bucket. i have no idea about anything with cars....never been a car person. guess i just have some general questions, i know people will have varying opinions but curious about a few things: 1. whats the best brand (generally) thats going to hold up the longest and with minimal repairs over the course of its life? for instance i believe i heard years ago that honda tends to be pretty damn durable. cars that will just chug along for years without too many major headaches (again generally. i know there are exceptions) 2. is the general thought that buying a car outright is the smarter play than leasing? leasing means you'll pay more over time correct? some of you may have questions like: whats my budget, what type of car am i looking to get. etc. on those i'm not too sure quite yet...i do think i want something with AWD...i'm thinking probably some kind of 4 door midsize sedan. definitely don't need a truck, i'm open to jeeps/cross over/utility type vehicle. whats everyone got? any and all info welcome...past experiences with brands/cars...likes/dislikes. let me hear it. i'm all ears. brand new to it all so i'll read everything. thanks, fam.
Buy 1 year used. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. I always buy 1 year lightly used, even on the Jag. That one alone saved me $20K, no lie.
If you buy new, I copied and pasted one of my replies from a thread from a long time ago: 1. You need to understand the concepts of "invoice" price, "MSRP", and "hold back". The "Invoice" is basically the wholesale cost of the car to the dealership. The manufacturers actually pay a percentage (usually of invoice) to the dealers to move a car (this is the "Hold Back"). That is why when dealerships sell you a car at "invoice" they are still making money on their "Hold Back". Knowing that they get a hold back means you really know what they are making on a car. Keep in mind "invoice" is NOT the MSRP on the sticker. That is the over-inflated suggested retail price. 2. Try to have good financing before you walk in. Many times credit unions knock the socks off of manufacturers or banks' interest rates if you have one available. 3. Rebates or dealer incentives are from the Manufacturer directly, not the dealership. Don't let them keep you rebate or incentive. Most dealers should be happy to sell you a car around invoice plus knock off the rebates. If they tell you that they can't, walk out. That's money between you and the manufacturer and the dealer is going to try to take a piece of it. Also, there are often rebates that you may not know about (farmer credit, military service, etc.) Make sure you ask and get all applicable rebates from the manufacturer. Dealerships will often not tell you that the rebates stack and try to keep them for themselves. 4. Be prepared to NOT trade in your car unless you really have to. Get a KBB instant cash offer (be very honest in the detailed assessment.) This is a good starting point and often the dealership will match it if its decent. However, remember that sales tax is calculated in the POST trade in price reduction, so if they are within a couple hundred bucks, its usually a wash. 5. Always negotiate the out the door sales price, then trade in. Don't let them try to confuse you with monthly payment numbers, or negotiate well on the sales price and nail you on your trade in. Think of them as separate transactions. 6. Finally, ask about every item on the sales order. There are often "vehicle ready fees" that are just cash to wash your car and put gas in it. The salesman will often tell you its part of his commission. Its not, don't pay it. There are often document fees of anywhere from $100 to $300. These are NOT required fees, they are admin fees the dealer is passing to you. Strangely, these are often non-negotiable and even Edmunds will tell you its often not worth fighting over unless there are duplicate doc fees. Sometimes you can get them to knock it off, but it is rare. Don't fall for VIN etching fees, stain treatment fees, etc. Question every line, they'll often try to mix their fees in with the actual Tax, Title, and License fees. 7. Many dealerships require you to sign an arbitration agreement waiving your right to sue. Ask about this up front. If you are not comfortable with this, don't deal with that dealership. More and more dealerships are doing this and it is often non-negotiable. 8. If you have financing already, or are paying cash, they are NOT required to run your credit. They often will still try and outright lie to you that it is a Homeland Security requirement. This is a lie and if you don't want them to run your credit, leave. 9. If you want to save headaches, often you can get supplier pricing through employers etc. Add in your rebates and that is usually your price. Supplier pricing is usually invoice or 1% below invoice. You could theoretically negotiate a better deal, but often only a couple hundred bucks more, and its sometimes not worth the trouble. If you have a Costco membership, their Costco pricing for car purchases tend to be the same as supplier price. It is a good option, and you won't be getting screwed. 10. Supply and demand still matters. If its a new, hot model, less likely to negotiate down. Makes things like supplier pricing more valuable.
Definitely. Only smart thing he's ever said, but sound advice nonetheless. Considering the research you can do on the previous owner using modern social media + warranties it's a no-brainer.
To add to this, besides that Ziggy is a liar... Take your trade in car to Carmax and get their appraisal as to what they will give you for your car. Do not show this to them until the dealer tells you what they are willing to offer on your trade in. They can't fight that one, and if they do and you really want the car at the dealer you can go back to Carmax within a certain period of time and sell them your car at their appraised value.
This, Have been driving these for decades and they never break down on you, almost no repair cost other than breaks, tires etc.
Carfax has a car section. There are too many scammers on craigslist. Latest trend scam is buying and rewinding the odometer without ever changing the title's car so you don't know who to trace it to.
I went to a dealership recently. They seem to think the most important considerations are the color and the options.
Something I considered when I got my car was the age of the model within its generation. I bought the last year (2007) of the 7th generation Honda Accord (2003-2007). Definitely less bells and whistles than the 2008 model (first of its generation) but mine has had zero mechanical problems. I'd like to think it's because they worked out all the problems in the earlier models but it very well could be because hondas never freaking break down.
Find out the absolute max loan a bank will give you. Buy the best Tesla under that amount. Sign up for Uber. Make insane amounts of cash with Uber, paying off your car note in no time at all.
Honda and Toyota are the go to manufacturers for reliability, IMO. @Supermac34 has a pretty spot on list. One thing to add is, you can do a lot of research on invoice VS MSRP VS hold back on a website like edmunds. Also, last time I bought a car, I figured out what I wanted beforehand (went and test drove, letting them know I'm just looking and then did research on the one I liked later) and knew the price I'd be willing to pay. Should definitely know what a "fair" price is (whether it be invoice or slightly higher if a new model). You can also e-mail all of your local dealers' sales departments and see if you can get a bidding war going. I kept going back and forth to two dealers until they stopped matching.
To add to this discussion, here's my advice on buying cars. You CAN get great deals on brand new cars, in fact, even better deals than 1-2 year old cars if you wait for the right time. The best bargain for new cars come at the end of the year when dealers try to clear out inventory for next year's model. If you can, wait until October-November. Find a bunch of dealers online and just email them. They all do emails now. Ask them you want the 2017 model and how much is the "out the door" price. Some might give you a good price and some might play the game. Trust me, once you email them, they'll keep your contact. Those who want to play the game, will usually get back to you in a day or two, with a really sweet deal. When I bought my 2015 Honda Civic, I emailed this dealer asking for a 1-3 year old used. They wouldn't budge on the price and stayed with $15-16k. However, two days later, they said they're selling brand new 2015 Civics for $13,600 because they need to clear out inventory. I'm like SWEET! JACKPOT! So yes, use emails to ask around. Wait until October-November to get the best deals.
Anything Japanese will have good reliability. Generally, anything used 1-2 years will have the best value, but compare those with the new. Some brands don't have much depreciation and it's worth the peace of mind to get new. Just read OP. Something reliable, AWD. Get a Subaru Impreza or Legacy. Subarus don't depreciate much so get a new one.
Also, be willing to take your time, and also if you're negotiating in person, don't be afraid to do the "walk out". They'll call you later, no doubt.
Some random points when you consider purchasing a car: V6 in general are harder to maintain. Annoying cutting corners like transmission without Dipstick or CVT are disposable European makers can't get sensor/solenoid to function properly Toyota are cheap with options Honda are cheap with underneath coating and guards Blindspots/internal space coolant capacity for a/c Electronic assisted steering is costly down the road
