How to choose and buy a car

[Kacey]

For those who don't know, I was the "hit" end of a hit-and-run last night. My car is over 12 years old (purchased new) and I had been planning to replace it in the next 1-3 years... which has now become the next 1-2 months, at the outside, as the damage is primarily cosmetic (rear bumper, driver's side rear quarter panel, rear center panel, trunk, trunk floor, and driver's side tail light assembly - that's the "non-cosmetic" part; my left turn signal doesn't work); given the age of the car, repairs would come to far more than the value of the car... so the decision of when to buy a new car has now been made. I would much prefer a new car; I've had bad experiences with used cars, and as you can see, I will drive my next car, as I did this one, until it's no longer driveable - and I believe in scheduled maintenance - my old car is still getting 30 mpg (rated 32/36 12 years ago when new).

I'm looking at the small end of SUVs - like the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda Tribute, in that size and price range. Anyone have any suggestions, feedback, etc.? I do have the current Consumer Reports, which is the car issue - the librarian at my school loaned me her copy - but I'm also interested in feedback from anyone with personal experience with cars in that range.

Any useful ideas - especially personal experiences with particular brands/models - appreciated.

 

[Jade Tigress]

For those who don't know, I was the "hit" end of a hit-and-run last night. My car is over 12 years old (purchased new) and I had been planning to replace it in the next 1-3 years... which has now become the next 1-2 months, at the outside, as the damage is primarily cosmetic (rear bumper, driver's side rear quarter panel, rear center panel, trunk, trunk floor, and driver's side tail light assembly - that's the "non-cosmetic" part; my left turn signal doesn't work); given the age of the car, repairs would come to far more than the value of the car... so the decision of when to buy a new car has now been made. I would much prefer a new car; I've had bad experiences with used cars, and as you can see, I will drive my next car, as I did this one, until it's no longer driveable - and I believe in scheduled maintenance - my old car is still getting 30 mpg (rated 32/36 12 years ago when new).

I'm looking at the small end of SUVs - like the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda Tribute, in that size and price range. Anyone have any suggestions, feedback, etc.? I do have the current Consumer Reports, which is the car issue - the librarian at my school loaned me her copy - but I'm also interested in feedback from anyone with personal experience with cars in that range.

Any useful ideas - especially personal experiences with particular brands/models - appreciated.

Sorry to hear that Kacey. I must have missed it elsewhere. Glad you are ok. FWIW I'd go with Toyota over Mazda. Also check out edmunds.com. Good luck and have fun car shopping!

 

[michaeledward]

I think the RAV4 is awfully pricey for what it is. Toyota does, however, make the best cars on the road.

I think Mazda tends to give you a lot more for the money. I don't know why they are priced so well, but compartively, they seem to have bigger bang for the buck.

The one thing I will recommend, is when you get down to your last two choices (or three) ... see if you can find one to rent for a few days. It will well be worth the investment.

I'm driving an '06 Wrangler now. Compared to my '94 Wrangler, there is much less room on my left side while driving. The Door trim panel is too high to drive comfortably with the left hand on the wheel ... my elbow is either too high or too low. Also, my left leg doesn't fit well. When I test drove the car before buying, I didn't notice this stuff.

Good luck.

 

[Carol]

I'm a committed Honda driver. The Hondas that I've owned or family members have owned have gone forever without needing a single repair other than brakes and tires. I drive the small SUV. My CR-V is still on its original brakes after 3.5 years and 60,000 miles. They are the most reliable cars I've ever driven. Other than preventive maintenance and one set of tires, it hasn't needed to see the repair shop at all. Which...given that I'm single, live alone, work weird hours, and need to plan maintenance visits well in advance so I can arrange my rides...is VERY important.

Upsides: the the CR-Vs are reliable as heck. It's a car you never have to worry about. Turn the key and it runs beautifully. They are a breeze to maneuver and park. Honda now makes them with a timing chain instead of a timing belt so GONE is the aggrevating new-timing-belt-at-100K repair. It holds its value better than anything I've seen (although the Toyotas are a very close second) and most of my friends that have driven with me have complimented me on how much they like it.

Downsides: It's not really suited for off-road use. It has a limited slip differential which means the car glides between Front Wheel Drive and 4WD as conditions merit. Most domestics have a locking differential which means you shift in to and out of 4wd and you typically have your choice of gearing (4wd Hi or 4wd Lo) to match the terrain. It is not elegant of a car. . The "everything you need and nothing you don't" styling to the car and the interior gives it an austere feel. Also in mine, the stereo is pretty bad.

Bottom line, I love mine and if I were had to buy another vehicle right now, I'd buy another CR-V without hesitation.

 

[Shuto]

I'll repeat Jade Tigress's recommendation to use Edmonds.com. I used them when I purchased my last two cars and I found them to be a useful tool for gathering information about features and price. It's a great way to do some initial comparisons and I felt very confident about pricing when I finally approached a dealer.

Good luck!

 

[tellner]

The Comsumer Reports buying guide for cars for 2007 is out. Their advice is independent and usually very good. For ten bucks extra you can buy an in depth report on the vehicle you are considering. That's how I chose my current car (Honda Fit), and it turns out to have been excellent counsel.

 

[Ninjamom]

If you have the CR on cars, then you are looking in the right place. If you know someone who is military or ex-military, try to get the USAA Car buyer's guide and info - they will provide you a packet on whatever cars you are considering, that will include all sorts of useful information, like safety rating, added/reduced insurance costs, average repair/maintenance costs, etc. They can also provide information on the actual costs to the dealer, so that when it's time to deal, you already know what the dealer's 'bottom line' is.

Also, I recommend you think about what you want to do with the vehicle and where you will use it. You can spend scads of $$$ on a 4WD, but if you have no need/intention of off-road use, why?

Lastly, I hate to say this, but.....bring a guy. Sad fact of life, but many car dealers will see a female alone buying a car and take that as a green light to take advantage of you. There's something about bringing some extra testosterone along that seems to reduce or preclude this.

PS: really sorry about your mishap. Glad you're OK. Hope they nail the guy!

 

[MA-Caver]

Ahhh, get an H-3... nobody would DARE hit one of those...

 

[Flying Crane]

I've got a Pontiac Vibe, first model year, 2003 I think, we've had no problems with it. It's just a 4 cylinder, but works well for us. We can drop the back seats flat and there is plenty of room for two full sets of cold water scuba gear that we haul in a couple of big plastic tubs, we've even crammed in a third set with a third person, but that was really tight.

They get something like 34 or 36 mpg in the standard model, and I think it cost us about $15k or so. We actually got the bare-bones model, no power windows or anything, manual transmission. You can get the GT which still has a 4 cylinder, but they beefed it up a little I think, it accelerates a bit faster but we haven't really felt any problems with ours. The only time it really felt sluggish was when I had 5 adults in it. I had to pedal a little harder then...

By the way, the Pontiac Vibe is the same car as the Toyota Matrix. They are actually manufactured jointly by the two companies in the same factory. They put some slightly different styling on them and sell them under different name, but they are the same car underneath.

 

[MJS]

For those who don't know, I was the "hit" end of a hit-and-run last night. My car is over 12 years old (purchased new) and I had been planning to replace it in the next 1-3 years... which has now become the next 1-2 months, at the outside, as the damage is primarily cosmetic (rear bumper, driver's side rear quarter panel, rear center panel, trunk, trunk floor, and driver's side tail light assembly - that's the "non-cosmetic" part; my left turn signal doesn't work); given the age of the car, repairs would come to far more than the value of the car... so the decision of when to buy a new car has now been made. I would much prefer a new car; I've had bad experiences with used cars, and as you can see, I will drive my next car, as I did this one, until it's no longer driveable - and I believe in scheduled maintenance - my old car is still getting 30 mpg (rated 32/36 12 years ago when new).

I'm looking at the small end of SUVs - like the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda Tribute, in that size and price range. Anyone have any suggestions, feedback, etc.? I do have the current Consumer Reports, which is the car issue - the librarian at my school loaned me her copy - but I'm also interested in feedback from anyone with personal experience with cars in that range.

Any useful ideas - especially personal experiences with particular brands/models - appreciated.

I have a Mazda Tribute. Bought it new in '03. Good on gas, lots of room, fully loaded and its great in the snow. Haven't had any issues with it since I've had it. A girl that lives nearby has a new Rav4. She had an older one, which appeared to be much smaller than this one. I havent heard her say anything bad about it.

IMO, if you're looking for a reliable 4wd suv, those are 2 great picks!

Mike

 

[michaeledward]

Another thought here ...

Although it doesn't seem like it when you are talking about a $20,000.00 purchase (or more), buying a car is like buying any other commodity. Think of it like buying a gallon of milk.

Honestly, I bought my 2002 Mazda MPV online. We found the equipment we wanted. Online, we were able to view the dealer's inventories in Concord, NH - Nashua, NH - and Danvers, MA. All three dealers had acceptable models and options on their lots. I sent an email to each of the three asking for confirmation of the vehicles on the property. I told them I was interested in making a decision soon.

The guy in Danvers sent back an email saying if I could purchase the car by the end of the month, he would sell it at $300.00 over invoice. In a usual dealership, that is probably better than I would have been able to negotiate myself - I'm not a very good negotiator.

We went to the dealership, looked at the car, and filled out a zero percent financing application, and took delivery the next morning. We did not drive the car we purchased. We had test driven one earlier in the process. I spent less than one hour in the dealership. The Salesperson delivered the car to me.



You can find all of the dealer costs online; for every trim level and every option. You can know what the dealer invoice is before you speak to a salesperson. Also check the availability of the current rebates. Be sure your are negotiating with all the numbers in mind.

Many dealers will show you the invoice for the vehicle they are selling. For example, my Mazda had a retail of $26,630.00 and an invoice of 24,395.00. I bought it at $300.00 over invoice. But the dealer also gets something called 'holdback' - which is another 1 to 2 % of the invoice price. Regardless of how good a deal they tell you you are getting, they are making their money.

Good Luck, again.

 

[fireman00]

Nissan Xterra - i was a die-hard Jeep fan until I tried the X and I'm loving it! room, power, ok gas mileage and everything you need - nothing you don't.

 

[Kacey]

Thanks... I'm going to do some more research this weekend, and then start test-driving on Monday (it's almost Spring Break - YAY!!!!); after I narrow it down to 1 or 2, I'm going to rent one for a couple of days and see - I figure it's worth the cost to drive it a couple days before I buy and see if I really like it.

 

[Kacey]

Thanks again for the advice - After research (Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, manufacturer websites, personal opinions) I'm going to go with the Toyota RAV4 - I'm going to fill out the paperwork tomorrow!

And by the way... for those who have warehouse memberships - I got the best deal by calling Costco; they came in $2000 under MSRP from the national website, about $500 over invoice, which is not at all bad, considering that's about $4000 under the sticker price I saw at the lot.

 

[bydand]

Thanks again for the advice - After research (Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, manufacturer websites, personal opinions) I'm going to go with the Toyota RAV4 - I'm going to fill out the paperwork tomorrow!

And by the way... for those who have warehouse memberships - I got the best deal by calling Costco; they came in $2000 under MSRP from the national website, about $500 over invoice, which is not at all bad, considering that's about $4000 under the sticker price I saw at the lot.

Congratulation on finding a new ride. The Toyota's I have had anything to do with just keep on going, and going. Like the old Timex ads: Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Good deal on the price as well.

 

[MJS]

Congrats on the new SUV!!!!:ultracool