Car buying tips

[steve2112]

When we were looking for a [used] car last month, it was more reasonable to buy a newer Civic as it would have only costed a few grand more than a 2-3 year old Civic. Can't remember what the numbers were, but I think it was $17-18k for a used Civic but $21-22k for a new one. So I guess it depends on what car it is ... but regardless it is surprisingly true sometimes.

OP i think you should consider a used Suburu if you aren't in a rush. Used cars really aren't that bad sometimes. But if it's like the case with the Civic where which a newer one will only cost you a little more, then I'd just go with a newer one.

That's what I was saying. With the increase in demand for used vehicles, the prices have also gone up. Normally, I would never touch a brand new vehicle, but sometimes it makes sense. A few years ago, when GM was offering their employee pricing, a friend of mine was able to buy a brand new Chevy truck for cheaper than a 2 year old used model he had been looking at. Incentives on new cars may end up making it cheaper. Also, if there is a major upgrade for the new models, it may be worth it. In your case, the 2012 Civic has an improved drivetrain that may make it worth it. Another example is the Ford Focus. The 2012 Focus is a totally different car than the 2011 model, and is much better.

 

[jsm4182]

Thanks for all the help. This weekend I bought a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. I'm very happy with the car and the deal I got on it.

 

[steve2112]

Thanks for all the help. This weekend I bought a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. I'm very happy with the car and the deal I got on it.

Congrats! The new Elantras are sweet. I think the Hyundai styling theme works better on the Elantra than the Sonata, and I was really surprised how roomy they are on the inside. My biggest gripe is that you can only get a manual transmission on the base model, and you can't even get alloy wheels or any of the other cool options on that model.

 

[jsm4182]

Congrats! The new Elantras are sweet. I think the Hyundai styling theme works better on the Elantra than the Sonata, and I was really surprised how roomy they are on the inside. My biggest gripe is that you can only get a manual transmission on the base model, and you can't even get alloy wheels or any of the other cool options on that model.

The Hyundai package options are great on the automatics, not so great on the manuals.

Mine is the GLS automatic with the package that includes alloy wheels, fog lights and bluetooth, plus the upgraded mirror with the auto dimmer and homelink.

 

[senseless]

Subaru would have been an excellent choice too. Their AWD is the best and most reliable. Plus, their driving dog commercials are awesome!

 

[iJohnHenry]

These are some tips regarding buy a new car.

Conduct a Thorough Inspection of the Vehicle.

Get a Vehicle History Report.

Don't buy a car without a test drive.

Never mind that, tell us more about cheap scooters.

 

[Gregg2]

Subaru would have been an excellent choice too. Their AWD is the best and most reliable.

I've posted this somewhere, sorry if it was in this thread, but...

AWD cars can cost you money on tires. If you have to replace a tire, you are pretty much forced to replace all 4 tires. If you don't the AWD monitoring system will try to compensate for what it perceives as a traction problem. This will burn out the AWD system, causing the need to replace it. Tires are cheaper.

 

[dukebound85]

I've posted this somewhere, sorry if it was in this thread, but...

AWD cars can cost you money on tires. If you have to replace a tire, you are pretty much forced to replace all 4 tires. If you don't the AWD monitoring system will try to compensate for what it perceives as a traction problem. This will burn out the AWD system, causing the need to replace it. Tires are cheaper.

True

I went from a 1990 celica to a brand new 2011 Impreza Last July. Whereas in the past, I would be scared of driving in the snow/going boarding up I70 in the celica for fear of losing control and getting stuck (got stuck sooooo many times) that when I had the Impreza, I felt like I was in a snowmobile

I intentionally drove in deep snow and never once had issues where the celica would have been stuck off the back

Love it. AWD is worth it to me

 

[ugahairydawgs]

Best advice I can give you is to not fall in love with anything. You do that and your ability to walk away from a bad deal starts to go down. Keep everything in any potential deal at arms length and be practical about what you can afford.

Outside of that....buy used, don't buy more car than you need, and don't get caught up in the sales guy telling you that 1.) he isn't making hardly anything on this deal and 2.) if you try to sleep on it someone else may walk in there to buy it. Both may be true, but neither are a good reason to jump into anything before you're ready.