Car buying

[Ginger]

I'm not a "car person," so I had to approach buying my car in February of this year as a kind of research project.

I knew I wanted a small, fun, economic car, so I checked the top winners in that category in the US News and World Report as well as Consumer report ratings.

I saw that the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Toyota Scion (I'm not talking about the boxy one), Ford Fiesta and a few others kept showing up at the top of the lists, so I test drove each one.

I also thought I could maybe afford a used Prius or one that's just coming off warranty, so I test drove one of those, as well as others that were out of my price range but I would consider if they were only a couple years old and had the pre-owned warranty.

I made a spreadsheet to compare the basic things that mattered to me: air bags, brakes, drive train, warranty, I forget what else, but you know what I mean.

I also put it out there on my Facebook page and poets from around the country weighed in on what I should get, which was pretty freakin' funny because they say things like, "I just think it looks anemic."

Don't even bother asking poets what kind of car to get.

Anyway, I thought the Fit was loud when you're inside it driving, and driving the Prius I felt like I had been imbedded inside a tank. I liked the interior better on the Toyota but the Hyundai had a better warranty, better brakes, better mileage, and was $1000 cheaper.

So that's what I went with. I still don't know if it was the "best" choice, but it was the best I could do, given what I know.

Good luck!!

[ruffryder]

Great thoughts Tony and Scout! Definitely, if you are getting a car from a dealer check on the warranties and get the best one. I just got a used Focus and I came out with no charge for the warranty. It was included in the sale and just given to me finally after I kept saying no , I dont' want it and I won't pay for it. lol.

Previously I was the new owner of a Kia Sportage and had that for 6 years. 100,000 / 10 year warranty included in that sale. Great cars, Kias. All I ever needed to do with that car was routine oil change and change tires.

[Tony]

I want to add here; again, it's a buyers' market. The warranty is a very important part of the sale. Even tho I'm a mechanic (with over 30 years & damned good at what I do) I won't buy without 100,000 warranty thrown in. I've gotten it on the last 4 vehicles I've bought. No charge. Also negotiated numerous sales for my customers.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by ruffryder

Great thoughts Tony and Scout! Definitely, if you are getting a car from a dealer check on the warranties and get the best one. I just got a used Focus and I came out with no charge for the warranty. It was included in the sale and just given to me finally after I kept saying no , I dont' want it and I won't pay for it. lol.

Previously I was the new owner of a Kia Sportage and had that for 6 years. 100,000 / 10 year warranty included in that sale. Great cars, Kias. All I ever needed to do with that car was routine oil change and change tires.

Yeah the Kia was attractive to me too, not just for the warranty but the look and feel of it.

The only thing I can say about the Hyundai Accent that I got is that I wish the wheels were a little bigger. I forget what they are but the other small cars in that category have slightly larger wheels and look more substantial.

Also, the front bumper is so low, I caught it on a concrete divider and partially ripped it off when the car was less than a week old.

(Embarrassing!!!)

Anyway, a mechanic literally pushed it back on with his bare hands after the Hyundai place told me it would cost at least $1,000 to fix, that I had to replace the bumper (it's plastic—everything is plastic these days—so you can't just bang parts back into shape like you can when they're metal).

Needless to say I didn't go for that fix. And later, a piece of rubber on the inside of the bumper ripped off and it smelled a little bit like rubber burning after I got off the freeway. I noticed the plastic flapping down and took the car to a shop on my block, and the mechanic affixed the bumper in a more permanent way with a bolt or two and they only charged $55. Honestly I didn't even look under there to see what they did.

What can I say. I do the best I can.

[Sachita]

I agree with Tony. I would not buy a 87 fiero I don't care how many times it was rebuilt. Do your research before you do this. Your truck has value because people need them for work and farming. Sell that first, rent for a few weeks and buy yourself a honda if you can find one. I'm a huge ford person. My son bought a ford focus loves it. Mia's mama bought a fusion and is thrill with it. I got an Escape and love it. The financing is really low and so many rebate deals this time of year that you'll get a low payment. By the time you figure what you save in gas and what you'll save in repairs you may find a brand new economy car the cheapest bet yet. When I got my escape after trading in my 250 Cargo van I cried at first. I missed all that room. But when I saw how much gas I was saving I was thrilled. I have so much more freedom now! I take drives, go more places because I can afford the gas. I even put a hitch on it and bought a trailer so I can still carrying my kayaks, get hay, etc.

Don't you have Newfoundlands? You gotta think about how they will fit too.

[Sachita]

Ford is a strong company and not having hand out for bale outs.

[theoddz]

I'm a Dodge lover and I'm on my 4th Dodge truck, a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn (Hemi 5.7L w/ 20 in. rims) Quad Cab. Out of the 4 trucks, only one was bought used......a 1999 Ram, and 3 of the 4 were full sized Rams with one (the first truck) a new '94 Dakota.

One thing I do is to get my financing lined up and pre-authorized from my credit union, which is Navy Federal Credit Union before I ever go in to seriously look at a vehicle. I NEVER let the salesman know what financing I have available, or if I am interested (or not) in their financing, or if I'm going to trade or what I'm prepared to put down, specifically. The great majority of the big money they make on their deals is in the financing and (extended) warranties they sell. I always, always act undecided (read....."poker face") and never give them the impression that I'm anxious or impressed by any of the numbers they throw out, or any vehicle in particular, even if I am. When I find the truck/vehicle I want, I let them know what I am prepared to pay for that truck/vehicle. I always go in to shop fully knowing what the value of these trucks are, both wholesale and retail. I also have a general idea about what the true price is that the dealer paid for that vehicle and I know exactly what my truck is worth.....either if I sell it myself and the trade in value. The actual price of the new vehicle is what I am interested in and NOT what the sticker says, is what I negotiate on. When we get to a "close" price is with negotiating, I THEN tell them what I have to put down in cash and what I need to get for a trade on my truck. Now, don't get me wrong.....I am prepared to give a little, take a little, but I don't let them know what my true high dollar is on the deal. What I'm interested in is their LOW dollar. I never, NEVER shop for a payment amount!!!! These days, with the prices of cars and trucks being what they are, these dealers love to stretch your payment terms out as long as they can, even beyond the length of time that the vehicle "life expectancy" might be. The longer they stretch the payments out, the more interest the buyer pays. I NEVER finance longer than 4 years.....period. If I can't afford a 4 year payment, I don't buy it. Period. No car/truck is worth paying for after it's in the junk yard.

Lastly, I use the "walk away" technique to budge a stubborn salesman into lowering his price. That's what gets them the most and I have ALWAYS had success with this!!! I've literally had salesmen frantically lowering their "low dollar" amounts while I was climbing in to my truck and telling them that I was heading over to a competitor for a better deal. The last salesman I dealt with was almost trying to climb in my driver's side window while talking like an auctioneer to get me to stay and deal!!! I laughed my ass off about it once I got home with my new truck on that one!!! I have always gotten good deals and........

I always pay the vehicle off early.

It's like the parting shot and a testament to my thriftiness (read....TIGHT).

~Theo~

[Ginger]

Oh, Theo made me think of something. If you belong to USAA they have a car buyer's service.

They give you a quote for the make and model you want and dealers in the area that participate in their program give you that price, which is always a little lower than list.