Buying a new car

[BowlingGreenUKGrad]

Hey all, I'm looking into buying a new car in the next 6-8 weeks and could use any input you folks have.

Right now, I'm looking into a small SUV. I'm sort of interested in the Saturn VUE and Honda Element right now, but that's only preliminary. I'm not even 100 percent I want a small SUV. I may go with a midsize SUV, a minivan or even a wagon. Mainly, I'm looking for something bigger. Right now, I'm driving a Toyota Carolla, and it's just not big enough for our two small children (22 months and 4 weeks), by the time I get my wife, the kids, myself and a stroller in the trunk the car is FULL.

I am *not* a car person, so if anyone has any useful info/first-hand knowledge about what makes/models are good and any I should stay away from.

Thanks a bunch.

[capcat]

We bought a Tahoe for the extra space, and I love it, but I wish I would have bought a Honda Pilot for thempg it gets.ThePilot alsohandled like a dream. If the Honda sales person hadn't been so indifferent we would have bought one, but I think I'dignorethat next time around.

[gerntz]

I'd go to Edmunds.com for comparisons & it + Consumer Reports to get details ideas on what to look for. W/o them, on my own I'd overlook even things I'd think important in the long-run that don't come to my head while looking.

If you plan to keep till it dies, either pay cash or get a home equity loan for lowest rates. When did get a zero interest rate promo three years ago so the loan was OK. I hate paying interst on something depreciating.

[surveyor]

Pretty much what we did as well. We used Edmunds to compare reviews of various vehicles, pared the list down to about 3 or 4 suv's and then test drove them all.

Our previous car was paid off in 24 months (1998) so we plowed those payments into savings and used that money to buy new with cash when the time arrived.
Once we winnowed down to 2 models, we checked enthusiast forums for those respective models to guage owner discussion of likes, dislikes, problems, etc.

The NHTSA board website is also useful to check with regard to complaints and recalls.

NHTSA - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/)

Good Luck.

[kentuckykid]

Last fall I moved from a Pathfinder to Honda pilot, couldn't be happier. Pilot is best SUV I have ever owned. Smooth ride and very comfortable seats. I would highly recommend the Honda. You get what you pay for!!

[gerntz]

Agree Pilot is good but bigger than we wanted. Went with Highlander instead. Not disappointed.

[PsychoCat]

We have a Ford Expedition and love it ....has 110k miles on it now and going strong...we havenever had any problems with it....having that 3rd seat option works great

[surveyor]

PsychoCat wrote: We have a Ford Expedition and love it ....has 110k miles on it now and going strong...we havenever had any problems with it....having that 3rd seat option works great

And adding the optional second gas tank extends it's range to a whopping 600 miles `tween fillups, lol.
One thing's for sure, Tahoes, Suburbans, Expeditions, Explorers, etc. should easily be had at or below invoice as long as gas prices remain at or higher than current levels.

[freethrow]

Be sure and do some online shopping. I saved almost $2000 on my last car over what walking into dealers I could get. I bought car and picked up at local dealer. No problem at all with warranty work.

http://www.carmax.com/

http://www.carsdirect.com/home

http://www.cars.com/go/index.jsp

http://www.newcars.com/quote/index.php?detid=1811260&PHPSESSID=38a4422b1de39d3b 902c5afefd2815f3

[RxRusty]

If you like your Corolla and only need a little more room, test drive a Toyota Matrix. It's based on the Corolla body but seems to have a lot more room. It's a cross between a small SUV and a station wagon. I bought one about two years ago and I love it. Mine has a rack on top which is nice. Hard to beat 34 miles per gallon on the highway (around 28 in the city). Sporty looking too.

Have fun looking. That's half the fun.

[CoquieKat]

If you like your Corolla and only need a little more room, test drive a Toyota Matrix. It's based on the Corolla body but seems to have a lot more room. It's a cross between a small SUV and a station wagon. I bought one about two years ago and I love it.
I have a Matrix, too (an '05 XR), and I love it. The benefits of having the storage room of a small SUV, but withbetter gas mileagethan mostmid-sized sedans. I have yet to get less than 30 MPG on a tank of gas. I do a lot of highway driving, though, even in my daily commute. I actually got a Matrix because I liked the fact that even though it was a bit sporty, I wouldn't have to trade it in for something more "practical" come time to start a family in a few years.

DH loves his Tahoe, but yeah, the gas mileage is a killer. On a good day on the highway, 19 MPG. It does come in handy when we have a lot of stuff to haul, though. If you really need storage room more than good gas mileage, it's one to consider. It's proven to be pretty reliable thus far, and it's an '01.

[gerntz]

Tooling aorund in a large vehicle day after day ain't me. Give me something that gets up & goes quickly.

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

I have an 04' Honda Odessey that is incredible, spacious, and worth the 32K it runs for. PS. if you have kids the built in DVD is a must for long trips. :lol:

I test drove an 06' Civic last weekend and leaning towards buying it for myself.

[VirginiaBlue]

You sound like someone who is looking for value (inexpensive but not cheap, gas-thrifty), so let me make a suggestion. A year or so ago, I rented a Hyundai Sonata, and was VERY impressed with it. Very solid, handled nicely, pep. Since then, my wife and I shopped around for an economical car for her to motor around in - she puts in a lot of city driving. We didn't even go by the Hyundai dealer, because, well, it's a Korean car. Went and bought a 2006 Corolla. (She's very happy with it.)

This year's Consumer Reports car ratings came out, and they are ALL OVER the Hyundais, basically said that they're the best value on the road.

Just a suggestion. Worth a look, at maybe their Santa Fe. Don't know anything about their big SUV, the Terracan.

[matt57]

BowlingGreenUKGrad wrote: Hey all, I'm looking into buying a new car in the next 6-8 weeks and could use any input you folks have.

Right now, I'm looking into a small SUV. I'm sort of interested in the Saturn VUE and Honda Element right now, but that's only preliminary. I'm not even 100 percent I want a small SUV. I may go with a midsize SUV, a minivan or even a wagon. Mainly, I'm looking for something bigger. Right now, I'm driving a Toyota Carolla, and it's just not big enough for our two small children (22 months and 4 weeks), by the time I get my wife, the kids, myself and a stroller in the trunk the car is FULL.

I am *not* a car person, so if anyone has any useful info/first-hand knowledge about what makes/models are good and any I should stay away from.

Thanks a bunch.
your gonna laugh at first. but, seriously you owe it to yourself to check out the pontiac torrent. it's the replacement for the aztek which my wife owns. we recently test drove a torrent. they are far superior to the ford escape we were looking at. the handling is awesome. the gas mileage is mid 20's. i love the way it looks, while others may not. pontiac, has made a believer out of me. my wife's aztek is fun to drive. but, the torrent is AWESOME.

[matt57]

heres a link

http://www.pontiac.com/torrent/index.jsp

[oruacat2]

Quick question: when you say "new", do you mean 2006 models, or just "new" to you?

I was in your exact same situation back in January '05, and after following much of the excellent advice found on a similar thread, I ended up purchasing a 2004 Jeep Liberty. Edmunds.com was invaluable, as were all the consumer reports I could find online. I test-drove the Ford Escape, the Honda Pilot, and the Nissan Exterra, but I fell in love with the Jeep. It just feels like it's more solidly put-together. I wanted a vehicle that didn't just LOOK like an off-roader, but could actually handle actual off-roading. My Liberty had 7780 miles on the odometer when I bought her, so it was about as "new" as I could find while still avoiding the "new car" price. Slightly used is the way to go IMO, especially with high gas prices scaring so many SUV owners.

Now, if you do opt for "used", make sure you check out CarFax. For something like $25, you can buy unlimited use of CarFax service for one month. I used it to check-out about a dozen vehicles, and IMO it was well-worth the cost.

Good luck, and if you have any questions about the Jeep Liberty, let me know.

KD

[surveyor]

VirginiaBlue wrote: You sound like someone who is looking for value (inexpensive but not cheap, gas-thrifty), so let me make a suggestion. A year or so ago, I rented a Hyundai Sonata, and was VERY impressed with it. Very solid, handled nicely, pep. Since then, my wife and I shopped around for an economical car for her to motor around in - she puts in a lot of city driving. We didn't even go by the Hyundai dealer, because, well, it's a Korean car. Went and bought a 2006 Corolla. (She's very happy with it.)

This year's Consumer Reports car ratings came out, and they are ALL OVER the Hyundais, basically said that they're the best value on the road.

Just a suggestion. Worth a look, at maybe their Santa Fe. Don't know anything about their big SUV, the Terracan.


I'd echo that sentiment based on my brother-in-law's experience. He's owned 4 Hyundai's over the last 6 years.
The first 3 (Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe) were passed down to his children as they got old enough to drive. He currently owns an `02 Sonata and an `05 Santa Fe.

His daughter still has the `01 Santa Fe and it has held up nicely.

[BOURBON TOWN CAT FAN]

surveyor wrote: VirginiaBlue wrote: You sound like someone who is looking for value (inexpensive but not cheap, gas-thrifty), so let me make a suggestion. A year or so ago, I rented a Hyundai Sonata, and was VERY impressed with it. Very solid, handled nicely, pep. Since then, my wife and I shopped around for an economical car for her to motor around in - she puts in a lot of city driving. We didn't even go by the Hyundai dealer, because, well, it's a Korean car. Went and bought a 2006 Corolla. (She's very happy with it.)

This year's Consumer Reports car ratings came out, and they are ALL OVER the Hyundais, basically said that they're the best value on the road.

Just a suggestion. Worth a look, at maybe their Santa Fe. Don't know anything about their big SUV, the Terracan.


I'd echo that sentiment based on my brother-in-law's experience. He's owned 4 Hyundai's over the last 6 years.
The first 3 (Elantra, Sonata and Santa Fe) were passed down to his children as they got old enough to drive. He currently owns an `02 Sonata and an `05 Santa Fe.

His daughter still has the `01 Santa Fe and it has held up nicely.
My mom bought a Elantra, and it definitely doesn't drive like a little four cylinder, it has some pick up and is a smooth drive.

[surveyor]

More food for thought with regard to SUV's:

http://channels.netscape.com/autos/package.jsp?name=autos/edsuvrearend&floc=au-main-02-l1

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) (http://www.iihs.org/) has just released new tests for rear crash protection in current model SUVs and pickups. Disturbingly, only six of the 44 SUVs and none of the 15 pickups rated "Good" for protection against whiplash injuries. Specifically, only the Ford Freestyle, (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/ford/freestyle/index.html) Honda Pilot, (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/honda/pilot/index.html) Jeep Grand Cherokee, (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/jeep/grandcherokee/index.html) Land Rover LR3, (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/landrover/lr3/index.html) Subaru Forester, (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/subaru/forester/index.html) and Volvo XC90 (http://netscape.edmunds.com/new/2006/volvo/xc90/index.html) models received a rating of "Good." "Poor" ratings were given to the Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner, and some of the seats in the Ford F-150 and Dodge Dakota pickups, among other popular cars.

FYI, Volvo makes likely the best reactive head restraints in the business.:thumbup

[Buddah]

I was going to say a Corvette when i read the thread headline, but i guess it's hard to fit the family in a vette. I wouldn't go for a large SUV right now.... I am not a car person either, i remember something about CUV maybe that is where you should look, more room, but not the gas prices. Nissans are a nice little SUV, i like those pretty good. all the more reason to wish that we could just teleport ourselves where we wanted to go.. lol

[WildcatGirl]

You should check out Suzuki...they have two SUV's...reasonable prices...and if their SUV's are anything like their cars you should be satisfied. DH and I have driven Hondas mostly (well he has and I've had a couple myself since we married) but we are now both in Suzukis. I'm driving the Forenza...which is awesome if your main issue is value...cheap but still pretty nice, I share with my 17 year old DD...so value and dependability was my objective. Brad is driving the loaded Verona...I swear it's as nice as the Acura TL he bought new in 2002...for a fraction of the price.

I stumbled upon the Forenza as I was doing some online shopping to find something cheap and dependable to trade my Civic for (DD doesnt drive a 5 speed well and I could just visualize how often I'd be replacing the clutch and pressure plate if I kept it once she was sharing a car with me...lol) I found that the Forenza was under $10K with the 5 speed and barely over with the automatic...and Suzuki has a 7 yr 100K mi warranty...which I really loved. I literally bought it over e-mail...when I arrived for the first time at the dealership all I did was take it out for a quick test drive to make sure I liked how it drove and then signed the papers...they even had the exact one I wanted detailed and ready to go with all the paperwork done. Brad was so impressed with the car for the money and my experience with the dealership that he did the same thing and bought the Verona a week or so later...and we have both been very satisfied.

[EricBigNally]

If I were in the position to buy a new(er) car and was shopping for an SUV I would either get a GMC Envoy or Chevy Trailblazer. I absolutely love them. They look nice, get good gas mileage, have a nice interior and a decently peppy motor (275 HP, 275 TQ for the inline 6 cylinder and I can't remember the V8 nubmers...) I'd go for the inline 6 beacuse it has more than enough power and better gas mileage. YOu can get to defferent lengths depending on how much room you want and an optional DVD package. Thats just what I would do.

On the other hand, Jeep has some nice things out. Not sure on any of the actual numbers or prices or anythign on them but I have heard a lot of people like them and are happy with their purchase.

The Matrix might not be a bad way to go if you like the styling and everything ithas to offer.

I'm not big on Ford. It seems to me like every Ford my family has owned has been a huge piece of junk and every Ford that a lot of my friends drive are always breaking and the typical repsonse from them (who are diehard Ford Nazis for the most part) is "Yeah, that was supposed to happen. The transmission, motor, window, door, shifter, windhield wiper, back seat, front seat, left tire, sometimes right, blinker fluid, sucks that year. but if I fix it, it's nothing. Just cost me a million dollars." I like the Ford 5.0 (302) but that is about it. They can't make transmissions it appears if their lives depend on it so if you get a manul it would be fine. Sorry if I offended anyone, it is just my opinion of what has been presented to me through my family and friends and what I have read about them. Not knocking anyone's car companies.

I would also like the Nissan line like the Armada and things like that but their gas mileage is HORRIBLE so that is another know with gas the way it is I would assume.

Just make sure you are completely satisfied with whatever car you end up purchasing. They cost too much to think about it afterwards, "I really liked .... better, or I should have bought this instead." Shop and test drive for a long time, get a carfax if it is used and have a blast with it. Buying cars is a fun thing to do...as long as your choice is affordable. Set a price limit first and cut everything above that price limit out and that should narrow your search down. You can always play on autotrader.com and use the power search option. YOu can search for all NEW cars or all SUVs or whatever you want or you can pick up to three to look for at once. It's a great thing to use.

[PhatNastyCat]

The only cars I have every owned were either by Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or Acura. The best car I have ever owned and driven was my Acura TL-S. But I have never had issues with any of the cars I have owned. Best value for the money is to buy a Honda. While both Honda and Toyota hold their value equally well, Honda prices their cars better. With Toyota you have too many packages and to get one feature, you sometimes have to add a second package and before you know it the car costs more than you expected and you have other options you probably didn't really want. Then you probably won't have that car on the lot....ugggh...now you know why I've only owned one Toyota :) Great car, just a bit of a headache to buy depending on what kind of options you like in a car. Though

With Honda, they come in usually 3 or 4 trim levels and with each trim level you get more options with out mixing and matching packages. An EX model will usually come with a sunroof, leather, in-dash cd changer, power windows, side airbags, etc.

If you are looking for an entry level SUV, the Honda CRV is a solid choice. The Saturn VUE actually is using (or at least was) V6 engines built by Honda.

Good luck with your choice and let us know what you decide. Emunds.com (which I think someone already posted) is a great resource and they have forums where you can see what other people are paying and get a view into their buying and owning experience. I spent a lot of time reading the forums and asking questions before I bought my current car.

Whatever you do, shop the price with multiple dealers.It is also agood idea is to work with the dealer's internet sales dept. You will save money and time negotiating. It helped me save $5K fromsticker andactually paid under invoice on a loaded car with navigation and exterior items I like.

-PNC

[Mark Blueblood]

T-O-Y-O-T-A

[Blue Heaven]

Why don't you just buy a gently used 2-3 yr. old vehicle and save yourself gobs of money?

[VirginiaBlue]

Please...get to tellin'

We won't tell on you.



FCFS82 wrote: Mark Blueblood wrote: T-O-Y-O-T-A
Work at the plant. Um, no. The stories I could tell...

[EricBigNally]

FCFS82 wrote: Mark Blueblood wrote: T-O-Y-O-T-A
Work at the plant. Um, no. The stories I could tell...





That's exactly how my cousin feels about Ford. He works in Louisville and is always telling some stories about what happens...

[oruacat2]

Despite all the horror stories, I got 210k miles out of my 1991 Explorer before she finally gave up the proverbial ghost, so you'll hear no complaints from me.

KD

[Backrate]

nope fords are junk
my neighbor's explorer tranny won't shift out of first and has only 360,000 miles on it

[capcat]

Backrate wrote: nope fords are junk
my neighbor's explorer tranny won't shift out of first and has only 360,000 miles on it
Did you mean to put all those zeros in there?

[PhatNastyCat]

Consumer Reports new car buying issue is out. I received mine in the mail yesterday and it is a great resource to reference.

-PNC

[Mark Blueblood]

Sorry to disappoint you FCF, but I'm old enough to have heard all the horror stories from guys that have worked at virtually every car manufacturer going.

I've owned all kinds of cars and Toyotas have been by FAR the best cars I've ever driven. It ain't even close.

Probably won't ever own anything but. And I have an 80 year old father-in-law that's been around cars (body man) for 60 years. He'll tell ya the same thing.

[surveyor]

PhatNastyCat wrote: Consumer Reports new car buying issue is out. I received mine in the mail yesterday and it is a great resource to reference.

-PNC


Consumer Reports is great if you want to buy a toaster, microwave, tv, vacuum cleaner, etc.
Horrible if you want to gauge vehicles.
My biggest gripe with Consumer Reports is that they ONLY survey their subscribers - and then it's ONLY if the subscriber is compelled to fill out the multi page survey and send it in.
It would be a much better guage if they surveyed all who purchased the vehicle in question - information that could be had through the DMV or through dealerships.

I had a new `96 Mercury Sable that CR rated highly, yet that car was in the shop numerous times during the first 90 days alone.

We currently have a Volvo XC90 suv that CR has rated less than stellar, yet it's the most reliable vehicle we've owned to date. Indeed, the NHTSA list of complaints and problems for the XC90 is fewer than for many other similar vehicles.

[ukwebfan]

Got to disagree with you on CR. In 20+ years, they've never steered me wrong with their test results or reliability reports.

My wife's '95 Contour was a recall-laden machine while her '02 Civic has been the best car she's ever owned. I bought my '98 Ranger based on CU reliability and it hasn't disappointed me in that area at all (knock on wood).

I also rented an '05 Liberty in Costa Rica and would tend to agree with their assessment of that one. Good off-roading yet poor interior controls (window switches on the middle console, cmon), poor acceleration and fuel economy.

BTW, I think if you look again, the Sable's reliability has always been no better than average.

surveyor wrote: PhatNastyCat wrote: Consumer Reports new car buying issue is out. I received mine in the mail yesterday and it is a great resource to reference.

-PNC


Consumer Reports is great if you want to buy a toaster, microwave, tv, vacuum cleaner, etc.
Horrible if you want to gauge vehicles.
My biggest gripe with Consumer Reports is that they ONLY survey their subscribers - and then it's ONLY if the subscriber is compelled to fill out the multi page survey and send it in.
It would be a much better guage if they surveyed all who purchased the vehicle in question - information that could be had through the DMV or through dealerships.

I had a new `96 Mercury Sable that CR rated highly, yet that car was in the shop numerous times during the first 90 days alone.

We currently have a Volvo XC90 suv that CR has rated less than stellar, yet it's the most reliable vehicle we've owned to date. Indeed, the NHTSA list of complaints and problems for the XC90 is fewer than for many other similar vehicles.