How to choose a new car?

[Upgradable]

We''ll be looking at trading in the old family van (YaY!) for a real grown-up vehicle here by the end of the year, but I have no idea what new car I may want. I can give a laundry list of features I want, but is there some sort of search engine that will give me vehicles and models that match my criteria? I''m getting a little frustrated trying to "compare" vehicles when I don''t really know which ones to start with. Anyone care to help?

 

[Snicklefritz]

I''ve never bought a new car but one thing I know I will do when the time comes is check Consumer Reports for everything I am interested in.

 

[4ever]

I wish there was a surch engine....if there is I''d like to know about it.
BF and I resently went through the process of choosing a new car and it really is just a case of narrowing things down and then test driving the finalists. It took us months...seriously, MONTHS!
He''s very happy with his new car now, all the reasurch, reading consumer and safty reports and looking at fule efficency ratings, rates of devaluation and compearing costs were worth it in the end.

 

[Moh 10]

Write down your priorities.
How many people will drive in it? One? Four?
Usually one but 6 only at Thanksgiving time?
99% of the time one person, but once a year you want to take home a mattress or a 4'x8' sheet of plywood.
If that's the case consider a car that cannot hold 6 and rent something larger when needed.
It is very wasteful to drive a 5000 lb V8 when 99% of the time the only cargo you are hauling is a double decaf latte.

2 doors or 4?

Gas mileage, do you love power and a heavy car or do you want to sip gas?

What is your budget?

Safety, surprisingly just today CNN had an article about large pick up trucks failing side impact crash tests and the car I just bought a 2010 Honda Insight got the highest rating.

Take reviews with a grain of salt.
Don't focus on just one, read many review of the same car.

CR hates my car but the car magazines love it. (IMHP CR is way off base this time)

 

[VRBeauty]

Hi Uppie -- I think the key is to identify the types of features you'd like, and then do some research. Are there things that bug you about your existing car? Things you've seen in friends' cars that you'd like? How important are handling, space, safety, looks, and convenience? Are you looking for a car that's primarily a people mover, or a car that can move big things if necessary? Is cost of operation -- including fuel efficiency, insurance, and maintenance -- important to you? The key here is to determine if you want a sedan or an SUV, a compact car or a truck.

The last time I bought a car I had some specific characteristics in mind. I wanted better handling than I had before, because I frequently drive in the foothils and I'd like my drive to have some element of fun

, I want a car that looks good, I don't need a real big car, rarely carry more than one passenger, etc..... then I did a lot of research, took a few test drives, and ended up with my MINI!

I did a lot of my research in the library, looking at edmunds and consumer reports annual car buying guides. Edmunds.com is also a wonderful source once you've answered these basic questions, and I believe the Kelly Blue Book people also have an on-line site. These tools all helped me narrow my search. In the end, I think I only test-drove four or five models.

The only thing I'd add is that for me and where I'm at, it was important to go through the process of deciding on the right car for me rather than just walking onto some lot an saying yes... that will do as well as any other car. But that's just me. For most (more sane and reasonable} people it would be sufficient to decide on a body type and then find a sedan, SUV, hatchback, etc that gets good reviews and is within your price range.

ETA don't forget the "fun factor" as you consider your criteria!

 

[LamborghiniGirl]

If you are comfortable, tell me your budget, how many people you want to be able to fit comfortably, and the rest of the laundry list of important features. I can help as my brain is kind of a search engine for car knowledge.

Closest thing I can find off the top of my head that is kind of like a search engine:

Link

Then click 'View more search criteria' at the bottom of the page.

 

[Shopaholic]

oooh, I love cars! Cars are up there with diamonds, designer shoes and handbags, and coffee with me!

You can try www.cars.com , a favorite of mine to browse and to see what is available around me. My other favorite is www.edmunds.com , love this very informative site where you can read expert reviews and actual reviews from owners of each particular model! I always check this out before considering any new car....I find these reviews even more helpful than those consumer reports etc.

 

[Haven]

When we were car shopping we visited several dealerships one day and drove multiple models. We found that our priorities became pretty clear after some test drives.

We ended up prioritizing:
- Safety (both features and ratings)
- Gas mileage (we were trading in gas guzzling SUVs)
- Cost (we wanted to be able to pay cash)
- Comfort (DH has cervical stenosis, so we needed something with comfy seats)
- And my must-have was a sun roof
- We did not want leather. We had leather in our last cars, it''s not fun in Chicago--too hot, or too cold.

We ended up purchasing two Honda Civic EX models.

I know it seems completely overwhelming at first, but really try taking a few drives. We realized immediately that we didn''t want this-or-that, or had to have this-or-that.

Have fun!

 

[Upgradable]

Okay, I''m just going to list some of the factors that I''m looking for:
~grown up car (I''ve been driving a minivan since 1993!
~semi-luxorious, leather seating and wood accents
~must seat five comfortably, so really need three rows
~no truck type SUV!
~mileage around 25hwy
~drivability, I don''t want it to drive like a truck OR a putt putt
~climate controls in back
~power: when I step on the gas it needs to GO!

 

[Shopaholic]

How about those ''crossover'' vehicles? Like the Infiniti FX, Nissan Murano, Buick Enclave?

 

[Upgradable]

Buick Enclave is at the top of my list, though hubby is paralyzed with sticker shock! I''ve also been then looking at some of the Nissan, Toyota, and Mazda options, although they seem to not seat as many as I''d like.

 

[IdLikeToBuyAVal]

We''re looking at the Chevy Equinox right now, seats 5, loads of cargo space (for a mid-sized SUV) available in AWD and still gets fairly decent gas mileage (19-23 mpg I believe). We''ll probably get an 07-09 model so we miss some of the depreciation.

I second cars.com if you have a few features in mind. They have a new toolbar on the left hand side where you can choose different features (like # of doors, drivetrain, price range) so you can narrow down your search to a few specific models in a certain price range if you need a few ideas on models to look into.

 

[Shopaholic]

Date: 8/13/2009 10:52:52 PM
Author: Upgradable
Buick Enclave is at the top of my list, though hubby is paralyzed with sticker shock! I've also been then looking at some of the Nissan, Toyota, and Mazda options, although they seem to not seat as many as I'd like.

To be honest, when you described what you were looking for, the Buick Enclave was the first thing that came to my mind. A friend has that and it is everything you said you were looking for, down to the wood detail - though be aware that it is not real wood, just paneling made to look like wood (my friend pointed that out to me hehe!). Though it is quite spacious and a very smooth and quiet ride, you will still have the same amount of room as you would with a minivan without the minivan look. It's quite an attractive looking car in my opinion. The sticker price for it is probably the result of Buick using the Enclave as an entry into the "Luxury Entry" line. Buick is considered a luxury brand in Asia (mainly China), thus this is driving their prices up more than they used to be - plus they have to pay Tiger Woods after all, haha!

 

[jet2ks]

I'm not a big fan of the CR ratings. I find that www.edmunds.com provides more complete and better information. Make sure to check out the buying guides as well as the individual model reviews for anything you are interested in.

 

[lyra]

This option is not viable for most people, but because my DH travels as a job, he rents vehicles *all the time*. So he would rent whatever vehicle we were interested in and give it a real good test drive. This narrowed things down considerably, and knocked some contenders right out. Just an idea. Might not be possible for everyone, but in his travels he has been able to rent virtually any of the most popular vehicles he wanted, or at least some version thereof.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 8/13/2009 10:30:10 PM
Author: Upgradable
Okay, I'm just going to list some of the factors that I'm looking for:
~grown up car (I've been driving a minivan since 1993!
~semi-luxorious, leather seating and wood accents
~must seat five comfortably, so really need three rows
~no truck type SUV!
~mileage around 25hwy
~drivability, I don't want it to drive like a truck OR a putt putt
~climate controls in back
~power: when I step on the gas it needs to GO!

Look at the Volvos ... my sis just got one and its amazing. Can't remember what model but its the station wagony one. Plush! Climate control in back -- the kids are spoiled ... they complain about not being able to reach the ac controls with their tiny hands/short arms. Can you imagine? I was riding in a jumpseat in the blazing sun with vinyl burning into my legs. KIDS TODAY!

ETA: More details -- she got in in 3/09 approx: certified pre-owned 2008 Volvo XC 90. Titanium Grey with sandstone leather interior. $20k OFF of the window sticker. (It has 16k miles, having been driven by a Volvo manufacturing rep since 5/0.

 

[atroop711]

we have the Nissan Murano (crossover) and it fits 5 comfortably but no 3rd row. It''s fabulous on gas, rides like a sedan (doesn''t have a truck feel) and the interior room is GREAT). The leather seats are nice and also comfy. GL with your search. Edmunds.com is a great place to compare reviews and prices

 

[treefrog]

Date: 8/14/2009 7:37:12 AM
Author: atroop711
we have the Nissan Murano (crossover) and it fits 5 comfortably but no 3rd row. It''s fabulous on gas, rides like a sedan (doesn''t have a truck feel) and the interior room is GREAT). The leather seats are nice and also comfy. GL with your search. Edmunds.com is a great place to compare reviews and prices

I do a ton of driving. I just replaced my old Murano with a new one. Not too big, not too small. Seats 5 pretty well. It doesn''t have the rear mounted heating/AC controls though... but the LE model has heated rear seats too... and they recline!


Treefrog

 

[Upgradable]

Thanks for all of the great input!! Lyra, what a great way to test drive vehicles! I''ll check out the Volvo pre-owned options. I really like the Murano on paper. I think we''ll drive it and see if it will work for the kids.

Our family lives 700 miles away, so we do at least 2 long distance trips per year, so we need ability for the kids to spread and enough room for all of the stuff, including Christmas gifts to and from.