Looking to buy a car -- advice?

[iheartscience]

I highly recommend a certified pre-owned Toyota Camry or a new or certified pre-owned Toyota Corolla. Their reliability is amazing and both get really good gas mileage. (Obviously the Corolla gets better mileage than the Camry, but the Camry''s still good.)

My twin sister just bought a new Toyota Corolla a few months ago for around only $14,000 because it was an ''06. It''s super cute, a smooth ride, and it''s brand new!

My *other* sister just bought an awesome, almost new certified pre-owned Toyota Camry and she loves it. She''s not afraid to haggle, either, so she did her research beforehand and haggled face to face. I love haggling, too, so I will definitely be in charge of any car purchases for me and my boo. (He gets embarassed and he''s a total pushover with stuff like that!)

I have a Toyota Camry, too and I love it. I bought it used 3 or 4 years ago and I''ve only ever had to do routine maintenance to it. (Oil changes, etc.) Plus it''s a good size and it drives really well.

I would also recommend that you *don''t* get a Volkswagen. My twin''s boyfriend has a relatively new one and he has had a lot of problems with it! Plus they typically get poor ratings for reliability on Consumer Reports.

If you don''t want a Toyota, my next choice would be a Honda or a Subaru. I''ve heard nothing but good things about both from my friends and family who drive them.

 

[sumbride]

Date: 4/11/2007 11:01:41 PM
Author: thing2of2

I would also recommend that you *don''t* get a Volkswagen. My twin''s boyfriend has a relatively new one and he has had a lot of problems with it! Plus they typically get poor ratings for reliability on Consumer Reports.

I would agree with this... FI has a VW Golf. His particular model year was made in Mexico instead of Germany, and he has had nothing but problems with the electrical system. Shorts and loose wires and blown bulbs and spark plugs, etc... etc.... And yet they''ve never issued a recall. Every time we see another Golf or Jetta from that timeframe, it has a light out. The Passat and higher weren''t made in Mexico. I guess for whatever reason, they just didn''t get done right there. He just spent $1700 on it for basic tuning and still needs another $2k work or so, and we''re only hoping to keep it going for another year or so. He''s had a cracked axle replaced, and of course, being a German car, the cupholders are broken. German engineers don''t think cars should have cupholders because all you should do in a car is drive... while yes, that may be true, I resented that the cupholders were right in front of the AC vents so my coffee got cold... but now they don''t work at all, so FI takes my car, with it''s working cupholders, every time he makes a Starbucks run!

He loves his VW, but honestly, NEVER AGAIN. It''s been one big money pitt. It may be fun to drive, but give me my boring and reliable Toyota any day.

 

[fire&ice]

Another note about Volkswagons - my nieces model had a specialty weird tire. That is something to consider with any car. Her tires run 2x (and a special order) the price of regular common tires.

 

[larussel03]

Wow, thank you guys all so much for all the great information!!! I really appreciate it!

I think I''m going to try to go with the Honda Civic just b/c I''ve always really liked that car and everyone I''ve talked to seems to have only good things to say about Hondas. I''ve started getting internet quotes and I''ll try to learn as much as possible before going in on Monday with FI.

 

[pearcrazy]

Before you start, pull the invoice price from Edmonds.com and see what the Honda you are interested in with the features you want costs at invoice. We''ve always started our negotiations from invoice-- not sticker. Dealers get money from the manufacturer for dealer holdbacks and sales incentives, so no matter what they tell you-- they CAN sell the car below invoice (if they want to that is). Edmonds.com will also let you put in your zip code and will tell you what others in your area are paying for the car you want. The nice thing about Hondas is that they have a very limited amount of packages. It''s DX. LX or EX or SE and there aren''t a hundred add on packages to choose from so it doesn''t get too confusing. We owned an Accord several years ago and it was a great car-- very reliable and good on gas, however in our experience, we''ve found Honda to be the least willing to come down on price. Still, they are well priced to begin with and their reputation for reliability is usually worth their unwillingness to reduce the sales price significantly.

We''ve bought our last three cars using an internet sales manager and shopping 3 dealerships at the same time to finally get to the one who was going to give us the best deal. Our most recent purchase was in Feb. 06. We were sure that we wanted a Honda Civic and started shopping. Along the way we came across the Mazda 3. We test drove it and LOVED it. At the time the Civics were in short supply because they''d changed to a new body style. Most dealers had only 6-7 to choose from and weren''t budging much on the price. The Mazda dealership we went with was a volume dealer and had a quota to meet before the end of the month (we were there on the 26th of the month). We ended up getting the car at $200 below invoice and had the dealer drop her doc fee (which runs about $350-399 in this part of the state)

Good luck and take your time, try not to get new car fever (as my DH does!)

 

[larussel03]

So I''ve been internet negotiating with 3 companies so far, and I actually got 2 down by sending them the 3rd''s lower quote! I think I''ll try to negotiate via email then have FI do it more in person once we get a quote....if that makes sense to do.

 

[larussel03]

Does anyone know what is reasonable for a Honda Civic (new 2007, LX)?

I have one down to 16,450 (2 door) or 16,600 (4 door) from around 17500 -- I don''t have a door preference b/c I like both for different reasons...my mom said to try for 15800, which I doubt will work, but anyone who has a Honda Civic, can you tell me what''s a good number to maybe pull for?

I understant it''s different per state, and impossible to give a definately answer, I just was kind of hoping for something to compare with, ball park wise, so I can get some sort of reading on how I''m doing so far...

 

[pearcrazy]

I''m assuming you''re going for an automatic transmission? I pulled up the invoice price for my area and they showed $16,166 for the coupe and $16,349 for the sedan. It sounds like you''re doing pretty well. I don''t think that it''s reasonable to get them down to $15,800 as that''s pretty far below invoice but it''s always worth a try.

 

[jcrow]

you never know unless you ask. you may kick yourself later with the what ifs, if you don''t. go for it.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 4/12/2007 2:54:22 PM
Author: pearcrazy
I'm assuming you're going for an automatic transmission? I pulled up the invoice price for my area and they showed $16,166 for the coupe and $16,349 for the sedan. It sounds like you're doing pretty well. I don't think that it's reasonable to get them down to $15,800 as that's pretty far below invoice but it's always worth a try.

I guess so, they'd probably come back with some sort of counter offer if possible, right? My mom is a born bargainer, so I think she's thinkign I should go under their comfort zone and see if they'll come up with something less than the current offer.

 

[FireGoddess]

For that price diff go 4 door. Nothing''s worse than getting out of the car to let someone in/out if you don''t have to!!! But maybe I''m lazy. LOL.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 4/12/2007 2:56:19 PM
Author: FireGoddess
For that price diff go 4 door. Nothing''s worse than getting out of the car to let someone in/out if you don''t have to!!! But maybe I''m lazy. LOL.

haha you DO have a good point : )

 

[jcrow]

does your job require 4 door? or does it not matter? hubbie had to have 4 door since he''s on their car plan.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 4/12/2007 3:00:04 PM
Author: jcrow
does your job require 4 door? or does it not matter? hubbie had to have 4 door since he''s on their car plan.

They actually don''t specify, I don''t think I''ll be driving dr''s around though

 

[dmbfan]

I''m shopping for a Dodge truck and have a "friend" that works at the dodge dealership. I say "friend" because he sells cars and unfortunately I have that mistrust in sales guys. I went to see him and he copied their invoice sheet for the truck I wanted. I went home and compared the price with MSN Auto and the invoice prices matched identically. He said the only thing they can"t waive is their dealer handling fee ($600) here. I have talked to dealers before and they''ve told me the same answer that they don''t really make their money from their new cars (because the info is right ther in front of you) they make they money of the used cars/trade in, which it makes sense.

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/trims.aspx?year=2007&make=Honda&model=Civic#priceit

if you can get it a invoice great, $200-$400 below invoice even better

 

[fire&ice]

Definitely get the 4door.

 

[pearcrazy]

I''d get the 4 door too. Even if you don''t carry many passengers around it would be easier to get stuff out of the back seat. Check out the insurance rates too. Rates are usually cheaper for 4 door sedans than they are for coupes.

 

[diamondsrock]

I have an 05 civic LX that I bought around Sept. of that year. We paid exactly the invoice price after I told the salesman another dealership was willing to sell me theirs for this price (this was true, just the other one was a color I didnt'' prefer.) He checked and said fine, no problem. So try to shoot for the invoice price if you can which you can find online. I walked in with invoice price in hand so he knew I meant business. Obviously the sticker price doesn''t mean much, although a lot of buyers use this to bargain down from.
It''s a good car and of course reliable. My second choice was the Toyota Corolla but I liked the body style of the Civic better.
Have fun!
Oh, and I vote for a 4 door as well.

 

[larussel03]

I got the dealer down to 16K for the new civic...hopefully this is it!

 

[Skippy123]

yeah Sweetpea

 

[jcrow]

nice!

congratulations on your first brand new car!!!!!

 

[sunkist]

Hi Sweetpea. Are you a member of Costco? We''re looking to buy a new car soon also, and if you call Costco they''ll give you the number of a car dealer near you who has a Costco rep. They have fixed pricing for members that is only like $200-$300 over invoice. I don''t know the invoice price of a Civic and how it compares with your most recent offer, but it could be worth looking into.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 4/12/2007 9:10:52 PM
Author: jcrow
nice!

congratulations on your first brand new car!!!!!

Well, now I'm considering used...the bargain shopper in me is thinking I probably should consider it and look for a deal, in case I miss something great...

JCrow--didn't you mention taht your DH drives alot for work? Did you guys get him a used car? If you did, what was the maximum amount of miles he'd consider acceptable? The reason I'm asking is I'll be driving a TON for work and I want something that will last through the 5 year lease if I don't end up getting a company car at some point?

 

[jcrow]

Date: 4/12/2007 9:27:55 PM
Author: *~Sweetpea~*

Date: 4/12/2007 9:10:52 PM

Author: jcrow

nice!

congratulations on your first brand new car!!!!!

Well, now I''m considering used...the bargain shopper in me is thinking I probably should consider it and look for a deal, in case I miss something great...

JCrow--didn''t you mention taht your DH drives alot for work? Did you guys get him a used car? If you did, what was the maximum amount of miles he''d consider acceptable? The reason I''m asking is I''ll be driving a TON for work and I want something that will last through the 5 year lease if I don''t end up getting a company car at some point?

5 year lease or 5 year loan? hopefully the former if you''re putting lots of miles.

yes, hubbie is in sales and puts lots of miles on his car. we did buy used - an 04 accord. he got it with 42k miles on it. we also checked out the car on carfax. can''t be too careful where we live b/c of katrina and rita... but i digress... his work didn''t require him to stay within a certain amount of miles for a used car, although i think some companies do. he was required to have a 4 door car that got 20 mpg or over b/c they pay for gas and insurance.

for us it wasn''t a matter of how many miles were on a used car. it was about the condition of the car along with those miles.
what we also factored in was the amount of miles DH would be putting on the car along with the amount of miles already on the car along with the condition of the car.

 

[jcrow]

not to deter your decision, but i guess i should say we did consider a civic.
we came really close to buying a brand new civic. but, for us, (or mostly DH) it wasn''t the best decision for the following reasons. first, he needed the space... trunk space for what he''s showing clients and interior space b/c he''s a tall guy. second, we were able to get a car that''s a step up performance wise with nicer features - leather, heated seats, tinted windows, yada yada... for less than the price of a nearly base model civic.
we would have probably just gotten the civic if it hadn''t been for his job. we already had my car which is fairly new and reliable and has lots of great features.

 

[larussel03]

Thanks Jcrow for the info!! I appreciate it! Now that I''ve haggled them down on the new car, I want to be sure that the car plus insurance fits into the auto allowance they gave me of 450/month and the new car would cost about 330/month, so while it''d cut it close, I may want to consider used so that I don''t have to get reimbursed so much for gas (they''ll reimburse the cost of gas for work). They didn''t state any car limitations, just insurance ones since they pick up the tab.

 

[jcrow]

i''m pretty sure hondas are very reasonable on insurance... so that''s good.
oh, and for us, i think we set our own limitations which limited what we''d get. for instance, we have a certain allowance per month with the compnay. but we only wanted to have like 1/3 of that per month in payments just in case he no longer would get to keep the car plan as in if he changed positions with the company. we didn''t want to get something so pricey and regret our decision later should something happen.
we were trying to be as economical as possible keeping in mind what we''d be using the car for. it wasn''t the time to get our dream car or anything. not to mention we''re closing on our first home next week! eeek. so we have lots going on.

 

[larussel03]

Date: 4/12/2007 10:02:46 PM
Author: jcrow
i''m pretty sure hondas are very reasonable on insurance... so that''s good.
oh, and for us, i think we set our own limitations which limited what we''d get. for instance, we have a certain allowance per month with the compnay. but we only wanted to have like 1/3 of that per month in payments just in case he no longer would get to keep the car plan as in if he changed positions with the company. we didn''t want to get something so pricey and regret our decision later should something happen.
we were trying to be as economical as possible keeping in mind what we''d be using the car for. it wasn''t the time to get our dream car or anything. not to mention we''re closing on our first home next week! eeek. so we have lots going on.

That''s so smart of you guys--that''s what I was thinking also with the car payments, that if I switched, got layed off or got a different job where I got a company car or something, I had to be able to afford the payments per month, and 250 is more reasonable to me right now if that were to happen than 320, even though with the car allowance I could have the 320 one. I just worry about the "what if''s"

Congrats on the home!!! So exciting!!!!

 

[jcrow]

Date: 4/12/2007 10:21:28 PM
Author: *~Sweetpea~*

Date: 4/12/2007 10:02:46 PM

Author: jcrow

i''m pretty sure hondas are very reasonable on insurance... so that''s good.

oh, and for us, i think we set our own limitations which limited what we''d get. for instance, we have a certain allowance per month with the compnay. but we only wanted to have like 1/3 of that per month in payments just in case he no longer would get to keep the car plan as in if he changed positions with the company. we didn''t want to get something so pricey and regret our decision later should something happen.

we were trying to be as economical as possible keeping in mind what we''d be using the car for. it wasn''t the time to get our dream car or anything. not to mention we''re closing on our first home next week! eeek. so we have lots going on.

That''s so smart of you guys--that''s what I was thinking also with the car payments, that if I switched, got layed off or got a different job where I got a company car or something, I had to be able to afford the payments per month, and 250 is more reasonable to me right now if that were to happen than 320, even though with the car allowance I could have the 320 one. I just worry about the ''what if''s''

Congrats on the home!!! So exciting!!!!

thanks. i''m sure some people were suprised we bought used, but hey... we''re just looking out for the what ifs too. and we also know hondas have a great resell value. so if need be we can sell it and by less of a car... and still have mine for trips or whatever. which is what we were doing before.

thanks! it''s very exciting! just a bit stressful with that and car shopping! ha.

 

[jcrow]

oh, and what we''ll do with the $$ difference per month is to put it towards the car. that way we''ll have less time on our own to pay off the car if he switches positions. and there''s no penalty for paying off the loan early.