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Smart Shopper Selecting and Buying My First Car
764 messages, Last post on Aug 17, 2009 at 12:29 PM
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Who on the face of this planet would pay sticker price for cars like the Ford Taurus, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Cavalier, Dodge Neon and Dodge Stratus?
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Replying to: jchan2 (Mar 28, 2005 8:03 pm) |
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It's not so much the haggle I'm concerned about. It's the lemon factor. If I'm buying a used car, there's a lot more than meets the eye to any car, and whether or not the dealer is no-haggle, there are many aspects of quality that may not be addressed simply by price. Sure, you can take it to your mechanic (though as a non-car owner presently, I don't have a mechanic, and it may be more difficult for me to thus have to find a mechanic who will look at a car before I buy it and give an honest assessment. On the one hand, he may not pick up on some of the problems from a simple once-over; and also, if he assumes I'm going to bring the car to him from now on, isn't it just as advantageous for him to recommend I buy a car with [undisclosed] future problems, since he may assume I will bring it to him to fix them? Sorry, wouldn't buy an Impala. Way too big for my tastes, and coming from a GM town, I have a phobia of anything GM-made. Thanks for the input, but unfortunately none of you have done anything to convince me to buy a used car -- if anything, you've shifted my opinion even more in favour of buying new. Some of you make great points that may be useful for other people with different tastes, financial situations, living in different areas, etc, so the points are valid, they just aren't valid for me. Here's my arguments so far: 1) As a student with no savings (aside from a small downpayment possibly), I will finance most of the cost. New car financing deals can be had for 3%, whereas my bank will charge me at least 7% (and this will go up over the next few years, since interest rates will be rising). Over 4 years, a $16,000 used car loan would cost at least twice as much as a $22,000 new car loan ($2800 vs $1400). 2) Variety. At least 90% of used Mazda3s and Corollas (at a quick scan of local dealer websites) are silver or tan. Eww. I would also prefer a stick shift, which could be cheaper to get in a used car theoretically, but they're really hard to find, especially if you are picky about the combination of other options. For a quick search: of 355 Corollas in my area, 20 of those are actually a colour I like, and only 2 have manual and the other add-ons I want (a/c, remote key entry) - this doesn't give me a whole lot of bargaining power (not to mention, since they're 2+ hours away from my home, it makes the whole shopping process difficult). I'm not saying that I wouldn't buy a used car (though just looking at the market around here, I'd probably buy a 1-year old over a 2 or 3 year old; overall there isn't a huge difference in price in that 2nd year, but there are options available on newer cars that aren't there with the older ones - especially if I want to buy a Mazda 3, which only came out last year). However, I'm still not convinced to buy used over new. There are just certain things that don't come used... |
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Replying to: jezebel (Mar 28, 2005 11:22 pm) True, but as someone just starting out with no savings, maybe you should wait for those things. Yes, you have to pay a higher percent loan for a used car, but if you got one for around $10,000 (and plenty of reliable used cars can be had for that price) rather than $16,000 you would have lower payments and might even be able to save up some money for that new car. Anyone can tell you a good local mechanic to take car to and for around $20 they will look it over for you. No, they won't catch everything, but probably the most important things. And no mechanic has a vested interest in letting a customer buy a car with problems. There are so many good, reliable used cars out there now. If reliability is your issue, a used Toyota or Honda will be nearly bulletproof and will last for many years. No, it won't be as cute or exciting as you want (although my manual Civic was fun to drive) but they won't break down, cost much to repair, and will get pretty good gas mileage too. That being said, if you insist on new, the Mazda3 is a great looking car. You won't go wrong with it. I think your idea of internet pricing first is a good one, because then the salesperson won't have prejudged you on age. The key is to be as informed as possible in advance. And if you encounter salespeople who brush you off or ask when you are bringing your husband or boyfriend with you (this has happened to me many times, a hoot because my husband knows nothing and has zero interest in cars) your knowledge will give you confidence. |
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Replying to: jezebel (Mar 28, 2005 11:22 pm) If you do find a used car you like, take it to a RECCOMMENDED shop for an inspection. You will NOT pay 20.00 as someone suggested. You will pay a lot more than that for an intense inspection. If you buy used, you will pay a lot less money but do expect to have a repair bill once in awhile. And, in my not so humble opinion, with a used car, the color should be the LAST thing to worry about. No one "right" answer for the questions you ask.
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Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 29, 2005 7:16 am) I sold the camry to carmax for $11,400. I do not know that the 5 yo accord is going for, but according to kbb, the value would have been somewhare around $9500. So, in that case, I was better off buying new. |
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Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 29, 2005 7:16 am) You will GENERALLY pay $75-100 for a thorough examination of the vehicle. I believe that a lot of the AAA approved shops through certain AAA branches have a $75 deal. |
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| OK, I'm out in the hinterlands where things don't cost as much. My point was that, relatively speaking (considering the total cost of buying a car), inspections aren't very expensive, and they will give you peace of mind when buying used cars. | |
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Replying to: jezebel (Mar 28, 2005 11:22 pm) Go to cartalk.com's Mechan-X-Files (http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/find.html), enter your zip code and pick the most convenient from the list. |
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isell: I'm talking no-haggle prices that already include a substantial discount. Even Honda has one such store in the DC area. Also check your credit union to see if they have pre-negotiated prices with certain dealers. That's if you want to avoid the hassles. Some people love to negotiate. -juice |
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