Car Shopping

[fisherofmengirly]

So, my car is the car I got when I graduated high school, and we''re having our ten year reunion this summer. Needless to say, she''s a little older these days.

I''ve been totally fortunate to have such a good car. It has just about 159,000 miles, and it still is what I would call reliable. This week while I was away at training, the check engine light came on. It''s come on before, for fairly routine things, like needing to change the sparkplugs, or because the fuel cap was no longer sealing like it''s supposed to. Anyway, I have my fingers crossed this time is a similar, inexpensive situation.

We''re taking it in on Monday to have it diagnostically checked.

In the meantime, I''ve been trying to get a feel for what I want, when the time comes to get a new car. Or another car. I''m kind of waivering between new and "certified pre-owned" or whatever they call them these days.

They still have some 2006 models available that are NEW, and my understanding is dealerships are really wanting to get rid of them, to make room for more 2007 models.

The main contenders *at this point, but I''m open to suggestions* are: Honda Accord, Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 (my favorite for *looks* but I''ve not test driven yet, possibly a Civic, possibly a Chevy Cobalt, and possibly a Pontiac G5, and maybe maybe a Toyota Corolla or Camry, but I really don''t like the body styles.

The downfall for Honda is that they never offer an APR that is as low as other car dealers. So that kinda irritates me.

Anyway, anyone have any other suggestions, or information regarding any of these cars? My main concerns are safety, gas efficiency, cost, and cost to own.

I''m tempted like crazy to go test drive a G6 today, but I''m trying to hold off. Have you seen the 2007 model? In granite, it''s smoking.

But, I *hope* I don''t need a new car right now.

Still, it''s good to know for the future at least what I like, what''s reliable, and what''s safe.

 

[poptart]

Hey,

DH and I are currently looking for a new car, so maybe I can help. Both Toyota and Honda are very reliable, and my uncle, who knows lots about cars, recommended those two. I would definitely try and go "certified pre-owned," because those cars have to go through more tests and are *usually* in better condition. I was also told to try and get something with 10,000 to 15,000 miles on it, so that you have lots of miles left on it. Well, that''s all I have right now. I hope some of it was helpful at least. I really don''t like looking at tons of cars, as they all look the same to me. I''m tempted to just let DH do it all when he gets home... but I''m too much of a control freak, sigh....

*M*

 

[fisherofmengirly]

haha, Poptart. I''m the same way. Paul got a new car last summer, so this car would be *MY* car and I''m all about telling him that.

I know that Honda and Toyota have really good histories as far as reliability, but GM cars have made a STRONG comeback in the past 5-6 years. My current car is a Chevrolet, and I love it. I really can''t think of leaving her behind.

Argh! It''ll be hard, when the time really does come.

I *hope* it''s not soon-soon.

Isn''t it funny how we get attached to vehicles and other objects?

Like engagement rings, wedding rings, gifts from people.

 

[neatfreak]

Honda and Toyota generally don''t offer the super low APRs because they don''t need to. It stinks, but because those cars are always at the very top of reliability/bargain for your buck/safety/gas mileage lists, they sell without needing the incentives. It seems that the American car companies that aren''t doing as well are often the ones that offer the great rates.

If you''re looking for something that will last another 10 years, I would go with a Honda or Toyota. Unfortunately, many of the American cars just don''t last as long these days, and the consumer reports ratings usually reflect that.

I have a Nissan that is over 10 years old, and is another brand you might want to check out. Not AS good on reliability as Honda and Toyota, but is usually up there pretty high.


Hope you don''t need major repairs!

 

[poptart]

I agree with you about American cars, currently. DH is really wanting to get a Ford and I am gently trying to nudge him toward Toyota... hopefully it will work. I didn''t know about the APR stuff though. I would much rather have the reliability so that we won''t have to get a different car in five years or something. But really, I know next to nothing about cars! I would love to trade mine in, but I start my first full time job this year after graduation, and we each need a car to get to work... so unfortunately this car would be his. Of course, I may drive it from time to time (ahem... every day, lol!).

*M*

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Oh yeah! Nissan Altima. That car is also smoking hot!

The only thing is, I checked Consumer Reports and they indicated their safety ratings weren''t as good, and that sort of turned me off to them, since I hope to have this car well into our baby-making years.

That''s also a car I''ve not drived yet. A good friend of mine has one, and I just love the way the dashboard lays. Somehow, it makes it appear that the car has *so* much room, and doesn''t feel cramped up because of that. That sounds random, but if you''ve seen their dashboard setup, you''d know what I mean. (I hope.)

 

[fisherofmengirly]

What are you guys looking at, Poptart?

I don''t know a ton about cars, but I know enough to know when a salesperson is trying to mess with me because I''m a girl. My brother used to be a salesperson, and he told me about how some salespeople will try to "turn" you when you come up, if they decide you''re either too hard to sell too, or if you know too little. Anyway, he''s been looking into a lot of information for me, and he says if I want a car that will hold resale value, to get an Honda. If I want a car that drives well and is worth the money, Chevy is where it''s at right now, because they''re still recovering from some not-so-good manufacturing in the early and mid 90s when they were trying to compete with the faster manufacturing of Honda and Toyota. Anyway, he says they''ve recovered but still offer great prices because they have to "win back" consumers.

My car is a 1997 Cavalier, and I honestly don''t have any complaints about it. I think that once a car hits 100,000, 125,000 miles somewhere around there, things will change. It shifts less smoothly than it did back in the day. I can''t gas it at the stoplights and *race* the person beside me, but so what? I''m not 17 any more, and that''s not as appealing anymore.

Another thing my brother says to look for is the day the car came off the production line. Don''t buy a car that came off the line on a Monday or a Friday, especially a Friday, because people who do the "checks" for everything to be right aren''t as on top of their game. He told me about this study that was done and more cars in accidents do to faulty manufacturing were made on Fridays than other days. Something like that.

Anyway, if you ask the day it came off the line, the salespeope can find that out, but they will look at you funny.

Have you gone as far as test driving yet?

 

[poptart]

Date: 3/17/2007 10:03:37 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
What are you guys looking at, Poptart?


I don''t know a ton about cars, but I know enough to know when a salesperson is trying to mess with me because I''m a girl. My brother used to be a salesperson, and he told me about how some salespeople will try to ''turn'' you when you come up, if they decide you''re either too hard to sell too, or if you know too little. Anyway, he''s been looking into a lot of information for me, and he says if I want a car that will hold resale value, to get an Honda. If I want a car that drives well and is worth the money, Chevy is where it''s at right now, because they''re still recovering from some not-so-good manufacturing in the early and mid 90s when they were trying to compete with the faster manufacturing of Honda and Toyota. Anyway, he says they''ve recovered but still offer great prices because they have to ''win back'' consumers.


My car is a 1997 Cavalier, and I honestly don''t have any complaints about it. I think that once a car hits 100,000, 125,000 miles somewhere around there, things will change. It shifts less smoothly than it did back in the day. I can''t gas it at the stoplights and *race* the person beside me, but so what? I''m not 17 any more, and that''s not as appealing anymore.


Another thing my brother says to look for is the day the car came off the production line. Don''t buy a car that came off the line on a Monday or a Friday, especially a Friday, because people who do the ''checks'' for everything to be right aren''t as on top of their game. He told me about this study that was done and more cars in accidents do to faulty manufacturing were made on Fridays than other days. Something like that.


Anyway, if you ask the day it came off the line, the salespeope can find that out, but they will look at you funny.

Have you gone as far as test driving yet?

We are looking to buy a small truck, hopefully. If DH had his way he would get something bigger, but I really don''t want a truck at all, so we compromised on just getting a *small* truck. The Toyota trucks are about the size we want, so I really hope we can find something in the price we want. We finally have some money saved up... not much in comparison to what most people on PS have, lol, but we''re young and it''s a lot for us, hahaha. Anyway, the point is, we can actually afford to get a used truck this year, which is great! I haven''t gone to look at the trucks myself, and I actually refuse to do so without a man with me because I know they sometimes treat women as if they know nothing... and in my case I don''t. Cars in general make me really uncomfortable, hahaha. I am afraid to do test driving as well, but when DH gets back, he can definitely do it.

My car now has almost 110,000 miles, so it''s really getting up there. I know what you mean about it shifting weird. My car really shakes and stuff now, which is kind of annoying. However, it''s in good condition for being ten years old!

*M*

 

[jcrow]

timely thread. after breakfast we're going car shopping this morning...
dh is looking for a honda. he needs a reliable car that he can load miles on since he does so much driving for work. he's looking into the accord.

i drive a passat. i LOVE it and totally recommend it!
prior to this one i had an accord and before it was a prelude. both older models when i got them. i wondered if i'd like a volkswagon since all i'd known was honda, but i love it! LOVE it.

another thought about apr - do you have a credit union that either of you belong to? you can get MUCH better rates going through them.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Yeah, my GOAL was to be able to full out buy whatever car I got next, and well, unless my car keeps on keeping on for a bit longer, that won''t happen.

That''s why 0% APR is so appealing. I''d much rather pay the PRICE of the car than the price and *INTEREST.*

I''ve also heard that when you buy a car *new,* it depreciates by like 20% just by driving it off the lot.

Fun times, huh?

Still, that new car smell is *wonderful.* I''m not sure it''s worth several grand, but still. Heavenly scent!!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Date: 3/17/2007 10:25:25 AM
Author: jcrow
timely thread. after breakfast we''re going car shopping this morning...
dh is looking for a honda. he needs a reliable car that he can load miles on since he does so much driving for work. he''s looking into the accord.

i drive a passat. i LOVE it and totally recommend it!
prior to this one i had an accord and before it was a prelude. both older models when i got them. i wondered if i''d like a volkswagon since all i''d known was honda, but i love it! LOVE it.

another thought about apr - do you have a credit union that either of you belong to? you can get MUCH better rates going through them.

Both of us work for the government, so we both qualify for the credit unions through them, but neither of us have joined. I *just* started this new job, so I don''t know much about the one I quallify for. I should look into that. My brother suggested that, too.

Come back after you test drive and tell me how you like it. Last summer, I test drove a 2006 Accord VP, and it ROCKED!! The VP model (Value Package) has just about all the bells and whistles you could want, aside from heated seats, climate control, and the new things they''ve been coming out with lately like refridgerated cup holders, for a pretty good price. I''ve not driven a 2007, but I''ve been told they''re just about the same as the 2006 model. Around here, all the 2006 models are gone, gone, gone.

Have fun test driving!!

 

[poptart]

Date: 3/17/2007 10:32:22 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly

Date: 3/17/2007 10:25:25 AM

Author: jcrow

timely thread. after breakfast we''re going car shopping this morning...

dh is looking for a honda. he needs a reliable car that he can load miles on since he does so much driving for work. he''s looking into the accord.


i drive a passat. i LOVE it and totally recommend it!

prior to this one i had an accord and before it was a prelude. both older models when i got them. i wondered if i''d like a volkswagon since all i''d known was honda, but i love it! LOVE it.


another thought about apr - do you have a credit union that either of you belong to? you can get MUCH better rates going through them.

Both of us work for the government, so we both qualify for the credit unions through them, but neither of us have joined. I *just* started this new job, so I don''t know much about the one I quallify for. I should look into that. My brother suggested that, too.


Come back after you test drive and tell me how you like it. Last summer, I test drove a 2006 Accord VP, and it ROCKED!! The VP model (Value Package) has just about all the bells and whistles you could want, aside from heated seats, climate control, and the new things they''ve been coming out with lately like refridgerated cup holders, for a pretty good price. I''ve not driven a 2007, but I''ve been told they''re just about the same as the 2006 model. Around here, all the 2006 models are gone, gone, gone.


Have fun test driving!!

We have Navy Federal Credit Union and it''s been pretty good, but I''ve heard USAA is better. We are not a member of USAA though, and they apparently don''t have any physical branches or something... But NFCU has good loans for cars and pretty low interest rates, if that''s what you need to do.

*M*

 

[AmberGretchen]

Hey - another brand to look at for reliability is Subaru. They also tend to offer really good APRs - when I got my current one 3 years ago we were able to get 0% APR because it was being paid off in two years, and could have gotten 2.9% over 5 years. That''s without a credit union or anything. Interestingly, my Subaru came out to about the same price as the Honda and Toyota I was looking at because the Subaru place was more willing to give me the lowest possible price, whereas the Honda and Toyota people seemed to not care about whether I bought there or not. I also have to say, as someone who''s been in more than my fair share of accidents (most of them not my fault), I really feel safe in my Subaru. The all-wheel drive is pretty amazing too - I drove it in a blizzard once and felt totally safe. Plus based on my test drives my car was way more fun to drive than the equivalent Honda or Toyota.

I would HIGHLY recommend really using Consumer Reports for all its worth, and read read read anything and everything you can get your hands on. By the time I went to the dealer I knew as much as or perhaps even more than they did about the cars I was interested in, and I''m convinced that''s why I got such an amazing price on my car. The other thing you might want to try is e-mailing dealerships to ask for prices - I found that generally netted lower prices than asking in person first, not sure why.

Good luck!

 

[butterfly 17]

HI,
Are you sure that you can't get low financing with a Honda? I just purchased a Honda Pilot on 2/27 and I not only paid below invoice price, but I also got 3.9%.

They were and I believe still are offering 0.9% financing for up to 36 months and 3.9% for 37 to 60 months.

I decided to go with a longer term since I just bought my house in February as well, but still 3.9% is still very low.

ETA:

I just checked and they are not offering any financing this month for Accords, but I am positive they were offering it in February as I thought about getting an Accord.
If you really want a Honda, perhaps wait and see next month what they are going to do.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Okay, we test drove the G6. NICEEE!!!

No decisions yet. Don''t even know when the time will come to actually buy, but it was a sweet ride, to say the least!!

 

[diamondfan]

Subarus are great cars, and Toyota and Honda are great too...just depends what your needs are, if you live in a snowy place I think all wheel drive is a must. Have fun, and check in with car websites that rate cars, you can learn a lot that way...

 

[zoebartlett]

My parents, sister, BIL, boyfriend, and I all have Toyotas (various models -- prius, camry, corolla) and we all love them! My dad ALWAYS checks consumer reports before any big purchase, and he''s always quoting them at random times.

He talks about CR as if it''s a friend of his.."YA know, CP says..." Anyway, I highly recommend them (toyotas). My family has also had Accords, which were great as well. We''ve had Fords, Mazdas, Subarus also, which were great but I think now that we''ve found cars that we love so much, we''re not going to be quick to change to something else. Corollas are definitely the little sister or brother of the camry though, and if space inside the car is an issue, I''d go with a camry.

 

[WTNLVR]

Before you buy, check with your insurance company as to what it will cost to insure the models. Toyotas are about double to insure than some other cars. That''s why I gave up on Toyotas (I had 2). The quality has dropped significantly on Toyotas as well. I had a Solara made in Canada and it started rattling after a year. My original Camry made in Japan was perfection, but the ones sold in the US aren''t made there anymore

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 3/18/2007 9:42:17 AM
Author: WTNLVR
Before you buy, check with your insurance company as to what it will cost to insure the models. Toyotas are about double to insure than some other cars. That''s why I gave up on Toyotas (I had 2). The quality has dropped significantly on Toyotas as well. I had a Solara made in Canada and it started rattling after a year. My original Camry made in Japan was perfection, but the ones sold in the US aren''t made there anymore

Wow!!! What kind of insurance do you have? Mine charges LESS for cars like Toyotas, Subarus, etc. because they are safer and generally people who drive them are less of a risk.

That is really weird!

 

[sumbride]

Have you checked out Edmunds?

I rented a G6 last month and it was sweet, but I don''t know how well it would hold up in the long run. It was big inside but didn''t feel big when I was driving. Great cornering too. I was able to maneuver it around my sister''s horse trailer without any problems and that really impressed me. It was pretty too, and I liked the way the AC vents worked.

Another car I can recommend based on a rental experience is the Hyuandai Sonata. I was shocked by how much I liked that car! The one we rented was a V6, and wow, what a great drive. Very smooth, real power, awesome maneuverability, and luxurious inside, but with a $20k price tag. FI and I are actually considering that for our next new car. It''s a sedan so it would be good for when you start your family, has an awesome warranty and I think they''re offering good deals on the APR these days. Might be worth a test drive.

I have a 2004 Camry, base model, and while I like it, I''m not remotely as enamored with it now as I was when I got it. It seems to rattle a bit more these days and I had trouble with some parts that luckily were covered by the warranty... one of which was my door lock! It''s all electronic and one of my doors just wouldn''t lock anymore, not even when I tried to flip the lock manually. It was the little sensor and it would have cost over $500 if it hadn''t been under warranty, but the worst part of that was the dealer didn''t have the part so I had to wait a few days... and I don''t live somewhere I can leave my car unlocked, so I had to leave it at the shop. Also had some sort of air intake thing die at 30k miles. It''s reliable mostly, but kind of boring and basic. It was what I could afford at the time, and it''s very safe, but no zing. Of course, that''s a good thing in my neighborhood!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 3/17/2007 9:52:47 AM
Author: fisherofmengirly
Oh yeah! Nissan Altima. That car is also smoking hot!

The only thing is, I checked Consumer Reports and they indicated their safety ratings weren''t as good, and that sort of turned me off to them, since I hope to have this car well into our baby-making years.

That''s also a car I''ve not drived yet. A good friend of mine has one, and I just love the way the dashboard lays. Somehow, it makes it appear that the car has *so* much room, and doesn''t feel cramped up because of that. That sounds random, but if you''ve seen their dashboard setup, you''d know what I mean. (I hope.)

I have a 2002 3.5, the year they were remade. I would have rather waited a year before buying, to let all the bugs get worked out of the new model, but it was a matter of we HAD to buy a car immediately. Knock on wood, no real problems, one recall I think.

Let me just say, this car is FUN.

and FAST.

And a looker, in my opinion. Can you tell how much I still like it??

And they ARE roomier than most in cars in that size, another plus. We have had many comments on its roominess.

How bad was the safety rating?

 

[fisherofmengirly]

My husband''s family (everyone other than him) are diehard Toyota lovers, and although my dad says if you''re going to buy Non-American, at least go with Honda, not Toyota, I decided to go look at Toyota''s yesterday, too. We didn''t test drive, though. Somehow, I can''t get past the body style. They seem boxy to me, and just not cute. I also have a hard time thinking a 1.8 liter engine can perform, in the long run, as well as a 2.4 liter that is comparable in price in another model of car. I guess the only way I''ll be able to determine that is by driving it, though. Hmm. I just figure, why even test drive a car I just don''t really like to look at?

 

[tawn]

We went to look at Toyota...but I didn''t fall in love with anything either!

Went to VW, and fell hard for the 2007 Jetta! Great thing is that all of the stuff we would have paid extra for on the Toyota was included in the VW package! We''ve always had to buy the car alarms separately but it was actually included, as well as a full-sized spare tire, nice car mats, good stereo, etc...It also has that stabilization control (EBS?) which you turn on when it''s slippery out, although we did pay extra for that. But, we also got an extra discount on our insurance for having it!

I''ve had it since September and I''ve already put almost 6K miles on it, and it''s so much fun to drive and it''s quick! You can fit about 5 adults in the trunk...I don''t know how it can be so huge, because it''s a fairly small car!

The dealership was also willing to deal a bit, and gave me some free service visits etc! And, a baseball cap! Plus, VW keeps sending me all sorts of funny little things, like card games etc...

If you''re a Costco member, you also get an additional $300 back...or something along that line!

 

[jcrow]

i''m with you tawn. that''s another reason i LOVE my vw passat. i was considering the accord at the time too, but the passat had everything i wanted standard. plus the safetly ratings are phenominal. i''ve had it for 2 years and love it every day.

 

[fisherofmengirly]

My husband had a 2000 Jetta, and went through two engines in 4 years, due to faulty sensors.

Just goes to show no car company is ever loved by everyone, huh?

I *love* my Chevy that''s a 1997, and I''ll probably go Chevy/GM again, but there are so many who say American made is crappy. It depends on the experience you have.

But gosh aren''t Jettas cute?

 

[bujiatang]

We have an Olds Silouette. Great minivan. We drove around Lake Superior last year and got 26 miles to the gallon. It isn''t sexy, but my wife and I can fit both our bikes in the back without taking the seats out. For this reason when the van hits 170k we''re going to think about a hatchback to replace it. We just prefer the utility of a smaller car that doesn''t have an itty bitty trunk.

I have a wierd vibe about buying foreign, but also a worse vibe about buying a suboptimal car. I just drove a 93 taurus into the ground, and the last 10k were a nightmare. at 204,000 miles I gave the car away. A college budy of mine has the same model year Accord, similar number of miles (202k I think..), and it gets better gas milage than the Taurus ever did and DUN Dun dun it still runs beautifully. They towed Gimpy the Wonder Taurus away.

 

[kcoursolle]

My parents and a whole bunch of friends have a toyota corolla. It''s a great car that gets over 40 miles to the gallon on the freeway!!! With gas prices the way they are, it''s definitely a consideration. The car drives very zippy as well and you can buy a basic model for about 14k. None of the owners I know have had any problems with the car even after years, it seems to be very reliable.

 

[tawn]

Here is a review on the 2007 Jetta...from real drivers! There are lemons with every brand, but I see a ton of older Jetta''s on the road here in So Cal everyday, so they obviously must last a long time?

I''m totally in love with mine so far!

Jetta

 

[firebirdgold]

What sort of driving would you use the car for? What sort of weather conditions?

I adore my new jetta! I had an uber-practical silver forester Subaru and I just knew that any new car I bought once I was married would either be practical or a volvo. DH believes that cars are nothing more than necessary evil to get to point B from A (and a stereo with wheels on it).

So I bought a bright red Turbo Jetta! It's a lot of fun plus I feel very safe from the very common T-bone accidents around here. (I hate this state sometimes) I feel totally justified in buying a new car as DH is still giving me shit about buying a red car... only bad and aggressive drivers buy red cars.

However if I known last year that we'd be moving to someplace where I'm not driving 80+ miles a day at 60-70mph (with some nice mountain curves), then I would have gotten a Toyota Prius.. in red.

 

[jcrow]

well, we just made our car purchase yesterday....it''s a silver honda accord ex with black leather inside with satelite radio and seat warmers (my fav! - LOVE this feature in my passat!!) we''re going pick it up today in a bit.