Musings on shopping for a new vehicle.

[Victor]

I hate dealerships and their blatant dishonesty. They will say anything to get you to come in and bait and switch. I have been lied to twice in the last month going to a Kia and Subaru dealer, and others. The sales rep didn't even meet me after I drove 23 miles. I wonder if the car even exists. It doesn't help calling before you go. They lie.
Nothing but frustration for me...their info is not worth the paper it's written on. Deceit is their job. They are rewarded for it. And their negative feedback seems unnoticed.

 

[squatting dog]

I wish they still used chrome... a lot of chrome.
Back in the day, it took about 2 or 3 workers just to put on those heavy chrome bumpers.

 

[Trade]

I wish they still used chrome... a lot of chrome.
Back in the day, it took about 2 or 3 workers just to put on those heavy chrome bumpers.



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I'm thinking back to my first car which was a 1952 Dodge Wayfarer that I bought in 1963 for $65 bucks. It burned a crazy amount of oil. Got terrible gas mileage and was as slow as molasses in January. But it was built like a tank. I don't think there was a bit of plastic on it anywhere. I kept it for about a year and then sold it for $100 bucks. It's the only car I ever made money on.

 

[Nathan]

I hate dealerships and their blatant dishonesty. They will say anything to get you to come in and bait and switch. I have been lied to twice in the last month going to a Kia and Subaru dealer, and others. The sales rep didn't even meet me after I drove 23 miles. I wonder if the car even exists. It doesn't help calling before you go. They lie.
Nothing but frustration for me...their info is not worth the paper it's written on. Deceit is their job. They are rewarded for it. And their negative feedback seems unnoticed.

Yep, they're ALL like that. I just bought a new Subaru a couple months ago, told the Sales manager I wanted the 5.99% financing package, when all the papers were assembled and printed, it ended up being the 6.99% package. I didn't feel like squabbling about it, I ended up paying the whole balance off anyway. Screw 'em.

 

[Trade]

As to your 2009 with only 169000….i would still be driving that

I am for the time being but I can see a list of things that are going to cost me some big bucks in the future. The A/C works fine right now, but it's 16 going on 17 years old. At that age it could go any time. Ka Ching. I've replaced the starter but the alternater is the original one. How much longer is that going to last? Ka Ching again. Brakes. They are working fine now but the lining on the pads are down to about 1/8 of an inch. It won't be long till the squeelers start hitting the rotors. Ka Ching.

The tires still have good tread on them but according to the code they were manufactured in early to mid 2017. When they hit 10 years old I'll need to replace them even if they still have decent tread left. Ka Ching. The engine runs like a top but it does leak oil. Not a lot. I put a quart in every 1,000 to 1,500 miles, but that could get worse. Rebuilding the engine would cost a lot more than the car would be worth after the engine is rebuilt. Same goes for the Transmission which is also working just fine for now, but for how long?

I've put the Subaru on the back burner and have narrowed by contenders down to a Toyota Rav-4 or a Honda CR-V. I don't like the idea of a little diminutive 1.5 liter engine on the Honda. It's turbo charged to get 190 hoursepower. But that comes to 2 horsepower per cubic inch. That seems to be wringing too much out of that little tiny engine. That concerns about it's longevity. So that puts the Rav-4 in first place. I looked at the Nissan Rouges too but they have a 3 cylinder engine. That is just plain wrong! Engines are supposed to have an even number of cylinders!

 

[Jules]

You can shut it off each time you get in the car but I have yet to find a way to permanently disable that feature on my car.

There are ways to permanently disable it. Just find the right mechanic.

Seriously, I wouldn’t bother. We have it and it no big deal. Touch the gas and you’re going instantly. I wouldn’t even notice it if I didn’t know.

The safety features are worth it. The first time some unknown steps behind when you’re backing up, you’ll be thankful. Same for that blind spot when pulling into the left lane.

 

[seadoug]

I am for the time being but I can see a list of things that are going to cost me some big bucks in the future. The A/C works fine right now, but it's 16 going on 17 years old. At that age it could go any time. Ka Ching. I've replaced the starter but the alternater is the original one. How much longer is that going to last? Ka Ching again. Brakes. They are working fine now but the lining on the pads are down to about 1/8 of an inch. It won't be long till the squeelers start hitting the rotors. Ka Ching.

The tires still have good tread on them but according to the code they were manufactured in early to mid 2017. When they hit 10 years old I'll need to replace them even if they still have decent tread left. Ka Ching. The engine runs like a top but it does leak oil. Not a lot. I put a quart in every 1,000 to 1,500 miles, but that could get worse. Rebuilding the engine would cost a lot more than the car would be worth after the engine is rebuilt. Same goes for the Transmission which is also working just fine for now, but for how long?

I've put the Subaru on the back burner and have narrowed by contenders down to a Toyota Rav-4 or a Honda CR-V. I don't like the idea of a little diminutive 1.5 liter engine on the Honda. It's turbo charged to get 190 hoursepower. But that comes to 2 horsepower per cubic inch. That seems to be wringing too much out of that little tiny engine. That concerns about it's longevity. So that puts the Rav-4 in first place. I looked at the Nissan Rouges too but they have a 3 cylinder engine. That is just plain wrong! Engines are supposed to have an even number of cylinders!

Just a thought, but have you considered the Mazda CX-30? It's in the same category as what you are considering. We are on our second one. The 4-cylinder turbo is a beast (for that size engine) and it is a blast to drive. It has plenty of torque down low. The engine growls when you step on it. The 4-cylinder turbo and 6-speed auto have been used my Mazda for years so they're tried and true. The two we've owned have been rock-solid.

It also has a really nice, rattle-free interior.

 

[Cora-123]

My current vehicle is a 2009 Honda accord with 169,000 miles on it. It's been a very dependable car but just recently I had a $1400 repair bill on it and I am starting to feel like it might be getting to the point where things start to go on it. So I've been looking at new cars. I've got it pretty much narrowed down to three options. A Subaru Outback, a Honda CRV, ot a Toyota Rav4. But one thing I am finding to my dislikeing is all the damned technology on these new ones. One example is this auto stop start feature.

What the Hell? Who would want their vehile to shut off every time you stop at a stop light? First of all I learned that starting up a car takes as much gas as idling for 10 minutes. So how does having it shut off save gas? Well I looked it up and apparently my knowledge is now obsolete. The 10 minute rule applied to carbureted vehicles. Supposedly fuel injected vehicles only use 10 seconds worth of gas at idle to restart. At least that's what it says on the internet. I'm having a hard time buying that.

On top of that when I have to stop on a road for whatever reason I am always checking my rear view mirror to see if some yayhoo behind me is asleep at the wheel and is barreling down the road and about to crash into me. So I'm looking to see if I have an escape route. And I don't want to have to wait for my car to restart.

Then there's the wear and tear on your starter having to restart your car over and over and over. How long before I'm going to need a new starter? Mine went out in my Honda a couple of years ago and it cost me about a thousand bucks to get it replaced.

This is indeed a problem that must be taken seriously in today's cars. New cars now have many "unnecessary" features, such as automatic start-stop, which is really awkward to use at first, and you may worry that you won't be able to react in an emergency or increase the wear of parts. After all, a car is a means of transportation, and its purpose is to be reliable, worry-free, and easy to drive, not to study various menus and settings every day.

But then again, technological progress has indeed brought some tangible benefits. For example, today's automatic start-stop system is smarter than before. It can judge the engine temperature and battery status, and sometimes it won't even actually shut down the car. Moreover, functions such as lane keeping, blind spot monitoring, and automatic braking can indeed help many people avoid accidents, especially older people or those who often drive on the highway.

From one aspect, in the final analysis, the essence of a car is a means of transportation. Many people don't need those complicated and fancy functions. They care more about whether a car is reliable, has low maintenance costs, is easy to use, and can be driven at any time. In the final analysis, it depends on each person's needs. If you like a simple and reliable driving experience, you can look for a car with less technology and a setting that can be turned off manually; and if you are willing to accept new technologies, you can enjoy more convenience and safety. Both directions are correct, but the emphasis is different.

 

[OldOld]

If I do decide to buy a new vehicle I will do all my negotiating by email over the internet. Why? Because I find it's a lot easier to be a hard ass over the internet than it is in person.

For example take the Subaru Outback I was looking at. After test driving it I waited a day, then requested an OTD (out the door) price by email. The salesman bumped my request to "the manager" who came back with $39,522. This was on a vehicle that had an MSRP of $36,031. Then there was tax tag and title, doc fees, and some other nebulous charges that brought it up to the $39,522. I replied by telling him via email that I don't see any reason to continue this and left it at that. A couple hours later he came back to me by email with $37,427 with the caveat that I had to come back that very day and complete the deal. I just ignored that one.

The next day the salesman emailed me asking if I had thought about the offer. I replied that I wasn't interested in any offer that had a deadline on it. A couple hours later the sales manager emailed me and said the offer would be good whenever I was ready. And that's where it stands today. So they came down 5.3% from their first OTD quote. So I'm going to use that as my benchmark for any vehicle I might decide to buy. First I'll ask for their OTD price. Then I'll make a counter offer of 5.3% less. If they take it, I'll buy the vehicle. If they try to counter offer I'll reply thanks , but no thanks, end of conversation.

You can get any car at the total of MSRP + Tax. Any fees on top of it is dismissable. And how much you can negotiate down from there depends on the market demand for this car, and if you are getting a car loan from this dealer, and maybe a little on your negotiation skills(but not much).

 

[hearlady]

My current vehicle is a 2009 Honda accord with 169,000 miles on it. It's been a very dependable car but just recently I had a $1400 repair bill on it and I am starting to feel like it might be getting to the point where things start to go on it. So I've been looking at new cars. I've got it pretty much narrowed down to three options. A Subaru Outback, a Honda CRV, ot a Toyota Rav4. But one thing I am finding to my dislikeing is all the damned technology on these new ones. One example is this auto stop start feature.

What the Hell? Who would want their vehile to shut off every time you stop at a stop light? First of all I learned that starting up a car takes as much gas as idling for 10 minutes. So how does having it shut off save gas? Well I looked it up and apparently my knowledge is now obsolete. The 10 minute rule applied to carbureted vehicles. Supposedly fuel injected vehicles only use 10 seconds worth of gas at idle to restart. At least that's what it says on the internet. I'm having a hard time buying that.

On top of that when I have to stop on a road for whatever reason I am always checking my rear view mirror to see if some yayhoo behind me is asleep at the wheel and is barreling down the road and about to crash into me. So I'm looking to see if I have an escape route. And I don't want to have to wait for my car to restart.

Then there's the wear and tear on your starter having to restart your car over and over and over. How long before I'm going to need a new starter? Mine went out in my Honda a couple of years ago and it cost me about a thousand bucks to get it replaced.

Good Luck on your search.My husband hates the stop start feature! I think he found a work around.
I do like some of the safety and convenience features on the newer cars. Like the back up camera and alerts.

 

[OldOld]

... I ended up taking a car loan for half of it because they offered me 2.9%. At that rate, my investments are making more money so I will keep the loan for the four years.

What had happened to a couple of my older friends as they kept driving their old cars was eventually they started to need many repairs. They both said before you know it you have spent a lot of money on repairs and you still have an old car where things are breaking.

So they then bought new cars but by that time being in their mid 80s, they realize they didn’t have that many years left to drive them and they wish they would’ve bought the new cars when they were younger. That also influenced my decision.

If you are referring to investment in stock market, well... it carries risks. If you are referring to bank CD, your CD interest is taxable.

 

[AnneTeak]

Everyone and their brother thinks i need a new car. i am driving a 2006 Honda Civic with 63K miles on it. Rides like a dream, very dependable. Just replaced rear brakes and do necessary oil changes. A little bit of rust here and there, but at least i know it's not all plastic. I really don't drive it that much; instead depending on public transportation. I just can't justify the money and hassle for all the bells and whistles.

 

[palides2021]

I did computer security for a living so this one really ticks me off. Unless you really want it, avoid signing up for the extras where you can start your car remotely, find where your car is, anything that lets them communicate with your vehicle. Unfortunately this includes the remote help button which most people our age want. Either way in the setup there should be a privacy option. My Honda Accord has that on the opening screen, enable it. ALL car companies are known to sell your data to anyone who wants to pay for it.

Many people say they don't care but there have been cases where the data was bought and found it's way to the persons insurance company. Sudden braking? One guys insurance doubled because of that event, which does get recorded and if they can they will download it. His insurance went up without them even knowing the reason was that caused it. Should have hit that squirrel.

Also and even worse... We just bought a used Toyota Corolla hybrid in California. Many manufacturers now install a "security device" to all their cars adding anywhere from $1k to $2k to the price which is not optional and is nothing but a GPS tracking device (see above). They originally used the GPS for financed cars so they could locate them to repo them if necessary. Now that data is so valuable everybody gets one. Even new cars. At least with Toyota , and if one manufatuurer does it you can bet most others do too.

So even if you don't enable the extras they can still track you. You can opt out of this too but most people don't even know it's there. They won't remove it until you buy the car and maybe not even then. One problem is that they are so poorly designed that if the car sits for an extended peirod it drains the battery because it never turns off. Even the OEM ones installed in cars have had issues with battery drain. Especially Subaru.

Plus be sure it's not a hidden item not on the sticker price until you sit down to negotiate. Then it will appear as a security device and they will offer to give it to you for free and say they just dropped the price of the car $2000, back to the sticker price. Negotiation over. This is exactly what they tried to pull on us. We went to a different dealer and same story except the security device was only $1k. Keep an eye out for that scam and make them remove it.

Here is what I am talking about .

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.

Valuable advice! Thanks so much!