Am I ready for a new car?

Dear Robusta,

Heck no, you haven't offended me!

I don't think I'm wealthy...most people my age have a 6-figure balance in the bank, some maybe a Million or more!

I just finished reading Trump's "The Art Of The Deal", and he provides some intelligent financial insights that even those of modest means can use!

Cash Always Talks!
HiDesertHal

 

I disagree that buying a used car is always buying someone else's problems. This could be true if you are buying one from a newspaper ad or some such, but reputable dealers have good cars that they have gone over mechanically, etc. and certified to be in great condition. Nowdays a lot of people trade every two years and you can get a very good used one with low mileage. ALSO nowdays, most dealers offer a carfax report which follows the car through its VIN to show what exactly has been done by the previous owner, i.e., routine maintenance to show they have taken proper care of the care, if it has had to have any repairs, etc. Buying a used car nowdays is not what it was 40 years ago.

My car, for instance, was maintained at the dealership, and ultimately traded in because the people who owned it decided they needed a much bigger vehicle to suit their lifestyle.

I cannot imagine a dealer around here refusing to sell because it was a cash deal. I "paid cash" for my car because I borrowed the money from a line of credit I have and the loan was not attached to the car. The dealership was quite happy to take my check. I pay less interest from my LOC, which is why I did it that way.

I just think it is not prudent to buy a brand new car and lose thousands of dollars in value as soon as you drive it off the lot. My old Saturn was purchased for much less than the same vehicle would have cost brand new because someone bought it for his wife and she drove it about 2 weeks and didn't like it. He traded it back in in the same model year and I got it for WAY less. It had under 100 miles on it.

You just need to shop around. Here, and I suppose it is true in other places at well, you can get on a dealer's website and see the cars they have in their "used" inventory, get the mileage, the amenities, etc., all without traipsing all over town looking at cars. Then you can call the dealer and go see the car, drive it, etc. That's the way I found my car and I'm glad I discovered you can do that because my Saturn literally died in the street and I didn't have a car to go all over town looking at cars. My neighbor was kind enough to help me out with a ride to the places I actually went to look, after screening the cars.

I donated my deceased car to a charity here that takes cars, running or not, wholesales them for parts or whatever and then donates the profit to the charity of of your choice (for me, it was the local humane society). It was a win-win situation because I didn't have to pay to have it towed off and the humane society got a nice little sum.
 
Life is short. Don't put money into an old vehicle. Get something new and enjoy it while you can. We are all seniors here.

If you can afford it. Go for it. Even if you can't afford it. Go for it and make payments. Who are you going to hurt?
 

We just bought a new car. Ford Edge Sport, fully loaded.

Getting rid of our previous two. The 2003 Hyundai SUV was a great car, only regular maintenance until three major repairs cropped up in a 2-month time frame. At 88K we sadly said good-bye to it, off to charity.

The 2010 Fusion sedan was an "almost" Accord beater. Not quite right, ergonomics were bad altho there were many things I liked about it. We'll be giving it to some friends who need 2 cars but one of theirs has 240K miles on it - it's been slowly 'nickel/diming' them so they could use the Fusion.

The SUV is what we take on trips (we're retired). The Hyundai was a little too small, and altho it had good seats (much better than the Fusion) it's a noisy car inside. On a 6-wk trip from Northern CA thru the PNW it was tiring to drive thru a long day.

I had very specific parameters for what I wanted (I love cars - good thing I haven't won the lottery because if I did I'd have seven or eight cars cluttering up the driveway, LOL):

– Holds 4 adults and all luggage for a full week of travel, including a large cooler
– Sufficient horsepower, excellent handling, excellent braking
– Comfortable seats with lumbar adjustment
– Ventilated seats: many cars come with heated seats, but I wanted ventilated seats. It seldom gets cold here, but lots of sun make for overheated interiors
– Rear cameras
– Privacy glass and cargo cover
– Blind spot monitoring
– Adaptive cruise control
– Daytime running lights
– Lane-keeping system

I test-drove several SUVs. I kept returning to the Edge Sport, so we put in a factory order. Since I didn't want the "panoramic sunroof" no dealer within 150 miles had precisely what I wanted in color and options. It took six weeks and we took possession May 19th.

We were going to put half down and finance the other half. We talked to a credit union for pre-approval but when we went into the dealership, they offered a 5 yr 0% interest loan, saying, "Hey, you might as well save the extra cash for something important."LOL! So we put down 12% and financed the rest.

Very happy with the car. It has two minor flaws: the center console cupholders are in the world's dumbest position so only one is really usable. It's different than every other Ford model, and why they made this one irritatingly unique is beyond comprehension.

I've also decided Ford has a 'body standard' for its engineers. They must all be at least 6' or taller, with long arms and legs. I've got the driver's seat as low as it will go, and it juuuusssst fits me (5'6").

But outside of those two quirks, I'm SO HAPPY we sprang for this car. Worth every penny. We also got both extended warranty and maintenance contracts, long term. New luxury cars have an enormous # of computers - we were told this car has over 23 computer chips in it - so outside of tires, gas, or wrecking the car, we should be okay for the next 8 yrs. Fingers crossed!
 
I test drive the Ford Fusion, but didn't like the ride -- it seemed somehow "flimsy" to me. I settled on a Kia Forte, which feels and handles like a solid car, and has many amenities I don't even understand. I like it a lot.
 
Butterfly said:
I test drive the Ford Fusion, but didn't like the ride -- it seemed somehow "flimsy" to me. I settled on a Kia Forte, which feels and handles like a solid car, and has many amenities I don't even understand. I like it a lot.
Click to expand...

Too bad there isn't a KIA dealer near me. The closest dealer to me is Ford about 10 miles. Even if if wanted another Honda, I'd have to travel about 20 miles to the closest dealership. I also have to consider closeness when needing service.
 
I have a 98 Nissan. I keep thinking about getting a replacement but it just keeps on running. I don't need it much because I am in walking distance to just about anything I need and I ride a bike every day and do a lot of walking.

The rule is supposed to be. If the repairs are more than what the car is worth forget it and put the money into a new car.
 
debodun said:
Too bad there isn't a KIA dealer near me. The closest dealer to me is Ford about 10 miles. Even if if wanted another Honda, I'd have to travel about 20 miles to the closest dealership. I also have to consider closeness when needing service.
Click to expand...

Have you checked the Ford dealer's inventory of used cars? You can do that online. Also the Honda dealer. How often do you take a car in for service that you need a dealership to do?
 
I have a 2004 Hyundia Santa Fe that I still love. It has 180,000 miles but I have always kept the regular maintenance up on it. I know I am going to need to find something newer soon. I will go "gently owned" or a lease. I have no desire for big car payments at my age. I probably do not drive 1,000 miles a year now. If I need to make a long trip, I will rent a car. Let them have the mileage.
 
maggiemae said:
I have a 2004 Hyundia Santa Fe that I still love. It has 180,000 miles but I have always kept the regular maintenance up on it. I know I am going to need to find something newer soon. I will go "gently owned" or a lease. I have no desire for big car payments at my age. I probably do not drive 1,000 miles a year now. If I need to make a long trip, I will rent a car. Let them have the mileage.
Click to expand...

That's a good plan renting a vehicle.

I just priced out a weekend rate. Pick up the car on Saturday Morning, bring it back on Monday morning for about $35.00.

That's cheaper than a taxi.
 
Camper6 said:
HiDesertHal said:
Well now, that makes sense, Camper6!

But putting the money into a lo-mi late model used car may be a better bet.....

What thinkest thou?

I thinkest about why the person got rid of the used car in the first place. If you could find that out you might have a good deal.
Click to expand...

The people who traded in my car last year at the dealer where they purchased it did so because they decided they needed a bigger vehicle. I bought it at the same place -- all the maintenance had been done there, etc., verified by Carfax, so I know I got a good deal.
Click to expand...
 
debodun said:
I've been debating - new car, used car or lease. With no credit card, it's going to be tough unless I go as a cash buyer.
Click to expand...

Don't put up roadblocks for yourself, go in and sit down with a salesperson and discuss what you would like. In less than five minutes they will tell you what they are willing to approve for a lease or financing.
 
Agree with Aunt Bea. And the best strategy: Whether you've made up your mind or not, tell them you'll think about it and let them know. Walk toward the door, and the salesmen will chase you, and make a better offer. :)
 
I've been doing a little research on new cars. It seems every auto and consumer magazine and online auto rating site has different opinions as to what are the best compact cars. Fifteen years ago it was a little simpler - not as many choices. Every make had a few models in each trim line. Now there are more options and trim lines. I am not sure what the difference is between SX, LX, EX, EXi, etc. is. All I can say is that it is a lot more confusing to me now.

I don't need a lot of bells & whistles, but unfortunately, many cars come equipped with "standard" features like cruise control (my car has this and I never used it), GPS (that is useless since I hardly ever go out of town now that I'm retired), backward looking camera, etc. All the "extras" I really need are automatic tranny, power steering and AM/FM radio.

Also, one question, why do dealerships stock "low-end" cars? When you start looking at them, the salesperson tries to persuade you into a more expensive model. If they want to sell expensive models - just stock those. I hate "bait & switch" methods.
 
debodun said:
I've been doing a little research on new cars. It seems every auto and consumer magazine and online auto rating site has different opinions as to what are the best compact cars. Fifteen years ago it was a little simpler - not as many choices. Every make had a few models in each trim line. Now there are more options and trim lines. I am not sure what the difference is between SX, LX, EX, EXi, etc. is. All I can say is that it is a lot more confusing to me now.

I don't need a lot of bells & whistles, but unfortunately, many cars come equipped with "standard" features like cruise control (my car has this and I never used it), GPS (that is useless since I hardly ever go out of town now that I'm retired), backward looking camera, etc. All the "extras" I really need are automatic tranny, power steering and AM/FM radio.

Also, one question, why do dealerships stock "low-end" cars? When you start looking at them, the salesperson tries to persuade you into a more expensive model. If they want to sell expensive models - just stock those. I hate "bait & switch" methods.
Click to expand...

A backup camera is not "bells and whistles". It's an important safety feature.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top