Next chapter: shopping for new car as a single

the warranty is more important than the cost of the car
American made cars warranties are ridiculous, (Ford) while Japanese, Korean cars offer great warranties; however, their warranties often require
any repairs take place at their dealership$$$,
The Volvo is supposed to be the safest car built (that's from ten years ago)
 

The last vehicle I bought was a dealer certified used trade in. Had 50,000 miles on it, but, it came with a bumper to bumper 100,000 mile or 5 year warranty. It was well worth the money I pent and except for brake pads and the usual oil changes, I've done nothing else to it. Will probably outlast me.
 

I change every two years now. It keeps the resale/trade high. I bought a Nissan Titan in May of 2018 but now I am reading Nissan trucks in 2019 were near dead last in truck sales and that will be bad for trade in value.
 
jerry r. garner said:
the warranty is more important than the cost of the car
American made cars warranties are ridiculous, (Ford) while Japanese, Korean cars offer great warranties; however, their warranties often require
any repairs take place at their dealership$$$,
The Volvo is supposed to be the safest car built (that's from ten years ago)
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Jerry, would tend to disagree on the Korean car's great warranties. We had an Amati - upscale model - at 60,000 miles it was "come in for your free check - up on your 100,000 mile Bumper to Bumper warranty. So, we took the car in and they said at 60,000 miles for warranty protection they replaced this and that and charged us 600 bucks. Some B to B warranty, huh.So beware, guys! No more Korean cars for us.
 
squatting dog said:
Another thing to consider is that there are probably some left over 2019 cars at the dealer and buying with cash would put you in a pretty good position. Also, even leftover model years come with a complete dealer warranty just like the new year ones.
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I already asked. the 19s are gone. Will be getting a 2020, which they will be wanting to start moving out to make room for the 2021s. So, a good deal is still an option
 
squatting dog said:
Another thing to consider is that there are probably some left over 2019 cars at the dealer and buying with cash would put you in a pretty good position. Also, even leftover model years come with a complete dealer warranty just like the new year ones.
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When I wanted a new car in 2014 I thought of getting the old year of 2013 and getting a good deal. The problem with that was there were only a few left and I was picky about what I wanted, mainly the color white, which in hot Tucson is needed and there were none left in white. White makes the car 10 degrees cooler, you don't want a dark car in hot climates.
 
Liberty, post 31 warns: warranty
That is correct, when purchasing car it is what the salesperson touts,
When you take it in for repair, strange things occur. it is not what you were told the service department has the last word.

Obviously, this occurs long after you have purchased the car. Your sales person is either gone or 'does not recall telling you that.'
The service schedule is in the back of the 'thick book' you get with the car, after the purchase is completed.

You think, 'well there a large corp and reliable...' I think their as bad as any used car lot
 
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The last time we made a car payment was in the late 1980s.
I don't understand the benefit of making lease payments and at the end of the lease you don't own anything.
I prefer to pay cash for a carefully selected used car.
 
jerry r. garner said:
Liberty, post 31 warns: warranty
That is correct, when purchasing car it is what the salesperson touts,
When you take it in for repair, strange things occur. it is not what you were told the service department has the last word.

Obviously, this occurs long after you have purchased the car. Your sales person is either gone or 'does not recall telling you that.'
The service schedule is in the back of the 'thick book' you get with the car, after the purchase is completed.

You think, 'well there a large corp and reliable...' I think their as bad as any used car lot
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Personally...don't think you can beat buying a lower mileage 3 yr old car and driving it till the wheels fall off- with a good local mechanic you can trust. The cars aren't so "pretty" you have to cry over the first parking lot dent, either.
 
Liberty said:
Personally...don't think you can beat buying a lower mileage 3 yr old car and driving it till the wheels fall off- with a good local mechanic you can trust. The cars aren't so "pretty" you have to cry over the first parking lot dent, either.
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My mother and stepfather used to do that. They would buy high mileage late model cars and then sell them off the front lawn when they were ready for a new one. They didn't drive much so over 3 or 4 years they were able to balance out the mileage. They were good at playing the little old couple that only drove the car to church on sunny Sundays.
 
Aunt Bea said:
My mother and stepfather used to do that. They would buy high mileage late model cars and then sell them off the front lawn when they were ready for a new one. They didn't drive much so over 3 or 4 years they were able to balance out the mileage. They were good at playing the little old couple that only drove the car to church on sunny Sundays.
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We've still got one... a 2006 Escape Limited with low miles on it! Plus a classic old Jeep we love.
 
Manatee said:
The last time we made a car payment was in the late 1980s.
I don't understand the benefit of making lease payments and at the end of the lease you don't own anything.
I prefer to pay cash for a carefully selected used car.
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That's exactly what we do. I haven't had an car loan since the early 70s. No thanks. We leased a couple of cars on our business back in the 80s, but not since. We buy what we can afford, cash on the barrelhead. (Technically a check, but you get my drift.)

A couple of weeks ago we replaced my 2001 SUV with a just-off-lease 2017 RAV4 hybrid. Low mileage, great condition. Of course, the finance guy wanted to talk to us about loans, but I pulled out my checkbook instead.

He asked me when he could deposit the check - when would it be "good?" I told him it's good right now.
 
StarSong said:
That's exactly what we do. I haven't had an car loan since the early 70s. No thanks. We leased a couple of cars on our business back in the 80s, but not since. We buy what we can afford, cash on the barrelhead. (Technically a check, but you get my drift.)

A couple of weeks ago we replaced my 2001 SUV with a just-off-lease 2017 RAV4 hybrid. Low mileage, great condition. Of course, the finance guy wanted to talk to us about loans, but I pulled out my checkbook instead.

He asked me when he could deposit the check - when would it be "good?" I told him it's good right now.
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Yep, pay cash for low mileage good used cars...can't beat 'em, overall!
 
When I was working, and driving a lot, and getting a mileage allowance from the company, I was interested in buying a new car/truck every 2 or 3 years. However, in retirement, and driving only 6 or 7 thousand miles a year, changing vehicles frequent;y seems like a waste of money. For openers, a new vehicle loses at least 20% of its value the moment you drive off the lot. By the time it reaches 3 years old, it has lost at least half its value. Leasing seems, to me, an endless waste of funds. If a person finds a good reliable vehicle to start with, then follows the routine maintenance faithfully, there is no reason why it can't last at least 100K miles....and if given a bit of extra care, 200K is not uncommon. Buying a well maintained used car/truck is probably the best overall value for a person's dollars, but one should Always take the vehicle to a reliable independent mechanic, for a thorough checkout...and research things like CarFax to get the vehicles history. Another thing to be cautious/aware of is the Spring/Summer influx of seemingly nice used cars....which have been through a flood...thousands of these money pits hit the used car market every year.
 
Marie5656 said:
Not sure if I ever mentioned this, but my current car is a lease. The lease ends in the spring, so it is off to go shopping. First time in years I have done this solo. I mean, I have input from people I trust, but basically it is all on me this time.
I am going to buy rather than lease, this time. And going back to a gas car, rather than electric. The electric was Rick's dream, which I am glad he got fulfilled, but I no longer want one.

On the advice of several people, I went yesterday to a local Toyota dealer. I am looking first at the Rav 4. It is AWD, and great in the snow. I liked the one I looked at. I am going to go back soon for a test drive. Then go from there. I am really looking forward to this new adventure. I would like to travel some, and long distance trips are hard in an electric. There are not enough easily accessable public charging ports to make travel feasible in an electric. I will NOT miss it.

Except for the traveling I plan to do, I really do not drive enough to care much about gas prices and stuff. I am more concerned on how well the car handles, and how good a product it is for my money.
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Thank you for the info on electric vehicles. Was not on my bucket list to purchase one but good info. So happy for your new adventure...I am sure, well deserved.
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Marie5656 said:
I get what you all are saying. @Aunt Bea I have had the same insurance agent for over 20 years. Pretty satisfied with service I am getting from them. They have treated me well over the years.

As for my decision to buy, rather than lease. Our last few cars have been leases. So I get the advantages of it. But in discussions with others, and putting my own thoughts into the matter, I do want to buy this time. A Toyota can and will last me a long time, and will treat me well, as long as I treat it well. I do have the money to buy the car outright, with no hit to my investments and long term financial future. And to be honest, I am tired of HAVING to go car shopping every three years.

I do not put a lot of miles on a car any more, so there will not be as much wear and tear as when I was working. I am not making the decision to buy over lease without proper thought about each option. And there is that small part of me who wants to go without the monthly car payments. This way I can better use the extra money for small investments, and travel.

I still look forward to your input, and WILL listen. It is just that the decision to buy is pretty much set in stone for me right now. I have been weighing it for the past year.
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@Marie5656 Makes perfect sense. I leased in the past which was fine but I was glad to get pass the leasing phase. Leasing works great for some people but not my cup of tea at this stage in my life.
 
Don M. said:
When I was working, and driving a lot, and getting a mileage allowance from the company, I was interested in buying a new car/truck every 2 or 3 years. However, in retirement, and driving only 6 or 7 thousand miles a year, changing vehicles frequent;y seems like a waste of money. For openers, a new vehicle loses at least 20% of its value the moment you drive off the lot. By the time it reaches 3 years old, it has lost at least half its value. Leasing seems, to me, an endless waste of funds. If a person finds a good reliable vehicle to start with, then follows the routine maintenance faithfully, there is no reason why it can't last at least 100K miles....and if given a bit of extra care, 200K is not uncommon. Buying a well maintained used car/truck is probably the best overall value for a person's dollars, but one should Always take the vehicle to a reliable independent mechanic, for a thorough checkout...and research things like CarFax to get the vehicles history. Another thing to be cautious/aware of is the Spring/Summer influx of seemingly nice used cars....which have been through a flood...thousands of these money pits hit the used car market every year.
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Don, son had an Acura he got 450,000 miles from!
 
We could probably have wrung many more years and miles from my 2001 Infiniti that had only 160K on it, but couldn't improve it's gas mileage nor change the outdated safety features.

Our new car came with all its service records. It was leased and serviced at the dealership where we purchased it.
 
Marie, I'm very happy for you and I wish you good luck in buying a new car. We always paid cash for our vehicles and never leased any cars or trucks. My nephew lives in Massachusetts and used to have a Rav4 that he was very happy with, that was years back, not sure he still has it or not. He gets lots of snow and liked the way it handled snowy weather.
 
Good luck on your adventure. At 148000 on my old Honda Civic, I will soon be doing what you are.

You probably already know, but someone on another forum told me some interesting news about late model cars.

It concerns the parking sensor beeper, and according to this source we are able to change the volume and frequency of it, so that for those who wear hearing aids or have some hearing impairment like me, it may prevent them from backing into someone or something causing damage.

This person could barely hear the beeper and asked the car repair person what he could do about it. Well, the guy plugged something in & adjusted the volume to max, making this car owner very happy and he said the mechanic told him that most new cars, if not all, have this ability. So I will adjust the volume for sure for safety purposes the next time I have my wife's 2017 Accord serviced.
 


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