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Hi all, potential first-time car buyer here. My poor '99 Ford Taurus exploded and caught fire the other day (luckily the flame snuffed itself out fairly quickly), and I'm looking into buying another vehicle. I haven't actually had my Taurus checked out yet, but I wanted to get a head start on the search, since this'll be my first time buying a car. I think I'd like some sort of reliable, bang-for-my-buck pickup. While my Taurus was rather spacious with a large trunk, I was always frustrated by its relatively limited space (I've had to rent two U-hauls in the last few weeks). I think the towing capacity, utility, and offroad capabilities of a small- to mid-sized pickup would be great. Plus, I'd like to get something I can throw a shell on and go traveling / camping out of. I don't have a hard budget in mind. Right now I'm just trying to see what my options are, but I'm definitely looking for something used. Reliability and minimal cost of ownership are important to me. I'm looking for something that fits my need without costing an arm and a leg (both in initial cost and maintenance), and I cannot afford another emergency vehicular expense at the moment. Preferably 4-door, or at least 4+-seat. Color/size/style doesn't really matter to me; I'll choose function over form every time. Interior is fairly important to me, comfortable seats, ergonomics, climate control, decent sound system, etc. Something about the size of a Toyota Tundra seems about right, though I've never actually driven/researched one, and I don't really know that much about vehicles to begin with. Many thanks!
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Nov 17, 2016 05:08
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Thanks for all the truck chat!KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Trucks aren't very expensive, though, especially on the used market for non-Toyota poo poo. I would recommend a gently used six-cylinder domestic half ton. Sure, the Tundra is pretty indestructible, but you'll pay a very hefty price up front for that privilege. I have a few thousand in savings, and about $17k in stocks that I can sell off at any time. I'd like to keep as much of those stocks as possible, but a working vehicle is kind of a priority right now, so I'm flexible on the price. Let's say $10k tops (how much does it usually cost, post-purchase, in terms of inspections, tune-ups, etc.?). I'm not afraid of a higher up-front cost (say, for a reliable Toyota or something), so long as it's a good deal, and not a money pit. I've been doing as much research as I can on used trucks in my area, but this is my first time purchasing a vehicle, and I know nothing about trucks, so thanks for the help everyone. A V6 sounds good to me, I'm more interested in the cargo space than the towing capacity or anything like that.
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Nov 21, 2016 01:40
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Hello goons, I need to purchase a new vehicle right away, and I was looking for some help. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the process and choices. I recently started a new job that requires quite a bit of driving/traveling (around probably 20k miles per year for work alone), and was looking for a reliable used vehicle that would last me for a few years of that while I start earning decent money and saving. Unfortunately my current vehicle (a 1998 Isuzu Amigo  ) just died, less than a month into the job, so I don't have much saved and I'll be financing the whole thing. Fortunately my credit union just approved me for a $17.5k loan (though I could go even higher). The terms of the loan require that I buy a 2013 or newer, with less than 100k miles, and from a dealer that also sells new vehicles (or from Carvana, Enterprise, Hertz, or Carfax).I'm thinking about something reliable, affordable, and easy to maintain like a Toyota Camry or something like that. I really just need something that will allow me to reliably do my job for a few years, but I feel kind of clueless on anything beyond that. Do I go with an older, cheaper car, or do I go with a newer model that hopefully last me 10+ years? Do I get a generic sedan of some kind, or do I get something I may be a little more interested in, since this will be my personal vehicle for the next few years? I could just buy a 2013 Corolla for $14k or so, but I also have the flexibility to spend a bit more on something else. Most important features would be reliability, ease of maintenance, cost of ownership, fuel economy, and utility (in that order). A hatchback might be preferable as it'd allow me to haul and carry boxes of supplies, a bit easier. Personally, I would also like something I could throw a sleeping bag in the back of and camp out of for a few days. Any suggestions on how to navigate the process and make a decision? literally this big fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Dec 4, 2022 |
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Dec 4, 2022 01:33
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A Prius was the first thing that came to my mind, but I've heard from multiple people about how the battery/electrical components can go bad after ~10 years (including the tow truck driver that picked me up, he said he had towed so many dead Priuses this year). The Prius (and hybrids generally) also seem much more expensive than a comparable gas car. The cheapest Prius I can find (that meet my loan's criteria) are 2013-2015 models for $16-17k. literally this big fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Dec 4, 2022 |
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Dec 4, 2022 07:31
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Deteriorata posted:Prius. Unfortunately, a lack of inventory near me has made me check dealerships 100+ miles away. I need to make a purchase ASAP, and I'm still figuring out which one would be the best purchase. Are there any specific years or models that are worse than others? Anything else to help me decide? I've narrowed my choice down to: 2013 Prius Two for $16k - 91k miles, no accidents, 2 owners, first owner was a rental company, sold as Toyota Certified Used to second owner at 60k miles in 2015, no service history from rental owner but good service history from second owner 2014 Prius Three c for $13k - Carfax 'great value', 93k miles, 2 owners, minor accident rear area damage with first owner around 40k miles, great maintenance record up til 80k, new owner at 86k 2015 Prius for $20k - 70k miles, no accidents, one owner, 4 months of warranty left on Hybrid and Emissions coverage 2015 Prius Two c for $19k - 54k miles, no accidents, 2 owners, 5 months warranty left on Hybrid and Emissions coverage 2015 Prius Two for $22k - 26k miles, 3 owners 2018 Prius Two c for $22k - 74k miles, one owner, no accidents, 5k miles left on Emissions warranty, 6 months left on Corrosion warranty, 25k miles left on hybrid warranty, good service history, being sold at Certified Used Thank you thread.
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Dec 9, 2022 09:12
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Those are literally all the Prius that I'd be willing to consider within a 100+ mile range of Sacramento, CA. So... Don't Get A Prius? I need to get something this weekend, is a non-hybrid like a Cam really the better choice? literally this big fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Dec 9, 2022 |
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Dec 9, 2022 17:03
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Upgrade posted:the problem with this thread constantly recommending a Prius is the fact that you cannot find Prii for reasonable prices I see. Like I said, my old vehicle is dead, my company is paying for to have a rental this week, but I need a new car ASAP. Unfortunately, that means I need to make a weeks-long process of searching, and put it into just a few days. I need to buy a car this weekend, or I'll at least be on the hook for extending my rental another week for ~$300. It may not be ideal, but I really just need something that will last me 1-2 years of high-mileage, so I can have something reliable to allow me to work. After that, I'll have enough savings/income to be able to take my time and find the 'right' vehicle (also hopefully the market will settle down by then). I'll be making ~$60k a year, which is at least enough to allow me to easily handle payments and save up for something new. I can try to negotiate the price a bit, I suppose.
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Dec 9, 2022 17:29
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But in the next few weeks am I really going to find a Prius for a couple thousand dollars less, or am I resigned to getting a non Prius vehicle at this point for a more reasonable price point? If I'm doing at least 20,000 miles per year is something like a cheaper Camry really still an economical option? Are those Prius options really that bad?
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Dec 9, 2022 19:25
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Drive 2+ hours out to SF to test drive one of the Prius, got a call half way saying it had mechanical issues. I may end up just getting a new 2023 Corolla for $22.9k. It's not a hybrid, but it's new and the same.price as some of these used Prius. Any thoughts on that?
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Dec 10, 2022 22:36
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Yeah once I realized a new Corolla was the same price as a used 2018 Prius c, that did it for me. They said they had one left and it was 'first come, first serve', so hopefully it's still there and they're not playing games with me. Any advice on negotiating on price?
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Dec 10, 2022 22:40
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That's what on their website and what they told me on the phone. Probably more than that out the door, if I'm being realistic.
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Dec 10, 2022 22:50
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CaptainSarcastic posted:I did, but I suppose I should've used the template. Join me in buying a new Corolla.
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Jan 10, 2023 09:11
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CaptainSarcastic posted:Financed through Hyundai for $28.5k over 84 months at 5.49% with a $373 monthly payment, which is right around the $350/month target I had set. From me arriving at the dealership to driving off in the car took 2.5 hours, which includes the test drive I did. My loan is very similar, ~$28k at 5.24% over 7 years, and my monthly payment it $394. Did you put any money down?
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Jan 15, 2023 09:12
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I'm happy with my '23 Corolla so far, except the drat infotainment screen started resetting every few minutes, which even disconnects / reconnects my phone's Bluetooth. I'm going to call my dealer's service center about it. What's the word on the street about the model year 2023 Corolla? Anything big crop up yet?
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Jan 25, 2023 22:01
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I just bought a 2023 Corolla LE. Dealers can get away with charging over MSRP because inventory is still low. New cars are better than they were before, but still marked up a bit. You're paying for the premium of actually getting to buy a car today. You could probably order one online at MSRP, but it'd take some months to get delivered. Hybrids are especially in demand recently. Depending on your location, try looking at dealers in larger metropolitan areas. I was able to save ~$1200 by driving to a much larger city about 2 hours away. You could try to use the listed MSRP price as leverage to negotiate the price down a bit. If you're financing through someone other than the dealer, don't let them know until as late in the negotiation as possible. They might lower the total final cost a bit if they think you're financing thru them. Focus on lowering the total end cost before talking financing. If you get the extended warranty or maintenance package, you could maybe use that to negotiate a slightly better deal on the whole package as well. If you don't want extra stuff, just be firm that you're not interested. Maybe you could at least get them to waive the document fees. Don't forget to factor state and maybe city sales tax into the equation. Budget for about 10-15% tax. The total price you saw might also include extra stuff like floor mats or whatever, you can say no to those.
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Jan 30, 2023 22:26
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Maybe see if you can get a few of those extras removed, at least the floor mat. I told them I didn't want to pay for floor mats and they told me that the floor mats came standard they wouldn't charge me. So you could save about $300 like that at least.
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Jan 30, 2023 23:25
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Mordiceius posted:This car buying poo poo sucks. Only 5 dealers within 250 with the model/color car my wife wants. One dealer has a car arriving in 2 weeks. One dealer has a car on the lot right now. The other three have ones in transit that have already sold. When emailing, naturally the first two immediately pressured me to buy (which, makes sense considering how fast these are going). When I told my Toyota dealer that I didn't want the floors mats and didn't want to pay for them, they told me they came standard and they wouldn't charge me for them. I doubt they'll want to lose the sale over a measly $289, so they might oblige, but they also probably don't want to hold onto some mats that come standard with every car. So maybe you can get that cost dropped and get the mats for free. I would compare prices (including Costco prices, or maybe just by thru Costco) and try to negotiate down the 2k dealer adjustment with that. Dealer adjustment is a bullshit pure-profit fee, and maybe you could negotiate that down some token amount. If nothing else, try asking them to cover the document fee in order to make the sale. That could be an easy way to get them to cover a ~$100 fee.
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Feb 1, 2023 08:24
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Mordiceius posted:Hello friends. Hopefully this is the last question I have for you all. First, I want to say buying a car sucks. I hate this. I hate everything about this. I know nothing about banks and loans and money and financing and any of this poo poo and I hate everything. Call your bank and talk to your friendly local loan officer. They'd probably be interested in earning your business, so hopefully they'll make it easy for you. They'll probably be taking over the $32k. I think the extra $6.8k is just a warning showing you how much the interest will cost you over the life of the loan. You would only pay $32k total if you paid the loan off right away. Maybe complain about the 169 miles and haggle down the price a touch, if you're feeling feisty. Ask for $169 off. 169 seems like a lot for a "new" vehicle IMO.But yeah, rejecting outside financing is kind of a poo poo move on their part.
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Feb 2, 2023 20:14
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Mordiceius posted:Rofl. One of the other dealerships I contacted previously contacted me back. They had a car in transit that was spoken for when I originally called them. Apparently that buyer backed out and so they contacted me offering me a “deal” that was still $3k more than the car I have reserved. Now you've got leverage. I know you said you didn't want to try to negotiate, but you've got a good opportunity. And if it doesn't work out, you can still go with your original option, no loss to you.
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Feb 3, 2023 04:51
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