Author Topic: How the heck do you buy a new car?  (Read 6252 times)

fuzzyoctopus

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How the heck do you buy a new car?
« on: February 08, 2006, 12:00:41 AM »
So.  It's looking likely that the husband and I are going to reach that point in our adult life where we have to bite the bullet and buy a new car, instead of continuing to pour money into used ones.

Does anyone own a Kia?  We're looking into low-cost new cars, really, so probably a Kia or a Saturn.  Probably a Spectra or a Rio, looking at the lineup.  I know Saturns have great safety ratings.  Some of the Kias do ok, and they're on the lists I've found of "low repair cost cars".   And the warranties they offer sound pretty tempting to me right now, after all the car repairs we've had in the last three years.

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« Last Edit: February 08, 2006, 12:03:47 AM by fuzzyoctopus »
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Archon

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2006, 12:28:30 AM »
Even though you are looking for a new car, I would highly recommend that you buy a Honda or Toyota that is a couple years old. Either one will run nearly indefinitely, and they usually don't need to be repaired regularly like American cars do. If you look online, you can see insane stories of Hondas that run for half a million miles and still run fairly well, and Toyotas are considered right there quality-wise.
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fuzzyoctopus

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2006, 12:47:32 AM »
But you never know. Buying a used car is always a gamble because you really dont' know how good of care it has received in the past. Yes, even if it's only a few years old.  I would rather have a factory warranty.
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Archon

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2006, 12:53:54 AM »
Yeah, but if you know someone who knows something about cars, you can take them along to take a look at it. Otherwise, owners usually don't have objections if you pay a mechanic to come along and take a look at a car.

Actually fuzzy, now that I look, you could get a brand new Civic or Toyoya Corolla for about the same amount as you could get a brand new Kia.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2006, 01:05:26 AM by Archon »
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2006, 01:12:12 AM »
My grandfather bought a new Kia a few years ago.  From what I understand, it's had quite a few problems.

One of my brothers has owned Hyundais for a few years.  He's been very satisfied with the quality.  And from what I've read, he's not alone.  In recent years, Hyundai has made a huge turnaround in their quality.
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2006, 02:53:17 AM »
Quote
Even though you are looking for a new car, I would highly recommend that you buy a Honda or Toyota that is a couple years old. Either one will run nearly indefinitely, and they usually don't need to be repaired regularly like American cars do. If you look online, you can see insane stories of Hondas that run for half a million miles and still run fairly well, and Toyotas are considered right there quality-wise.

Archon is right on this one Fuzzy, cars loose almost 1/3rd their value in just 2 years or so.    Goto a Certified Toyota or Honda used car dealer and you'll get something significantly cheaper, plus a car fax, plus a manufacture warranty.  I did that with my Mitsubishi and got a great deal.
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2006, 03:00:02 AM »
Don't buy a Kia. My last two cars have been Kias, and while the Sephia was ok, the Sedona has been in the shop pretty constantly for the past several months. It just broke down and had to be towed 250 miles a couple of weeks ago.

I would also strongly recommend a Honda. The quality is impeccable, the cars are safe, have great gas milage, and keep their value pretty well. And most Hondas come with a factory warranty still in effect. My advice, though, would be to not buy it from a dealer unless you take someone who really knows what they're doing.

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2006, 03:55:56 AM »
my advice would be buy from a dealer, just dont feel like you have to buy new. They are required by law to reveal everything about a car and more likely to give you favorable service terms.I recommend a certified preowned vehicle. If you do buy from someone else take it to a mechanic to check it out before you plunk down money.

Go armed with the blue book value either way and dont pay a penny more for a car than it.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2006, 08:41:10 AM by ElJeffe »
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2006, 08:22:31 AM »
One of my older brothers bought a Saturn. It was a really good car, despite having gotten it into a number of accidents it kept running well.
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #9 on: February 08, 2006, 12:09:12 PM »
Do a little research. Toyota and Hondas have a good reputation because they built a lot of good cars in the 80's and 90's. However, several other manufacturers have improved the quality of their cars in the last couple of years. So, Toyota and Honda aren't the only good automanufactures. Buick and Ford have recently improved and Chrystler has become better ever since it became a German company. Bottom line, there are more choices for good new cars then Toyota and Honda now.

Kia's are good as long as you have their warranty (which will be used). Most Korean cars still have problems but Hyundai has been noted for vast improvements in quality. Hyundai and Kia have similar warranty plans that will beat any other manufacturer, but again, it will be used.
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #10 on: February 08, 2006, 12:37:06 PM »
My parents had a Geo Metro that ran for more than 10 years without significant repairs.  Knowing that, I bought one myself and it is still going, ten years later.  Do they still even make them anymore?  If they do, I recommend them.
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Mad Dr Jeffe

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2006, 02:36:26 PM »
or you could look at the Kia links on top....
« Last Edit: February 08, 2006, 02:36:56 PM by ElJeffe »
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2006, 04:18:59 PM »
I'm with Jeffe. Go for a pre-owned Toyota or Honda. Toyota Corollas are great for how reliable they are and how long they keep on going. They keep their value a lot better than other cars, too. If you get a certified one, you'll have even more peace of mind, though you'll have to go to a dealership.

I'd definitely try to bring a car savvy person with you and your husband so that you get the best deal if you go to a dealership. Good luck, fuzzy!
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Mad Dr Jeffe

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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2006, 05:06:46 PM »
well keeping value is something of a misnomer. Basically all a car is is a money hole. But yeah certified preowned is a good program. Toyota and Honda require everything to be in like new condition and do a full overhaul on everything before they sell it. Its a little more pricy than say a used KIA, but its gonna go forever.

Oh and get road hazard insurence for your tires. Its worth it.
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Re: How the heck do you buy a new car?
« Reply #14 on: February 08, 2006, 05:48:40 PM »
Quote
Do a little research. Toyota and Hondas have a good reputation because they built a lot of good cars in the 80's and 90's. However, several other manufacturers have improved the quality of their cars in the last couple of years. So, Toyota and Honda aren't the only good automanufactures. Buick and Ford have recently improved and Chrystler has become better ever since it became a German company. Bottom line, there are more choices for good new cars then Toyota and Honda now.

Toyota and Honda are still clearly the tops. If you look at Consumer Report, they list the good bets and the bad bets as far as cars are concerned. Toyota has the most cars on the list with 14, not counting Lexus, and Honda is second with 9, not counting Acuras. The next closest after that is Infiniti with 5. Beyond that, look online at how long Hondas and Toyotas have been known to last. The longest I have heard is over 700,000 miles for a Honda Civic, but there are an amazing number that are over a quarter of a million miles, and are still running strong. Look at Buick, Ford, and Chrysler and see if you can find the same. I am willing to bet not.

Quote
Do a little research. Toyota and Hondas have a good reputation because they built a lot of good cars in the 80's and 90's.

No, they have a good reputation because they continue to make the most reliable cars on the roads. If you want an example of a car company that is far overrated in quality because they used to make good cars, look at Volkswagen. They used to be on par with Toyota and Honda as far as quality, back when they were made in Germany. Now, they are trash because they are made in Mexico, South America, and I believe in India as well.
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