Buying a new car

[Malrothien 6]

Actually the Ford Focus is overpriced(and gets less mpg) in relation to the Chevrolet Aveo or the Toyota Yaris, which are basically same type of car. I do know for fact Aveo can be bought for under $15,000 and they do get 40-45 mpg highway and 35-37 mpg in city, come with 5 yr or 100,000 powertrain warranty along with this new 60 day free look period, my neighbors own them, let me drive them once and have road in them, they are good solid quality cars for the price, and roomy.

The new Focus is decent for a compact, drove one in CA when we were out there last. Worth it for the gas economy alone. Think that starts around $15K.

If you can spend a little more the 2-door Altima is worth a look too - but that's edging up to $20K.

As an owner of a 2006 Pontiac Wave (aka Chevy Aveo/Suzuki Swift) I will NEVER recommend this car to anyone else. We have had quite a few problems with ours - speakers dying 6 months after we bought the car, they're notorious for increased wear on the front tires due to improper design, obnoxiously hard to find tire size (it's a very uncommon size), our CD player skips on the first two songs - even on brand new CDs, we only get about 400km to the tank (this is all city driving and straight after an oil change), the trim on the inside of the door has rubbed off, and there are more that I cannot think of.

Do a google on the car and you'll come across a ton of postings about problems occurring after 50k miles.

Also - they are a Daewoo built car - shipped straight from South Korea.

[aidan80 9]

Thanks for all the responses and advice I do appreciate it!

I think I’ve almost got all the slippery dealers corners nailed down. I’m more or less set on a Nissan Versa 1.8 air, manual transmission, manual locks, windows..etc I’ve been talking to a number of dealers. The best price I’ve got right now is $13,760 out the door and it’s in print. If they try to go back on that at the showroom I’ll call the next dealer on my list and have them pick me up from the showroom.

I’ve made this as impersonal to me as I can and ignoring the dealers attempts to be my friend lol I keep in mind they are out to make money, I’m out to save it friendship is not included in the price! I’ve been thinking about the financing and your right Danno.. if I go into dealership all set on saving money on the car they will sideswipe me with the loan then all that’s been gained is lost without even seeing it. They always try to sell on the “low payments”. I got bitten with that scam before back home when I bought a new computer paid near twice the price with “low monthly payments”.

My plan right now is to wait for approval for my loan from the credit union, assuming I’m approved when buying I’ll let the dealership try to beat the credit unions rates. I’m putting 25% down up front that should take a bit of bite out of the payments and ease any concerns the credit union has about my limited credit history! If all my calculations are right I’m out the door and in a new car with around 48 payments of about $250 a month which isn’t bad for buying a new car.

[aidan80 9]

Actually the Ford Focus is overpriced(and gets less mpg) in relation to the Chevrolet Aveo or the Toyota Yaris, which are basically same type of car. I do know for fact Aveo can be bought for under $15,000 and they do get 40-45 mpg highway and 35-37 mpg in city, come with 5 yr or 100,000 powertrain warranty along with this new 60 day free look period, my neighbors own them, let me drive them once and have road in them, they are good solid quality cars for the price, and roomy.

The new Focus is decent for a compact, drove one in CA when we were out there last. Worth it for the gas economy alone. Think that starts around $15K.

If you can spend a little more the 2-door Altima is worth a look too - but that's edging up to $20K.

As an owner of a 2006 Pontiac Wave (aka Chevy Aveo/Suzuki Swift) I will NEVER recommend this car to anyone else. We have had quite a few problems with ours - speakers dying 6 months after we bought the car, they're notorious for increased wear on the front tires due to improper design, obnoxiously hard to find tire size (it's a very uncommon size), our CD player skips on the first two songs - even on brand new CDs, we only get about 400km to the tank (this is all city driving and straight after an oil change), the trim on the inside of the door has rubbed off, and there are more that I cannot think of.

Do a google on the car and you'll come across a ton of postings about problems occurring after 50k miles.

Also - they are a Daewoo built car - shipped straight from South Korea.

I've seen the Aveo, it looks like a nice car but I've also read not so great reviews about it too. I like the Versa for it's added size, protection and weight vs the smaller cars in this range. I also like that the 1.8 Versa has 122hp vs the standard 105 - 110 and I found a few manual Versa's as well so I should have a bit of extra power! My Tracer is great but lacks power, then again it's an 11 year old entry level car not a race car! Really good first car if I was a teenager it'd be perfect I've been getting close around 28mpg - 29mpg just going back and forth to work.

[christeen 966]

Sounds like you have done your homework and are doing all the necessary steps of a responsible buyer... At this point, I would sit and wait the dealers out. They know you are a buyer and like you said, by the end of the month (with the clunker program over and not too many buyers out there) they will come a callin. With your patience and persistance you will get your deal.

As far as the car, everyone will have opinions, but I am sure you have done the research on the models which interest you. Being realistic, a new car under $15,000 is a new car under $15,000 and has the issues that one would expect with a lower end model. The important thing is that you are happy and comfortable and it is in you price range and has the features and warranty you want. Gain, loss, doesent matter, just that it is the car for you!

Keep us posted (I would think by the end of the month) and congratulations!!!

[illnevergetthis 5]

http://www.carbuyingtips.com/

Great website, really helped when I negotiated to get my new F150.

I estimated my vehicles true value at http://www.edmunds.com/

Using that and multiple quotes from various dealers I was able to get the MSRP down about 6k.

Watch out for the Finance manager the one I ended up with was a total sleaze. I will never buy another car without having financing in hand prior to the sale. The finance manager said the "best financing he could get for me" was 7.9 at 72 months. I went to Pentagon federal credit union and applied online and got 3.9 at 60 months. I took the dealer financing and then refinanced through the credit union a week later and saved myself about 4k in interest charges.

Good luck.

Edmunds.com is a great website. But I imagine that at 6000 dollars off there must have been rebates included in that. I also imagine that there was something more to that 3.9, there had to be some some of buy down in there. When a dealer offers that rate, it is because the manufacturer is buying down the rate.

I would check edmunds.com. Also if you finance a used car, the terms are not as good as on a new car; therefore it doesn't always lower the car payment.

I have yet to see a new car dealer with a bogus invoice, but edmunds should help you to clear that up.

Paying cash at a dealership doesn't help you to get s lower price on a car. With modern technology, they are paid very quickly from most lenders.

I wouldn't buy a repo either. If the previous owner did not have the money to pay the note, you can almost bet that they weren't taking care of the car. Even if the car still has a manufacters warranty, the warranty will not cover damaged items caused by lack maintance.

[illnevergetthis 5]

You get the best deals either by buying a year old pre-owned, or buying last year's model new at manufacturer stock clearances.

That is exactly what I'm aiming to do so I've got a month or two left yet to burn. I really want my cake and to eat it as well and if I play my cards right I just might pull it off!

the new models are out, so now is probably a good time to buy...before they don't have anymore 2009 models. You don't have to wait until the end of the month to buy either, that's a myth.

[aidan80 9]

You get the best deals either by buying a year old pre-owned, or buying last year's model new at manufacturer stock clearances.

That is exactly what I'm aiming to do so I've got a month or two left yet to burn. I really want my cake and to eat it as well and if I play my cards right I just might pull it off!

the new models are out, so now is probably a good time to buy...before they don't have anymore 2009 models. You don't have to wait until the end of the month to buy either, that's a myth.

I don't know if it is a myth or not you could well be right.. I've had my phone ringing off the hook the end of last month have 2 dealers that seem desperate to get a customer in the door. They have called every other day just to "check up" those are the two dealers if they are desperate then I have a bigger advantage if they really want my cash they might keep those prices coming down. I will keep checking the other dealers too and the online companies that are quoting and delivering cars right to your door. I've a 3rd dealer that's kept good contact via email and kept their prices in line with the other two. I've found a 4th that just might get me a customer they claim they can get my anything I want and will ship it right to my door from their lot if needed. They are offering a Versa 1.8 hatchback, power option and the accent cabin lighting for $14,500 plus $50 to my door charge. I'm very tempted at that offer.

[aidan80 9]

Sounds like you have done your homework and are doing all the necessary steps of a responsible buyer... At this point, I would sit and wait the dealers out. They know you are a buyer and like you said, by the end of the month (with the clunker program over and not too many buyers out there) they will come a callin. With your patience and persistance you will get your deal.

As far as the car, everyone will have opinions, but I am sure you have done the research on the models which interest you. Being realistic, a new car under $15,000 is a new car under $15,000 and has the issues that one would expect with a lower end model. The important thing is that you are happy and comfortable and it is in you price range and has the features and warranty you want. Gain, loss, doesent matter, just that it is the car for you!

Keep us posted (I would think by the end of the month) and congratulations!!!

I’m still doing home work lots of it and getting as many opinions, querying the “hive mind” of the internet always throws up things to think over. I agree I plan to let them sweat it out for now. I’ll talk to them on the phone and answer their emails just so they know I’m actually buying. End of last month they have been calling quite a bit they really seem to want to put me in a car and I want in one. I don’t want in one at any cost, I want in at my cost which I intend to get!

I researched what would work for me which may not work for the next person but for me it’s the Versa Hatchback. I’ve read the good points the bad, test driven one thought it though. Looked at the competition and over all I think the Versa is the best choice for what I want. What I really want is to further build my credit, buy a house then get a slightly bigger nicer car in maybe 5 years or so.

The issues seem to vary between the models they all have issues, even the next level up from budget has issues.. BMW even has issues. I’m aiming for upper level of budget which overall should be more than what I need right now.

Thanks I’ll keep everyone up to date and for those in Florida I’ll post the best prices I got from the dealers in Central Florida including the only dealer to actually ignore me as a customer not once, not twice.. but a total of four times! I mean a $14,000 - $16,000 customer shouldn’t just be ignored and shouldn’t be told what they will buy and at what price.

[britty 1]

Have you considered the Mazda 3 hatchback ? Definitely in your price range and I hear the 2.3 is a great car. Some have leather interior too.

[aidan80 9]

Have you considered the Mazda 3 hatchback ? Definitely in your price range and I hear the 2.3 is a great car. Some have leather interior too.

The mazda 3 is almost exactly what I want but I like what the Versa has on offer. Although the styling for the 2010 mazda 3 does tempt me! I have been looking and if I found a base model down closer into my price range I'd be very tempted to jump ship. I think my asking $14,500 from a bank with little in the grand scheme of things credit history is about as good as I'll get for now. I could push for more from the bank but I don't think they'll go for it. I will have to test drive one of those cars though, it'd be wrong not to at least get behind the wheel.