New car advice

Alright, I'm going in search of a new car, and I figure that ya'll won't be afraid to give me your opinions on what to get. Don't let me down.

I'm looking to go not too expensive (so probably used), get at a minimum decent gas mileage (~ 25 mpg or better), and yet be able to haul outdoor equipment (ie, my kayak).

I'm thinking about a Subaru Ouback, it's got all wheel drive, which would be nice, I'd get a rack on top, and the mileage is decent. Or maybe a hybrid, if I find anything I like.

I really have just started seriously looking, so I haven't done any actual research yet, but any advice would be appreciated!

Get a new car.

Make sure it has enough torque to carry the loads you desire.

All-wheel drive uses horsepower and gasoline, so unless you absolutely need it, don't get it.

Check online for the invoice cost of the cars you're looking at and go with the offer closest to that figure.

Ignore all service contracts and extended warranties.

Don't discount the minivan.

They may look dweebish, but good ones handle like cars, get acceptable gas milage, and offer exceptional flexibility in terms of interior space and seating. On the downside, a manual transmission might be hard to come by, but automatics are better than ever and less of a disadvantage, even if I dislike them.


[edit on 2007/5/20 by GradyPhilpott]

Grady, thanks for the advice. I gotta ask, though, why do you say go for a new car instead of used?

One word.

Peace of mind.

Well, three words.

How does it work with garenties/warenties (spl) in the US!

I know in the UK (if you can) it's best to buy a new car ever 2/3 years so you keep a full service warrenty, also you can shag the engine and still get a resonable price when you part X it.

Just don't do what my mum did and buy a car a few months before the maker goes under.

I said "Don't get the Rover it's a bag of spanners, get the golf it's sweet".

Originally posted by ChiKeyMonKey
know in the UK (if you can) it's best to buy a new car ever 2/3 years so you keep a full service warrenty, also you can shag the engine and still get a resonable price when you part X it.

That's a lot easier said than done.

My father did for probably 30 years, until he retired.

Making perpetual car payments is a bit daunting for most folks, I thnk.

I agree with Grady on all but the "new car" issue. I say let some other fool pay the 1st year depreciation. And avoid financing as much as possible. Paying on a rapidly depreciating asset is a fool's bet. But it goes both ways. Something too cheep and you are paying for a lot of repairs. Then again I bought a cheap Acura CL. While I have no payments I do have upkeep and maintenance costs factored into my monthly budget. So far so good. I seem to be about 3k ahead by buying in cash and paying for upkeep than if I had bought a newer car and made car payments (-repairs cost since I would have had a warranty. Remember you are always going to lose on a car, in raw numbers. If I had to make a call I would say go with Toyota or Honda.

Alright, I finally got to do some test driving yesterday, at a Subaru dealership. I drove an Outback, a Forester, and a WRX wagon. It went pretty much the way I thought...the OUtback and Forester are solid cars, but, the WRX...that was a whole lotta fun to drive. I hope to make it to a Toyota delership today or Monday and test a RAV 4 and Prius.,but they have a lot of ground to cover to catch the WRX...

OK, finally got to a Toyota dealership today. The Prius is really cool with all those techno gadgets on it. That just might work for me. But I have a question:

Does anyone have any idea what kind of mileage a hybrid will get when you are traveling over mountains? My daily commute will shortly encompass an hour drive over 3 ridges. I know that a Prius isn't gonna get that 51 mpg doing that every day. But I don't have the faintest clue what kind of mileage to expect.

Any help out there?

Well, I made my decision. I bought a Prius yesterday, and drove it 200+ miles to Rochester. I did a quick estimate, and think I averaged aroudn 55 MPG on the way up. Not too shabby.

I'm keeping my old Dakota, because you never know when you'll need a truck. Adn I wasn't going to get good value for it, anyway, so why not?

Unless you want to see your money fly out window,don't buy a new car,I've bought 5 new in my lifetime,nothing but trouble,when you buy a used one most of the bugs are worked out,why pay 45k for new car when it will be worth 25 a year later,some people like the prestige of a new vehicle,persnally I don't care,and as far as warrantys go you'll end up fighting over what is covered,and if it's supposedly such a good car why worry about warranty