Car shopping hints.....

My wife's land yacht (1989 Olds Cutlass) has finally died. Unfortunately I have to find her some new transportation.
We have no kids, but are owned by 8 cats, so I would like to get a hatch back or preferably a small station wagon to lug them to the vet, lug around her art supplies etc.
I really dread going to the car lot, with all the circling vultures (read sales people), but I do not want to by one from some guy that I don't know from Adam.
Has anyone been through this recently and can give me some hints?

Thanks in advance.

Threecatnight

Look into a Subaru Outback if you live in an area where wintry conditions matter. I own a Subaru and am very happy with it. It's a great winter car, too.

Saw one of those on the way home. Cool looking. I'll look into the repair history etc.

I was amazed when I went out west in July to see how many Subarus are on the road--especially in Colorado. I was told it is the "ultimate winter car" but I haven't had it through a winter yet.

But the WRX wagon is a great car too!

the best price. The worse kind of customer to them is someone who knows what they want.

10 Steps to Buying a New Car
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/78386/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.feature..1.*


Confessions of a Car Salesman
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/42962/article.html?tid=edmunds.a.landing.feature..3.*


Not knowing your budget it's kinda hard to say. But, you could look at a Mazda 3i 5-door. Plenty of room. Amazing interior for the price range. Good gas mileage. Good reliability. Good performance.

I almost bought a 3s but saw a 6i on the lot with the options I wanted and nice $2k rebate (as it was a year older) so I got that instead.

are you talking new or used? There are a lot of "Katrina Cars" on the market already and a Car-Fax search wouldn't guarantee it hasn't been a flood car.
It's my understanding that in Louisiana if a car is totaled by a flood or any other means, the car remains in the possession of the owner after the insurance claim is paid off. That gives the owner the right to sell it to anyone and there would never be a "red flag" on that vehicle when offered for resale.
Just something to think about.

Definitely gotta be careful with the flood cars. I'd suggest a certified pre-owned car.

I wish I could, but budgetry restrants bing what they are, I would like to keep the payments around $200 per month.
We have no other bills (other than the usual..electricity, gas (don't get me started on that)etc. No credit cards (thank the gods)or loans, so our credit is pretty good.
I will keep that in mind, and pay close attention to where it came from.

About a year ago my car got stolen, never came back and i needed another car---i hate car dealerships, ok so i looked around, did the research and went on test drives, when i decided on what to buy. I end up wanting a Honda Accord and this is what i did--i found 3 honda dealers in my area, i emailed all 3, they all got back to me right away but the catch was if i did this online that was that, no going into the showroom and talking to sales people--no problem i say and the bidding war began They all sent me prices and were in $200 of each other, i ended going with the dealer that did not charge me a $250 "destination charge". OK after that i went to the dealer, met with the online sales manager and within 2 hours i was driving home in my new Honda.

Last tip--i bought in August, the dealers want those cars out because all the next year models are coming in, if you can wait until August i would.

I would suggest starting with consumer's reports, you can join for about $5 a month I think: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home.htm. They not only rate new and used cars you can also get detailed pricing info and they have a series of articles on how to buy.

My last new car I bought on-line. The first time I saw the salesman was when I went in to sign the papers. CS has all the sites that offer this. Basically, after you decide what you want, you go to these sites, put in the specs and they will send out to 5 or 6 dealers in your area who will then competitively bid on your business. No haggling because they know they are bidding, I got a price lower than CS said was a great price.

For used cars, I bought a car for my son on ebay over the summer. Again, no dealing with salespeople. Just beware because there are some scam artists out there.

I'll never car shop not online again.

I'd rather have all my teeth put back in and yanked out again than to step into a dealership. :)

started shopping about 3 months ago.

first of all if your looking at used cars get an unlimited 30 day account with carfax.com, we used this a lot.

lots of good sites for car listings just google them.

We were looking at used camry's at first, but after seeing that a used one sold for almost as much as a new one - couple of thousand$ difference, we decided that even though it was more money we would go with it since we would know all of the car's history.

Me lady ordered the color, model and options she wanted and like I said above we picked it up last night - out the door with taxes, title and plates for less than 20k - good deal in my OP.

As far as dealing with car salesman, they will tell you anything.

We shopped around and then test drove a few cars and when we found the model that we wanted, is when I started calling all of the Tampa Bay area dealerships. It wasn't until about 5 phone calls later did have 2 dealers wanting to sell me the same car that all of the other dealers wanted to charge me more on. the cars come from the same factory? So this told me that some dealers can work with pricing a little better, maybe because they were bigger than others?

Overall right now is a good time to buy a new car because it is the end of the year and October was like one of the worst months on record for auto sales.

Let me know what else I can offer, I will try to be more concise and not ramble on as much.

Just line up you questions and fire them over - email me if you like.

Lastly good luck

but my dental hygenist told me today of an interesting way she bought her last car. There is a website specializing in cars that are being being sold as part of an estate -- in other words, the owner has died. Most of these cars are not new, but many have very low mileage and are great discounts. She said she got a Lexus for about $10,000.

On Edit: By the way, drop me a note if you locate this place. It sounds interesting.

with new customers so you can go in there and basically get a car on your terms. They want to make the sale so you can negotiate. You might not want to get a brand new car because you lose 2000 bucks on the resale value right when you drive it off the lot.

The credit unions have the best used cars and the financing is a lot better through them. I would suggest a Toyota or some other import that has a good value. Domestic cars generally don't give you much value unfortunately.

Also, just keep in mind that you can always refinance later to get better rates and terms.

Here are a couple of sites to help you do your research:

Kelly Blue Book:

http://www.kbb.com/

The Car Guys (from NPR):

http://www.cartalk.com/

I've been in your shoes twice-the first time I had a Honda that just quit running after I put 300,000 miles on it and the second one was a Mazda 626 with 120,000 on it (Mazda is partially owned by Ford, BTW).

but my Saturn wagon rocks. It's got just under 130K trouble-free miles, so I have no hesitation about recommending a new or used one if you're looking at wagons.

I went to the car place, looking for a 1998 Passat, at about 80k, for about $8,000, tops. I walked out with a 2001 Jetta Wagon, with about 80k, for $10,500. It's not what I wanted, and I'm not really that happy with it, but I figure I'll pay it off in three years, while the warranty (it's a good one), is still good, and trade it up on a newer Passat. If I don't think all Volkswagens suck, by then. This is my first one, and I haven't heard good things.

The only advice that I can give you is that I had my dad call, and he got them down about $1,400. A skeptical, deal-loving, shrewd, gruff Midwestern father is an asset.

OH, and look at Cars.com and E-bay and Kelly Blue book, to make sure that the price they're asking is in the ball park. And my dad also said to never tell them that you have a trade in -- first, ask them for their lowest price, outright.

A dealer sold my car for me on ebay in just a few hours. I got what I wanted for it + dealer offered a 1000k guarantee. I should mention that car was in mint cond, low miles and this dealer had serviced the car from day one. The dealers have a reputation to uphold.


Edited to add that you might look in the market place om DU. I linked my car to generate business but the dealer sold it so quickly it really wasn't necessary.

On a recent camping trip, I even slept in the back of it when it was too windy to set up my tent. The seats fold down completely flat, which is also great if you ever have to transport your cats in several cat carriers.

also, they only keep and sell the best of the tradeins.

(I've been a domestic buyer all my life... until four months ago. Like so many Republicans, I pulled my head out of the sand when it came to automobiles.)

After driving around some imports, it rapidly became clear that Detroit just can't make a luxury car anymore. Call me a O'Reilly "Soros-Democrat" if you want, but I love luxury and exotic cars. Obviously, American cars are not really "exotic", but as for luxury they just cannot compete with the Germans or Japanese. The new Lincoln Zephyr tried to match the Chrysler 300 in terms of retro-chic, but it missed the mark by a mile and wound up looking like someone's weekend project to fiberglass-up a modern looking '70s ride. Chrysler's 300 looks hot and is plenty fast, but the interior is shoddy and the features are lacking.

As for practicality... I'd say a Volvo wagon would be a great choice. Volvo makes a very safe, reliable car.

If you want something a little more fun... Audi makes a fantastic wagon.

If you want to spend more, Mercedes and BMW make some wagons.

Toyota Matrix/ Pontiac Vibe (identical car, different styling)
Subaru wagons - impreza, legacy, outbacks, forester, so-so mpg's.
VW Jetta wagon (beware of engine sludge problems in the 1.8T engine)
Mazda Mazda3 hatch or past model Protege5 hatch (cool cars!)
Chrysler PT Cruiser
Saab 9-3 (1999-2002) hatchback - extremely safe, turbocharged fun.
There used to be a Honda Accord wagon, until '98.

I own two wagons, a '98 Subaru Legacy which is my commuter car,
and my wife's 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon, which is a kick-butt car. Wagons
and hatches are way better than sedans - tons of cargo room, and no penalty in mileage or comfort compared with the sedan version. As a Saabophile, I recommend checking out a 9-3 hatchback, go ask over at www.saabnet.com if you have questions :-)

My niece went out of the country for a few months last year, and gave me the use of her 1996 Saab (900 S I think) with a turbo. It was the most fun I have had out of bed (beat a couple of those too) ever in a car! I could get used to one, but my wallet wouldn't, plus the wife is a bit of a lead foot, and I know the speeding tickets would just bankrupt me. :)

If your getting it at a dealership look for a three year old car. It will most likely be a pre-leased car. When someone leases a car they take a little extra care for the car so they don't get dinged at the end of a lease. The miles should be reasonable and you might find a little gem of a ride. Good luck

and all the great advice.
My boss gave me some good advice for dealing with the vultures...

Tell him/her that I am just looking, get their card and tell him that when I see something that interests me, than I will find them. Let them know that I am the one in control. I have the power to walk away if I choose.

Thanks again, I feel empowered, and just about ready to tackle this.

bought a brand new dodge caravan. chrysler is the only new make that sells out of cali - they also sell used - i could've picked a jeep too. other states have different makes, so my choice was made for me. luckily, it's what i wanted anyway!

i had my financing already pre-arranged, picked out my vehicle online, and picked it up. the transaction took all of 3 hours and it was painless!

i dunno about used cars, but my new car transaction was excellent!

treadmill in the engine compartment, BIG rodent wheel with room for four cats tied directly to the tranny, switch cats alternate days

Hell, those balls of fluff can hardly get up enough energy to get to the food bowls and back to a comfy place again without stopping for a quick power nap.
I swear they have Feline Narcolepsy.

I helped my ex buy one about a year and a half ago (still together at the time), and while not a great vehicle for transporting a large number of passengers (2 bucket seats in front, 2 in back), the roominess of the vehicle, because of the boxy design, is amazing. The two rear bucket seats can be folded flat, up against the side windows of the car to completely open the cargo area. Makes a great FTV (feline transport vehicle)! The MSRP starts at $18,250 for an automatic-transmission-equipped model, but you can most likely get for just over invoice right now ($16,864) as they're clearing out 2005 inventory. I would highly recommend test driving it if you're not completely turned off by the general look of the car.

(as I work at a car dealership)
Looking in the local car magazine, like Auto Trader. Also, dealerships also do Ebay, so check on there.

The best price is going to come from the internet department. A lot, if not all, dealerships have website where you can look at the Used inventory. Then call and ask for someone in the internet department. They give the lowest price that they're willing to sell it for.

I know here we pull the Carmax report for all used cars, but if the salesperson doesn't have it, just ask for one. Also, look into a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle, they come with a check up from the service department and a warranty.

Too bad you're all the way in Kentucky, we just got an 01 (I think) Jetta Wagon TDI (diesel) at auction and it's going up on Ebay today.

Edited to add: I've also heard good things about the Subaru Wagon, we had one on the used lot, and the sales guys just loved it.

I travel about 1300 miles per month for work (this doesn't count miles for errands, leisure, soccer practice/games, etc.), and get in and out of the car about 8 times per day, so we wanted something that was a little tall (like my minivan), comfortable, had a big storage area, and that got decent gas mileage.

We ended up getting a 2005 Honda CRV a few months ago. The 2006s were coming in, and the dealership made what I thought was a decent deal for us. The car's been terrific, and we are happy we bought it.

The gas mileage isn't all that terrific (I average about 24 mpg) but I do very little highway miles and the terrain around here is VERY hilly. My best tank was 27.5 MPG when I had a trip that was 3/4 highway, 1/4 work. My husband just calculated we were saving about $55/month by my switching from the minivan to the Honda. That's *almost* 2 tanks/month for me.

Anyway, we did a lot of research online regarding price, mileage, safety, etc. for the small SUVs and are very pleased with our choice.

Best of luck in your hunt!

Those should be pretty affordable as they are the old model style.