Buying a Car

gawd...what an ordeal!  I am NOT finding any joy in this process whatsoever.

Yes, I must find a new ride since my car was totaled 11/13.  Oh and for all youse guys out there with women driver jokes, save em...a guy was driving the car that rear-ended me at 50 mph!!!!!

Toyota vs Ford...that's where I stand right now.

any insight, tips, sage advice?

Since you, as a buyer in this weakened economy, need to be responsible to see that whatever you purchase will help to stabilize the current and future economic status of the United States.

To purchase imported products further weakens our economy.

Please don't take this as flag waving or Obamanizing the situation...its simply being a responsible purchaser.

I recently experienced the same delima and chose to purchase a Ford Explorer for numerous reasons...by doing so, it maintained an employment base and the money spent circulated throughout numerous businesses, not just the sales tax.

BUT isn't Ford assembled in Mexico?

I AM trying to make the best decision possible.  And the Toyota I'm looking at is 70% American Parts, etc...

I am looking as well.  The Toyota I am looking at is assembled in Kentucky.  I believe that the people who work at that plant live in KY so the paychecks they make go to support  the local economy and the vehicle will have a higher resale value in the long run, plus I like the style of the vehicle and its features.  since you are the one that will be driving it, buy what you like, what you feel safe driving and what is the best economic decision for you.

One of the major issues with US auto companies and the Unions today is that they feel they can "Wave the flag" and make you buy a substandard product out of a sense of patriotic guilt.

I say the best product made is the one I want to buy.

sorry about your wreck and good luck with your choice.

I am looking as well.  The Toyota I am looking at is assembled in Kentucky.  I believe that the people who work at that plant live in KY so the paychecks they make go to support  the local economy and the vehicle will have a higher resale value in the long run, plus I like the style of the vehicle and its features.  since you are the one that will be driving it, buy what you like, what you feel safe driving and what is the best economic decision for you.

One of the major issues with US auto companies and the Unions today is that they feel they can "Wave the flag" and make you buy a substandard product out of a sense of patriotic guilt.

I say the best product made is the one I want to buy.

sorry about your wreck and good luck with your choice.

Thanks for your input MasterEagle!  I'm discovering that Union folk are worse than PETA people.  My husband is president of his local...so therein lies the problem.  But I'M the one making payments, unless the union wants to pitch in...then I'll buy a Ford

Ford has come up with the number one economy and chevy has piles of room

I'd go Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi, its one of the best 4 wheel drive systems on the market with the quadra drive 2 and eaton locker and its one of the fastest SUV's out there with the 330HP Hemi plus they look cool and can tow 7500lbs.    If you want more speed the 6.1l grand cherokee runs a 12.5 1/4 mile and has faster 0-60 times than a Viper for a mere 42k price tag.  

I'd go Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi, its one of the best 4 wheel drive systems on the market with the quadra drive 2 and eaton locker and its one of the fastest SUV's out there with the 330HP Hemi plus they look cool and can tow 7500lbs.    If you want more speed the 6.1l grand cherokee runs a 12.5 1/4 mile and has faster 0-60 times than a Viper for a mere 42k price tag.  

Um Jimmy... that doesn't sound very "green" 

I'd go Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi, its one of the best 4 wheel drive systems on the market with the quadra drive 2 and eaton locker and its one of the fastest SUV's out there with the 330HP Hemi plus they look cool and can tow 7500lbs.    If you want more speed the 6.1l grand cherokee runs a 12.5 1/4 mile and has faster 0-60 times than a Viper for a mere 42k price tag.  

Um Jimmy... that doesn't sound very "green" 

In the green vs. fun battle I say fun wins. 

Toyota has a better product at a cheaper initial investment and higher resale on the way out. There's no comparison in my book. Insurance and registration would be cheaper too as they are most often based on percentage of purchase price.

I'd go Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 Hemi, its one of the best 4 wheel drive systems on the market with the quadra drive 2 and eaton locker and its one of the fastest SUV's out there with the 330HP Hemi plus they look cool and can tow 7500lbs.    If you want more speed the 6.1l grand cherokee runs a 12.5 1/4 mile and has faster 0-60 times than a Viper for a mere 42k price tag.  

Um Jimmy... that doesn't sound very "green" 

In the green vs. fun battle I say fun wins. 

I wish I could afford all THAT fun:) 

Toyota has a better product at a cheaper initial investment and higher resale on the way out. There's no comparison in my book. Insurance and registration would be cheaper too as they are most often based on percentage of purchase price.

Thanks UrbanP!  I think I've made my decision.  Now wish me luck in the negotiations process. 

No automobile is green... unless you're talking about the color.

Buy a used anything and save a ton of money. 

Ops - your mind is made up.   

No automobile is green... unless you're talking about the color.

Buy a used anything and save a ton of money. 

Ops - your mind is made up.   

I agree with Jim.  It may not help the automobile industry much, but buying used just makes so much sense on so many levels.

No automobile is green... unless you're talking about the color.

Buy a used anything and save a ton of money. 

Ops - your mind is made up.   

I agree with Jim.  It may not help the automobile industry much, but buying used just makes so much sense on so many levels.

Ok, ok, ok...point made and taken.  No car is green.   Now...I don't get a tax rebate on used.  AND, I had my car for 13 years (i almost cried when they towed it)...so another reason to go new.

Seriously...I need bargaining tips...like how much to ask.  Is there a formula like so much per thousand???

There are places around on the net that give basic price info, do some homework. The most important tool in my opinion is logic over love. Use your head not your heart and never believe a word the sales person says if they don't back it in writing. Don't be afraid to say no or even walk away. If your salespuke isn't doing it for you get another one. They compete even in the same dealership so play them against each other. Their job is to get every penny they can out of you and your job is to save every penny. Do not be afraid to make a ridiculously low offer to get the ball rolling, but remember any offer you make must be met if they accept. Good luck, it's actually quite enjoyable if you look at it as a competition and watch for "tells" like in a poker game.. As soon as one squirms or blinks they'll bring in the closer to throw you off your game. If you don't like the way your treated take your business elsewere.

I'd watched out buying used unless you get a good warranty.  Every car i've ever traded in had a ton of issues. =D  Its nice having something brand new with a warranty, you pay more but sometimes it pays off in the long run.  I bought a used mustang before I got this car and 2 weeks after I got it I spun a bearing and blew the head gasket doing 115 which cost me 5k for a new engine and labor.

A few buying "tips"

1.  Write down what you absolutely will NOT pay more than and put it in your pocket.  DO NOT PAY MORE THAN THIS EVER!!!
2.  Make sure you have the car dealer include the mats, they are included in the price the dealership pays, they pull the mats out first thing the car hits the lot and then charge you $$$$$ for the mats.
3.  Be willing to walk away.
4.  NEVER tell the salesman that you "love" the car
5.  Do NOT let the salesman show you something they think will be exactly what you want, you will be the one driving the car.  The salesman may have hidden incentive to sell you a car you might not otherwise buy.
6.  If a salesman makes a claim or statement ask him to put it in writing.
7.  Get your own financing unless they guarantee 0% financing.
8.  Do not extend your loan for any longer than you want to get a lower price.  If you want to pay $300 a month don't take a loan for 72 months to get the payment there, buy less car.
9.  Do not pay dealer prep fees
10.  Go to consumer reports and pay the $20 or so dollars to get the invoice on the car you want.  It will tell you how much the dealer paid and what kind of profit they will be making off of you.
11.  If you have a trade in, do NOT tell them up front, set the price first then bring the trade-in into the picture, (not your situation since your car was totaled)
12.  If possible go during the week middle of the day
13.  Remember above ALL ELSE  the salesman/woman and the Credit/Finance people at the dealership are NOT your friends.  their job is to seperate you from your money and make as much profit as they can.
14.  Read the fine print, if there are any rebates on the car, sometimes these rebates are included in the fine print and a non-savvy buyer doesn't realize they have given up their right to money.  I lost $1500 this way once.

Hope these help.

Thank you... to everyone.  I feel confident and a bit more relaxed about this process.

 

Just a couple I would add:
1) Don't forget to check the manafactures web site for rebates, cash back, and incentives. No law says a dealer has to disclose all of these to you. Lets say they give you a $1500 rebate and through negociations you work out an extra $1500 from the dealership. After buying the car you go to the Toyota(just pullin a name out of the hat) website and find they have a $1500 rebate AND a $1500 cash back. The dealership gave you nothing that was not already yours. So be sure you are aware of EVERYTHING that the manafacturer of your vehicle offers BEFORE you walk on the lot.

2) Secure financing BEFORE you go to the dealer. Many times you will get a better rate from the dealership when they learn that you do not have to finance with them. It puts the ball in your court.

Thats all, and good luck. Mastereagle has a lot of great tips indeed!

Let me tell you how my wife negotiate the last deal we made. 

1.  Found car she wanted (we almost always look for Program cars, good deals, good cars usually, plus full warranty if done right)
2.  Walked into the show room and told the man she wanted to buy said car
3.  When offered to test drive she said "No, I just want the car"  (we had already test driven the same car at a different dealership)
4.  Sat down with the finance officer and said to him, "We are willing to pay  $XXX.XX amount a month for the car, we want X.X% finance rate and we want to make XX months of payments."
5.  Refused to deal, discuss or debate with them.  When they came in and said they had the payment within $20.00 per month of what she stated she looked at him and politely told him again what her Max payment number was.  He said that $20.00 wasn't that big a deal, just one pizza a month less, she thanked him and told him to have a nice day and got up and walked out the front door.  Before we could get to our vehicle they had somehow managed to reduce the payment by $29.00 a month.  Talking to someone at the dealership later found out that a certain finance company was kicking back a portion of the loan secured through the dealership.  Would have made the dealership $1440.00 extra money they really didn't deserve over the life of the loan had we just said yes.  I was really impressed with her.

GET YOUR OWN financing unless they have a 0% offer!!!!

A fun place to read up on actual owner's opinions for any brand of car is...

http://carsurvey.org




Jay

I agree - get preapproved for a loan! Never pay a "preparation" or "setup" fee. Never pay a "advertisement" fee. (Chrysler has this...) Never pay for undercarriage "undercoating". You DO have to pay the "destination" fee. Offer them the actual "build cost" of the auto plus a few hundred bucks...  that should be good enough. I built my truck on-line using MSN Carpoint? (I think - it was 10 years ago) and offered them the "build price plus 300 bucks") - They accepted the offer and built me the new truck.  I saved over $7000.00 bucks from the "off-the-lot" sticker price.

We bought a nice 1999 Honda for my daughter off of Craigslits,for less than $3k and I bought a nice 2006 Sion xb from Carmax,try these 2 places.

Vibes: Decide what you want in the way of type, color, options, Then Email your request to EVERY dealer within 100 miles of your home. BEST OFFER GETS THE ORDER. This way you do not have to listet to all the BS from every salesman in the area. YOU ARE IN CONTROL    not them.
     Tips from a salesman on how to handle a salesman......    Good luck      HH   Gayle

rsc....where were you YESTERDAY?  I bought the new ride!

But this is an EXCELLENT idea....as long as you've driven the car....no need to viait the dealership until it's a deal...beautiful!

A couple of things I look at..
   If it has unusually low miles, check the wear on the brake pedal. It could be a "roll back"(odometer).
   If the person selling the car is a "sweet little old lady," check what stations are preset on the radio. It could be some irresponsible kid's mother trying to unload a problem car for him.
   Not only check under the hood, but also check under the car. Look to see if there are any drips or puddles of fluids under the car. Also check the bottom of the oil pan for potential leaks.
   Pull the front tires and look at the brake pads and rotors. These can be expensive to have to replace/repair once you've bought the car. Also, be sure that ALL lugs and nuts are present and accounted for.
   Check the condition of the tires. Look for gouges or bad scrapes on the sidewalls. A flat tire with a sidewall leak CANNOT be repaired. We all know what tires cost!
   While under the hood, check the condition of the belt. Is it frayed or have splits? Pull the dipstick (Jimmy!) and look at the color of the oil and the level. If you happen to see little specks of sparkles, (small metal shavings or flakes) it could be an indication of unusual engine wear. The oil should be a caramel brown color. The darker the color of the oil on the dipstick, the more the likelihood of a lack of proper routine maintenance and care.
   Remove the radiator cap(only if the car's engine is not hot!), and check the level of antifreeze. What color is the fluid? Does it have a "greasy" or "oily" look to it? If so, that could be an indication of engine trouble.

   There's a few more things I look at, but this should be a good start, with all the other info posted by others previously.

Good Luck!

Scott

rsc....where were you YESTERDAY?  I bought the new ride!

But this is an EXCELLENT idea....as long as you've driven the car....no need to viait the dealership until it's a deal...beautiful!

So what did ya get?

Sorry for being a day late............Story of my life...LOL   
 So   ..What did you buy?     New/ previously owned?         Tell us.So we can stalk you..LOL   HH  Gayle

So I hope you weren't hurt in the accident and what did you buy, Vibes?  I had one word for your dillema, 'Chevrolet'.  Ford makes an engine that won't quit, but can't make a transmission that will last.  Chevrolet has the transmission and drive train part down pat, but it's iffy on the engine.  327's were great, IF you got a good one.  Those 283's were pretty good too.  I just realized you probably have no clue as to what I'm talkin about and it doesn't relate to your present situation.  Maybe the best course is to 'wrap your a** in fiberglass' and buy a 'vette.

Well, after test driving numerous vehicles of all makes and models I decided to buy a 2010 Ford Escape, V-6 with leather interior:)  She sure is purty

I LOVE it. 

Again, many thanks to all who offered their advice and insights into this buying process.  I'm happy that I don't have to go thru this again for a LONG time (insert Ford jokes here)  Ha!

Well, after test driving numerous vehicles of all makes and models I decided to buy a 2010 Ford Escape, V-6 with leather interior:)  She sure is purty

I LOVE it. 

Again, many thanks to all who offered their advice and insights into this buying process.  I'm happy that I don't have to go thru this again for a LONG time (insert Ford jokes here)  Ha!

Found on road dead?    jk they're nice cars.  I would have tried to talk you into a Mustang GT with drag pack option though.

To purchase imported products further weakens our economy.

I'm actually needing to buy a car as well.

But I need a reliable station wagon.

Too bad the US car makers don't make one.

I'm leaning towards an early 2000's volvo.

A pic of the new ride and the mud flaps I ordered:)

If you want a car that will last and money isn't an issue I would go for honda accord or civic. If you want something affordable then you are on your on. The best advice i can give you is don't buy a GM product cause they suck big time. I have a 99 grand am that I've pour literally thousands of dollars into it even a new engine last year. Fords ain't too much better they probably break down just as much as GM. Only the Ford Focus is an half ass decent car that is reasonble enough to even be considered as a prospect. Toyota Camery is hand's down a way better car than anything Ford can put out. But honda accord is the top dog over-all in quality built and pricing.

Nice ride Vibes. Uh, is that one of your detecting spots in the background???lol  Lake effect will be moving in on you soon so get out there even if was only in the 30's today. HH.

Ed

Lost my faith in most cars a while back, new ones that is, still miss the 76 Malibu Classic though... I prefer a bicycle myself...

A good way to save money long term is by petrol costs, with a lower capacity engine and less metal. Me and the mizzuz are looking into another Skoda Fabia, 1.6l, about 50MPG and 0-60MPH quick as a wink! I had one for my company car for 2 years, tops!