<p>We’ve driven a pretty broad mix of foreign and domestic over the years. I am not sure there is as much difference as we would sometimes like to think, particularly between comparable cars. I wouldn’t rule out American cars, but I wouldn’t rule out a foreign car either, I think I’d avoid letting that factor into my decision either way unless all else is equal. There are so many other factors which carry much more weight. </p>
<p>Thanks Emaheevul 
so then, what would be your determining factors?</p>
<p>My top factors when I was looking at cars were price, practicality, and reliability. In my case, the biggest limiting factor is price so I look at that first. The last two cars we’ve bought have been Ford because they work out to be cheapest for me because of the discounts I get, and I like them fine so it’s not worth it to pay more for somebody else-- I wouldn’t pay more for any particular brand without strong research justifying it, I can’t afford to. Everybody has an opinion about cars whether they can strongly back it up or not. I’ve driven some foreign cars that I liked just as well, we had a hyundai for a long time that we liked, but they were all more or less the same to me, and my understanding is that they are more or less built with the same parts in the same plants anyway. I’d buy whatever is cheapest that I like and has good ratings. The only car I have ever really not liked was my old '97 Grand Am, which did live to 130k miles (barely) but I didn’t like the way the acceleration and braking felt compared to everything else I’ve driven, it is less responsive. I think all the Pontiac cars were like that and it’s just a personal preference that you discover if you do a test drive.</p>
<p>The car I just bought, I wanted AWD and back up camera non-negotiable, and I wanted a crossover or SUV because our smaller cars were not practical for our purposes anymore. Budget and availability narrowed it down between a 2013 Edge and a 2014 Escape, the prices came out to be about the same, the Edge is a bit bigger, and the Escape has had a lot of recalls in recent years, so I ended up being most comfortable with the Edge but probably could have picked either one. I didn’t bother to test drive because I would have gotten what I got whether I liked to drive it or not, once I confirmed that I could see out the back well enough. I could get used to anything that doesn’t break down as long as I can park it. </p>
<p>One nice thing is that they rated the edge on my insurance as a wagon instead of an SUV which apparently made it cheaper. I don’t know much about that, but it was kind of nifty. Since I am under 25 the difference between PLPD on my grand am and full coverage for my Edge was a little bit shocking. </p>
<p>Go to a used car lot, test drive a number of vehicles that appeal. Walk away. With prices in mind, go to your credit union, look for specials on car loans, get pre approval, and a feeling for payments on various amounts, to determine what you can afford. Checking insurance prices for the various models you are interested in is a wise idea, as above. Keep gas mileage in mind, as that will certainly help you afford payments or not. Know where you will take a vehicle for pre inspection, away from a dealer. Look on Craig’s list and where ever else. Used car lots at the end of the month can be wise. I’ve bought at dealers who were tired of a certain car sitting around too long, so prices were better than private buy. My last car was a Craig’s list find, after looking for that particular model (Honda Fit) for months. The right one came along, with low mileage, and my mechanic found a few minor issues that helped me knock the price down. Buying used, it is helpful to have a few models in mind, so when a deal comes along, you will recognize it, but not be so inflexible that you’ll pass up a bargain. Good luck!</p>
<p>CarMax isn’t the best value. I’ve found the best bargains to be the online ads where the price is in line with blue book value. I show up to the dealer with a copy of the ad including VIN number and Carfax. I ask to test drive only the advertised car. The advertised car is generally just the bait to get you in the door then they tell you all about other “deals.”</p>
<p>If all goes well, am willing to pay the advertised price or less. Very little to no haggling. Buy low mileage only and will still have some warranty left. Refuse the protection package, security package, free engine check package etc. </p>
<p>The trade in value and financing is where they can still ding you. I’d get outside financing at least to compare costs. Ignore the question of what you’d like your monthly payments to be. </p>
<p>People have a lot of good thoughts. In terms of your current car, I doubt a dealership would give you much in trade in, you will almost always get more for your car selling it yourself. And yep, I would get financing through your credit union, see if you can get pre approved and how much they would be willing to extend you, so you know how much you can spend (obviously, set a budget for payments, too). </p>
<p>Since you are buying a used car, it is a bit different than a new one. Take a look on sites like Edmunds and Cars.com to see what prices are running. One of the best bargains IMO is cars coming off short term leases, they usually have 20-30k miles (which is nothing these days), but because of depreciation and the way it works, they will have lost a lot f their initial value. The biggest piece is deciding what you want, if you want a crossover, then look at what is offered, go to new car lots and test drive them, and see what you like, and what you want. Decide what features you absolute must have (AWD, for example), and treat everything else as non essential. See if things like the powertrain warranty extends to you if you buy it (many are transferable, others are not). When you find cars you like, check on the insurance, it can vary widely, especially since you are a young, unmarried male, and some crossover’s are considered “sporty”, others are considered more like a minivan or station wagon, and it can make a big difference in the $$$$. </p>
<p>Once you decide on a model, then start shopping around, Cars.com is not bad, see what is out there. Visit the dealers, look at the cars, get a feel for any you like. Don’t talk to the dealer yet, don’t haggle with them, but rather, walk away to think about which of the cars you liked. Then, since you saw the sticker price on the car, decide how much you want to pay, based on the book value and also your own interest)…take that price, and send an offer via e-mail to the dealer 10% lower then you thought (so if you wanted to pay 9, let’s say, offer 8100). Dealer prob will counter offer, eventually you prob will come close to the price you wanted to pay. It is a lot less pressure to do it this way, and when you have the final offer and otherwise like the car, go to the dealer with the e-mail and make sure they will honor the price. Given you are coming in with financing already, I suspect this tactic will work.</p>
<p>One other note, ask upfront about the other costs involved, will they register the car for you, what others fees are there? some dealers low ball the price, then come up with all kinds of fees, try and find out before you go to the dealer what kind of fees they charge, so you can see the total price. The guy up the road might charge 500 bucks more for the car but with fees, would be cheaper. Also, if they start coming with aftermarket service plans, glass etching, other kinds of crap, decline it, they make a ton of money on stuff you almost certainly don’t need, it is another way they make money.</p>
<p>In terms of cars, It is the make, not where they are made, that matters. Most of the japanese and Korean cars you buy, along with more than a few European models, are made in the US, so a “US car” is a misnomer (a lot of so called US cars are built in places like Mexico, and often have content that is 80% made outside the US). Hyundai is a car brand that went from making cars I wouldn’t recommend to making a solid product, I also like Mazda as well, and am a big fan of subaru (the redesigned forester of the last couple of years is no longer a box on wheels…). You still pay a premium for anything Honda makes, and I am not sure it is worth it, and Toyota despite their ills still makes a great car IMO ( based on my informal network of gearheads, wannabe gearheads and retired ones, like me:). Ford from what I hear is making decent cars, while with GM and Chrysler the jury is still out, I think they make some decent cars, but overall, I think the buying experience is still better with other makes and I would be careful in recommending any of their products (the recent mess at GM doesn’t figure into this entirely, since that was cars made 10 years ago or so, but I am not impressed that in 10 years they really have changed much, a lot of the clowns who perpetuated this mess are still running the show there, and until GM fires there finance and accounting departments en masse, I am going to remain skeptical). </p>
<p>Let us know how you made out!</p>
<p>If you’re looking at 1-2 year old used, also compare deals on new cars. On some models, aggressive pricing and near zero percent financing might make a new car a better value than recently used.</p>
<p>Another thing to remember is that many car manufacturers offer a new graduate discount. My S received a new graduate discount and also a preferred interest rate for his new car. To be honest when we’ve looked for a car lately we’ve found that anymore there is not that much difference between a new and a newer used car. With the discounts from the car dealer and the better interest rate for new cars, we bought new instead of used. </p>
<p>We were dedicated used car buyers but have bought new cars lately. It’s something to look at anyways. </p>
<p>Be very careful buying a car from Craigslist. There are a ton of scams out there. </p>
<p>@jamcafe, Carmax is not the best value to someone who is experienced, but to a neophyte the simplicity and low pressure is invaluable. </p>
<p>@musicamusica I get the simplicity bit of not bargaining but the difference in price can be significant. Besides am not sure they are any different with the financing games.</p>
<p>I second Chardo on the possibility of good deals on new cars when the model year changes. </p>
<p>There was just a thread on this topic a week or so ago</p>
<p>I know some people on CC have mentioned buying through Costco’s auto buying program and were very happy with the outcome. It can be worth buying a year’s membership to Costco, to save several thousand dollars on a car.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.costco.com/Costco-Auto-Program.product.100017081.html”>http://www.costco.com/Costco-Auto-Program.product.100017081.html</a></p>
<p>Our S rented from Hertz and was going to buy one of the rental cars. He was very close to finalizing the deal when he noticed a musty smell from the AC and called it off. He was then just about to buy a new Mazda or Saburu (can’t remember) and found it cheaper to buy new than used. Just before he closed deal, he was gifted a gently used Mercedez from beloved relative. Our neighbor also found it cheaper to buy new car over used–Honda Fit (which they’re not fond of). </p>
<p>Several relatives were happy buying from Hertz but friend who is mechanic strongly recommends against this. Our newest car is a former Hertz rental and runs fine (2009 Honda Accord). </p>
<p>HImom–do you know why the mechanic is against it? I’ve actually thought several times about buying from a rental company as they tend to be gently used & have good options.</p>
<p>I’m not totally against buying new, especially if I can get something like a Hyundai which has the awesome warranty. I actually would rather buy a new car, all else being equal, if it’s not prohibitively expensive.</p>
<p>I helped my sister pick out a car a couple of years ago, and the price of the used cars she was looking at were not that much less than new. Since she keeps her cars, I recommended that she look at new models so she would not have to settle for a less desirable color, options, etc.</p>
<p>Treetopleaf, that’s kind of where I’m at. I tend to buy things and then keep using them until I just can’t anymore, and I doubt a car would be any different. I would love to have something that’s “mine” and that I got to totally pick out, especially for a first car. But again, this will all depend on finances and such. Lots more researching and talking with my parents to do!</p>
<p>Is there any chance you will end up in a job in an area where you might not want a car?</p>
<p>I haven’t read the entire thread, so excuse me if I’m repeating. What I did was figure out exactly what kind of car I wanted (being flexible on color), then called different dealers in the area and asked for the internet salesperson. This is a person who negotiates over the phone or by email, and they are used to just cutting to the chase and offering better deals. You can also tell them what the other is offering, and they will try to beat it. They will tell you what colors they have available at that price.</p>
<p>When I got the lowest bids, I picked the color I wanted. The lowest offer was a red car, and I opted to pay $50 more for a preferable color from another dealer. 
</p>
<p>mom60–at this point, slim to none. I did have a couple of options in DC at one point, but those haven’t panned out. If I did end up in an urban area with good public transportation, I would consider just going carless.</p>
<p>Won’t repeat others’ good advice. Do love preapproval from a credit union; it takes away the hammer. Three more suggestions:
- If you are a Costco member, you can get costco pricing on certain models. We did this with one vehicle and once we got the letter, other dealers would match the price on that particular model.
- For nearly new cars, the rental car agencies are a great source to shop at. Hertz, Enterprise, etc, it depends if there is an outlet in your area. Rental cars have to be serviced regularly to stay in the pool. Typically, you’ll see them with about 20,000 miles on them and in great shape. The ones who weren’t serviced regularly are sold at a lower-tier dealer.
- Sometimes the extra extended warranty offered on used cars at an authorized dealer is actually more comprehensive than some new warranties! </p>