We have had 2 Lexus RXs, a 1998 which we traded in for a 2005 one. Very smooth rides, and OMG how well those cars performed on snow and in rain! Mr. drives a Tesla X and says he misses the two features of the RX: headlights that turn with the car and rain sensing wipers. Do not laugh at the latter one… Toyota has perfected that feature so it worked flawlessly and changed wiper speed depending on rain intensity and car speed. We looked it up… the sensor registers the sound of raindrops that hit it.
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My current car has both…and auto high beams that automatically turn down when another car is coming. Love it!
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I took @AustenNut ‘s comment to mean, if you’re looking at buying slightly used, those might be brands to look at, because the original buyer already took the hit of depreciation. But I could be misunderstanding.
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Yes, this is what I meant. The cars in our family have long lives, so we don’t worry about depreciation in terms of what will happen once we buy them. But it has become apparent to me that buying the type of car that will have a long, low-maintenance life that’s a couple of years old can end up with big savings if the models had a fair bit of depreciation already. I know that calculus changed a little bit during the pandemic when there were car shortages, but I think that dynamic is beginning to come back.
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I am in desperate need of a new car. My Enclave is 12 years old, and I am a terrible owner. I get the oil changed, and that is it. My husband finally realized how terrible it is and said I shouldn’t drive it anymore, so I am driving the teenager’s car with the big new driver magnets.
I love Audis, but I don’t think I want to spend so much on them. I feel like I have one good car left before switching to a safe, dependable SUV.
We test-drove the little Lincoln, and I really like the outside. However, the inside has so many gadgets in weird places. I don’t know if I can get used to pushing a button near the radio to go in reverse.
We’ve also used the Costco auto purchase program to purchase our last 2 cars - but not used the actual Costco dealerships.
We go to the Costco affiliated dealer to get a baseline quote and then used that number to negotiate with other dealers. We bought 2 cars using the Costco program to negotiate a better deal with other dealers.
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The top 20 SUVs (varying sizes) for initial quality for JD Power might surprise you - well I used the MY24s (not 23s) so the list is a bit short.
- Chevy Blazer
- BMW X4
- Buick Enclave
- Buick Encore
- Chevy Equinox
- Porsche Macan
- Chevy TrailBlazer
- GMC Terrain
- Honda Passport
- Honda Pilot
- Kia Telluride
- Nissan Murano
- Subaru Ascent
- Subaru Forester
- BMW X6
- Chevy Tahoe
Hyundai and Kia share componentry as will the GM brands and Nissan/Infiniti and Acura/Honda.
You had luck with a Honda product - so may be worth a revisit.
Today’s products are far superior to products of the past - so most every vehicle will be great. One advantage of a Hyundai product is the 10 year powertrain warranty - so even if stuff goes bad - and every brand has stuff go bad - you have protection. Mazda and Subaru both have strong reputations.
Also, today you have ample options for various powertrains - electric, hybridge, PHEV and ICE.
So make sure you review different brands, choices - as there are ample and you can find compact SUVs from $30K to over $100 !! If you have any interest in electric, there are leases that will just knock your socks off.
Here’s a link to JD Power - you can change from small to midsize to large.
Discover the Best SUVs by Ratings (jdpower.com)
Best of luck.
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I’ve had a BMW X7 for 5 years with zero issues and love the car!
We’re still stunned by the pricing differences between new and used cars - and not in a good way. In our experience, dealer cars that are 2-3 years old with low milage (in the 30,000 range), do cost less, but not as much less as I would expect.
Historically we buy new and keep forever, but the common wisdom is to buy used, due to the larger depreciation of new cars. We’re not comfortable buying direct from owners, so would limit our search to dealers. Is there more room to negotiate on dealer used cars?
It appears for only a few thousand dollars more (about 15% difference for the cars we are considering), if buying new, cars often include a few updated features, and sometimes slightly better milage. Plus, if we needed to sell in 3-5 years, would it still not be worth at least 15% more than a car 2-3 years older?
What am I missing?
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Option A: buy a 3 yr old car sell an 8 yr old car in 5 years
Option B: buy a new car, sell a 5 yr old car in 5 years
IMO, the pricing differential between the two scenarios you are looking at is a couple of thousands for a run of the mill car. Many new cars come with some maintenance included, so that can bring the difference down somewhat further. I’d go for a new car and save on headaches.
That’s what I found when shopping for used CRVs. There was no depreciation just for driving the car off the lot. What diminution in value there was correlated linearly with mileage. So for every 20,000 more miles, the price dropped by $X (can’t now remember what X was, since I was looking 5 years ago). I think the depreciation for used cars is seen more dramatically with the luxury brands.
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My 2007 Toyota Corolla broke recently. Funny, my daughter who was 1 1/2 years old when we bought it brand new, was behind the wheel when it happened. Such memories with that car!! 
We decided to buy a new Ford Escape. Well, turns out the problem was fixable. Now we have 3 cars and the old Corolla isn’t reliable for her to take to college this fall. She talked us into giving her the Camry we just paid off. I can drive the old car to work for a few more years. I just can’t let that old thing go!
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We test drove a BMW a week ago. I hated that thing. Personally, I think German luxury cars are overrated. I couldn’t figure out how that @#$% car worked, and I’m an IT professional! We finally settled on a new Ford Escape. There’s some killer deals on Fords going on, especially with the Bronco and Explorer.
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German = over complicated. I’m surprised more aren’t killed playing with all the technology they have - and they are not easy to operate.
They have so much tech - their repair bills are monstrous.
But you have all the latest tech - important to many. German cars are more a status - then a method of transportation. But they do drive nicer - but that’s not what a value person wants.
Depends on your priorities.
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I found the handling of the Ford Escape to be identical to the BMW. I had a lot more confidence driving the Ford because it was a lot simpler to drive. The BMW was a frustrating mess of tech @#$%^!
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We just bought a new SUV I haven’t seen mentioned. The Volkswagen Tiguan. Love it so far.
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I recently had a Lexus NX as a loaner and it was very nice (and a bit smaller than my RX, which has always been more car than I’ve needed…) You definitely pay up for all the features, but it has a nice interior and all the bells and whistles. My RX was approaching that point where the repairs were just not justified given age and mileage, and that extended test drive of the NX was pretty tempting!
The RAV4 is quite nice too, just less luxurious.
The Suburus are really reliable and thoughtfully designed, so I might give those a look too.
And I hear you on wanting the “silly” features you’ve gotten used to. For me, it’s the hologram on the windshield!
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Again, no real complaints about the forester, except the mileage. I only drive about 5,000 a year, so it’s more of a theoretical complaint than an actual hit to my wallet.
FWIW, I bought my daughter a new base model Subaru Crosstrek in fall 2021 (when used car prices were astronomical) and we both love it. I prefer the height and cargo size of the Forester vs the Crosstrek, it just isn’t as peppy as hers is.
Neither car has given us any issue, and the safety designs of Subarus are tops.
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DH drives a hybrid Lexus NX. It replaced his over 10 yr old Acura MDX. It took 6 months for it to arrive because he was very particular with what he did and did not want on the vehicle. He’s had it for almost 6 months and he loves it.
There was a short adjustment period with the rearview mirror camera and the hologram display, but there are no issues now. My DH often has cold hands (Raynauds) and since we live in the Chicago area, he really likes the heated steering wheel.
I drive an 8 yr old hybrid Toyota RAV4…and I love it! It’s perfect for me. One feature I like in my car is that we had upgraded so it would include the 360 degree camera. It helps with tight parking.
I will add that I got a loaner RAV4 last week for my scheduled maintenance and the new ones have a larger screen that I was less comfortable with…but maybe I’d like it more if I had it longer.
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This is the car I wanted for my newer drivers. I liked that they didn’t upsell the safety features, they were just included and the price (pre-Covid) was really reasonable for what you got.
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