New car: need a reality check please

[~bs]

Buy 2-3 years old, hopefully still with warranty. Go for low mileage. That way you avoid the initial depreciation hit and sales taxes on the purchase.

And why not go korean or domestic? it'll be cheaper than japanese.

[feh]

Good for you on avoiding the cost premium associated w/ luxury brands.

I think your first decision is if you want something good in the snow. If you need AWD, that greatly reduces your choices.

If you know you'll continue to drive lots of miles and really care about gas mileage, look at a Chevy Cruze. On the highway, you'll get 40+.

[FLA]

I got paid for mileage at work and at the end I was driving a stripped down Accent and making out like a bandit. However, I don't think that's a car for you, lol. How about a Sonata? My friend's is pretty cushy inside and it got reviewed well.

I would get the new Accord and don't look back. I wonder if you did the math if the new Accord will save you money sooner than you think, 14 mpg is terrible, plus you're not happy with it. When you spend that much time on the road, I think it's reasonable to have something you can afford but is also comfortable and enjoyable to drive.

[kork13]

How about a Sonata? My friend's is pretty cushy inside and it got reviewed well.

My wife & I are currently car shopping for her, and in the sedan class, one of our top options is the Sonata. Also looking at the CRV & RAV4 for an SUV.

[msomnipotent]

My husband has a Sonata. We both thought it was a good value and a comfortable ride. We use our 2015 Outback for longer trips. I can't recommend it. While it gets great gas mileage and I like the handling, it rides like a go kart and the seats/headrests are not comfortable. If we had a trailer hitch on the Sonata, we would probably use it instead of the Subaru for the longer trips.

You have the money for the car you want, so why not just buy it? You will be stuck in it for 600 miles a week for 10 years. Get something that will make you happy. Spending less money on something that doesn't make you completely happy is a waste of money. Just test drive a lot of cars before you decide what will make you the happiest.

[dawnwes]

Buy 2-3 years old, hopefully still with warranty. Go for low mileage. That way you avoid the initial depreciation hit and sales taxes on the purchase.

And why not go korean or domestic? it'll be cheaper than japanese.

We found that with Honda and Toyota, the new ones weren't much more than the used.

We got a new Toyota Sequoia at fleet pricing. Retail price was $37,500. We got it for $32,500.

Two year old Sequoias were going for over our fleet price.

We bought new.

We still have that car, 11 years later. It is a 2004 and still running great.

I know the OP doesn't need financing but we bought that back when we thought it was no big deal to finance and on top of the cost being higher, used loans were at 7% and new car loans were at 0.9%. So we saved there too. Although when we sold our house 2 years after buying the car, we paid off the car.

Dawn

[tripods68]

We got a new Toyota Sequoia at fleet pricing. Retail price was $37,500. We got it for $32,500.

Curious how do you find Fleet pricing for specific model with Toyota? I assume you contact their Internet/Fleet sales manager I'm very interested buying a Tacoma in the future (two years).

[FLA]

I cannot believe how Honda's hold their value. My mom's 2010 Civic with 12k miles has a BB blue of 10K! I would definitely buy new.

[corn18]

Well, I just stopped by the Acura dealer to see the ILX. That is a Honda Civic for a $10k premium. But then I saw the TLX. It is an Accord for a $10k premium. But I fell in love with it. No way I can buy an Accord now. I will always second guess the decision. So now I'm $10k short. And here's how my brain works:

1. I have $4,100 sitting in my "they pay me to drive 600 miles / week" fund that has no identified purpose. I expect that to grow $800 / month with the truck but it would grow faster if I got better gas mileage
2. I have $1,200 in credit card rewards I haven't redeemed yet and has no specific purpose.
3. I have $14,000 in excess income that has no identified purpose for 2016.

And I come to the conclusion that I can pay cash without impacting the budget this year. And for some reason, I don't have any doubts about shelling out the cash like I was having with the Accord. It just feels right.

I'll talk it over with my wife. She is always the voice of reason.

Tom

[Spiffster]

Probably not going to be a popular opinion, but most people really dont need AWD. A kick ass set of tires is all you will need. AWD systems are higher maintenance while not much more capable than a properly equipped FWD.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

So what did your wife say? I'm curious since you've bought into the savings mindset what will she do?

How much longer will you be doing this drive? I'm not against you buying it. You have the financial ability to afford it. I now unfortunately have a car lease so who am I to throw stones? I figure the car lease is not the problem we didn't do it to buy a car we couldn't afford and didn't want.

But for you why not?

[corn18]

So what did your wife say? I'm curious since you've bought into the savings mindset what will she do?

She said wait until next year's bonus.

[FLA]

aw, that stinks

[corn18]

aw, that stinks

I know, right?

Just got a call back from the Acura dealer and they gave me a good price on a new TLX. $40,795, $1,200 lower than I expected. If they offered me $14,000 for my truck, I would be out the door in a new TLX V6 AWD Advanced for $29,000. That's very tempting.

[FLA]

I know, right?

Just got a call back from the Acura dealer and they gave me a good price on a new TLX. $40,795, $1,200 lower than I expected. If they offered me $14,000 for my truck, I would be out the door in a new TLX V6 AWD Advanced for $29,000. That's very tempting.

what about telling your wife about this great deal and that if you wait a year, the newest model will of course cost more and your truck will have depreciated another year. That it makes sense now.