Car shopping

[MissMolly]

My husband totaled my little 2005 Nissan Sentra today. It wasn't a fancy car or a beautiful car but it has sure been reliable. So now we need a new car. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Honda CR-V (maybe). Am I best off going to dealership or CarMax? It doesn't have to be a new car. Slightly used with relatively low mileage is fine. Any thoughts on the best way to go car shopping? Haven't had to do this in years.

 

[easysurfer]

The last car I got was at CarMax.

CarMax is good if you are looking for a used car that is reliable and don't like to haggle on price. Their website is nice too for information gathering on potential car candidates. When I last bought, the local CarMax didn't have to color that I liked so I ended up having one at a CarMax transported (for a fee) to the CarMax by me.

 

[bloom2708]

Shop based on size/features. The CR-V is a pretty big vehicle today compared to your Sentra. Maybe more than you need? FWD vs AWD. Curb weight. Parking. Garage size/fit.

Test drive something like a Subaru Crosstrek (compact) with a CR-V (mid size).

If you have no brand preference, then every car manufacturer has a mid-sized SUV, a compact/smaller SUV. Lots to choose from. Good luck!

 

[Car-Guy]

Another one to check out in the small Car/SUV category is the Hyundai Venue. It has a CVT like the Honda CR-V, a small engine, good gas mileage, very inexpensive, even when brand new (IMO) and a very good 10 yr 100k miles powertrain warranty.

I'm not into such cars but a friends daughter just bought a new one and I thought it was cool looking and seemed to be a good deal.

 

[Another Reader]

Honda has been experiencing mechanical problems with the CRV. I would avoid it. I looked at a Toyota RAV 4, but found the driving position uncomfortable. Toyota makes a smaller SUV, the Cross, but I haven't seen one yet.

 

[OldShooter]

SGOTI is not, IMO, a very good source for car evaluations. At best you'll get anecdotes, not real data.

For data, you can go to the consumer reports web site (https://www.consumerreports.org/) and join on a monthly basis. This gives you immediate access to all their car testing results and resources. You can also order a copy of their annual car testing issue, which makes interesting reading. IIRC it took a couple of weeks to come, though. Your local library almost certainly has copies too.

And good on you for thinking of a recent used car. Smart. Another tactic I have had success with is to find dealers with new cars that are a model year old soon after they start to receive the newest model year cars. If you're OCD about particular features and paint colors this may not be very satisfying to you but if you're OCD about buying smart it is a good option IMO.

 

[MC Rider]

Look here.

CarComplaints.com | Car Problems, Car Complaints, & Repair/Recall Information

 

[pb4uski]

Shop based on size/features. The CR-V is a pretty big vehicle today compared to your Sentra. Maybe more than you need?

DS owns a Honda HR-V, the CR-V's smaller brother. I like it.

We've had great experience with our Subaru.... 98k miles and nothing but oil changes, tire rotations, new tires, wiper blades and air filter changes... we haven't even had to replace the brake pads yet though I do use the paddle shifters a lot for braking.

 

[tutan]

Bought a Mazda from Hertz Car Sales in 2018. Painless buying experience. They have a lot of Nissans, Toyotas, Hyundais, Kias, and even more Fords and Chevys.

Hertz Car Sales | Buying a Car Made Better

Shop Hertz Car Sales for below market no-haggle prices. We have thousands of vehicles from coast-to-coast that include a warranty and a buy back guarantee.

www.hertzcarsales.com

 

[MissMolly]

Bought a Mazda from Hertz Car Sales in 2018. Painless buying experience. They have a lot of Nissans, Toyotas, Hyundais, Kias, and even more Fords and Chevys.

Hertz Car Sales | Buying a Car Made Better

Shop Hertz Car Sales for below market no-haggle prices. We have thousands of vehicles from coast-to-coast that include a warranty and a buy back guarantee.

www.hertzcarsales.com

Thanks for this link. I was wondering how you go about buying a car from them.

 

[easysurfer]

My husband totaled my little 2005 Nissan Sentra today. It wasn't a fancy car or a beautiful car but it has sure been reliable. So now we need a new car. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Honda CR-V (maybe). Am I best off going to dealership or CarMax? It doesn't have to be a new car. Slightly used with relatively low mileage is fine. Any thoughts on the best way to go car shopping? Haven't had to do this in years.

I like the ease of shopping with CarMax without huge pressure to buy from the sales person. Their website is really helpful too. For example, in your case, you have a Honda CR-V as a car candidate. If you do a search on that, CarMax pulls up several cars where you can look at the info, see pictures and the car history (like if it got into an accident in the past). Also, another advantage of CarMax is say if you had a few cars in mind, you can most likely test them at a CarMax on one trip instead of going to different dealers.

Disclaimer: I don't work for CarMax .

 

[Teacher Terry]

Also check the difference between new and used. My friend was going to buy a 3 year old Toyota Corolla for 20k with 60k miles when the dealer showed her a new one for 23k. It didn’t make sense to buy the used one. But sometimes the used one is the best option.

 

[Qs Laptop]

For data, you can go to the consumer reports web site (https://www.consumerreports.org/) and join on a monthly basis. This gives you immediate access to all their car testing results and resources. You can also order a copy of their annual car testing issue, which makes interesting reading. IIRC it took a couple of weeks to come, though. Your local library almost certainly has copies too.

Look here.

CarComplaints.com | Car Problems, Car Complaints, & Repair/Recall Information

Here is another site with owner repair data. They've got over 100,000 members. I've been a participant for about 10 years now.

TrueDelta -- Real Car Owners Driving Real Car Information

This community of 103,000+ car owners shares first-hand, real-world car information and experiences about reliability, fuel economy, repairs and more.

www.truedelta.com

 

[Closet_Gamer]

Two thoughts;

1 - make sure you research the feature packages of the model years you are considering. You may find that you can get snazzy features in the higher packages from years passed. Features depreciate faster than the base car.

2 - Be willing to go out into the country to buy the car at a remote dealership. I've bought three cars that weref fantastic deals by driving 30-50 miles to a remote dealership in a more rural area. If you're buying CPO, the warranty transfers to the local dealer anyways.

3 - shop used luxury brands ... Acura, Lincoln, etc ... luxury brands depreciate faster than the base brand because luxury buyers often want to lease something new. You can get a nicer car for not much more money.

Good luck.

 

[Aerides]

Take your time. Decide online between maybe 5-6 cars, and then go to dealers, test drive, get the basic prices (just take a picture of the sticker on your phone) and excuse yourself quickly so it's not a huge time suck.

That should narrow you down to 2-3, tops. Do build online, find out what you really like, what you sit in and drive and go "this is me, I want to be in this car for 10 more years" and then you'll be down to one.

As far as used/new, the incremental improvements in security and safety features are crazy these days. I very much like my 2016 audi, and my 2007 acura before that, but I just had a 2024 loaner and wow. Those back up cameras are now 360 birds eye view in addition to the high def lines and rear view. I would not go for more than a 2 year old used car and if I did it would have to check all the boxes and be a deal - that's what I did last time with a 1 year old CPO.

 

[TheWizard]

Take your time. Decide online between maybe 5-6 cars, and then go to dealers, test drive, get the basic prices (just take a picture of the sticker on your phone) and excuse yourself quickly so it's not a huge time suck.

That should narrow you down to 2-3, tops. Do build online, find out what you really like, what you sit in and drive and go "this is me, I want to be in this car for 10 more years" and then you'll be down to one.

As far as used/new, the incremental improvements in security and safety features are crazy these days. I very much like my 2016 audi, and my 2007 acura before that, but I just had a 2024 loaner and wow. Those back up cameras are now 360 birds eye view in addition to the high def lines and rear view. I would not go for more than a 2 year old used car and if I did it would have to check all the boxes and be a deal - that's what I did last time with a 1 year old CPO.

This is similar to what I do when factory ordering a new car, as I did for both my F-150 and my Mustang.
But if you're buying used, then taking too much time won't always work; someone else will buy that great car you looked at three days ago.

So maybe get knowledgeable about the model you're looking for and when you find one, make a deal right then...

 

[OldShooter]

This is similar to what I do when factory ordering a new car, as I did for both my F-150 and my Mustang.
But if you're buying used, then taking too much time won't always work; someone else will buy that great car you looked at three days ago.

So maybe get knowledgeable about the model you're looking for and when you find one, make a deal right then...

I have a different philosophy: patience. Key to this is a mindset that says "There will always be another deal." Which in the case of 99% of cars is true. This helps keep me willing to walk if I can't negotiate a satisfactory deal. If you're not willing to walk, you're not negotiating. You're begging.

That said, experience looking at multiple deals teaches what an exceptional deal looks like and builds the confidence needed to snap on it.

 

[MissMolly]

I think I'm pretty sure I want a small SUV. I also have a 2007 Camry and they don't look a lot larger than that. I went to Kroger for my groceries and walked around the parking lot looking at all the SUVs. We could use the additional cargo space. At this point I don't have a particular make or model in mind. They all seem to have similar options (like a backup camera and the adaptive cruise control that I really want). I guess I just need to go to Carvana or CarMax and sit in some and do some test drives to see which I like best. I hate car shopping. I haven't had to do this for over 10 years.

 

[pacergal]

Hope your DH is OK from the accident!

Car shopping is not my favorite thing to do. If you have another car to use for transportation now, that is good, you can take your time.

 

[Car-Guy]

"For me" I like the way car buying works today. No more going into a dealership(s) to find my vehicle and negotiate (argue) about a price.

The last 5 or 6 vehicles I have bought have been on-line and from traditional new car dealerships. In my case, I know what vehicle make/model I want. Then I search the websites of dealers that carry that type vehicle and try to stay within a ~250 mile radius of home. I usually come up with several that meet my "wants". Then I send emails to the "internet" sales team associated with those dealers and then the "games are on". I quickly find those that are willing to deal by their initial offers. At some point I'll "introduce" my trade into the deal. (VIN#, description of condition and pictures). Then I whittle it down to a couple that have the better deals and play them against each other. All of this is done VIA email and I will not give them my phone number until we get close.

May sound difficult but it's really simple, stress free "and quick". Usually I have the final deal done in one or two days. Then it's a matter of do I drive there to pick-up the vehicle or do I have them deliver it to me and pick-up my trade. It works!

 

[Golden Mean]

My vote is to use Carvana. My experience was top notch. (Plus I got to do the car vending machine thing!)

 

[Sunset]

I think I'm pretty sure I want a small SUV. I also have a 2007 Camry and they don't look a lot larger than that. I went to Kroger for my groceries and walked around the parking lot looking at all the SUVs. We could use the additional cargo space. At this point I don't have a particular make or model in mind. They all seem to have similar options (like a backup camera and the adaptive cruise control that I really want). I guess I just need to go to Carvana or CarMax and sit in some and do some test drives to see which I like best. I hate car shopping. I haven't had to do this for over 10 years.

Sounds like you need to first go Test driving, to find what you like without buying.

Vehicles do drive differently than they look.
Long ago, I thought I wanted a certain car as it looked nice, once inside I realized I couldn't back up as I couldn't see out the back window well.
Another vehicle, drove like a box on wheels, very crude and rough.

 

[MissMolly]

Sounds like you need to first go Test driving, to find what you like without buying.

Vehicles do drive differently than they look.
Long ago, I thought I wanted a certain car as it looked nice, once inside I realized I couldn't back up as I couldn't see out the back window well.
Another vehicle, drove like a box on wheels, very crude and rough.

This is exactly why I think I will start with Carvana or CarMax since they have such a wide variety of vehicles.

 

[MissMolly]

Hope your DH is OK from the accident!

Car shopping is not my favorite thing to do. If you have another car to use for transportation now, that is good, you can take your time.

He bumped his head, is stiff and sore, but otherwise OK. Thanks.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

My husband totaled my little 2005 Nissan Sentra today. It wasn't a fancy car or a beautiful car but it has sure been reliable. So now we need a new car. I'm thinking something along the lines of a Honda CR-V (maybe). Am I best off going to dealership or CarMax? It doesn't have to be a new car. Slightly used with relatively low mileage is fine. Any thoughts on the best way to go car shopping? Haven't had to do this in years.

We bought a 2024 Chevy Trax at the beginning of the year to be our retirement road-trip vehicle. We really like it so far. GM claims it's a subcompact SUV, but it's more like a little wagon to us. (as well as the EPA)
A little over $23K out the door. Less than the average cost of a used car nowadays...