I'm buying a new car...

Emrys

Emrys

...because a stupid deer decided to be a shmuck. Now, I've never bought a new car before. As a new car virgin, what would you recommend I consider in a new car and what should I avoid like a plague rat?

As @Bubble181 obliquely pointed out, maybe I should add some details. I live way out in the middle of nowhere, so I do a lot of highway and backroads driving to get to work. As I'm sure most of you know, I live in the Land of Ice and Snow, so I also do a lot of winter driving.

I'm not necessarily looking for make/model recommendations. I pretty much know what I'm going to get. I'm thinking more along the lines of extended warranty and other extras.
 
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Bubble181

Bubble181

There's far too many variables. If you live in the middle of a big city, get a Smart. if you live in the middle of a large rural area with lots of rain or snow, maybe not so much :p
 
Tinwhistler

Tinwhistler

I grew up in Texas. I still don't know a good snow car :(
If you've never bought a new car, look into "gap coverage" if they have that in Canada.

Up here, the minute you drive off the lot, your car isn't worth what you paid for it. So if you wreck it while you're still upside down (owe more than the car is worth) you're stuck with the difference. Gap coverage is additional insurance to cover that gap. It sounds like a racket to me, but what can you do?

I'd also at least consider extending the warranty to the term of the loan. But be aware, they'll usually have 3-4 different warranty options, which can be confusing, and they're all overpriced. Most car dealerships make most of the profit on the warranties.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
IMO, buying a new car is largely a waste of money. As Tin pointed out, the car loses half its value the instant you drive it away. Rather, I'd say get a 2 year old used car or so.

As for which kind of car to buy, I hear Subaru is still an excellent choice when dealing with snow and ice. It was undoubtedly so back when I lived in Colorado, and other people have told me that still holds true today.

Also...



"Never get the undercoating!"
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Dei said:
What? No one drives a Subaru in Colorado. [emoji52]
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I had like 3 friends who all drove subarus. Granted, one was a Justy, so that doesn't count, but the other two were Outbacks, and they did really well.

Also granted, this was 20 years ago.
 
blotsfan

blotsfan

As another person who has made the mistake of living in a place with excessive snow, I also highly recommend getting a Subaru.
 
Dei

Dei

Also, I like my Ford C-max in the snow! And it's a hybrid. But also pricey and has no trunk space.
 
strawman

strawman

All wheel drive is worthwhile, front wheel drive if you aren't getting all wheel.

Traction control is a must. It'll help out in the ice and snow.

Heated seats if you can stomach the cost, heated steering wheel is also a very nice thing to have (so I'm told, I still haven't tried one, but I have tried icy cold fingers and I don't recommend that).

If you can shop used, I'd go that direction. New cars lose so much of their value in their first 20k miles, and getting a car that's a few years old can save you a lot of money for not much real wear and tear on the car. If you don't like doing your own car work, get one that's still got at least 5-10k miles left under it's bumper to bumper warranty, and get any little thing fixed while you can. After that it should be good until it hits 90k-120k with regular maintenance.

Beyond that, I'd look at gas mileage and whether I can fit the things in it that need to fit.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

Count me among the folks who think that you shouldn't get anything newer than at least a few years ago.
Extended warranties are really only worth it if the model has a history of needing them.
Get floor mats. If the car doesn't come with them, get some aftermarket ones, preferably the kind that can hold a bit of water.
Also self-defrosting side mirrors. A full-size spare is nice but can be inconvenient if you like to keep stuff in your trunk.
I'll try to contribute more when I'm not doing 3 other things simultaneously.

--Patrick
 
DarkAudit

DarkAudit

First choice would be a Fiat 500L. But that's just me, 'cause I want one. :)

I don't know what terrain you have to deal with, but here everything is literally uphill both ways. So AWD is pretty much required during the winter. Which I don't have, so I'm SOL if they didn't treat the hill I'm on.
 
Shakey

Shakey

We got a new Subaru, and we don't regret it at all. The resale on them is so high, it was hard to find a reason not to.

My favorite feature is eye sight. Having variable speed cruise control saves my sanity. I don't get nearly as annoyed when I get stuck behind a slower car as I did before. Plus it helps save on insurance.
 
Gruebeard

Gruebeard

DarkAudit said:
First choice would be a Fiat 500L. But that's just me, 'cause I want one. :)

I don't know what terrain you have to deal with, but here everything is literally uphill both ways. So AWD is pretty much required during the winter. Which I don't have, so I'm SOL if they didn't treat the hill I'm on.
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Saskatchewan is so flat the Earth doesn't even curve there.
 
Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

I drive a 2000 Toyota Camry that I paid for in full, in cash, to replace the previous Camry that I also bought in full, in cash.

I'm probably not the person to ask about buying a new car...
 
Sara_2814

Sara_2814

I got a new Subaru Forester last year. Because I got the manual transmission, the winter package was included: heated seats and defrosting side mirrors are awesome.
 
Emrys

Emrys

DarkAudit said:
First choice would be a Fiat 500L. But that's just me, 'cause I want one. :)
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So I should buy a Fiat... for you? :p

DarkAudit said:
I don't know what terrain you have to deal with, but here everything is literally uphill both ways. So AWD is pretty much required during the winter. Which I don't have, so I'm SOL if they didn't treat the hill I'm on.
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Gruebeard has it right; the earth does not curve in SK.[DOUBLEPOST=1454525887,1454525847][/DOUBLEPOST]
Dei said:
Though if you are going to buy a new car, now is the time to grab a 2015 model.
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Definitely going to be a 2015.[DOUBLEPOST=1454526124][/DOUBLEPOST]Thanks for the advise, everyone. I've talked to my bank about financing and will see if I can get a better deal through the dealership. Either way, I'm covered there. Mostly I was looking for justification to avoid the extended warranties, as well as advise on any other nifty features to get.

I'm taking my stricken car in on Friday for appraisal and write off. I told them the deer was drinking and texting.

And this thread needs more sex.
 
Dei

Dei

My car is small, but all of the seats go down for more storage space, so if you threw a blanket in there, it would be very convienient for having sex in.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Emrys said:
So I should buy a Fiat... for you? :p


Gruebeard has it right; the earth does not curve in SK.[DOUBLEPOST=1454525887,1454525847][/DOUBLEPOST]
Definitely going to be a 2015.[DOUBLEPOST=1454526124][/DOUBLEPOST]Thanks for the advise, everyone. I've talked to my bank about financing and will see if I can get a better deal through the dealership. Either way, I'm covered there. Mostly I was looking for justification to avoid the extended warranties, as well as advise on any other nifty features to get.

I'm taking my stricken car in on Friday for appraisal and write off. I told them the deer was drinking and texting.

And this thread needs more sex.
Click to expand...
Your most powerful tool is the word "no". Be willing to walk away, even with the pen in your hand and the contract on the desk in front of you. Dealers can throw some twist at you at the last minute (never again! *shake fist*). Your next most powerful tool is to have fully researched your options. I literally make a spreadsheet of all the cars I am willing to consider and work out the best deal available. (I'm considering writing an app that can do this for a person...) If you come armed knowing what you want and what you can get, you'll leave with the same.

I recommend doing research at cars.com and edmunds.com. A little effort now will go a long way towards saving you some frustration later.

One last tip: Going at the end of the month, on bad weather days, and some holidays can result in a good position for you. If they are struggling to make a sale at the end of the day, you can plant your feet more firmly. Our last car we purchased on Father's Day and they had not had any sales all day. We literally rolled in 5 minutes before closing and got exactly what we wanted for the price we wanted.
 
Gruebeard

Gruebeard

Let's go for a drive, she said to him
Then park the car, watch the sky grow dim
My car ain't that big
But it's got this rig
Where the seats transform to a gym.
 
Dei

Dei

Also, anytime we go to a dealer and leave, usually within a week they are calling to offer a better deal. This is especially true of the 2015 models that will still be left, no matter how they try to say it might be gone.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

I like Subarus. I even want one.
But the TCO on those things is among the highest you can get for a nonexotic.
So one will have to wait until after retirement, probably. If then.

--Patrick
 
Shakey

Shakey

PatrThom said:
I like Subarus. I even want one.
But the TCO on those things is among the highest you can get for a nonexotic.
So one will have to wait until after retirement, probably. If then.

--Patrick
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I've heard that too, but insurance isn't bad on our outback, and after 50,000 miles we haven't had to fix a thing.
 
WasabiPoptart

WasabiPoptart

I'm voting for Subaru Outback or Forester. I've had friends who owned them and those cars took a beating. Also, I want one for my next vehicle.
I'll thrown my hat in for an older model over brand new.
As far as extended warranty...nope. Don't.
 
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