Cars

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

I'm lookin' to buy a car in the next few months. I was thinkin' brand new, 'cause I'm the sort that can buy a car and drive it for 10 years, but used could be ok too.

I'm not a big "car guy" though I do have a friend who is good at negotiating and "doesn't care about your starving children anyhow."

I'm just not really sure where to start. I need 4 doors. I also need fold down seats 'cause I live alone and every now and then I buy a new shelf or somesuch from the Ikea down the street. Obviously good gas mileage would be a plus. I've been told to steer away from hybrids because the maintenance prices will outweigh the gas costs. Someone told me to consider the new Volkswagen diesels, but other people have cautioned me because diesel fuel was really expensive for a while.

Whatchu nerds think?

 

[Chad Sexington]

If you buy new, ask for their Fleet Manager (most dealerships have one on site; Fleet Departments are for companies buying several cars at once usually). This is a man who is required to sell cars at a certain bottom-line price without negotiation. You can call ahead of time and set up an appointment date & time with a Fleet Salesperson or Manager, and he'll meet you, take you on a test drive, and then tell you the price. You can't haggle this down, but he isn't going to (because he's not authorized to) push it up. His job is to move this car.

If you like the price, you're in. If not, you're not under an obligation.

Note that some dealerships' Fleet Deparments will ONLY sell to companies, but many are authorized to sell to the public as well, they're just not allowed to advertise that fact because it would compete with their retail division.

Really handy knowledge (my dad bought my mom's new car this way) for buying new.

It avoids pushy salesmen, and negotiations, which is really nice if you're one of those "Oh another $600 doesn't seem SO bad" people who end up adding on 4 or 5 "just $600" parts.

They may also ask you where you work; they asked my dad at least. It seems to be protocol and not to do with the sale. Perhaps they're required to list it on their paperwork.

 

I don't know how much things have changed, but I bought my Honda Civic when I was in exactly your circumstances (I knew I was going to be moving from SF to LA in a year). I got the 2-door but the body was the same size as the 4-door. The seats fold down and you can fit a remarkable array of stuff in there, more than you'd think from a small car. The new ones still look relatively small; I can park mine in pretty much any spot (or I should say it fits; whether or not I can actually park it depends on the day :bush.

And mine is just over 10 1/2 years old and 90-something K mileage. I follow the regular maintenance schedule and have never had a problem so far except for replacing the usual bits and pieces that get worn out. It's been on many trips between LA and SF or even Sacramento, often with the A/C on in blazing heat, with no worse problem than a popped tire once.

Yeah, I my old and busted. Maybe someone can confirm or deny that the Civics are still as good as this.

 

[Pojodan]

Well, I can recommend Scions as I've been driving them for 3 years now, first a 2006 xB and now a 2008 xB.

Spacious, comfortable, reliable, 4 doors!

The xA is smaller and gets slightly better milage, the xB is bigger with more space, and the xD is kinda in the middle. They have a sports car, the tC, but that's not what you said you're after.

Give them a test drive, I recommend it.

 

[Steve]

Most vehicles now will last you many many years as long as you take care of them.
This is a really good review site: http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews.html ... awodOA0-Ag
The good news is thanks to the internet you can search several local dealers and find the best price. There is a local joint here that post rock bottom prices and they are non negotiable which I like. I've yet to see a dealer beat their prices. So search online and test drive a lot to find that perfect vehicle for you. Since you plan on keeping it for a long time you definately want to be happy with it. And I would suggest buying a year old, with a few thousand miles. You lose the first year but the vehicle is still under warranty and you can save several thousand. And several vehicles are offering a 5 year/60,000 mile warranty. If you do find a place where you have to negotiate find the vehicle you like and go as low as you feel the vehicle is worth (within reason). They'll refuse to come down that low so leave. In a few days (especially if it's the last week of the month where they want to move inventory) they'll end up calling you and offering you the deal. We got my wife's vehicle that way. Be prepared to lose it, though, if someone else wants it. Good luck hunting. That's the best part.
When I was looking I really liked the Toyota RAV and Suzuki XL-7 and the smaller Grand Vitara 4 wheel drive. If you want to go for base bottom prices on newer vehicles anything Kia is good. They have good consumer ratings as well. A local dealer has several Kia Rondo's (mini van) with around 10k miles and a 5 yr/60k warranty (100k if you are original owner) for around $10k.

 

[HowDroll]

My boyfriend just bought a Toyota Rav4 and he really likes it a lot. It pretty much meets all your requirements, and the trunk is very spaceous.

...That's all I got. I don't know anything about cars either

 

[Vagabond]

Get a Mazda3. The hatchback, preferably.

EPA gas mileage (automatic transmission):
2-liter: 24 mpg city / 33 mpg highway

2.5-liter: 22 mpg city / 29 mpg highway

That's on regular old petrol.

And it's something that won't bore you to death while driving it.

 

[Chazwozel]

I roll in a 2008 Subaru Impreza and it meets all your requirements.

 

[bigcountry23]

If you buy new, ask for their Fleet Manager (most dealerships have one on site; Fleet Departments are for companies buying several cars at once usually). This is a man who is required to sell cars at a certain bottom-line price without negotiation. You can call ahead of time and set up an appointment date & time with a Fleet Salesperson or Manager, and he'll meet you, take you on a test drive, and then tell you the price. You can't haggle this down, but he isn't going to (because he's not authorized to) push it up. His job is to move this car.

If you like the price, you're in. If not, you're not under an obligation.

Note that some dealerships' Fleet Deparments will ONLY sell to companies, but many are authorized to sell to the public as well, they're just not allowed to advertise that fact because it would compete with their retail division.

Really handy knowledge (my dad bought my mom's new car this way) for buying new.

It avoids pushy salesmen, and negotiations, which is really nice if you're one of those "Oh another $600 doesn't seem SO bad" people who end up adding on 4 or 5 "just $600" parts.

They may also ask you where you work; they asked my dad at least. It seems to be protocol and not to do with the sale. Perhaps they're required to list it on their paperwork.

I'm actually going to look at cars tomorrow and this is a VERY handy piece of info! Thank you.

 

[Chad Sexington]

If you buy new, ask for their Fleet Manager (most dealerships have one on site; Fleet Departments are for companies buying several cars at once usually). This is a man who is required to sell cars at a certain bottom-line price without negotiation. You can call ahead of time and set up an appointment date & time with a Fleet Salesperson or Manager, and he'll meet you, take you on a test drive, and then tell you the price. You can't haggle this down, but he isn't going to (because he's not authorized to) push it up. His job is to move this car.

If you like the price, you're in. If not, you're not under an obligation.

Note that some dealerships' Fleet Deparments will ONLY sell to companies, but many are authorized to sell to the public as well, they're just not allowed to advertise that fact because it would compete with their retail division.

Really handy knowledge (my dad bought my mom's new car this way) for buying new.

It avoids pushy salesmen, and negotiations, which is really nice if you're one of those "Oh another $600 doesn't seem SO bad" people who end up adding on 4 or 5 "just $600" parts.

They may also ask you where you work; they asked my dad at least. It seems to be protocol and not to do with the sale. Perhaps they're required to list it on their paperwork.

I'm actually going to look at cars tomorrow and this is a VERY handy piece of info! Thank you.

I try. You might have to make an appointment though; I'm not sure if it's just a drop-by-and-see-the-Fleet-Salespeople thing

 

[Wasabi Poptart]

It's a good idea to go to the dealership first and test out any car you might be interested in. I had my heart set on this cute little Pontiac a few years back. Once I drove it I hated it. Plus you can get the feel of the dealership and decide if you want to buy from them or not. I hate slimy car sales people.

 

[caldvan]

My sister has a Honda Fit which she likes. Its a 4 door conventional, that gets 30+ mpg (closer to 35ish range). She also lives alone and has hauled several Ikea items in it. When I went to visit her we even fit a couch in the back with the seats folded down.

 

[Lally]

I had my heart set on this cute little Pontiac a few years back. Once I drove it I hated it.

I did the exact same thing. I had my heart set on a Toyota Yaris, and while I didn't drive one, I drove a car with similar horsepower and weight... and it felt like a go-cart. The engine would be like "RRRRRRRRR!!!!" and I'd look down and I'd be going 40. It was sad.

 

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

Anyone have anything else to add?

 

[Wahad]

Buy a Humvee. Because FUCK YOU ENVIRONMENT.

No, but seriously, there's some pretty sound advice here in this thread.

 

[Bubble181]

I don't know how much things have changed, but I bought my Honda Civic when I was in exactly your circumstances (I knew I was going to be moving from SF to LA in a year). I got the 2-door but the body was the same size as the 4-door. The seats fold down and you can fit a remarkable array of stuff in there, more than you'd think from a small car. The new ones still look relatively small; I can park mine in pretty much any spot (or I should say it fits; whether or not I can actually park it depends on the day :bush.

And mine is just over 10 1/2 years old and 90-something K mileage. I follow the regular maintenance schedule and have never had a problem so far except for replacing the usual bits and pieces that get worn out. It's been on many trips between LA and SF or even Sacramento, often with the A/C on in blazing heat, with no worse problem than a popped tire once.

Yeah, I my old and busted. Maybe someone can confirm or deny that the Civics are still as good as this.

I drive a 10year old Nissan Almera which is pretty much the same car as the Civic, but with another brand sticker on it and a slightly smaller spoiler. Yeah, they rock. I've been told newer Civics are slightly less impressive as far as power goes , but more practical. Don't know ho true it is, I haven't driven them.

 

[Scarlet Varlet]

The 2008 VW Rabbit S I'm driving has been good. I'm at 27,000 miles and the worst I've suffered is a couple flats (like London buses, none for ages, then two in short span.) Doing about 28 MPG, lots of pep, roomy enough for camping with a monster telescope. Yet to add the bike rack so I can take that along, too. I've had mine up in Yosemite and down in Death Valley, climbs hills like a billy goat. Only gripe is the oil changes are a bit spendy because VW employs a particular Castrol synthetic oil. If you aren't a high mileage driver it could work well for you.

 

[Chibibar]

I recently trade in my Nissan Pathfinder and got a Scion xD. It is awesome. Scion does pure pricing (thus also no negotiation) except for trade in. you can even customize and get an idea on the price at www.scion.com

Top that off, the dealers has to HONOR that price and make (but of course if you put a tons of stuff on it like GPS, that is custom order) also they do financing that the dealer has to honor as well.

 

[Wasabi Poptart]

I had my heart set on this cute little Pontiac a few years back. Once I drove it I hated it.

I did the exact same thing. I had my heart set on a Toyota Yaris, and while I didn't drive one, I drove a car with similar horsepower and weight... and it felt like a go-cart. The engine would be like "RRRRRRRRR!!!!" and I'd look down and I'd be going 40. It was sad.

That was exactly what happened with the Pontiac! I thought it was going to zip along because it was small, but I didn't realize how weak the engine in it was until I drove it. Part of the test drive included going on an overpass. The car was barely moving when we were going uphill even though the engine was revving like crazy. It was a glorified rollerskate.

 

[Scarlet Varlet]

I recently trade in my Nissan Pathfinder and got a Scion xD. It is awesome. Scion does pure pricing (thus also no negotiation) except for trade in. you can even customize and get an idea on the price at http://www.scion.com

Top that off, the dealers has to HONOR that price and make (but of course if you put a tons of stuff on it like GPS, that is custom order) also they do financing that the dealer has to honor as well.

IIRC the event which brought this behaviour about, by some japanese auto companies, was when the Mazda Miata premiered. Some dealers were attaching additional fees to improve their profit line. Mazda were not happy and informed dealers, any continuing in this manner would no longer receive Miatas. Rather nice of Mazda to look after the cusomers that way.

 

[Pojodan]

I recently trade in my Nissan Pathfinder and got a Scion xD. It is awesome. Scion does pure pricing (thus also no negotiation) except for trade in. you can even customize and get an idea on the price at http://www.scion.com

Top that off, the dealers has to HONOR that price and make (but of course if you put a tons of stuff on it like GPS, that is custom order) also they do financing that the dealer has to honor as well.

If you're just buying, then it's definately a smooth-sailing system. When I got my first xB I went there simply to have a look at them. As it turned out they had the exact rig (color, tranny, options) that I wanted which was exactly the same price I'd researched online. About an hour later I drove off, happy as can be.

2 years later, i decided to trade up to the latest model for the sake of more power, cruise control, and other improvements.

That experience was a fair bit less easy since they happily attempted to give me far less trade-in value than I knew it was worth (kelly blue book, ho!). After visiting 3 different dealerships and getting the run-around with various car salemen tricks that I knew how to defeat/ignore, I finally told them what I wanted for it and walked away when they refused. 10 minutes later they called me and said they accepted it after all.

 

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

Do we have any easy to navigate web sites that offer comparisons and whatnot? I'm now leaking a substantial amount of radiator fluid, and I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to wait as long as I'd hoped to buy up.

 

[sixpackshaker]

Look into the Federal Clunker Buyback program.

I bought an HHR from Chevy. It is a Chevy Cobalt Wagon. It is like what is listed above, but looks different. and has more room behind the seats.

cars.com has some comparison features.

 

[Gared]

About the only thing I can add is that 8 months ago when I asked the same question, I was told to look into the Ford Fusion, and I love my 2007 Fusion. I wish I'd been able to hold out until the new one was released, for better fuel economy (hybrid and non-hybrid); but when I'm not driving from one end of the greater Seattle Metro-plex to the other twice a day I can actually get into the 33 mpg range quite easily. It's also a comfortable car, the A/C works without slowing the car down (like my Ford Focus did), and it has a decent stereo; but I don't know if the back seats fold down. I can't imagine that they wouldn't, I just haven't had a reason to test this feature.

As for websites, I would recommend http://www.vehix.com or http://www.cars.com.

 

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

Several people have told me to avoid hybrids because maintenance will cost me more in the long run. I've also been told that the carbon footprint on construction makes up for the savings later.

Is this accurate?

 

[sixpackshaker]

The added lead and copper processing needed to make the batteries and larger generator/electic motor is pretty dirty. I've heard that Hybrids are dirty for that reason. But I've not seen any hard evidence.

Also the added cost of the hybrid over a normal car of the same size and utility is greater than the gas you will save. Conserving Steel and Money is important too.

The TDI diesel motors made by Volkswagen and used in Audis too are the better bet. But they too cost much more than efficient gasoline motors. The price of diesel has leveled off. There was a year or so there after the stricter sulfur emissions law was passed that diesel jumped to $.50 more than normal gas. Now the price is roughly the same or less than standard unleaded.

 

[Gared]

That I have no idea on. I do have several friends who have hybrids, including one couple that each have a hybrid. Brian has a hybrid civic from Honda, and hasn't had any problems with the engine or power system, but did rear end someone and had to pay a pretty hefty price for a new front bumper and to have the frame straightened back out. His wife has a second generation Prius that hasn't had any issues either, but it's only a little over a year old.

I haven't seen enough information on how much energy it takes to build a hybrid to know whether or not you're really saving anything from a carbon footprint standpoint driving one, or how long it takes before you start saving on carbon. That's the one point of all of the green technology that I feel really gets left out a lot of the time; how much energy did you spend to produce that product and how much savings do you really get?

 

[Adam]

I just bought Consumer Report's Worst Vehicle of 2009, so I don't know if I'm in any place to give car advice That said, I love it

 

[Dubyamn]

Obviously good gas mileage would be a plus. I've been told to steer away from hybrids because the maintenance prices will outweigh the gas costs.

It doesn't. I've been driving my Hybrid for nearly 4 years now and have never had to pay a premium in repair or maintenance costs. In fact the only problem I've ever heard of anybody having with them is that the electric system on my mother's prius was knocked out when she got into a crash and the shop had to send it to Toyota to get those systems up and running. It was a huge hassle since she didn't have her car for 2 more weeks but those kinds of problems will become less and less as Mechanics have more experience with hybrid engines.

 

[jwhouk]

I just bought Consumer Report's Worst Vehicle of 2009, so I don't know if I'm in any place to give car advice That said, I love it

Heh... My dear sweet wife replaced her old Neon with a car that has apparently gotten no love in terms of reliability and resale value.

We still love it, though.

 

[Frank]

I roll in a 2008 Subaru Impreza and it meets all your requirements.

Nice, mine's a 2007 and I agree. Fantastic car.

 

[Chibibar]

Several people have told me to avoid hybrids because maintenance will cost me more in the long run. I've also been told that the carbon footprint on construction makes up for the savings later.

Is this accurate?

even with that aside.

The cost of a hybrid VS a fuel efficient car (like Scion) you will actually pay like 3-5 years worth of gas (depending on price) to actually have a saving

not to mention I don't know how much maintenance it will cost you (unless you get extended warranties and such)

I bought a Scion XD for around 17k the Prius is around 30k-35k while the mileage is like 50+ mpg vs 28 on a Scion... you get the idea.

 

[Jake]

This thread needs more...

Lightning!

 

[General Fuzzy McBitty]

I'll be test driving in the first weeks of August.

 

Look into the Federal Clunker Buyback program.

I bought an HHR from Chevy. It is a Chevy Cobalt Wagon. It is like what is listed above, but looks different. and has more room behind the seats.

cars.com has some comparison features.

I have a lot of pictures of a Chevy HHR with HUGE dents in the door. It's what I drive.