Looking to get a new/used car

[chowyo123]

Like the title says, my 1994 Civic is looking a little tired, and I'm looking to upgrade. I've been back and forth on a few of them over the past month or so, but really don't know a whole lot about cars except for reviews here and there.

 

My price range is up to $14,000 - preferably after taxes, title, etc., but I do have a little leeway and so a few hundred dollars wouldn't kill a deal for me.

 

I'm looking for something that is reliable, decent gas mileage, and fairly small.

 

I've test-driven a Scion XD and a Hyundai Elantra so far, but wasn't all that blown away by either. I've also ridden in a Ford Focus, and partially know how it is.

 

Currently I'm looking at:

 

Honda Civic 2005 - 33k miles @ $12,000 from a dealer

Honda Civic 2005 - 28.5k miles @ $12,000 from a private party

Hyundai Elantra 2007 - 15-30k miles @ $12,500 from a dealer

Honda Fit 2007 - 20k miles @ $14,500 from a dealer - kind of pushing it with the price after tax and everything else

Scion XD 2008 - ~20k miles @ $14,000 from a dealer.

Ford Focus 2009 - Brand New @ $12,300-$12,500 from a dealer.

 

 

They all seem to have their pros and cons, but I'll name a few that stick out to me:

 

Civics - Pros: Reliability, Reliability, Reliability. Price tag. Cons: 2005 is older than the other choices, 1 year away from the 2006 redesign.

Elantra - Pros: 5 year, 60k warranty. Consumer Reports and Edmunds seem to give them good scores. Cons: Don't know a lot about them - seem to be getting better as a company though.

Fit - Pros: Reliability, Reliabity, Reliability. Cons: Price is kind of up there.

Scion - Pros: I actually enjoy it's appearance - I know that many don't though. Seems to have good standard features. Cons: Large blindspots in the back are my main concerns.

Focus - Pros: Cheap for being new. Cons: Doesn't seem to stand out in any areas, interior seemed kind of poor when I rode in one over the summer.

 

 

I think I can knock off the Scion as an option, as the rear-visibility bugs me. The civics, elantra, and focus seem to be tied as my #1 choice though.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[ewizabeff]

I bought my Mazda3 sedan in 2004 for about $16,500....and I still love it. It's a little car, but surprisingly it has a lot of storage space both inside and in the trunk. I get pretty great gas mileage too (usually around 30 mpg).

 

I know you didn't even have this an option, but I've been nothing but pleased with my car. Granted, I've only put 30,000 miles on it so far, but I've taken it on long road trips (Alabama) and had no problem.

[colbyjack]

Honda Civic, without a doubt. I traded one in a few years ago to get a CRV (which from what I've been told is the same engine/chasis as a Civic) when my family expanded, and it's reputation for reliability leads to extremely good re-sale value. You may plan on driving the car to the ground, but that is still a valuable asset for you to have with any car, since all cars depreciate the moment you buy them. You won't get that kind of re-sale value from a Ford Focus. I can't comment on the Elantra, but why mess with a good thing? The Civics prior to 2006 still had a pretty sharp body design IMO, so that aspect seems like a pretty minor negative to me, and as long as the mileage is close to a wash, the model year wouldn't make a difference to me.

 

Is the dealer one you're looking at an EX model? If not, $12,000 for 30k miles sounds a tad high. Did you check out its "true" value online via Blue Book and/or Edmunds?

[mothershipconnection]

FWIW, Consumer Reports was pretty high on the Focus.

I wouldn't buy a used Honda in most cases. People think they're sitting on a brick of gold. It would make more sense to just but a new one when it's not much more.

[valpocrewsader]

Civics - Pros: Reliability, Reliability, Reliability. Price tag. Cons: 2005 is older than the other choices, 1 year away from the 2006 redesign.

Cons: Everyone has one, no individuality.

 

Was surprised not to see the Mazda3 on your list. Best looking car in the segment, IMO.

[endaround]

That seems really high for a used Fit even given the lack of new ones. Same with the Scion. That said if you can wait a bit that better you'll be as the sales will really start to happen soon. There are also a bunch of other cars you might want to consider:

 

Toyota Yaris

Nissan Versa

Suzuki SX4

Mazda 3

Mitsubishi Lancer

 

Then you get into used Sentras, Corollas, etc.

[1992casey]

Don't tell a sales person what your price range is. Tell him or her that it's flexible. Additionally, don't give a huge indication as to what you're looking for. Act like you're willing to give anything due consideration, even if you're not.

[Teatoe993]

Get one of the Civics. If the one from the dealer is a certified pre-owned car, get that. Otherwise, you'll probably be able to talk down the private party a little more. I know that the 2005 is only a year away from the 2006 redesign. But it's always better to avoid buying a car in the 1st year of a new redesign. They tend to have more problems. That said, the opposite is also true. A car in the last model year of it's current generation is typically the most reliable. Most of the bugs have been worked out.

Do your homework on what the cars are worth. And make sure you know what they are worth in both retail and private party value. There is a difference. Blue Book

I'm glad ewizabeff mentioned the Mazda 3 because it is one heck of a car for the money. If you are any kind of driving enthusiast, the Mazda 3 is the way to go.

I don't know what condition your old Civic is in, but you may be surprised by how much you can still get for it. If it's still in decent running condition and if you clean it up a bit, you should find a buyer for it easily.

[ttsather]

A car still within your class that does not always make it into the discussion is a Subaru Impreza.

 

I have a 2008 Impreza wagon that was $15,800 new, but a used one would be significantly less and some like the older styling better.

 

The interior features before 2007 are pretty pedestrian, but the car has some jump, excellent reliability and (the biggest factor, imo) all-wheel drive. They are beasts in the winter. I've driven mine on backroads in 6-8 inches of snow with no problems at all.

 

There's both a sedan and wagon option, space is similar to a Mazda3.

[RyDogg66]

What about the 2007 Nissan Sentra? I got one of those a year ago and I am really happy with it. 2007 was the first year of the new body design and I think they look sharp.

[temke]

had 2 civics ('90 and '04). traded the '04 for a pilot when we had kids. both were fantastic.

 

definitely check with the dealer about it being certified pre-owned. my pilot was certified pre-owned and we got a decent warranty with it...though we all know that everything that needs replacement is never covered on the warranty http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[RyDogg66]

I will also say that Civics and Accords are great (like them better than Toyota) but I agree that their owners think they are sitting on a pile of gold. I actually knew someone who bought a used Civic for about what it was worth, drove it for a year and resold it for $50 more than he paid for it. In other words, buying a used Civic is going to cost a lot compared to other similar cars of the same model year and class.

[Gobias Industries]

I'd highly recommend selling your Civic on your own, rather than trading in. A dealer (large ones: Wilde, EVS, or Bergstrom's) will probably show you anywhere from 100-1000 for your car depending on how much markup they have in theirs. As long as your Civic is in decent condition and is under 200k, you should have no problem getting $1995 for it on craigslist.

 

Have you thought about an Accord? The 2.3 V-Tec gets solid gas mileage, and they're arguably the best car on the road. Be prepared to pay top dollar though. Honda's and Toyota's are the only newish cars selling right now, so a lot of dealers will gladly let you walk even during the tough economic times if you want to negotiate on the stuff that's still in demand.

 

As others have said, use Edmunds or NADA for finding what the car is worth. KBB is garbage, and a dealer is most likely gonna get mad just hearing those words. Probably the best way to get the market value is to use cars.com, and see what all the dealers in a couple hundred mile radius have the same car priced at.

 

I'm sure you could get a hell of a deal on an 07 Focus right now, they've dropped like a rock at the auctions in the last month. Let me know if you want to know what the dealer probably paid for the car at an auction, I can look it up at the Milwaukee Metro website for you.

[The Active 33]

Are you selling your Civic? I may be interested. Thanks

[chowyo123]

Are you selling your Civic? I may be interested. Thanks

I'm currently undecided on which route I'll go. My sister in-law may need it so I might hold on to it for a little while. I'm also located in Michigan, so I'm not sure if it'd work anyway. It's in decent condition, however the ABS recently went on it.

 

Thanks for all of the ideas/comments/tips everyone.

 

First off, for some reason I always overlook the Mazda3 - so I may test drive one of those either this or the following weekend. They

I had looked at the Yaris, and I question it's reliability/safety, so I've crossed that off my list.

The Subaru's look like great cars - but they rate a little low in the fuel economy for my tastes. I'm currently a full-time college student, so I feel a little tight with my money right now.

As for the Nissan Versa, I'd prefer to get a Vibe over it, as I can get a $2,500 cash rebate on it.

 

I did see an ad in my local newspaper from a private seller - 2007 Civic, 18,000 miles @ $13,500, so I may give that a look at as well.

Gobias Industries wrote:

 

Let me know if you want to know what the dealer probably paid for the car at an auction, I can look it up at the Milwaukee Metro website for you.

That'd be great - I didn't see anything myself when quickly searching.

 

Also, endaround - You had mentioned that the sales will be happening soon. How soon are you speculating? I had overheard someone else saying a similar thing, but didn't catch the time frame they mentioned.

 

It should be a fun weekend though, with a few of the new options. Thanks everyone.

[logan82]

The Subaru's look like great cars - but they rate a little low in the fuel economy for my tastes. I'm currently a full-time college student, so I feel a little tight with my money right now.

 

That's the big drawback with all-wheel drive. I have an Impreza and like it quite a bit. I only get 25-27 MPG with it. Of course I have the WRX and the premium fuel at $.20 per gallon more than regular is also a drawback.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

I have an Accord, and drove an older Elantra for awhile. Love the Accord, very nice car for the money. Although the Elantra might be a better value. You'll get better mileage, and the feature set on those has gotten better since mine. The Hyundai's are actually pretty solid cars.

[InsomniacInkRoss]

I agree with most of what has been said, Hondas are awesome, but the used market is so insane, you are better buying new

 

My girlfriend has an 07 Fit, very happy with it, compact but plenty of room inside, fold down seats and such are great

 

I want a Mazda 3 pretty bad, but I am not in the market, a very sharp car

[lodiness]

I have a 2007 Mazda 6. Really solid car, and I get anywhere from 28-30 mpg. I only have the 4 cylinder, but it has plenty of power. Actually trying to sell it, and I'm looking to get $14,750, if that gives you a gauge on what that size of a car would cost. Fun to drive, lots of room in it, and it rides pretty good. This is actually my second one. If you buy a car that is a year old, or even a end of model year, you can usually get a better price.