Help me find a new car

[jerichoholicninja]

I still haven't made a decision yet. I just don't have the time.

 

I found a 2009 Toyota RAV4 at a good price. Anyone have experience with them? My biggest concern is that I've read that they get way under the advertised mpg.

[chadomac]

I've been on a quest to avoid a dealer and find a deal on an early 2000's Civic/Corolla with 100,000ish miles on it for $4000-5000. Not going too well. There sure are a lot of flakes on Craigslist.

[thebruce44]

I still haven't made a decision yet. I just don't have the time.

 

I found a 2009 Toyota RAV4 at a good price. Anyone have experience with them? My biggest concern is that I've read that they get way under the advertised mpg.

 

FWIW, Toyota's are no longer automatically recommended by Consumer Reports. I believe that started right around '08 or '09. Honda and Subaru are now the only makes that are auto recommended. It seems Toyota's quality control has really slipped.

[NeedMoreFans]

Bringing back an old topic because I am car shopping.

 

I test drove a few cars today at two different dealers. I drove two of the same model. Same year, same body style, both AWD. Car #2 had 1000 miles more on it, was a different color, and had alloy wheels. Aside from that, there was no difference except in price. Car #2 was $5000 more than car #1. At first, I didn't know if I should be worried (that car #1 had something wrong with it that wasn't on the Carfax) or insulted that dealer #2 was charging so much more (without a lot of wiggle room, so said the salesman). I would probably prefer to buy from the second dealer because they are closer to home and it's where I bought our last car...keep everything simple. What would you guys do?

[Baldkin]

$5,000 is a lot of money for almost exactly the same car.

 

Honestly, if the salesman won't knock down the price when you tell him, "Hey, I'm going to buy this other one for 5 grand less then" then forget them. You've already bought a car from them, they should be catering to you, word of mouth is king in car sales.

[Gobias Industries]

Bringing back an old topic because I am car shopping.

 

I test drove a few cars today at two different dealers. I drove two of the same model. Same year, same body style, both AWD. Car #2 had 1000 miles more on it, was a different color, and had alloy wheels. Aside from that, there was no difference except in price. Car #2 was $5000 more than car #1. At first, I didn't know if I should be worried (that car #1 had something wrong with it that wasn't on the Carfax) or insulted that dealer #2 was charging so much more (without a lot of wiggle room, so said the salesman). I would probably prefer to buy from the second dealer because they are closer to home and it's where I bought our last car...keep everything simple. What would you guys do?

So you've seen the carfax on both vehicles? Do you have a link to the website that lists the details on both cars? There has to be reason why there's a $5000 difference.

[NeedMoreFans]

Car #1... http://www.jonlancastertoyota.com/used/Toyota/2010-Toyota-RAV4-71fdd95a0a0d048d008c491e73317d10.htm

 

Car #2... http://smarttoyota.com/used-cars-madison-wi/2010_Toyota_RAV4_Madison_2T3BF4DV8AW049030.aspx

 

The price for car #2 isn't listed, but he quoted me $22,500 (after so graciously knocking it down by $1500).

 

Both Carfaxes are available on the websites. The only potential red flag with car #1 is the lack of service records, but with a 2010 that has 30,000 miles on it, there should have only been oil changes and tire rotations.

 

Aside from the physical differences, the first car has been on the lot for about 6 weeks, the second car for under a week. That may have something to do with it as well.

[Patrick425]

Car #2 does seem to have a few more options if I'm reading them right (BlueTooth, XM radio, Aluminum running board, etc - although I don't see the aluminum running boards in those pictures, so maybe those options are just all options that were available when the car was new? Why would they list those on a used car?), but not $5,000 worth or extra features. I agree completely with Baldkin. Bring in a printout of the cheaper car to the dealer of car #2 and ask him to explain why there is such a difference in price. If he does not have good answers for you (watch out for the Jedi mind games!) and he's unwilling to meet or beat the price of car #1, then walk. If both Car Fax reports check out, seems like Car #1 is definitely the better value at this point.

 

Edit: By the way, I like the posting for car #1 better also. Why is there no price listed for Car #2? It says internet special: please call. Yeah right.

[NeedMoreFans]

Car #2 really didn't have that many more options than car #1. The list is inaccurate. Looking at the Carfax, they put it for sale on Tuesday and I test drove it Wednesday. They probably haven't sat back and accurately priced it, which is why they tell you to call to get a price. When I asked what the base price was, he had to look at the window sticker. What I found very strange was that they had a similar one...same year, same mileage, but was the Limited model, which means it had more bells and whistles, and it was sticker priced the same.

[thebruce44]

How do the KBB prices differ?

[Gobias Industries]

NMF,

 

Deal 1 is an absolute no-brainer. Very similar sized dealerships, so I'm really surprised in the price difference. Both are bringing right around $15.5k at the auctions (plus about a $400 auction fee), so the thing is basically just marked up 1800 bucks above wholesale. In this market, that's a deal.

 

I wouldn't worry about the lack of service records. I think Toyota's have a 5yr/60k powertrain warranty on them, and those service records a lot of time will only show up if you bring the car to certain service shops.

 

With the additional options, I'd say there's maybe a couple hundred dollar difference. And that's even iffy considering black>bronze/gray.

 

ETA: Carfaxes in general, are junk. Completely unreliable for anything other than telling you if a vehicle has a branded title or an odometer discrepancy. And that is supposed to be disclosed on the Wisconsin Buyers Guide located in every car.

[NeedMoreFans]

Yeah, I'm aware that Deal 1 is fantastic, and I'm trying to debate whether or not to continue to test drive. There is a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe that is going for under $19K that I want to drive just to compare.

 

I'm probably going to e-mail dealer #2 to see if there is any way they can come close to matching. The car has been on the lot since Tuesday (as opposed to early June for the 1st car), so I'm thinking they are reluctant to go that low. But, if they want to keep me as a customer, they will have to.

[Harry Doyles JD]

My father sells cars for a living, let me tell you guys something about CarFaxes. Don't rely on them, they're not the end all, be all of what cars are good or not. CarFax can only be accurate IF everything that goes wrong with a car is reported to them. Insurance companies will definitely report, but think of all the messed up things that can happen to a car that insurance companies never get involved in.

 

If you're working with a dealer, find out if the salesman has been in the business long. If they've been in it for a long time, chances are you're dealing with someone you can relatively trust. The men and women that screw people over don't last long because they don't get repeat customers or referrals.

 

You're always going to be better off in the long run buying a car from a dealership that certifies its used cars than going the Craigslist or Ebay route, unless you are a mechanic or know one that will look the car over for you.

 

As far as why the price is differing on the "same" vehicle....it could be a multitude of reasons, one has been in inventory longer than the other, one was worked harder on the trade-in than the other, one was a trade-in, one was bought at auction, etc. It's not necessarily a factor of pricing one higher to price it higher.

 

Are both vehicles certified used? Have you really listened hard to both vehicles run? Looked the car over from head to toe? You need to do those things.

 

Edit: Also, when you have an opportunity, go to a smaller community to do business if you can. Reputations are very important to any serious salespeople, but even moreso in a small town.

[NeedMoreFans]

One of the vehicles I wanted sold on Friday. I am now looking at a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. Does anyone have any opinions on them?

[Gobias Industries]

I think Hyundai and Kia are both putting out better vehicles than Toyota and Honda, fwiw. Can't beat their factory warranties either 5y/60k b2b and 10y/100k drivetrain.

 

I don't think you'll find a better deal on a Rav4 than the one that was at Lancaster. That was a steal.

[NeedMoreFans]

I don't think you'll find a better deal on a Rav4 than the one that was at Lancaster. That was a steal.

 

That's the one that sold. I test drove it without my wife on Wednesday, and Saturday was the earliest we could get there.

 

There are three 2011 Santa Fe's at one dealer...one for $20K, $19K, and $18K...which are all fantastic deals. I liked it a lot, but my wife may not be so enthusiastic about it because it is much bigger than the RAV4.

[Viva La Grinch]

I have a car question as well....my girlfriend wants to buy a used Mini Cooper, something around a 2005-2008. I was wondering if anybody has any experience with them and also how difficult/expensive are they to maintain.

[Harry Doyles JD]

Mini's don't really have a remarkable upkeep record good or bad. They're nice vehicles, but they are a bit rare when compared to the big three US automakers and Toyota and Honda, so the added "scarcity" makes them a tad bit more to maintain, but not to the point it would keep me from buying one.

 

I, for one, think they're cool, fun cars.

[Teatoe993]

I had an 05 Cooper S for about 10 months. I'd still have that car if I didn't end up purchasing a home shortly afterwards. We really don't see very many of them at the shop. I know some of them had some power steering issues, but I haven't really seen any of that either. Changing oil on them is a huge pain in the rear. Quality-wise I find them pretty decent for something British-Built. That's thankfully due to the Germans at BMW originally designing the car. Minis have excellent resale value, so you'd be able to easily unload it of you decide it's not for you. Mini changed the body style in 2007 from the 1st generation. They became a bit bigger an heavier and lost a little bit of the quirks that made the original Minis so interesting. The 2nd generation car isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. I just prefer the 1st. If you go 1st gen, go for a 2005-2006 model year. They really worked out all of the bugs they may have had earlier. And get one with a manual trans for the love of god.

[NeedMoreFans]

I'm probably going with a RAV4. I have an option...AWD vs. FWD. FWD is $1300 less. Is AWD really all that necessary? I have never owned a vehicle with it.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I'm probably going with a RAV4. I have an option...AWD vs. FWD. FWD is $1300 less. Is AWD really all that necessary? I have never owned a vehicle with it.

 

 

Yes, Well worth the money. I never had AWD until the Escape we bought 2 years ago.

[TheCrew07]

I'm probably going with a RAV4. I have an option...AWD vs. FWD. FWD is $1300 less. Is AWD really all that necessary? I have never owned a vehicle with it.

 

I think the answer to that question depends on where you live. I live and work in NE WI and I've had AWD since I bought my first European car in 2002, an Audi A4. I drive about 1,000 miles a month for work and AWD has saved me too many times to mention driving when the weather is poor. Even this winter as mild as it was my Volvo S40 saved me from accidents twice (both related to Semis carelessly changing lanes), I may have been able to keep the car the road without AWD but AWD made regaining control very easy resulting in just an elevated heart rate and not something much more serious.

 

I haven't driven a RWD vehicle since I left home in the early 90s, all of my cars prior to the A4 were FWD, and all of the cars pushed through corners in bad weather. I'm to the point where I'll only buy AWD cars given my job, but if dealing with ice/snow isn't something that you'll regularly encounter then I'd think a 2 wheel drive car, front or rear, would be fine, and you'll get better gas mileage.

[Harry Doyles JD]

I echo what TC07 said about AWD.

 

I personally would never buy a FWD car, they don't handle nearly as well on average (there are exceptions, obviously) because you're asking the same two wheels that direct the car to also power it. The physics just don't work as well. If inclement weather weren't a problem, I'd recommend a RWD car as you'll get better mileage, but since I know you're in Wisconsin, I'd say AWD all day.

[GAME05]

i'm trying to decide between a couple of used cars to get. i don't exactly have a lot of money, so price is important. but of course i don't want a situation like i have with my current Tiburon that i have to take it in every three months to fix something on it. the two that i'm debating on...

 

2003 Civic, 90,000 miles, $7900 sticker. with the way that Civics sell, i probably can't ask for much below $7400 for it, and i'd guess that it probably hasn't had its timing belt changed or fluids replaced at this point. but still it's a model known for its reliability and getting 190,000 miles out of it isn't unreasonable at all for a Civic.

 

2002 Kia Sedona mini-van, 70,000 miles, $6200. the price is a lot more attractive and maybe i can get it for $5700. i like the idea of a minivan for camping/sleeping in sometimes but the parking ease of a smaller car probably balances that benefit out. i haven't been able to find much information on the reliability of this car, though. $1500 cheaper, sure, but if the Civic would last 50,000 miles longer and not have the same repair costs/frequency, than it would be less of a value in the long run.

 

i'll probably be heading off to get one of the two this evening, and i'm still not totally sure on which of the two might be best. i keep liking the price of that Kia and the idea of getting it paid off a year sooner, but i have a Korean car now (i know, different company) and i'm a bit fearful of the idea of having it in the shop all the time.

[ReverendBrewmeister]

i'll probably be heading off to get one of the two this evening, and i'm still not totally sure on which of the two might be best. i keep liking the price of that Kia and the idea of getting it paid off a year sooner, but i have a Korean car now (i know, different company) and i'm a bit fearful of the idea of having it in the shop all the time.

 

I'm 99% certain that KIA and Hyundai are actually owned by the same Korean conglomerate company. So would you actually be getting a car from a different company? Quite a few of their models look very similar, too (e.g. Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage).

 

Not sure that helps your decision or not, just saying.