What is the best car for me?

[Anonymous]

I need to buy a new car within next six months. The current one is a very old Honda, that did its part. I will be very surprised if I get a couple of thousand for it. I haven’t car shopped in 15 years so can you help me please? This is what I am looking for, in no particular order

- I drive 100 miles a day, almost all of it on highways
- it doesn’t need to be spacious. I am good as long as it is good for the driver. (We have a minivan for family use)
- I would like to buy a new car and keep till it dies
- prefer something for less than <20k but most certainly not more than 25k
- I am short so I want a car that sits high (this is the reason I am leaning towards suv)
- Car for me is just something that get me from a to b safely so I don’t need anything fancy
- I am a careful driver and take good care of the car

[Anonymous]

I'd say to go for a Civic or something in that realm.

Also if you buy a car, I highly highly recommend to do the following. The payoff is a lot bigger when you go for certified cars or you want to lease. Buying a new civic I'd honestly say to go through costco or something.

1- once you know the model you want- go on Autotrader, set the search radius to 2000 miles, and get an idea of prices nationwide.
2- If buying a certified pre owned car, these usually have more wiggle room versus new. I highly recommend the CPO route.
3- Look for "the" car you decide is best. Once you find it just email the dealer, and figure out the numbers. Personally I've never "negotiated" in this manner since I've only leased cars this way and the #'s I wanted to get to were already posted online.
4- On a saturday you can do a one way plane ticket, pick it up, and drive home (assuming you end up buying in NJ/NY )
5- If you are not willing to do the above, still use these cars as leverage to the other dealers here. While they can cite regional differences, this still helps to indicate that you're looking to buy & you're prepared to go buy somewhere else. I've gotten 4 cars out of state now and I've never had an issue.

I go through all this trouble since I have yet to have a positive experience with any dealer around here. Even returning my BMW lease this year was like pulling teeth compared to dealers in PA. I've found NY/NJ dealers to have pretty competitive pricing, reasonable doc fees ($150 vs $700 you'll see around here) and they're a lot easier to deal with. Some states like Illinois cap their doc fees by law, so you don't have to be worried about being nickled and dimed after you buy.

[Anonymous]

A civic makes no sense if they want to sit up high. I'd look at the all the smaller SUV's and see which one you like best.

[Anonymous]

NP. I gave this thought but can't think of a SUV that you can afford for under $20K that is both NEW and will last for many years until it dies (which is why many buy Honda/Toyota). Bets best might be a used Honda CRV or Rav

[Anonymous]

Honda HR-V.

Honda reliability, heightened seating position, good fuel economy, sub-$20k price tag brand new.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PPs. Can you suggest some make/models that fit the bill for me? CRV and Rav are definitely on the list - OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honda HR-V.

Honda reliability, heightened seating position, good fuel economy, sub-$20k price tag brand new.

This is a fantastic suggestion. Nice thinking PP.

[Anonymous]

Honda CRV My cousin has one and loves it. My sister has a Rav 4, and she loves the CRV so much that she will get it if her Rav ever dies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honda HR-V.

Honda reliability, heightened seating position, good fuel economy, sub-$20k price tag brand new.

This is a fantastic suggestion. Nice thinking PP.

You're welcome. It's what I want to get for my kids to share when they turn 16. I have a few years yet. My only complaint is that they don't offer the Honda Sense active safety stuff on it yet. I'm assuming that they will in a few years. That's the only reason why my wife thinks we should get them a new car.

[Anonymous]

For a bit bigger, I'd look at the Hyundai Santa Fe if you don't care about brands. The newer ones are very nice. Also the Ford Edge or Escape depending on size you want.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I think you need to get out of the 90's! You can't get a new car for $20K. Unless you are looking at a small domestic sedan/compact. But, that doesn't make sense if you want an SUV.

You are not getting a quality SUV for $20K. Given how much you drive and how long you want to keep it, you simply need to buy a Honda CRV and get with the program re: pricing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I think you need to get out of the 90's! You can't get a new car for $20K. Unless you are looking at a small domestic sedan/compact. But, that doesn't make sense if you want an SUV.

You are not getting a quality SUV for $20K. Given how much you drive and how long you want to keep it, you simply need to buy a Honda CRV and get with the program re: pricing.

Yes, you can. It may be a lower model but you can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I think you need to get out of the 90's! You can't get a new car for $20K. Unless you are looking at a small domestic sedan/compact. But, that doesn't make sense if you want an SUV.

You are not getting a quality SUV for $20K. Given how much you drive and how long you want to keep it, you simply need to buy a Honda CRV and get with the program re: pricing.

Yes, you can. It may be a lower model but you can.

Yep, I pretty easily bought a new base model RAV4 for 22,500 out the door last year. Wait til the end of the month during a slow month or end of the model year and it’s not difficult. Try and tell me that a RAV4 isn’t a “quality” SUV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I think you need to get out of the 90's! You can't get a new car for $20K. Unless you are looking at a small domestic sedan/compact. But, that doesn't make sense if you want an SUV.

You are not getting a quality SUV for $20K. Given how much you drive and how long you want to keep it, you simply need to buy a Honda CRV and get with the program re: pricing.

Yes, you can. It may be a lower model but you can.

Yep, I pretty easily bought a new base model RAV4 for 22,500 out the door last year. Wait til the end of the month during a slow month or end of the model year and it’s not difficult. Try and tell me that a RAV4 isn’t a “quality” SUV.

$22500 is equal or less than $20,000. Basic math. YOU didn't get a quality SUV for $20K.

[Anonymous]

$22500 is NOT equal or less...