Tell me what car to buy!!

[Anonymous]

Help!! I am on research overload. We need a new car, and it needs to be under $20K. Safety is my number one priority. We have only one child and will likely only have one, so we don't need anything too big or roomy.

Can you recommend your car and/or dealership?? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Maybe a Honda Accord? They are very reliable and safe cars. You could get one that's a couple years old for around $20k.

[Anonymous]

Hyundai Sonata from Fitzgerald's in Gaithersburg or Rockville. No-haggle pricing and salesman didn't make me want to punch him (as with every other place we went). You can get a new Sonata with all safety bells & whistles plus long warranty for your 20k limit.
I haven't looked at the new Elantras in detail, but the hatchback option (Elantra Touring) looks intriguing for a small family.

[Anonymous]

I second the Accord. Great car.

[Anonymous]

We were interested in the 2010 Sonata (didn't aspects of the the 2011 redesign), but got interested too late and they sold out quick last year. Agree about Fitzgerald being the "no-haggle" approach, but doesn't mean you will get the best deal.

[Anonymous]

... Sorry, meant, didn't "like" aspects of the redesign...

[Anonymous]

I'd look at a Hyundai Sonata-- it's roughly their version of the Accord, but you can find one new and well-equipped for about $18,000. The 2011 model has been redesigned and gets 35 mpg, plus top safety ratings, and Hyundai has got very good reliability ratings these days.

[Anonymous]

Honda civic

[Anonymous]

I love my Toyota Corolla. I have had 2 of them and they last forever (if you take care of them).

[Anonymous]

We have a 2010 Accord, and while we love it, it is a gas-guzzler for city driving. We probably get about 17 MPG in the city, but close to 30 on the highway.

If you are going to do a lot of city driving, I'd get a Prius or some type of hybrid.

If most of your driving is highway, I would recommend the Accord.

[Anonymous]

I'm biased toward Honda, so my first choice would be the Accord, then the Civic. I like the idea of slightly more car around my child than the Civic, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were interested in the 2010 Sonata (didn't aspects of the the 2011 redesign), but got interested too late and they sold out quick last year. Agree about Fitzgerald being the "no-haggle" approach, but doesn't mean you will get the best deal.

I'm the PP who mentioned Fitz. Obviously no-haggle is no guarantee of a good deal, but for both our purchases from them (2006 and 2007) we did quite a bit of research online on what prices people were negotiating elsewhere and what we got from Fitz was very competitive. I actually negotiated a VA Hyundai dealer down to a few hundred lower than Fitz, but the experience was such a waste of my time and patience (and the dealer's behavior gave me no confidence he wouldn't renege at the last minute and try to tack on extra costs) that I happily paid a little extra to buy from people whose business practices I preferred.

[Anonymous]

Check Consumer Reports. Hyundai's have been rated very well. Personally I bought a used 2004 civic last year. Low miles, paid $6500 cash and it runs great. I bought off Craigslist. Took to mechanic before purchasing.

[Anonymous]

We like our Honda Fit. It gets great gas mileage and is suprisingly roomy for such a compact car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd look at a Hyundai Sonata-- it's roughly their version of the Accord, but you can find one new and well-equipped for about $18,000. The 2011 model has been redesigned and gets 35 mpg, plus top safety ratings, and Hyundai has got very good reliability ratings these days.

I agree. We love our Hyundai and its five-year warranty.

RE Fitzgerald, they reduced the price for us when we showed them we could get a better deal elsewhere. Their customer service is excellent.