Car shopping

[coyote6]

So, I'm looking to buy a car. Right now, I think it's down to either a Honda Civic EX or a Nissan Sentra S (2007 models). But maybe I'm missing something in that price range.

Anybody have any insight on ~$18k cars? I'm looking for info on reliability, maintenance costs, and just generally which is "better" (whatever that means).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

1) The first place I look when car shopping is the Consumer Reports reports on the cars that interest me. You should be able to find their annual omnibus almost anywhere they sell the magazine. Each car gets a mini report and you'll even find histories covering the past 5 or so years of reliability- which also illustrate potential problem areas for each model.

Hondas generally do pretty doggone well in reliability. Nissans are usually equipped with better gadgets, especially in the sound system. Both are good manufacturers, as is Toyota.

2) You might also consider checking out 2006 models that have been used as loaner program cars by rental places or dealerships. They generally have about 5K miles or so and have depreciated enough that their price has been dropped to a very affordable level...and they also tend to have good warranties.

You might just be able to get a slightly better car for the same price.

3) Look for hidden deals. Occasionally, you can find a car that has been sitting on the lot and has to be moved because the new inventory is coming in. The best deal of this kind I ever found was a $44+K fully loaded Mazda Millenium with 300 miles on it that had been sitting on the lot for 20 months...knocked down to $29K.

4) One thing to check out before you buy is the hidden costs. Check out the expected annual maintenance costs- a good import may break down less frequently, but may have more expensive per-unit parts costs. Check out how much it costs to insure the cars you like- the last time I went shopping, there was a $400/yr difference between two of the cars on my list.

5) Check to see if any organization of which you're a member (including banks!) has any automobile buying services. They can save you big bucks.

6) Get your financing assured before walking into the back room to do your final negotiations- it can save you MAJOR bucks in interest.

7) Never, Never, NEVER let the salesman catch you falling in love with the car. Always be prepared to walk away. If you aren't, you'll get locked into paying more than you really want.

8) You're generally better off selling your car privately than to the dealership. The first car I traded in I got $500 for...and one of my buddies would have given me 2X that (I didn't know that at the time).

 

[ssampier]

What research have you done?

I am not much of a car buyer, but I've had good luck with edmunds.com, cars.com, and Motor Trend (magazine/website). The edmunds.com site gives a brief car overview, but it does break down the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) over a 5 year period (plus it features invoice price, the cost to the dealer (before incentive and other things are applied). Cars.com takes a different approach and provides reviews from other sources (mostly newspapers).

Edmunds reviews of the 2007 Honda Civic

http://www.edmunds.com/honda/civic/2007/review.html

Edmunds review of the 2007 Nissan Sentra
http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/sentra/2007/review.html

I'd also consider a Mazda 3. Or if you want a hatchback and don't need lots of horsepower, the Honda Fit is a good choice.

All Sedans starting at < $15000
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcont...edan/category2=pricerange/attribute2=under15k

Sedans > $15000 < $25000
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcont...=sedan/category2=pricerange/attribute2=15k25k

Get the best deal Fool.com
Buying a Car
http://www.fool.com/car/car.htm?source=PFinAg

 

[coyote6]

What research have you done?

Test drove both the Sentra & Civic, checked the invoice/MSRP on Edmunds, read a couple of reviews of 'em.

Thanks for the links, guys!

 

[GlassJaw]

I'd also consider a Mazda 3.

+1 on the Mazda 3

I bought one last summer and I love it. Mine is loaded (GT, sports package, etc) and slightly above your price range but it's a great bang for the buck. I'm really impressed with Mazda these days.

Good call on going Japanese too, although I would definitely buy Honda or Mazda before Nissan.

 

[kenobi65]

I'd also consider a Mazda 3.

I had a Mazda Protege (the predecessor of the 3) for a decade; it was a good little car. Had very few problems with it, and it was so tough that, even after smacking a deer at 65mph, it was still drivable (needed quite a few repairs, but I could drive it home).

Mazda doesn't always seem to get the press that Honda or Toyota do, but they make good cars.

 

[ghettognome]

1)
4) One thing to check out before you buy is the hidden costs. Check out the expected annual maintenance costs- a good import may break down less frequently, but may have more expensive per-unit parts costs. Check out how much it costs to insure the cars you like- the last time I went shopping, there was a $400/yr difference between two of the cars on my list.

This is very sound advice. I work for one of the large auto insurance agencies, and the car you get can make a drastic difference in payments. Before purchasing the car and binding into an agreement, call various agencies (or an independent agent licensed for multiple agencies to compare quotes) and find out how much you insurance will cost. I have quoted a lot of people, and have often seen people with payments larger than their car payment itself.

 

[ssampier]

+1 on the Mazda 3

I bought one last summer and I love it. Mine is loaded (GT, sports package, etc) and slightly above your price range but it's a great bang for the buck. I'm really impressed with Mazda these days.

Good call on going Japanese too, although I would definitely buy Honda or Mazda before Nissan.

Great. I have considered a Mazda hatchback for storage space. But I also want to go slight off-road too, so I have looked at Subaru Imprezas and other wagons.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

It may not sound like fun, but buy safety in your car before gizmos...that's one of the primary cost savings as far as insurance goes.

Besides, having been in a few nasty accidents (none my fault!), I've found that walking away from a bad wreck is almost as fun as enjoying my favorite tunes. And the best investment in safety is usually in the model of car- you can always fit an aftermarket killer stereo in a safe car- its hard to wrap a safe car around a good stereo.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Are you an enthusiast, or just looking for reliable transportation?

If the latter, edmunds.com and Consumer Reports are a great starting point. Definitely use the Edmunds.com method of using the internet to get dealers to bid for your business -- it has worked great for me for the last three cars I've bought.

If the former, I'd recommend also going to enthusiast websites and reading up on their forums. For example, www.vtec.net is a great forum for general Honda info (and lots of Civic stuff in general). You'll find a lot of good & bad that you might not otherwise from reading forums.

Both cars are solid. Honda has a well-deserved reputation for reliability, and I've found that their ergonomics are some of the best in the business -- an experience I haven't had with Nissans. But I'm admittedly biased, as I now own 3 Hondas. Don't forget the Mazda 3, VW Rabbit, and Toyota Corolla for comparable in-class cars (*maybe* the Chevy Cobalt, though their quality is pretty hit-or-miss, and depreciation is horrendous). Ironically, the best car-shopping advice I've ever gotten, though, has been: don't ever buy a car you can rent at a car rental counter.

If you're an enthusiast, though, I'd recommend the Civic Si, Mazdaspeed 3, or VW GTI.