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Used Car Shopping Sucks


Scarlett Harlot
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Part of the problem is when you look in the foreign SUV market they tend to hold their value for a good while...i.e Toyota, Honda...etc.  Shop domestic..or even Korean.  The newer Hyundai SUV's are nice with great styling, good gas mileage, and good warranty. The newer domestics have come a long way as well in terms of build quality and value, but they don't hold resale as well so if you flip cars often you will take a hit on trade in.  I was in the market for a used SUV recently as well, and I found that for what I was looking for buying new made sense.  I ended up picking up a 2013 Dodge Journey (the post re-design model) and have been very satisfied with the vehicle...but I may be a bit biased as I have always been a closet Mopar fan.  Good luck with your vehicle search!!

Edited by drew95gt
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Touch base with CarWhore who's a member on this site - he can get whatever you want and within your budget. 

 

this. 

 

I was going to suggest a buddy of mine who works at a Chevy dealership if CarWhore can't come through.  I am usually really against paying new car pricing, but the "entry-level" cars have come up quite a bit in quality, and they're better on gas.

 

I was looking at swapping my '05 Altima for a 2013 Chevy Sonic.  The sonic is (obviously) much smaller, but it was also going to do 12mpg better (if not a lot more), and would have had a nicer interior.  With the trade-in factored in, my payment was going to be like $200/month...  I could save almost that much in gas.  In fact, a friend of mine traded his lifted wrangler for a new Dart and actually saves more in gas than his payment costs him.

 

My humble opinion is that Americans are starting to catch up with the rest of the world as far as vehicle mentality:  1 "large" vehicle to tote the family around, and 1 compact vehicle (or motorcycle) for dad to commute on.  I think we're also getting to the point where people are more inclined to push their vehicle's limits rather than buy more than they need.  (Ever seen the Top Gear where they pull a small RV with a diesel Kia wagon?)  The days of the conversion van and the dually are numbered.  At least for the non-commercial market.  I'm not against large vehicles for people who actually need them, I just think it's silly to have a huge daily driver unless you're legitimately using it to tow a fifth-wheel, or plow all winter, or whatever.

 

/rant

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Dealer's have learned negotiation tactics.

 

They jack the price up to lower your expectations of a good deal.

Many people will start at their $20k asking price and pay $18k thinking they got a good deal on a $12k car.

 

Do your homework, hit them at trade in and work your way up.

Know what a decent deal is and have a "max" number before you go.

 

Use www.kbb.com and NADA.com and others for your research. Bring whichever helps your case with you.

Leave the other at home if it doesn't.

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The newer Hyundai SUV's are nice with great styling, good gas mileage, and good warranty.

 

I have a 2007 Hyundai (not the newest generation), and we had the new model as a rental.  Worlds better.  The 6-speed automatic in the new model makes the I-4 model as quick as my V6 model with the 4-speed auto.  I wish I had that transmission.

 

The Sante Fe/Sorento is pretty damn big for the money.  One of my best friends has a decked-out Sorento, and his brother has a (nearly) base-model Sante Fe of the same year.  The major differences are the interiors (leather versus cloth, 3rd row seat, etc.) and the decked-out model as 4wd.  But I'm betting the options cost him $10k, and the "base" model is still a nice place to sit for 400 miles.

Edited by redkow97
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Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix is quite a bit smaller than the SUVs but does have a surprising amount of interior space. 

 

Small SUVs have been increasing in popularity so more people are shopping for them now than bought them a few years ago. So the resell prices remain high as supply exceeds demand. 

 

Small wagons like the Vibe, Impreza, Fit etc will probably sell for less on the used market and get better fuel economy too. You will give up some space and usually a little noisier cabin compared to the bigger vehicles, but they are usually cheaper to buy and operate.

 

Craig 

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