OT: I'm trying to buy a new car...

[huskyrob1]

I would just say, if you buy German make sure you have a mechanic for service vs. dealer prices

It is absurd how much they charge vs. Japanese and even American

Japanese cars are the best for reliability, there is nothing better than a Honda Accord, albeit not overly sexy or exiciting

I just bought the new turbo Civic. An amazing car for the mileage it gets, 42mpg hwy. As much as I like Honda's, the best used car out there is anything made by Lexus from about 2005 to 2013. They are pretty much bullet proof. Find a Lexus with a single owner and 40,000 miles on it, and you can probably get a nice car and save some money too.

 

[uconnfan68]

Haven't heard Suzuki mentioned, but it was the best car I ever owned for reliability. Was a 2003 Aerio, clunky looking, but was perfect for my 30-35 minute commute, in all weather with awd and snows. Was totaled by a young lady running a red light. Just took off the front 6" of the car, never hit the frame or wheels, but it was 120k and 13 years old. Not worth fixing, thanks to the stuff the state puts on the roads every winter. Buy a Florida car if you can.

 

[4in16]

I've had 2 Mazda3s and have had no issues with either very reliable and the only work or money I've put in is for tires, brakes replacements etc.

 

[MadDogRevival]

If you need to drive in the snow, snow tires are better than AWD with all-season tires. AWD is a waste unless you're climbing a lot of hills or need to go off road

Please don't be offended, but this is both completely incorrect and horrible advice.

But really, a couple things about this thread.
You asked the question - "Please give me some guidance on buying car . . . ."
A lot of the answers are answers to the question: "What car do you like and recommend?"
Not quite the same.
First things first - all wheel drive is freaking awesome, if you drive in snow enough to make it worthwhile. Quick review (assuming no posi-traction/limited slip diffs) . . .
Rear wheel drive - one rear wheel powers car, old school, but some sports cars and trucks have it.
Front wheel drive - one front wheel powers car - standard.
AWD - Only intended to get you out of a stuck situation. Not a robust system, and not meant for heavy torque or high velocity use. On my CR-V, it is driven by a small shaft, a small rear differential, and an electric clutch. It will not come on if you slam the accelerator. Also, it shuts off automatically above a certain low speed. Also, it's automatic - there is no switch to engage it. When engaged, one front wheel and one rear wheel simultaneously power car.
FourWD - Like AWD, but you can manually engage it, it is robust and can handle the full torque of the engine, and can be operated at high velocity (although that is generally not needed or desirable, and, for example, the Rav4 I own will shut of 4WD over about 25mph). Like AWD, one front and one rear tire drive car when engaged.

I live in the snow belt off the lake. Took me several years of living here before I bought an AWD and 4WD - never going back. FrontWD with studded snows can't hold a candle to an AWD with all season radials with good treads (and never have to swap tires for winter). It's a value decision, really. What AWD does is make it a lot tougher to get stuck. A lot. You have to work hard to get stuck. FrontWD? one tire on ice or on the high side of a ditched car, and you might be done. Highly recommend if you drive in snow more than X times per year, with the number X determined by how much the several grand more you're going to pay means to you.

Regarding the car? Depends where you're at and where you're going in life.

Right? I can say "get a Honda" or "don't ever buy a Ford," but that neglects to consider what you want. You do a lot of beaver trapping? You're going to be able to trap a lot more beaver with a nifty looking used BMW or a Lexus than with a new Honda CR-V. A lot. You want to look professional getting out of the car? Better to step down out of a larger SUV than crawl out of a sedan. You want to have fun driving for not too much? Maybe a Jetta. You want to go off road? Maybe a Jeep. You want straight best value for the money? Hyundai. You want fuel efficiency? The new hybrid electrics are really competitive (again, Hyundai). You want to be as safe as possible? More mass is safer, and no amount of safety features, air bags, and the like will change that. All else being equal, but you'll pay for it in sticker price and fuel. Crumple zones and energy absorbing glass are nice, but a Pacifica hitting a Civic is a no contest. You want to easily make friends at my tavern? Ford 150, preferably with some unprimed Bondo work on the rocker panels.

My point is, take all of the input in this thread, but then find that car that fits your 1. Pocket 2. Purpose, and 3. Penchant.

Buy a car that you can afford, that will effectively do what you need it to do, while allowing you to get maximum enjoyment out of it. In that order, because 1 begets 2 which begets 3.

 

[David 76]

I can afford it but will never buy new, I don't understand why people do.

Financing deals on New cars ( and lease deals) make buying new less expensive (monthly payment-wise) than buying used.

 

[JMick]

Please don't be offended, but this is both completely incorrect and horrible advice.

But really, a couple things about this thread.
You asked the question - "Please give me some guidance on buying car . . . ."
A lot of the answers are answers to the question: "What car do you like and recommend?"
Not quite the same.
First things first - all wheel drive is freaking awesome, if you drive in snow enough to make it worthwhile. Quick review (assuming no posi-traction/limited slip diffs) . . .
Rear wheel drive - one rear wheel powers car, old school, but some sports cars and trucks have it.
Front wheel drive - one front wheel powers car - standard.
AWD - Only intended to get you out of a stuck situation. Not a robust system, and not meant for heavy torque or high velocity use. On my CR-V, it is driven by a small shaft, a small rear differential, and an electric clutch. It will not come on if you slam the accelerator. Also, it shuts off automatically above a certain low speed. Also, it's automatic - there is no switch to engage it. When engaged, one front wheel and one rear wheel simultaneously power car.
FourWD - Like AWD, but you can manually engage it, it is robust and can handle the full torque of the engine, and can be operated at high velocity (although that is generally not needed or desirable, and, for example, the Rav4 I own will shut of 4WD over about 25mph). Like AWD, one front and one rear tire drive car when engaged.

I live in the snow belt off the lake. Took me several years of living here before I bought an AWD and 4WD - never going back. FrontWD with studded snows can't hold a candle to an AWD with all season radials with good treads (and never have to swap tires for winter). It's a value decision, really. What AWD does is make it a lot tougher to get stuck. A lot. You have to work hard to get stuck. FrontWD? one tire on ice or on the high side of a ditched car, and you might be done. Highly recommend if you drive in snow more than X times per year, with the number X determined by how much the several grand more you're going to pay means to you.

Regarding the car? Depends where you're at and where you're going in life.

Right? I can say "get a Honda" or "don't ever buy a Ford," but that neglects to consider what you want. You do a lot of beaver trapping? You're going to be able to trap a lot more beaver with a nifty looking used BMW or a Lexus than with a new Honda CR-V. A lot. You want to look professional getting out of the car? Better to step down out of a larger SUV than crawl out of a sedan. You want to have fun driving for not too much? Maybe a Jetta. You want to go off road? Maybe a Jeep. You want straight best value for the money? Hyundai. You want fuel efficiency? The new hybrid electrics are really competitive (again, Hyundai). You want to be as safe as possible? More mass is safer, and no amount of safety features, air bags, and the like will change that. All else being equal, but you'll pay for it in sticker price and fuel. Crumple zones and energy absorbing glass are nice, but a Pacifica hitting a Civic is a no contest. You want to easily make friends at my tavern? Ford 150, preferably with some unprimed Bondo work on the rocker panels.

My point is, take all of the input in this thread, but then find that car that fits your 1. Pocket 2. Purpose, and 3. Penchant.

Buy a car that you can afford, that will effectively do what you need it to do, while allowing you to get maximum enjoyment out of it. In that order, because 1 begets 2 which begets 3.

Most of what you said is irrelevant to 90% of people. Of course there are some rare exceptions but for driving in Connecticut on highways and around town I'll take my 6spd FWD car with snow tires over your AWD or 4x4 with all seasons any day of the week. And it wouldn't be close

I'm also not OP.

 

[uconnfan68]

Please don't be offended, but this is both completely incorrect and horrible advice.

But really, a couple things about this thread.
You asked the question - "Please give me some guidance on buying car . . . ."
A lot of the answers are answers to the question: "What car do you like and recommend?"
Not quite the same.
First things first - all wheel drive is freaking awesome, if you drive in snow enough to make it worthwhile. Quick review (assuming no posi-traction/limited slip diffs) . . .
Rear wheel drive - one rear wheel powers car, old school, but some sports cars and trucks have it.
Front wheel drive - one front wheel powers car - standard.
AWD - Only intended to get you out of a stuck situation. Not a robust system, and not meant for heavy torque or high velocity use. On my CR-V, it is driven by a small shaft, a small rear differential, and an electric clutch. It will not come on if you slam the accelerator. Also, it shuts off automatically above a certain low speed. Also, it's automatic - there is no switch to engage it. When engaged, one front wheel and one rear wheel simultaneously power car.
FourWD - Like AWD, but you can manually engage it, it is robust and can handle the full torque of the engine, and can be operated at high velocity (although that is generally not needed or desirable, and, for example, the Rav4 I own will shut of 4WD over about 25mph). Like AWD, one front and one rear tire drive car when engaged.

I live in the snow belt off the lake. Took me several years of living here before I bought an AWD and 4WD - never going back. FrontWD with studded snows can't hold a candle to an AWD with all season radials with good treads (and never have to swap tires for winter). It's a value decision, really. What AWD does is make it a lot tougher to get stuck. A lot. You have to work hard to get stuck. FrontWD? one tire on ice or on the high side of a ditched car, and you might be done. Highly recommend if you drive in snow more than X times per year, with the number X determined by how much the several grand more you're going to pay means to you.

Regarding the car? Depends where you're at and where you're going in life.

Right? I can say "get a Honda" or "don't ever buy a Ford," but that neglects to consider what you want. You do a lot of beaver trapping? You're going to be able to trap a lot more beaver with a nifty looking used BMW or a Lexus than with a new Honda CR-V. A lot. You want to look professional getting out of the car? Better to step down out of a larger SUV than crawl out of a sedan. You want to have fun driving for not too much? Maybe a Jetta. You want to go off road? Maybe a Jeep. You want straight best value for the money? Hyundai. You want fuel efficiency? The new hybrid electrics are really competitive (again, Hyundai). You want to be as safe as possible? More mass is safer, and no amount of safety features, air bags, and the like will change that. All else being equal, but you'll pay for it in sticker price and fuel. Crumple zones and energy absorbing glass are nice, but a Pacifica hitting a Civic is a no contest. You want to easily make friends at my tavern? Ford 150, preferably with some unprimed Bondo work on the rocker panels.

My point is, take all of the input in this thread, but then find that car that fits your 1. Pocket 2. Purpose, and 3. Penchant.

Buy a car that you can afford, that will effectively do what you need it to do, while allowing you to get maximum enjoyment out of it. In that order, because 1 begets 2 which begets 3.

The most important feature of a car is the ability to stop when needed. Never had a problem going with awd, but felt the stopping control was the best part. My best awd moment was coming home in a snow storm, following someone down a fairly steep but straight road that went back up the other side. The person in front was on the brakes, barely moving down the hill, and didn't have enough momentum to climb the other side. Kept spinning and sliding, and finally stopped. Luckily there was a turn to right just ahead and the road was wide enough. Just drove aroind them like I was on dry pavement. That was when I became a believer.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Going back to OP.

If $15k-$17k is price range, I'd definitely look at CPO vehicles over new vehicles.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Most of what you said is irrelevant to 90% of people.

Yeah but, you didn't ascertain whether the OP was in the 10% group, and you made a blanket statement. So that's typically a mark of bad advice.
I qualified my statement with a metric for how much snow a driver gets.
Also, anybody who has driven AWD/4WD and doesn't think they are worth the money probably lives in an area where getting stuck is not an issue. No doubt.
So.

 

[JMick]

Yeah but, you didn't ascertain whether the OP was in the 10% group, and you made a blanket statement. So that's typically a mark of bad advice.
I qualified my statement with a metric for how much snow a driver gets.
Also, anybody who has driven AWD/4WD and doesn't think they are worth the money probably lives in an area where getting stuck is not an issue. No doubt.
So.

Let me know how good all seasons are at stopping in inclement weathet compared to winter tires and then get back to me.

Pretty much anyone who does anything with cars for a living will take snow tires and 2WD over a 4x4 or AWD vehicle with all seasons.

Stop on a hill and then see what gets going faster. Hint: it will be the car with winter tires.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Did AWD car sleep with your girlfriend or something?

 

[HCope]

Yeah but, you didn't ascertain whether the OP was in the 10% group, and you made a blanket statement. So that's typically a mark of bad advice.
I qualified my statement with a metric for how much snow a driver gets.
Also, anybody who has driven AWD/4WD and doesn't think they are worth the money probably lives in an area where getting stuck is not an issue. No doubt.
So.

I'd much rather put snows on an awd car than keep year round all seasons. Jack of all trades master of none sort of thing. At the end of the day only two wheels will be braking the car and awd won't help you come to a stop.

Besides summers are sooo much nicer to have on when it's nice out and you're on a back road...

Edit: this gif comes to mind:

 

[JMick]

Did AWD car sleep with your girlfriend or something?

His advice is terrible. Wouldn't want someone to listen to him and make a mistake.

 

[Northbound]

Haven't heard Suzuki mentioned, but it was the best car I ever owned for reliability. Was a 2003 Aerio, clunky looking, but was perfect for my 30-35 minute commute, in all weather with awd and snows. Was totaled by a young lady running a red light. Just took off the front 6" of the car, never hit the frame or wheels, but it was 120k and 13 years old. Not worth fixing, thanks to the stuff the state puts on the roads every winter. Buy a Florida car if you can.

If you're buying outside of your home area look to the Southwest or West in general - those cars will be in much better condition than anything in the Southeastern US. How do I know, I buy lots of cars and have friends that are in the car business and it's pretty well known that cars west of the Rockies have the benefit of living their life in very dry climates and are routinely the cars that stay in the best condition.

Getting cars from very sunny locations can do a job on paint, one of my 740's came from Vegas and the paint was a touch dull. My last Toyota Land Cruiser came out of a Acura dealer in Bakersfield and it's spotless. Both of those cars came back to Upstate NY.

If you're buying in another state or across the country - be smart with the transport you use if you're not flying in and driving back.

 

[intlzncster]

Financing deals on New cars ( and lease deals) make buying new less expensive (monthly payment-wise) than buying used.

Perhaps, but what you lose in depreciation makes up for that. If you are going to drive it in to the ground, fine, but if you want to trade in or resell, that depreciation cost shows up down the road.

 

[JMick]

I'd much rather put snows on an awd car than keep year round all seasons. Jack of all trades master of none sort of thing. At the end of the day only two wheels will be braking the car and awd won't help you come to a stop.

Besides summers are sooo much nicer to have on when it's nice out and you're on a back road...

Edit: this gif comes to mind:

It's why I always see trucks and SUVs in ditches on my way home during bad storms. They don't realize how important stopping is.

 

[intlzncster]

Let me know how good all seasons are at stopping in inclement weathet compared to winter tires and then get back to me.

Pretty much anyone who does anything with cars for a living will take snow tires and 2WD over a 4x4 or AWD vehicle with all seasons.

Stop on a hill and then see what gets going faster. Hint: it will be the car with winter tires.

Debatable depending on car and drive system though. Some computer based TCS systems will push one or other ahead in the race. Selecting the right vehicle for snow is the most important point in the whole discussion. Take a few year old Hyundai Elantra in the snow vs something like an Accord. The Elantra absolutely blows (I know), whereas the Accord, while not perfect by any means, fairs far better.

And my dad's Elantra with snow tires fairs far worse than my AWD CX-5 with all season radials. It's not close.

Of course, the gold standard is AWD with snow tires. And it's not remotely close.

 

[intlzncster]

It's why I always see trucks and SUVs in ditches on my way home during bad storms. They don't realize how important stopping is.

One of the reasons you see this is dumb drivers who think because they drive an AWD/4x4, they can drive the exact same way in the snow as they do in clear conditions. Have to account for that idiocy.

 

[TitleTown]

If you want an amazing car that is luxurious, performs well, and is incredibly reliable take a look at an Acura TL. I did a quick search and found many 2012-13 models with around 50k miles in the $15,000 range. You get the reliability of a Honda, the performance of a BMW, and the luxury of a Cadillac.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I just bought the new turbo Civic. An amazing car for the mileage it gets, 42mpg hwy. As much as I like Honda's, the best used car out there is anything made by Lexus from about 2005 to 2013. They are pretty much bullet proof. Find a Lexus with a single owner and 40,000 miles on it, and you can probably get a nice car and save some money too.

Good advice. As someone who owned probably over 40+ cars (lost count), Lexus is my top choice if you care about reliability and quality of workmanship. I had many BMWs as well as my wife's family members. When my mother-in-law's 5 series BWM died in the middle of the highway while she was driving due to electrical issues, I stopped buying BMWs. I am sure others had better luck with BWMs, but that was not a good experience. BWMs are fun to drive, but I had all kinds of major and minor issues with them throughout the years. I would avoid them if you care about potential costly repairs.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Don't leave Toyotas out. Usually have higher CR ratings for used Toyotas than any others, Honda included.

My wife drives the New Cars and I get the hand me down.
When we bought our last car we got so much money for our 2007 Camry
I Decided to keep my old 2000 Camry which has 98,000 miles and will outlive me .
It drives like a 4-5 year old car.
Of course I put more miles on my golf cart or walk as many miles annually as I drive in my car. I could be the worlds worst driver.
Before I inherited the Camry I had 1996 Accord great for hills in Ct winters. In 2007 I gave it to my grandson who drove it for two years of high school than sold it for a couple of thousand bucks when he went away to college. I think it's still on the road.
I prefer New Cars that I maintain and keep ,unless I get a trade I can't pass up. I rarely had any luck with used cars regardless of make and
I haven't bought a new American Car since my 1966 Mustang (for less than $3,000)
but that's another story.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I'd much rather put snows on an awd car than keep year round all seasons . . . At the end of the day only two wheels will be braking the car and awd won't help you come to a stop . . . .
Besides summers are sooo much nicer to have on when it's nice out and you're on a back road...

Interesting.
I haven't found too much difference in braking between ASRs and studded snows. Braking is not my problem, in any case, most of the time. It's getting moving. I suppose if I was still young and drove like a lunatic . . . .

Regarding summer tires, are you saying they're quieter or better handling? Better handling for me . . . meh. Quieter? Now you've got my attention. I haven't driven our CRV much but I was in it the other day and it is LOUD driving down the road. Then I realized it had "Triple Tred" tires on it, and I think they're why it's so loud.

Would not consider swapping out my ASR for snows and others for traction. Would, however, if summer tires are much quieter.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I prefer New Cars that I maintain and keep . . .

Me too. Something about getting a new car and keeping it for most of its life. You know you're not going to have an engine problem because some clown prior owner put the tach in the red on the way for the trade in. No joke, I knew a guy who did that.

 

[HCope]

Regarding summer tires, are you saying they're quieter or better handling? Better handling for me . . . meh. Quieter? Now you've got my attention. I haven't driven our CRV much but I was in it the other day and it is LOUD driving down the road. Then I realized it had "Triple Tred" tires on it, and I think they're why it's so loud.

Would not consider swapping out my ASR for snows and others for traction. Would, however, if summer tires are much quieter.

None of the cars I have are all that quiet to begin with, nor have I ever had all seasons on them before... so I can't comment on if summers reduce road noise. I meant more for handling. Now if the R in ASR stands for "run-flat", I'd say non-run flats are more quiet.

 

[Northbound]

None of the cars I have are all that quiet to begin with, nor have I ever had all seasons on them before... so I can't comment on if summers reduce road noise. I meant more for handling. Now if the R in ASR stands for "run-flat", I'd say non-run flats are more quiet.

A summer tire does not generate as much road noise as other tires, it's a noticeable difference, but be forewarned if you wait to remove them and you get a touch of snow, you are hosed. Plus, do not do the summer/winter tire thing if you don't have two sets of rims. Taking tires on and off a rim over time weakens the bead - well you can do it, but beware that at some point you risk compromising your tires integrity.