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OT: I'm trying to buy a new car...

SubbaBub

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Is this thread still going? If a man is looking to buy a 11-12 BMW for 15k-ish, then he should buy a 12-13 Volvo. I am so not kidding about this.
 

Fishy

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Is this thread still going? If a man is looking to buy a 11-12 BMW for 15k-ish, then he should buy a 12-13 Volvo. I am so not kidding about this.

Don't jump back in on page seven and think you're helping.

Besides, he's moved on. He bought six head of oxen and a cart on account of the fuel economy and the grip in foul weather.
 
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Pivoting to the OP for a minute.

If you want a new car in $15k-$20K price range, find a new car you want in that range and take it for a drive. Then find some of the CPO's that have been suggested that are in the same price range and take them for a drive. See how the features and capabilities of the cars match up.

That is exactly the plan. I'm just trying to identify the 3-4 cars I decide to test out.
 
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Is this thread still going? If a man is looking to buy a 11-12 BMW for 15k-ish, then he should buy a 12-13 Volvo. I am so not kidding about this.

Driving into work today, I saw a man standing by the side of the highway at the 91-84 interchange watching his BMW X5 get loaded onto a tow truck. I took it as a sign.
 

zls44

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@zls44, bought a three-year old Japanese car from somewhere in Connecticut that specializes in just-off-lease cars. I forgot where that was, but he showed me the car at the time and I thought he got a great deal for what he got. Perhaps he can chime in.

Sorry, been a while since I logged in. But the place I got mine from was the Carite in Windsor Locks, next to Bradley. Highly reccomended.
 

Dream Jobbed 2.0

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Rather than start the millionth car shopping thread, I figured I’d bump a year old thread instead. I low key look around at cars on the internet almost as much I waste time here (almost). Fairly out of the blue, my wife said “we should start looking at new cars.” Having the go ahead on this was almost as good as if she had said “let’s have a 3way, you can pick any of my friends you want.”

Our cars: I drive a 2015 Honda Fit with about 4K (4K owed vs 8k value)of trade equity and she has a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 9k of trade equity (2k owed vs 11k value). You may be saying: “you’re almost done paying off two cars that’ll drive forever! Are you crazy!?” I mean, kinda? But, we’ll be toting around a baby within the next year or so and we don’t want to have to start paying to fix things that start to crop up as these cars age. I don’t have a problem with leasing a new car every threes with a low payment.

She has her eye on a Mazda CX-5 and says it only makes sense for one of us to get an SUV. I’m not a fan of sedans and want something bigger than the small hatchback I’ve been driving. I really like the new Civic hatches but in all reality it’s not much of a change from what I have now and I wanna get AWD anyways. Naturally that means a look into a Subaru but I feel like if I’m gonna do that I should just keep her car but it has more value in a trade.

Long story short, to my surprise, I discovered VW makes a Golf Alltrack wagon with standard AWD/leather and a tons of bells and whistles that can be had for ~24k. I’ve been looking at small suvs (in fairness this is a wagon) forever and just now saw this tonight. I feel like VWs are a total crapshoot and will either last forever or be in and out of the shop. Judging by reviews and what you can see online it’s much more upscale and aesthetically pleasing than an Outback. Anyone with experience with VW AWD? Is it crazy for a 30 yr old man with no kids (yet) to drive a wagon?
 

Fishy

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Having owned several Volkswagens and Audis, I can tell you that they will last forever and be in and out of the shop.

I enjoyed owning them all, but I can say that I’m probably not going to own another one. (I’ve said that before and ended up buying another.)

I do like wagons, though. We’ve always had one - our “bikes and hikes” car is a Acura sport wagon.
 

CL82

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Rather than start the millionth car shopping thread, I figured I’d bump a year old thread instead. I low key look around at cars on the internet almost as much I waste time here (almost). Fairly out of the blue, my wife said “we should start looking at new cars.” Having the go ahead on this was almost as good as if she had said “let’s have a 3way, you can pick any of my friends you want.”

Our cars: I drive a 2015 Honda Fit with about 4K (4K owed vs 8k value)of trade equity and she has a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 9k of trade equity (2k owed vs 11k value). You may be saying: “you’re almost done paying off two cars that’ll drive forever! Are you crazy!?” I mean, kinda? But, we’ll be toting around a baby within the next year or so and we don’t want to have to start paying to fix things that start to crop up as these cars age. I don’t have a problem with leasing a new car every threes with a low payment.

She has her eye on a Mazda CX-5 and says it only makes sense for one of us to get an SUV. I’m not a fan of sedans and want something bigger than the small hatchback I’ve been driving. I really like the new Civic hatches but in all reality it’s not much of a change from what I have now and I wanna get AWD anyways. Naturally that means a look into a Subaru but I feel like if I’m gonna do that I should just keep her car but it has more value in a trade.

Long story short, to my surprise, I discovered VW makes a Golf Alltrack wagon with standard AWD/leather and a tons of bells and whistles that can be had for ~24k. I’ve been looking at small suvs (in fairness this is a wagon) forever and just now saw this tonight. I feel like VWs are a total crapshoot and will either last forever or be in and out of the shop. Judging by reviews and what you can see online it’s much more upscale and aesthetically pleasing than an Outback. Anyone with experience with VW AWD? Is it crazy for a 30 yr old man with no kids (yet) to drive a wagon?
Take a look at the GMC Terrain. It's a decent small SUV that drives well and is a little higher off the ground than the Alltrack. It should have more cargo space for all the stuff you will soon be hauling around.
 
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Long time vw/Audi driver. My current car, a 2017 GTI is great fun. Prior I had 2 Golf TDIs, 2 Passage, another GTI and a Cabrio. The first TDI went 80,000 and the dealer approached me with a trade value that was too good to be true, $11k if I recall. The second diesel was even better getting 38 around town, but it turned out to also be killing people with respiratory problems. The next was a great deal as VW worked to keep it's customers despite the scandal.

There is also the Jetta Sportwagen. It can be had in AWD for less than the Alltrack which the sane car raised and clad.

Consider if you need AWD. I ski often choosing to drive up into snow storms for first chair. With 4 snows and 6 speed manual I don't really miss the Quattro I had in my Audis until there is more than 6-8 inches and the car becomes a plow. The raised ride height on the Alltrack was tempting, but i decided to drive carefully on ski days and spend for the best snow tires to get the horsepower GTI brings every day.
You'd be happy in a VW. The Alltrack is about 35 more horsepower and you can enhance a VW by doubt the engine if you get board.
 
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Take a look at the GMC Terrain. It's a decent small SUV that drives well and is a little higher off the ground than the Alltrack. It should have more cargo space for all the stuff you will soon be hauling around.

I rented one on vacation a couple years back. We are used to a larger SUV, but was surprised at how much cargo space there was in it.
 

HuskyHawk

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Rather than start the millionth car shopping thread, I figured I’d bump a year old thread instead. I low key look around at cars on the internet almost as much I waste time here (almost). Fairly out of the blue, my wife said “we should start looking at new cars.” Having the go ahead on this was almost as good as if she had said “let’s have a 3way, you can pick any of my friends you want.”

Our cars: I drive a 2015 Honda Fit with about 4K (4K owed vs 8k value)of trade equity and she has a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 9k of trade equity (2k owed vs 11k value). You may be saying: “you’re almost done paying off two cars that’ll drive forever! Are you crazy!?” I mean, kinda? But, we’ll be toting around a baby within the next year or so and we don’t want to have to start paying to fix things that start to crop up as these cars age. I don’t have a problem with leasing a new car every threes with a low payment.

She has her eye on a Mazda CX-5 and says it only makes sense for one of us to get an SUV. I’m not a fan of sedans and want something bigger than the small hatchback I’ve been driving. I really like the new Civic hatches but in all reality it’s not much of a change from what I have now and I wanna get AWD anyways. Naturally that means a look into a Subaru but I feel like if I’m gonna do that I should just keep her car but it has more value in a trade.

Long story short, to my surprise, I discovered VW makes a Golf Alltrack wagon with standard AWD/leather and a tons of bells and whistles that can be had for ~24k. I’ve been looking at small suvs (in fairness this is a wagon) forever and just now saw this tonight. I feel like VWs are a total crapshoot and will either last forever or be in and out of the shop. Judging by reviews and what you can see online it’s much more upscale and aesthetically pleasing than an Outback. Anyone with experience with VW AWD? Is it crazy for a 30 yr old man with no kids (yet) to drive a wagon?

I have a Mazda CX-5. Great car. Like you, I wanted a commuter car that can hold 5 people, and yet wouldn't be a chore on runs to Home Depot and Lowes, or to the golf course. It's perfect for that really. The back holds an absolute ton of stuff, more than most small CUVs. It has very good steering, like most Mazdas, much better than its immediate competition. With the 2.4L four it isn't even slow (nor is it fast exactly). I couldn't drive the one with the 2.0L though. The AWD system is quite good, much better than what Toyota puts on the Rav4 or Honda on the CRV. In GT trim it has the automatic city stop feature, blind spot monitors and LED headlights. Features that are expensive add ons to German cars. Mine is a 2016 and will be three years old in August. It has had zero issues. Just ordinary maintenance. Try that with any VW.

I looked at the Forester at the same time. The XL with the turbo. Mazda looks better, handles better, has a much nicer interior and gets better MPG. Forester with the turbo is faster, and I'll assume the AWD is better. It also had a bigger moonroof. But it cost a few thousand more than my Mazda in GT trim.
 
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I've also owned and still own many VW's and a couple Audis and 1 BMW. I love German cars, I have to say I have not had any bad experiences with my cars except the normal wear and tear. Had an 04 Jetta forever, that I finally gave away to my nephew last year, still going strong at 200k miles. My current ride is a '15 Passat with 61k miles, I drive 20k miles a year. I always buy certified pre-owned from dealer.
 
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Rather than start the millionth car shopping thread, I figured I’d bump a year old thread instead. I low key look around at cars on the internet almost as much I waste time here (almost). Fairly out of the blue, my wife said “we should start looking at new cars.” Having the go ahead on this was almost as good as if she had said “let’s have a 3way, you can pick any of my friends you want.”

Our cars: I drive a 2015 Honda Fit with about 4K (4K owed vs 8k value)of trade equity and she has a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 9k of trade equity (2k owed vs 11k value). You may be saying: “you’re almost done paying off two cars that’ll drive forever! Are you crazy!?” I mean, kinda? But, we’ll be toting around a baby within the next year or so and we don’t want to have to start paying to fix things that start to crop up as these cars age. I don’t have a problem with leasing a new car every threes with a low payment.

She has her eye on a Mazda CX-5 and says it only makes sense for one of us to get an SUV. I’m not a fan of sedans and want something bigger than the small hatchback I’ve been driving. I really like the new Civic hatches but in all reality it’s not much of a change from what I have now and I wanna get AWD anyways. Naturally that means a look into a Subaru but I feel like if I’m gonna do that I should just keep her car but it has more value in a trade.

Long story short, to my surprise, I discovered VW makes a Golf Alltrack wagon with standard AWD/leather and a tons of bells and whistles that can be had for ~24k. I’ve been looking at small suvs (in fairness this is a wagon) forever and just now saw this tonight. I feel like VWs are a total crapshoot and will either last forever or be in and out of the shop. Judging by reviews and what you can see online it’s much more upscale and aesthetically pleasing than an Outback. Anyone with experience with VW AWD? Is it crazy for a 30 yr old man with no kids (yet) to drive a wagon?
Make sure to avoid anything Honda that has the 1.5T . (Civic & CR-V). Gas is getting into the crank case and the Chinese government had to step in to make them fix it. There hasn't been a US recall yet but it's coming

They're giving a ton of money on Ford Escapes right now. My friend just bought one for $7000 off sticker
 
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Long time vw/Audi driver. My current car, a 2017 GTI is great fun. Prior I had 2 Golf TDIs, 2 Passage, another GTI and a Cabrio. The first TDI went 80,000 and the dealer approached me with a trade value that was too good to be true, $11k if I recall. The second diesel was even better getting 38 around town, but it turned out to also be killing people with respiratory problems. The next was a great deal as VW worked to keep it's customers despite the scandal.

There is also the Jetta Sportwagen. It can be had in AWD for less than the Alltrack which the sane car raised and clad.

Consider if you need AWD. I ski often choosing to drive up into snow storms for first chair. With 4 snows and 6 speed manual I don't really miss the Quattro I had in my Audis until there is more than 6-8 inches and the car becomes a plow. The raised ride height on the Alltrack was tempting, but i decided to drive carefully on ski days and spend for the best snow tires to get the horsepower GTI brings every day.
You'd be happy in a VW. The Alltrack is about 35 more horsepower and you can enhance a VW by doubt the engine if you get board.
Has your GTI been reliable so far? I'm thinking about getting a 2018 SE
 

intlzncster

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Rather than start the millionth car shopping thread, I figured I’d bump a year old thread instead. I low key look around at cars on the internet almost as much I waste time here (almost). Fairly out of the blue, my wife said “we should start looking at new cars.” Having the go ahead on this was almost as good as if she had said “let’s have a 3way, you can pick any of my friends you want.”

Our cars: I drive a 2015 Honda Fit with about 4K (4K owed vs 8k value)of trade equity and she has a 2014 Subaru Legacy with about 9k of trade equity (2k owed vs 11k value). You may be saying: “you’re almost done paying off two cars that’ll drive forever! Are you crazy!?” I mean, kinda? But, we’ll be toting around a baby within the next year or so and we don’t want to have to start paying to fix things that start to crop up as these cars age. I don’t have a problem with leasing a new car every threes with a low payment.

She has her eye on a Mazda CX-5 and says it only makes sense for one of us to get an SUV. I’m not a fan of sedans and want something bigger than the small hatchback I’ve been driving. I really like the new Civic hatches but in all reality it’s not much of a change from what I have now and I wanna get AWD anyways. Naturally that means a look into a Subaru but I feel like if I’m gonna do that I should just keep her car but it has more value in a trade.

Long story short, to my surprise, I discovered VW makes a Golf Alltrack wagon with standard AWD/leather and a tons of bells and whistles that can be had for ~24k. I’ve been looking at small suvs (in fairness this is a wagon) forever and just now saw this tonight. I feel like VWs are a total crapshoot and will either last forever or be in and out of the shop. Judging by reviews and what you can see online it’s much more upscale and aesthetically pleasing than an Outback. Anyone with experience with VW AWD? Is it crazy for a 30 yr old man with no kids (yet) to drive a wagon?


The late model and new CX-5's are awesome, so your wife is doing well there (I own one). Someone else described them on here as good at everything, but not elite at anything, and that's pretty accurate. Very comfortable to sit in though. It's not going to feel like you own an SUV. My biggest complaints: 1. They used cheap break pads, which wore out after 18,000 miles. So I was getting a 1,000 brake job less than two years after purchase. 2. Mazda paint, while beautiful, seemed to chip very easily. So I'd recommend max paint protection option, either from the dealer or after market. 3. No android auto. But that's been remedied on this year's models.

Wagons are great, especially if you are an adventure sport kinda guy. Easy to stow all your gear, and they perform much better than the classic 'Family Truckster'. I drove several growing up and in my twenties. Nice thing is you can haul a bunch of dirty stuff around and not feel like you're degrading a high end SUV.

The new Civics aren't worth it imo. They are well built, as most Honda's usually are, but they still manage to 'feel' a flimsy. Not even that comfortable. For comparison in the same class, the Corolla feels more substantial than the Civic.

If you're set on a small suv/hatchback, check out the Subaru cross trek. I haven't done a lot of research on them, but it hits a number of your requirements.

Bear in mind that Subaru's in general are relatively expensive to maintain (in comparison to Hondas et al), especially as they get older.
 
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Dream Jobbed 2.0

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The late model and new CX-5's are awesome, so your wife is doing well there (I own one). Someone else described them on here as good at everything, but not elite at anything, and that's pretty accurate. Very comfortable to sit in though. It's not going to feel like you own an SUV. My biggest complaints: 1. They used cheap break pads, which wore out after 18,000 miles. So I was getting a 1,000 brake job less than two years after purchase. 2. Mazda paint, while beautiful, seemed to chip very easily. So I'd recommend max paint protection option, either from the dealer or after market. 3. No android auto. But that's been remedied on this year's models.

Wagons are great, especially if you are an adventure sport kinda guy. Easy to stow all your gear, and they perform much better than the classic 'Family Truckster'. I drove several growing up and in my twenties. Nice thing is you can haul a bunch of dirty stuff around and not feel like you're degrading a high end SUV.

The new Civics aren't worth it imo. They are well built, as most Honda's usually are, but they still manage to 'feel' a flimsy. Not even that comfortable. For comparison in the same class, the Corolla feels more substantial than the Civic.

If you're set on a small suv/hatchback, check out the Subaru cross trek. I haven't done a lot of research on them, but it hits a number of your requirements.

Bear in mind that Subaru's in general are relatively expensive to maintain (in comparison to Hondas et al), especially as they get older.
I had a Forester in college/my early 20s that went great until it didn’t. Got it with 90k and had literally no problems until it 150k and the head-gasket blew. Unfortunately, I replaced the water pump, thermostat, and radiator before the mechanic finally “found out” it was the headgasket.
 
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intlzncster

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I had a Forester in college/my early 20s that went great until it didn’t. Got it with 90k and had literally no problems until it 150k and the head-gasket blew. Unfortunately, I replaced the water pump, thermostat, and radiator before the mechanic finally “found out” it was the headgasket.

Same exact experience actually, those early to mid 2000s Foresters ended up being garbage. I don't think it's representative of the Subaru overall, but that line was a fail.

Mine died at 150k because a cylander blew, and everything associated with the fuel injection and filter.
 
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Look at the Acura RDX, Honda quality with a little more luxury. I had an Audi for 11 years. Loved the car, but the check engine light was constant the last 5 years. Parts are expensive and hard to get. Only certain mechanics will do the work and every fluid is specialized. I would stay away from German vehicles if you plan on owning for a while.
 
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Look at the Acura RDX, Honda quality with a little more luxury. I had an Audi for 11 years. Loved the car, but the check engine light was constant the last 5 years. Parts are expensive and hard to get. Only certain mechanics will do the work and every fluid is specialized. I would stay away from German vehicles if you plan on owning for a while.
Honda reliability is not what it used to be. They've been suffering engine and automatic transmission issues for the better part of a decade
 

HuskyHawk

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Honda reliability is not what it used to be. They've been suffering engine and automatic transmission issues for the better part of a decade

It's still vastly better than any VW (or Audi).
 
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It's still vastly better than any VW (or Audi).
They're different problems. Acura/Honda has had giant issues with oil consumption and expensive transmissions blowing up. VAG has problems with emissions equipment and stupid things like sunroofs falling off the track.
 

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