Comments on: Is It Time To Buy a New Car?

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:33:08 +0000

I’ve never looked into AutoTrader, but it’s a good suggestion. I know all about shady dealers. Unfortunately I had a very bad experience when I bought my Honda Civic. The dealer promised me all sorts of things then when I went to take the car he reneged saying I didn’t look closely enough to the agreements I signed.

I too love looking at ‘new to me’ cars, but I’m not such a fan of actually buying them 🙂

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:31:19 +0000

In reply to Jen. If I buy used I would definitely look for certified pre-owned. At least then they come with a small warranty. That seems like a better solution then buying from someone off the street. I do think it's time to buy a car, but you hit the nail on the head. It's good to have a range of vehicles that can support a lot of different needs.

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:29:33 +0000

In reply to mochimac @ save. spend. splurge.. The depreciation is what kills me. That's definitely whats making me lean toward buying used.

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:28:06 +0000

In reply to Another Reader. I've never heard of the Venza. I'll need to take a look at it. Thanks for the suggestion.

By: One Frugal Girl

One Frugal Girl — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:27:38 +0000

In reply to Becky. I believe everyone needs some type of splurge in their lives. Mine is spent on cleaning services and a massage every once in awhile. There is no reason to save money if you don't spend it every once in awhile on something you want or love.

By: Martha

Martha — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:38:28 +0000

Cars go down in value so quickly, I’ve always like the route of buying a certified pre-owned car or a one owner car. However, a stick is you could get a much better interest rate on a new car, which they won’t give you on a used car. Take your time, DO NOT be pressured, ask for Carfax and do some research and math (Pardon my language but take a Kiss my Ass approach to dealers, a lot of them just want to make a deal right away and will be pushy).
I don’t know where you live but living in Dallas, I know that you can get better prices if you drive out of the city a bit. You can sometimes find a better deal on the internet, Autotrader is good, through by appointment car dealers that only use the internet. They have their cars in warehouses and have very low overheads so they can offer lower prices and will negotiate with you. Sounds shady but they are actually pretty nice and reputable, they do a lot of business with regulars and word of mouth.
I would buy another Honda or Toyota in a heartbeat! German cars are good cars but if you ever have to repair the car is ridiculous amounts of money to do so. I know this a weird thing but check to see what type of tires it has, my last two cars had very expensive special tires and costs over $250 for each one. I love cars and I love car shopping especially when there isn’t a desperate need for a new one.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 03:50:34 +0000

We’ve had very good luck buying certified pre-owned cars that have recently come off lease. My husband got his 2008 Nissan Xterra in early 2011, and I got my 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour in late 2012 – both with under 30k miles at very good prices (60-70% of original sticker). Both still feel new w/ no issues whatsoever. We also tend to hang onto our vehicles (additionally we have a 1999 Suburban that we use for long trips and hauling stuff) and decided that having our first official car loan in over 12 yrs was worth it for me to get into a great vehicle that I will likely keep til my kids are in college! (not to mention NOT paying a large repair bill – power steering – we strongly suspected was coming on my old vehicle) Its already been decided that hubby’s Xterra will probably end up being my 10 yr old’s first car…
So anyway, I would vote yes, it is time – the plan for your husband to drive the Camry makes a lot of sense, and your family is ready for the increased flexibility of a newer vehicle that better suits your current needs!

By: mochimac @ save. spend. splurge.

mochimac @ save. spend. splurge. — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:01:14 +0000

What I hate in new cars is the depreciation when you drive it off the lot.

For me I’d just avoid buying a car if I can, but if I had to buy a car, used Mercedes and BMWs or even Hondas tend to last the gamut at 2 -3 years old.

That said, I bought a Dodge minivan and that thing lasted 3 years costing only $2000.

By: Another Reader

Another Reader — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:49:07 +0000

Since you like the Camry but need more space, would the Venza work for you? It sits like a car, is a little higher off the ground, and has a ton of cargo space. This model has not been as popular as the taller Highlander SUV, and at least out in California the new ones can be bought at a discount. Given the price of used cars these days, a well negotiated price on a new car could actually be better.

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:50:30 +0000

We just bought a brand new 2013 BMW 328i Convertible last night. We’re leasing it for 3 years, 30k miles. The only debt we have is our mortgage and this car payment. Because of my husband’s recent promotion, we save $3,500/month. This car payment will affect that monthly savings by $500. We decided to keep both of our SUVs because they are paid for and cost us little to nothing each month. This decision was made after many weeks of research and conversation. We don’t splurge on much, so we decided this was a good choice for us. Good luck!