First Time Buying a Car

The only advice I can give you is go to your bank/credit union/whatever, and get a quote for a loan from them. Car Dealerships exist to fuck you- keep that loan in your back pocket till the final part of the negotiation when they give their "best offer", and use it to turn the tables on them

Bigkrev said:

The only advice I can give you is go to your bank/credit union/whatever, and get a quote for a loan from them. Car Dealerships exist to fuck you- keep that loan in your back pocket till the final part of the negotiation when they give their "best offer", and use it to turn the tables on them

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I see this all the time and I've never had an issue with a dealership. We got a 0% interest rate for our Honda Pilot this year with nothing down and 60 months to pay.

0% offers are becoming more and more rare. I'd expect somewhere between 1-2% to be the "highly qualified buyer" deal by the end of this year, if not sooner.

The benefit of having financing pre-arranged is you can negotiate the price of the car as if you were paying cash-- because to the dealer, you essentially are paying cash.

It was mentioned in another thread this week, but depending on your commute, etc, Bluetooth is a must have. Even though my commute is much shorter than it used to be, it's a must now for any vehicle I purchase.

Nerdyone said:

I see this all the time and I've never had an issue with a dealership. We got a 0% interest rate for our Honda Pilot this year with nothing down and 60 months to pay.

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Gotta agree with this. I got 0.9% over 60 months compared to the 3 to 5% on bank auto loan.

Bigkrev said:

The only advice I can give you is go to your bank/credit union/whatever, and get a quote for a loan from them. Car Dealerships exist to fuck you- keep that loan in your back pocket till the final part of the negotiation when they give their "best offer", and use it to turn the tables on them

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Best advice. No one is looking out for your best interest when it comes to financing.

Nerdyone said:

I see this all the time and I've never had an issue with a dealership. We got a 0% interest rate for our Honda Pilot this year with nothing down and 60 months to pay.

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You apparently have decent credit to be offered that. This person is buying a car for the first time and may not qualify. As someone else said, 0% is becoming rare as interest rates climb across the board. I bought in May and the Toyota dealer showed me the upcoming promotions - rates were going up. If you don't qualify for 0% from the dealer, they're going to gouge you on the rate.

If I were in the market for a car right now in that budget range, I'd be looking at:

Mazda CX3 - AWD, sporty, comfortable, well equipped and very reliable gas sipper.
Kia Optima - basically a loaded Accord for a lot less money with great tech and reliability
Honda Accord/Civic - Bulletproof, comfortable,and economical - you'll get a loaded Civic or a basic Accord - both have pretty good standard equipment though.
Used Japanese luxury vehicle - Acura, Lexus, Infiniti - even Genesis/Hyundai


If you want to get literally the most for your money, then you could always go bonkers and buy this: https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...List=VOLKS&makeCode1=VOLKS&modelCode1=PHAETON


Audi A8 with a Lamborghini derived W12 engine. It's utter madness. Arguably the best Sleeper in history, since most people think it's a Passat.

One thing that I simply wouldn't compromise on tho - is Apple Carplay/Android Auto - both will massively enhance the comfort and features of your vehicle.

If you HAVE to finance then manufacturer or Credit Union is the way to go. Not dealer.

25k?

Subaru Crosstrek

Toyota Corolla

Its boring but will be reliable and get you from A -> B.

Get everything in writing. Don't finance maintenance packages. I went to my bank for the loan but ended up going through Chase as they gave me a slightly lower % so def shop around.

golem said:

25k?

Subaru Crosstrek

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Did we just become best friends?

OP listen to this man. I got a top model Subaru crosstrek 2016 model and it's a fucking amazing vehicle. Haven't had any issues with it and it's a looker, particularly if you get it in a dark color. Mine is black and people call it the bat mobile cause it has a lot of angles to its design vs curbs you see in care so often. It runs damn well, it has all wheel drive, it's fairly spacious and it has the eyesight system for safety and adaptive cruise control. You will not find a better car than a crosstrek at that price range that has all these bells and whistles I guaran fucking tee.

I ended up haggling the seller to sell me the car for 26k. But that was the best model they had. If you want another trim for it, you could probably reach 25k (no leather interiors, some features might be standard, etc).

Your best bet is to build your car in Kelley blue book and get it as close to 25k with the features you want based on pricing in your location. Then you have to find another car within a similar range you're also interested in and get quotes for both dealers based on you trading in your car and whatever down payment you're willing to put down. See what monthly payment you can get based on your credit history if you can get as close to 0% as possible.

Then begin the haggling. Subaru doesn't like to haggle much unless they feel they're going to lose the sale. Your best ammunition is to have another vehicle you like about the same that's cheaper and tell them if they can't go lower than your max that you're walking away. As long as you're in the fair price range from kbb, you're in the clear for a solid deal.

Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Mazda 6, subaru outback, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima. Drive all 6 and choose the one you like best.

Actually a Subaru Legacy would probably be more what you are looking for.

Also consider a Kia Optima, I think it has the nicest interior.

golem said:

25k?

Subaru Crosstrek

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Yeah if you want all-wheel drive in that price range give Subaru a look. I bought a 4-door Impreza Sport sedan last year and have been loving it. Having all-wheel drive was great last winter, and overall just feels better.

Before you go to the dealership… Find out the invoice pricing and msrp of the car you want. Go to your bank or Credit Union and get a loan offer for exactly the top limit you're prepared to pay over the invoice. NEVER PAY THE MSRP. The msrp has a ton of ridiculous markups added to it making you essentially pay extra for nothing. Regardless if you have good enough credit to get a better deal financing through the dealership, the loan shows you aren't playing around with your offer/limits and will make it easier to make them work for you instead of against you. Again, never pay msrp. Don't fall for any of their additional option bullshit. Walk in there with an exact price range based on their invoice costs for the car. If you don't get what you want leave the salesman a business card with your number and walk out the door. You'll probably get a call back after the salesman has "talked to his manager that was really unreachable on vacation" to approve the deal.

Anyway, I'm a fan of Subarus. Especially since I spend half of my time in SLC and the awd has been great in the winter months. Legacy, WRX and the Crosstrek are the ones I'd look at in your price range depending on what you want. If you're in a region where Subarus are extremely popular (Utah, Colorado etc) it's going to be a little harder to negotiate a price really close to the invoice pricing. Especially on something like a WRX or WRX STi. If you want to go cheaper Toyota is going to be your most dependable option at that price. I'd personally suggest a Corolla Hatchback for the cheaper option or a Prius.

My second car is a Prius and it has been amazing since we got the thing paid off with the gas consumption being so low. I pretty much only drive my STI on weekends now and have saved ridiculous amounts on gas each month. Average over 42mpg on the Prius between street and freeway driving. The STI is modded and probably gets 16mpg street and 22mpg highway if I'm lucky ugh. Prius has been a life saver as a daily driver to and from work.

Subarus are very dependable and affordable. You can get a fully loaded Impreza or Crosstrek for roughly $25k.

First thing I thought of when I saw the title and OP's name...

Bigkrev said:

The only advice I can give you is go to your bank/credit union/whatever, and get a quote for a loan from them. Car Dealerships exist to fuck you- keep that loan in your back pocket till the final part of the negotiation when they give their "best offer", and use it to turn the tables on them

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Dealerships are more desperate than banks. I never got 1.9% financing from my bank on anything.

golem said:

25k?

Subaru Crosstrek

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I literally just bought one of these earlier this year (2018 model, all souped up) and it's like one of my favorite cars I've ever driven.

Before I bought my car nearly 5 years ago I went to my bank and got approved for a loan for like 2 or 3%. I went to the dealership and when they offered me a loan I realized that it was through the same company as my bank, except their version was like 5%.

I bought a 2018 Chevy Cruze and love it! I highly recommend it.

Having done research 4 months ago after someone totaled my Hyundai Elantra, I narrowed it down to going with Honda. Purchased a 2018 Honda Accord and love the car to pieces.

https://www.driveaccord.net/forums/...post-price-data-only;-not-comment-thread.html

Check out that thread if you want an inside look of what ppl have paid for their accord.

25k is a pretty big budget

i'd actually recommend to spend less and get a 2006-2008 civic, sonata, camry, corrolla, etc ... can't go wrong. will last you years and you'll only have to shell out like 10k.

Stranger Things said:

25k is a pretty big budget

i'd actually recommend to spend less and get a 2006-2008 civic, sonata, camry, corrolla, etc ... can't go wrong. will last you years and you'll only have to shell out like 10k.

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I agree with this especially if you're going the used route.

I'd say $15-20k would be ideal, and save the extra $5-10k for a trip or a rainy day.

Son Goku said:

How's the noise level in the crosstrek compared to other cars you've driven?

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Very low, I barely notice any outside noise.

Are you still wanting the model 3? Because if so, paying 25k for a car you will trade in later for the model 3 is a complete waste of money

For that price you can get a fully loaded Mazda 3 or Civic that's 2016 or newer.

Son Goku said:

How's the noise level in the crosstrek compared to other cars you've driven?

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Noise level seems really low. I had a loaner Crosstrek while my STi was in the body shop a few weeks ago. Felt like I was driving around in a sensory depravation chamber in comparison. The STi has no sound proofing on the undercarriage at all though, and a loud engine/exhaust, so almost any car is infinitely better in the noise department lol

Do not, for any reason, let them know what sort of monthly payment you're wanting. Just test drive what you like, bargain the value of your trade-in, discuss everything about the price and let them come back to you with some monthly payment options. If they know what you want to pay per month, they'll go back print out something that's probably 75 bucks out of your price range then come back with something at the top of your budget to make you think you're getting a deal.

Also, do not go in there looking to drive off in a new shiny car on the same day. Be comfortable with saying no and leaving.

For car options, definitely look into a Toyota Camry SE or XSE. Very nice cars for the price.

Son Goku said:

How's the noise level in the crosstrek compared to other cars you've driven?

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Crosstrek is fairly quiet, but I went one day and with 600-700 bucks I got some of that laminate to put all throughout my car and it made it even quieter.

Something I wasn't a fan of with Subaru is the Head unit/music screen wasn't all that good. Bluetooth was a bit laggy compared to what my phone said. Plus when I bought the 2016 model it didn't have android auto/apple carplay, so I had to install an after market HU and went ahead and bought new speakers and a small boombox. But that's just me since I like to drive with amazing music.

Indy in the Fridge said:

Do not, for any reason, let them know what sort of monthly payment you're wanting. Just test drive what you like, bargain the value of your trade-in, discuss everything about the price and let them come back to you with some monthly payment options. If they know what you want to pay per month, they'll go back print out something that's probably 75 bucks out of your price range then come back with something at the top of your budget to make you think you're getting a deal.

Also, do not go in there looking to drive off in a new shiny car on the same day. Be comfortable with saying no and leaving.

For car options, definitely look into a Toyota Camry SE or XSE. Very nice cars for the price.

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Don't discuss anything about the price with the salesman at all. Find out the invoice and msrp for the vehicle. Decide what you're willing to pay over invoice (under msrp) and walk in there with a loan offer for your max limit on hand. Tell them what you're paying and they can take it or leave it. You give them any room to wiggle and they will twist shit around Fox News style so hard that 75% of car buyers probably walk out thinking they got a good deal when having paid more than they should have/wanted to.

Indy in the Fridge said:

For car options, definitely look into a Toyota Camry SE or XSE. Very nice cars for the price.

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Great car, but Toyota hasn't confirmed that they'll be updating existing models to support Carplay (let alone Android Auto).

I will give Toyota massive props for including safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane departure assist, pedestrian detection, etc. as standard. It's unconscionable that other makes hold life-saving technology hostage behind paywalls (higher trims and additional cost packages).

Forget Tesla and jump on the JDM bandwagon already.

I'd get a Prius imo

Bought one a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I've heard the same thing from longtime owners.

I recently bought a 2018 Camry and I love it. Here's a recap of all the advice I heard from people who are "in the know."
-Buy a car towards the end of the month. Dealerships have to pay interest on the cars that sit on the lot. They will be more willing to deal the closer you get to the end of the month. They also get bonuses for selling a certain amount of cars and so if you go in towards the end of the month they are either trying to reach that number or have already reached that number and will be more likely to deal. This also applies to the end of quarters.
-Calculate the MSRP of the car you want and take 20-15% off the MSRP. When you negotiate, that should be your starting number. Figure out a number you would be happy with (let's say 13% off MSRP) and that is your deal price. Don't tell them that number off the bat.
-Dealers use Kelly Blue book, so don't take it as gospel when it comes to "good deals."

Get a civic and be done with it

fracas said:

I'd get a Prius imo

Bought one a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I've heard the same thing from longtime owners.

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I agree. Not as fun as my other car, but it's nice, extremely comfortable and the savings on gas are hare hard to ignore. We just paid ours off and I almost feel like I'm driving it around for free lol Then I drive the other car over the weekend and plow through $40 of gas like nothing ugh.

Depends what he wants/needs though. Living in an area with heavy winters I'd go for a Subaru over the Prius. But the Prius has been an amazing second car for the girlfriend and I.

Used cars are fine too if they pass thorough inspection. Let the previous owner eat a chunk of the depreciation.

Watch out for car salesmen who slap the roof.

Pay cash and walk out.

PandaShake said:

Used cars are fine too if they pass thorough inspection. Let the previous owner eat a chunk of the depreciation.

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Used can save you a ton of money. But yeah, just demand the current owner meets you at a dealership to have an inspection done before any agreement or trading of money occurs.

Especially if you're looking at something like a WRX/STi or a similar car. People mod and beat the shit out of those cars and then dump them on naive buyers.

I'm in the market for a new car and I was looking at the Crosstrek.

Im 6 foot 4 inchs tall and I had to get a Elantra as my last car because of the leg and head room. How roomy is the Crosstrek for someone over 6 foot? I'm going to look at them tonight just wanted to get opinions.

Raven117 said:

Pay cash and walk out.

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Yeah I didn't wanna be the bad guy but screw car payments.

Dental Plan said:

I'm in the market for a new car and I was looking at the Crosstrek.

Im 6 foot 4 inchs tall and I had to get a Elantra as my last car because of the leg and head room. How roomy is the Crosstrek for someone over 6 foot? I'm going to look at them tonight just wanted to get opinions.

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Not sure how useful this will be, but my dad is 6ft 2in and fits in an Impreza just fine. And the Impreza hatchback and the Crosstrek are basically the same car.

Dental Plan said:

I'm in the market for a new car and I was looking at the Crosstrek.

Im 6 foot 4 inchs tall and I had to get a Elantra as my last car because of the leg and head room. How roomy is the Crosstrek for someone over 6 foot? I'm going to look at them tonight just wanted to get opinions.

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For what its worth, Im the same height as you but probably much heavier. I was looking at a forester but I sat in it for 5 minutes and was immediately turned off. It was much too cramped and the there was very little leg room for my right knee. That was a common experience among many different cars except for the MDX, which aside from wishing the pedals were a little further away, gave plenty of knee space.

turbobrick said:

Not sure how useful this will be, but my dad is 6ft 2in and fits in an Impreza just fine. And the Impreza hatchback and the Crosstrek are basically the same car.

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Ah okay thank you.

Freakzilla said:

For what its worth, Im the same height as you but probably much heavier. I was looking at a forester but I sat in it for 5 minutes and was immediately turned off. It was much too cramped and the there was very little leg room for my right knee. That was a common experience among many different cars except for the MDX, which aside from wishing the pedals were a little further away, gave plenty of knee space.

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I weigh about 250 pounds. Yeah I have the same problem with my right knee even in my Elantra. I want to keep my price range under 25K. Thank you for the response. I'll know for sure tonight when I check it out.

Mazda 3.