Cars

thejucheidea

Okay, ladies. I need opinions from those of you who have bought new cars.

I have had the same car since my 16th birthday: a 2000 Volkswagen New Beetle. It's served me massively well through the years and I have a lot of memories regarding that car. It drove me back and forth to four colleges and has been on many a road trip. I always think back to the times I sped outrageously in upstate New York and Vermont with my roommate and a friend in the dark of night when I went to Bennington; I remember my friend Bre cutting summer sausage on the absurdly huge dashboard as we headed to Albany for the oh-so-exciting mall there.

But I digress. In 2010, my Berry had a bunch of mechanical problems to the tune of $1500. I didn't have a good job then, so it was a massive financial hit. This Friday, I'm looking at another $1000 of work for the suspension. I was willing to do that and then this morning, it took five or six tries to get the car started. Add to that a possible electrical short that causes the passenger tail light to go out every time I brake, and we're looking at repairs that are going to end up being more than the trade-in value of my poor little car.

I lust after Honda Fits. Lust. I see them and stare as they drive by. They are a grand total of like $17,000. Is it worth going ahead and looking into buying a 2012 Fit and being under the auspices of the warranty for repairs? I have a good, steady income, so car payments won't be the biggest issue ever, but damn are unexpected car repairs a bitchslap to the bank when we're wanting to do other things .

Opinions? I've heard awesome things about Honda, but I've never had a new car, had to make a car payment or shopped for a car.

Stina51286

Ive never had a Honda or drove one. But I did buy my car brand new back on 09 and all the other cars before that were brand new too. I loved the warrenty and the fact that I was the only owner of the car so any damage caused to it or repairs are my own and not caused by someone before me. Plus depending on the dealership they have great incentives. When I bought my car I was in college so I got a $500 discount for being a student.

Id say new just because I had two cars that were used and were pieces of crap.

SKP82

I had a VW before my current car.  I LOVED my Jetta, but I will never purchase a VW again.  They just cost way to much to repair.  And, mine had a LOT of issues.

I have a Toyota Matrix now, but I had a Honda Accord in college.  Hondas are great cars and aren't crazy expensive to repair like VWs are.

I purchased my car new and purchased the extended warranty for peace of mind.  You can usually purchase an extended warranty on a used car as well.

Go and test drive a few different cars that you're interested in.  Then weigh the options.  Kia has a great warranty (5 years, 100k miles I think). 

somethingsilver

From experience, I would go with the new car. Like you said, you can predict car payments. You can't predict random repairs. 

DanieKA

I'm not too familiar with a fit, but at this point in the life of your current car, I'd say it's wise to at least look at something else. Think about how many months worth of payments $1,000 or $1,500 is. That could be 3-5 months of car payments (at aprx $300 a payment) for a newer car under warranty, etc. 

I'm in the same boat. My car is paid off. It's an '03 and has served me well these last 7/8 years (I got it used in '04, low mileage, under warranty, practically new infiniti I-35 for less than 20 grand). But now, it doesn't make much sense to continue to pay for expensive repairs (early last year I put around $3,000 into it. And it still has an oil leak we can't find, but we know it's leaking) I pretty much am done with it. I'll drive it till it strands me, then I'm done. No more expensive repairs. It just doesn't make financial sense anymore. 

So yes, go ahead and do your research and go test drive. Also consider buying a  1 or 2 year old Fit that's still under warranty. You can save a lot of money like that. There should be 2011's available for less that $17,000 but still brand new and still under warranty. Unless there's something super awesome about the 2012 compared to the 2011, it wouldn't be worth it to me to pay the extra money just because it's a 2012 model, but that's just me (I've never had, and don't think I ever will buy a brand new model car. Maybe a new car that's a model year old, but I'm a deal grabber. I don't like buying anything at full price if there's a comparable model and I don't have to). 

Good Luck!

swhite2012

FI is currently leasing a new Civic. It's been wonderful having a brand new car. And the dealership we got it from has been really great. They repaired a flat tire for free, and he got free oil changes for two years.

Something also to consider is certified used. You don't have to worry about the new car "Depreciation as soon as you drive it off the lot" and most still are under some sort of warranty.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cars-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:603aed2a-fdfd-49f3-95ab-daaacc1130ccPost:fd07b7dc-5f20-45f8-b259-c6fa9230bce7">Re: Cars</a>:
[QUOTE]I had a VW before my current car.  I LOVED my Jetta, but I will never purchase a VW again.  They just cost way to much to repair. 
Posted by SKP82[/QUOTE]

Ugh, yes. YES. I love my sweet car, but when it costs $400 because a piece of the window broke and everything is one huge piece so you have to replace it all, it's insane. Or when my hood latch broke and it was $250 to replace it :|.

Swazzle

We have a 2001 VW Jetta which we bought for $4000 off a private seller that we found on Craigslist.  I don't think I'll ever buy a car brand new.  I have no interest in having a car payment.  

While it's true that used/older cars will have more repairs (obviously) if you keep up with the repairs & take the car to someone you trust you can still have the car for a long, long time. 

FI is a HUGE VW fanatic (when we went to Germany I planned a whole day for us to go to the VW plant in Wolfsburg).  Not just VW, but German cars overall, we will never own anything but German cars. 

He's done a ton of research online whenever there was something wrong with our car & usually purchases the parts himself so that when he takes it to a garage they only charge for the labor. We have a guy around the corner from us that is really, really reasonable when it comes to repairs.   

lunarsongbird

Gosh, Hondas will run forever- and maintenance seems to be pretty cheap...when they need it at all.

I worked with someone who was determined to have their car die before he bought a new one. His 1980 Honda Accord had over 300,000 miles on it...and was still running like a champ.

A honda is probably one of the cards I would feel darn confident buying a certified used...

alyaki

I'd say, go with a new car, but try looking for a few different cars that you think you might like and test drive them.  That way, if you find you don't like how the FIT drives, you have other options on the plate that you've tried and you can decide which you like best.

I had to lease my first car out of college (it's a VW jetta), and with the repair costs (a little over $1000 in the last month or so), I can't wait to get rid of it.  Truthfully, car payments aren't that bad, but try building online some of the cars and use the payment calculator to get an idea how much you'd be looking at with various options (lower interest rate, higher intrest rate, range of the amount of money you look to put down, etc.).

Repairs/maintenance being covered for a few years definately saves you some money in the long run.

tuarceatha

I had a 1992 Honda Accord from 1999 to 2005 named Bernadette. She was my best friend and I nearly teared up when I traded her in for a 2005 Honda CRV (named Roxanne). I sold my CRV in 2010 for a Mazda. The only reason I left Honda for Mazda was because I wanted something just as reliable, but prettier. I never had one  serious problem with my Hondas. I dunno nothin' bout no Fits, but I heart Hondas. Affordable, reliable, and cute. And plus also my CRV sold in 3 days for EXACTLY what I asked for it on craigslist. People love Hondas.

New car payments suck. But other than mileage maintenance, you don't usually deal with other major payments towards your car, so I'm told it balances out.

beanbot2002

I just traded in my mom-mobile (minivan) for a new 2011 Toyota Corolla last week. Best choice ever! I echo what many have said-when you factor in what you're paying in repairs, and what you will continue to pay in repairs as things break down, I think you're much much better off going with something new.

Ollie08

I would buy new or certified pre-owned. My current car sells for $34,000 brand new. We bought it with 36,000 miles on it and got it for $21,000. That's a HUGE savings for only 36,000 miles. We also put the 100,000 mile warranty on it just in case.

I definitely think that going to your car dealer and looking at lease trade ins (which is what mine is) and then comparing the savings to see if it's worth it.

jemmini6

I had the same dilemma 2 years ago.  I had an '03 Malibu that was just problem after problem.  I finally got everything fixed and it was doing well, but I was preemptively not wanting to deal with any more.  I sold my Malibu (to my FIL actually, he uses it as a commuter car) and leased a brand new Scion xD. 

I love my car, I love having it brand new and under warranty.  I don't even have to worry about making sure no dash lights come on, or listening for weird little noises, etc.  Even the lease made good financial sense when I did it (I wouldn't do it again at this point in my life, but it worked well for me 2 years ago).

When my lease is up next year, however, I am planning to look for cars that are about 1 - 2 years old because that's when you get the best value from a car.  A brand new car loses value as soon as you drive it off the lot, so you might as well let someone else take that loss, but you get to keep the benefit of the warranty.

GoldenPenguin

ahstillwell - tell me you're talking about Crossgates?! haha!! I remember being so in awe of the mall when I first moved here... and now I avoid it at all costs ;-)

As for cars... I would go brand new. Like others have said, if you know what your car payment is, you just have to adjust your budget for that - it's much harder to budget for unexpected repairs.

I have bought my last three cars brand new, and traded the first two in at the 3-year mark (I get bored easily)... but I think the car I have now will be around for a while. I had a Mazda 3 back in 2005, then traded that in in 2009 for a Mitsubishi Lancer. The Lancer was fun, but impractical, so I traded her in last April and got my Subaru Legacy - I wanted AWD (damn Albany winters) and a manual transmission, so Subaru was pretty much the only way to go.

Hondas are great - buy one new, and they have ridiculous warrenties, and some of the best resale value around, which I found is VERY important. (My Lancer was worth $13,000, but I had to fight to get them to give me 10k.)  If I could have gotten an AWD Honda with a stick, I probably would have gone that way, although I don't think I will ever regret my Scooby :-)

Stina51286

I agree that cars lose their values as soon as you drive it off the lot, however, if you get GAP insurance on your vehicle its not that big of a deal.

I just looked up the value of my car and I am actually only $500.00 up side down from what I owe compared to what it is worth. So in one month I will be even with what I owe and the value of it. Depending on the car its worth the new.

I bought a brand new Saturn, right before I decided I wanted to trade it in for a different car, they announced Saturns were no longer going to be made, that dropped the value significantly and I ended up being $2500 up side down. But with Hondas I think you are fine and don't really see them having an issue unless there ends up being a big problem with the FIT. Ive never heard of them so Im guessing they are pretty new?

dwest2201

New car with a warranty is the way  to go, unless you know someone who is a great mechanic and will get you parts cheaper and do work for less than a shop. 

ExH and I had a fit when they first came out.  They are pretty nice, a whole lot mroe room than a beetle.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_cars-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:603aed2a-fdfd-49f3-95ab-daaacc1130ccPost:757f6314-4759-46a1-b6be-aa9fd056e153">Re: Cars</a>:
[QUOTE]ahstillwell - tell me you're talking about Crossgates?! haha!! I remember being so in awe of the mall when I first moved here... and now I avoid it at all costs ;-)
Posted by BriSox81[/QUOTE]

lol yes! What were we supposed to do in Bennington? Manchester Center was about the same distance away, but if we wanted to actually be able to afford anything, we had to head West to Crossgates. I played that DDR machine in the theater way too damn much.

Daddy, Tyler and I are going to go to the big Honda dealership this weekend. I've talked to some of my coworkers and they are all for buying new cars, especially Honda. According to one of the pharmacy techs, our credit union has great auto loans, so this may end up going pretty well.

HULU

Toyotas are a favorite in my family (with 3/4 people in my household driving one).

My mother has a 2002 Toyota Celica.

She bought it brand new.

It has 450,000+ miles on it now.

Never had any major problems.

leia1979

I have a 2008 Honda Civic that I bought new. I have taken it in exactly once--for a broken sunvisor that was covered under warranty. I have looked at the Fit at car shows and think it's a pretty awesome little car. I think you'll like it. I recommend buying new. With Civics, at least, you'll pay as much for a slightly used one as a new one.

A few tips: join a forum. I'm sure there's a Fit equivalent of 8thcivic.com (which is what I joined before buying my car). A quick search yielded fitfreak.net and hondafitforums.com. Then you can see what actual owners are saying about their cars. You can also find out what other people are paying on the forum.

Shop around. I don't like negotiating, so instead, I emailed the internet sales department of every dealership in my area. I went with the one who gave me the lowest out the door price and could get one in red.    It was actually really easy. The only hassle was that I didn't have loan preapproval documentation from my bank, so I had to fill out Honda's loan application.

KiloBravo7

Oh goodness, haven't been on here in a while.
I still have my first car, a 2001 Honda Civic, which I bought used and I haven't had any problems with it but I still don't plan on keeping it for much longer.  It really would be nice to have a new car with a warranty.  I think that's the best bet, especially if what you want is a car make/model for which parts are expensive or hard to find.  FI's uncle had a Volvo and ran into that issue... he had to put it on a trailer and tow it with FI's old truck over 200 miles to a specialized shop just to have the work done on it.  It ended up costing him several thousand, that trip alone.  After hearing of all the hell he went through with that car, FI and I will never own a Volvo, even if bought new with a warranty.
But anyways...  You mentioned a Honda Fit?  Honda parts are a dime a dozen.  If you do have maintenance issues, you won't have a hard time finding parts or mechanics who know the ins and outs of your car.

CleverThought

I'd say when in doubt, go foreign. Honda, Toyota, or Nissan are all good bets.

My first car was a 1996 Lexus ES 300 (made by Toyota), that car had 300,000 miles on it when I got it and 320,000 when it became my sisters. The only reason she isn't driving it now is that she rolled it and had it totalled. Even with that car totalled with 320,000+ miles on it, we entered it in a demo derby, where my cousin drove it and won. So, if that doesn't speak to the quality of the foreign car, I don't know what will.

I now drive a 2006 Nissan Altima. It has 96,000 miles on it and I have not encountered one issue with it. It's an extremely reliable car.

I feel like I am in the minority and I would advise against getting a brand new car. It's almost like throwing money away. Financial and car experts both agree that buying a 2-4 year old car is the best time. Most often the warranty is still good on it, the car is still the most current model, but you aren't paying the outrageous prices you would for a new car.

For example, my parents just bought a 2009 Lexus ES 350 with 60,000 miles on it. With the included features that car is ~$42,000 new, they bought it for $18,000. Used saves a lot of money, and you can still get a damn good car, especially if you buy foreign.

jorja86

I bought my car certified pre-owned from a reputable dealer, and I've loved it so far. They offered a pretty awesome warranty, and I got the car (which is three years old) for almost $15,000 less than what it would have cost new.

I think it just depends on your particular situation as to whether it's better to go new or with a good used car. My family has always bought used, and we've driven almost all of our cars to around 200,000 miles. My car before this one was a '99 Chevy Malibu that my parents bought for me (used) in 2002 when I was 16. I drove it until last year, when it was totaled.

It's definitely possible to get a used car that isn't going to cost you a ton in repairs, and it can save you a lot of money.

leia1979

CleverThought, it might depend on the car or market. When I bought my car, I got it brand new for $18,200. A one year old version of the same car was $17,500 to $18,000. It was a pretty pitiful savings. In fact, I saw some used ones listed for more than I paid for a new one!

Your parents' Lexus sounds like a good deal, though.

TheMutleys

My in-laws got a Fit recently and they love it.  In fact, they love it so much that they convinced MIL's best friend to get one... and best friend's daughter.

I love Hondas.  My 1st 3 cars were Hondas.  The 1st one was old when I got it and I drove it to over 200,000.  My 2nd one (a '95)  is STILL going but resides at my parents' house for my little bro.  We sold my 3rd one in order to get a truck. 


(I didn't read any replies.  So yeah...)

Peaseblossom55

I've leased 2 civic's and I love them later on this year when my lease is up I plan to buy a civic.  I love Hondas,  BF is in the same car prediment he is buying later this year.  It's worth putting money now into a new or newer car, than to keep putting money into an older car over and over.