What Car is Right For Me? Help Me Choose!

Mr_Shiftright · May 2018

There are a number of risks with a salvage title car--the repairs might not have been well done for one thing. For another, even if you have collision insurance, the insurance company is going to pay very little to total a car that's already been totaled. You could buy it for $10K, drive it two weeks, get hit again, and get a $2500 pay out.

qbrozen · May 2018

My rule of thumb is 20% deduct for accident history vs 50% salvage. Of course, sellers don't agree with those numbers.

stickguy · May 2018

the insurance issue is certainly something to research.

but really, what is the difference between fixing a car in a major accident, and fixing it after branding it as salvage? same repairs.

money is a factor too. A newer Audi could receive $25,000 in repairs because of what it is worth otherwise. But a Fit could be totalled because it needed $8,000 in repairs, relatively straightforward bodywork stuff. Plus, salvage could have been theft recovery.

regardless, if water was involved, that I would never touch. And having full repair history (and pictures) is a must.

Mr_Shiftright · May 2018

The problem is that *some* salvage vehicles are a great side business for some unscrupulous people--who buy these cars out of wrecking yards and patch them up any which way. True, most states require that salvaged cars be inspected before going back on the road, but....well....you know....

kyfdx · May 2018

With the value being lower, no one is going to put the same money into a repair on a totaled car. That’s why it was totaled. It isn’t just the salvage title, it’s what that assumes: minimum repair to get the car roadworthy.

benjaminh · May 2018

backy said:
....I'm helping my sister look for cars. She wants to stay under $10k, wants low miles (under 60k or so), automatic, likes hatchbacks but also likes high FE so doesn't want a CUV/SUV....

Would she consider new? My local Hyundai dealer has new Elantra sedans starting at 15k with 0.0% financing and some clear advantages--full warranty, better mpg, new tires, etc.

Just saying the obvious here, but a 5 year old car with 60k miles might have worn tires and all sorts of other issues that will erase some of your savings. Plus, unless she has the 10k cash the financing for a used car is likely to be c.6% or so.

Just a thought....

pasquali56 · May 2018

We've had our 2018 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring for a month now and it's my wife's favorite vehicle she's ever owned (and she's had a lot of nice vehicles). She previously had a Miata and wanted something a bit sporty with a bit more room and function -- and the CX-3 hits all the right notes. I do have to agree with those who say the infotainment system is a little complicated. And for those who need more cargo space, it's going to be tight. However, if you want a fun and great-looking vehicle with excellent gas mileage, I'd say to put the CX-3 on your short list. It's a winner!

stickguy · May 2018

good update. As always, what works for you depends on your specific needs.

I am pretty sure that my next car will be a smaller hatch/CUV type. CX3 could work. An X1, Volvo XC40. Hyundai Kona, something like that. Needs to be relatively entertaining to drive, with good performance (no putt putt mobiles allowed!) Back seat room not that important, but want an adequate cargo area (certainly big enough for our Lab).

backy · May 2018

Update on car search: The Fit LX is gone. The Elantra GT has an "engine problem" so the dealer has pulled it from the market for now. My sister is going to check out the Fit EX and Versa Note SV ($7k) tomorrow. But I found two other good choices: a 2015 Versa Note SV with 41k that's Nissan Certified with a 7 year/100k mile warranty, from a Nissan dealer, for $9995 list, and a 2014 Sonic LT hatch with 36k miles, no accidents or fleet use, for $8950... and both are red, which my sister likes. The Versa Note needs to have prep finished so isn't ready to look at today, or we'd go drive it.
I'm steering my sister towards the certified Versa Note, due to the long warranty (vs. salvage title with no warranty), higher seating position than the Fit, and smoother ride than the Fit. Yeah, it's a CVT, but she does almost all in-town driving and is no speed racer, so I don't think she'll mind it.

As for new, she wants to stay under $10k if possible, plus wants a hatch or wagon with an automatic. I've checked new hatches under $15k in my area, and they're all Sparks, Fiestas, Mirages, and a couple of Focii. She doesn't like the Focus and the others are too small. If she could wait 9-10 months, I'd sell her my 2016 Forte5 that will have only ~30k miles on it when the lease is up next year, but she needs a car now.

suydam · May 2018

Sonic is pretty small too. I liked the Versa Note for around town driving. Did not like the lack of safety features. I imagine the Fit EX has more features.

backy · June 2018

Update: my sister bought the 2014 Sonic LT hatch for $8950, and she got a 5-year/60k bumper-to-bumper warranty for it for $1500 for "peace of mind". Financed at 2.99% for 60 months (local bank, dealer couldn't come close to it).

The car is pretty loaded, with heated seats, moonroof, hi-zoot audio and touch screen, remote start etc. The rear seat folds flat, which my sister likes. Enough back seat room for adults for short trips, and that's all she needs as she lives alone. It looks "like new" except a minor scrape on the front left bumper. Dealer said that was why the price was reduced, and it seemed like a good price for the car. She likes it. I drove it a bit and it seems like a solid, fun-to-drive little car with the 1.4T engine. Although it is a bit dated of a design, it seems to have good crash protection for a small car.

She sold her 2004 Elantra GT to the daughter of a friend from her church who needed cheap wheels right away. It was sad to see it leave the family after 14+ years, especially since I'd spent an afternoon detailing it the week before (before I knew she was going to sell it). But it looked good for the new owner!

zerolimit · June 2018

Hi, I am looking for a new lease. Don't have the numbers for lease deals yet, however I am looking (hoping) for under $230/month.

2018 Ford Fusion SE
2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5
2018 Civic LX
2018 Subaru Crosstrek Premium

Michaell · June 2018

zerolimit said:
Hi, I am looking for a new lease. Don't have the numbers for lease deals yet, however I am looking (hoping) for under $230/month.

2018 Ford Fusion SE
2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5
2018 Civic LX
2018 Subaru Crosstrek Premium

You won't get the Accord or the Crosstrek at that price.

The Civic, maybe.

Not sure about the Fusion.

stickguy · June 2018

Try Hyundai. Elantra or sonata. Or a Jetta. Maybe on that.

Subaru, never. And accords usually don’t lease super cheap.

qbrozen · June 2018

This was in May, I believe, but we found the Forester leases way cheaper than the Crosstrek. Possibly right within your budget with minimal up front and 10k/36mo.

zerolimit · June 2018

Thank you all for your input.

backy · July 2018

This article may be of help: https://www.edmunds.com/car-leasing/monthly-199-lease-deals.html

There's several vehicles in that article, including the Civic LX, that you can get a 36-month lease on for under $230 a month, although you may have to put down a little up front. Even the Crosstek is on Edmunds list, but it's the base model with a stick. I see really good leases locally on the Elantra, Impreza, and new Jetta, and for a little more the Sonata and Legacy.

GoBlue1993 · September 2018

Hi. We are about to have our 2nd child so looking for a little more room and was thinking about a SUV, but which one is the question. I don't know that much about them but would love to get one under $300/month lease (0 down), but not sure it's feasible.

Mostly I'm looking to get the most bang for my buck. I am eligible to get the GM Family discount (Chevy, GMC) so that could greatly impact my decision. Was looking at 2018 models since I figured I could get a better deal since they might be trying to get rid of them. Anyway. Here is my current list of possibilities. Sorry it's so long. Any input is appreciated.

2018 Chevy Equinox
2018 GMC Acadia
2018 Honda CRV
2018 Toyota Rav4
2018 Mazda CX-5
2018 Subaru Forrester
2018 Cadillac XT5
2018 Lincoln MKC
2018 Nissan Rogue
2018 Infiniti QX60

Thanks so much.

stickguy · September 2018

the Equinox is almost guaranteed to be the best bang for the buck. Some really good deals on those now. Especially if you have the GM program. The Rogue might be doable too. RAV4 has some deals since they are about to come out with a new design. Unlikely that the rest of them will be budget friendly.

GoBlue1993 · September 2018

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it.

GoBlue1993 · September 2018

any thoughts between a GMC Terrain and the Chevy Equinox? trying to figure out if there is much difference between them

texases · September 2018

Same basic vehicle underneath.

suydam · September 2018

Terrain costs more.

kyfdx · September 2018

suydam said:
Terrain costs more.

Possibly bigger incentives, though

bowled_over · October 2018

Looking for a car for my "soon to turn 16" daughter. For next 9-12 months, may be driven mostly her Mom-. Fuel efficiency and safety are important (300 miles per week due to her school and extra curricular driving alone) . Was looking at hybrids (Ioniq/Insight/Prius) but somebody told me (Civic/Elantra/Mazda 3 ) may be better choice as hybrids may not save that much money and technology may change. But am still bewildered by number of choices of trims in thyese three as well as whether it makes sense to buy a used one (if new fangled safety features like autobraking, pedestrian radar detection, rear view mirror, blind spot monitoring are already present) or a new one. Basically how many model years can I go back to get these kind of features. Last issue is buy v/s lease. Not sure if lease for new driver makes sense in case there are small hits oir bumps which may result in extra penalties by dealer. Too many questions I know- but will be helpful if sbdy can answer from perspective of "what is best for new teenager driver from safety /fuel efficiency viewpoint)

stickguy · October 2018

a Prius would be fine. You should not have to worry about it becoming outdated. It will still work fine. And fits the key criteria for a teen driver. Economical, safe, and not too fast. The other options you mentioned are also fine choices, fitting the same criteria.

I would recommend a couple of year old used one, particularly because of the miles you potentially are putting on it. and as you noted, any of the bumps and dings teens (especially parking in a school parking lot) are likely to pick up. If you stick to say 2 years old, you should be easily able to have it carry her right through college too. An Elantra is a really good choice for that, since they depreciate a bit more than a Civic or mazda. And are good reliable cars. Can also consider a Cruze if you don't mind domestic.

trim level, at least go mid level to get some more desirable features, and look for safety items. An Elantra SE, can often come with the blind spot and back up camera even at a lower price. Other stuff (moonroof, etc.) is more of a frill.

might be better to let your wife pick since she needs to drive it for a year.

so, if I was picking, I would look for a 2017 Elantra SE with BLIS option on it. Should have around 20,000 miles or so.

texases · October 2018

If hybrid, go with Toyota, best available. A near-new Prius oils be good. For safety an intermediate, like a Camry or Accord 4 cylinder, would be a good choice, too. More mass is better.

fushigi · October 2018

Agree on the late model used car for best value. A used Prius or Elantra would be my top choices. My wife drives an Elantra (2012) and it's pretty nice. Seats & ride are good for long trips and she gets 36-40 highway depending on conditions & speed.

As to buy v. lease, if driving 300+ miles/week leasing would not be to your advantage unless you got a great deal on a lease with a higher-than-average mileage allotment.

bowled_over · October 2018

Thanks all for prompt responses - I will look at Elantra and Prius.

I recently joined forums- But is there a good resource for how to negotiate lease terms. Also may be a dumb question- but does leasing happen only for new cars or even a used car can be leased? Lastly on Prius- hasn't Toyota run out of 200,000 cars limit that was placed for applicability of Federal tax savings. My toyota dealer surprisingly did not know and asked me to check with my accountant- which I do not have as I file my own taxes.

texases · October 2018

Yes, the tax savings stopped on the Prius a long time ago. As for leasing strategies, click on 'research' at the top of this page, lots of info there. I'm not a fan of it, it costs more overall, but it is simpler.

berri · October 2018

Leasing has lots of incidental charges and fees, so you need to read up on it before you pursue. I agree with texases that it is generally more expensive in the long run than buying unless you are in a situation where you can write it off on your taxes.

stickguy · October 2018

Leasing can make sense in some cases. Particularly if you know the car is not going to be around more than 3 years. And sometimes the lease incentives make it cheaper than buying.

And normally you can’t lease a used car.

kyfdx · October 2018

I wouldn't lease for a new driver. There is almost no way to project their driving needs over three years, with any certainty.

stickguy · October 2018

Agreed. It worked for us when my daughter was going into sophomore year of college. I knew that was a 3 year need and miles should stay under.

fushigi · October 2018

Most leases include 10-12K miles/per year. As you've said 300 miles/week in known commute you'll burn through 12K miles in 40 weeks. That's not a full year and also doesn't include any incidental driving for errands, etc. So you'd be deep into a mileage penalty ($$) when the lease ended. Check the lease terms carefully.

Your best value will be a 2-4 year old used car, possibly one that was a lease-return.

If you buy the used car from a dealer of the same brand (used Prius from a Toyota dealer, for example) see about getting a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO). CPO cars will cost a little more but have better warranty than regular used cars (which usually only have the remainder of the original factory warranty left). That may provide some peace of mind WRT unanticipated repair costs.

space115 · October 2018

I'm looking to buy a used 2016 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited from a Subaru dealership. This car also comes with Eyesight and has navigation. According to CarFax, the car has a clean title - no damage or accident reported. Only one previous owner. It's priced at $12,900. The car has 103,000 miles on it - that's a lot for a car that's only 2 years old. But cccording to the dealer, the owner was working in sales, so he was driving from state to state within the region. The current old transmission is making a clicking sound, so the Subaru dealership is putting in a brand new transmission that will come with a 12-month warranty.

Do you guys think that this is a good buy? I'm not very knowledgeable about cars, so I've done some fair bit of research, but could use some input.

I'm in a social work program for graduate school, that's my primary reason for getting a car; I'll be needing it for my internship. I might sell the car off in 2 or 3 years, so resale value of the car is important to me. According to the dealer who I was working with, I could sell the car for no less than $10,000 as long as I do not hit 180,000 miles. She said that if the hit 180,000 miles, the resale value of the car would be maybe $7,000 or so. Is this information accurate?

Does this seem like a good buy? Or should I keep looking around. Thank you.

stickguy · October 2018

well, the resale at the various miles is a total guess.

the price is a lot lower than comparable car with normal miles. and a brand new transmission is a big plus. hard to really peg the value on an outlier though.

I would buy it for me, but that is because I don't put a lot of miles on per year. So that would be my question. What do you need to use it for? If local stuff and not many miles, it can make sense. If you are going to put 25,000/year on it too, I would say no. As long as it was maintained (regular oil changes), it should have many good years left.

space115 · October 2018

@stickguy: Thank you for your input. Do you know if there's any truth to what the dealer said about how the car resale value would be $7,000 if I hit the 180k miles mark and as long as I don't hit it, I can resell it for no less than $10,000? I know that I would definitely not hit the 180k miles mark in 2 or 3 years. I guess I'm just looking for some kind of reassurance that the resale value would be no less than $10,000 like the dealer said if I put in no more than say 10,000 miles on it within 2 or 3 years.

benjaminh · October 2018

space115 said:
@stickguy: Thank you for your input. Do you know if there's any truth to what the dealer said about how the car resale value would be $7,000 if I hit the 180k miles mark and as long as I don't hit it, I can resell it for no less than $10,000? I know that I would definitely not hit the 180k miles mark in 2 or 3 years. I guess I'm just looking for some kind of reassurance that the resale value would be no less than $10,000 like the dealer said if I put in no more than say 10,000 miles on it within 2 or 3 years.

I think she's going way high on the resale values. After a car is past 100k the resale value starts to fall pretty fast. But almost all cars in general fall in value at a good clip. You are going to lose a lot of money owning whatever car you own because they depreciate. Cars that don't depreciate as fast would be something like a Honda CR-V, Civic, or Accord with lower miles.

If you want a guaranteed resale value for your car after 3 years, you might consider leasing. Here's the official offer from Subaru usa on a brand new 2019 Forester wagon....

"Lease a new 2019 Forester for $265/Month
Offer Details Now through October 31, 2018 Lease a new 2019 Forester for $265/Month on a 36-Month Lease (Standard Forester model, code KFB-01). $1,765 due at lease signing. $0 security deposit. MSRP $25,270 (incl. $975 freight charge). Net cap cost of $23,700 (incl. $595 acq. fee). Total monthly payments $9,540. Lease end purchase option is $16,173."

https://www.subaru.com/special-offers/index.html

And you might be able to do better than this official offer.

If a smaller vehicle will do, Hyundai will lease an Elantra for c.$180 a month:

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/financial-tools/special-offers.aspx

qbrozen · October 2018

If I look at a 2014 with 118k miles, I see that trade-in value would be $7k. $10k would be more like a private party sale number.

Question is: why this car? For example, you could get something like a 2015 Elantra Limited with half the miles for $1000 less. Again, looking at a 2-yr older model with 15k more miles, it would lose the same $3k as the subaru. But you are far less likely to experience repairs from 50k to 65k miles than at over 100k.

benjaminh · October 2018

Bottom line is that you are likely to find better cars for 13k than a Subaru with more than 100k miles.

space115 · October 2018

What if the Subaru dealership is putting in new brakes, new timing belt, new tires, and a new transmission that will come with a 12-month warranty? Should this put my mind at ease about other problems coming up even though it's a car with 100k miles?

suydam · October 2018

Again, I’d ask why this car? Have you checked out others?

stickguy · October 2018

in terms of depreciation, the dealer is saying (not guaranteeing) that car will only depreciate $1,000/year over 3 years. That is nearly impossible. And it does not include maintenance (but, with all the big work done, you have a pretty good chance of it not needing much, if you don't put a lot of miles on it.

for example, the Forester lease above, that is roughly $11,000 over 3 years. Compared to buying a car for $13,000, you only have to sell it for more than $2,000 to be ahead! The wild card of course, is with any used car, it could potentially give you trouble. But may not.

A Subaru at least is a more substantial car than a prior generation Elantra or some similar used car.

benjaminh · October 2018

space115 said:
What if the Subaru dealership is putting in new brakes, new timing belt, new tires, and a new transmission that will come with a 12-month warranty? Should this put my mind at ease about other problems coming up even though it's a car with 100k miles?

That helps imho.++ I'd still see if there's movement on the price and/or check out your alternatives.

qbrozen · October 2018

space115 said:

What if the Subaru dealership is putting in new brakes, new timing belt, new tires, and a new transmission that will come with a 12-month warranty? Should this put my mind at ease about other problems coming up even though it's a car with 100k miles?

All of this deferred maintenance by the previous owner should concern you.

boomchek · October 2018

space115 said:
What if the Subaru dealership is putting in new brakes, new timing belt, new tires, and a new transmission that will come with a 12-month warranty? Should this put my mind at ease about other problems coming up even though it's a car with 100k miles?

Keep in mind even though the car is only 2 years old it has the mileage of a 5-6 year old car. So other parts are also wearing out such as suspension/steering compenents, driveline components, etc..

Honestly to most people (especially to us dealers) a car with 180k miles isn't worth a whole lot as it's nearing the end of its life span because of the mileage, where major repairs might be pricier than the value of the car itself. Many potential buyers might skip yours for a different make/model with lower miles and maybe less features for the same price ($10k) than for a high mileage loaded car.

However if you do buy it and put very little mileage on it, the average mileage will balance out for the age of the vehicle. Let's say you keep it for 4 years and only put 20k miles on it, then you'd be selling a 120k mile 6 year old car which is a bit closer to average miles driven for a car (20k/year) then it is now.

If you will put very little mileage on it and keep it for another 3-4 years it might not be a bad deal assuming everything checks out on it. If you'll keep it only a couple years and put a lot of miles on it, you might have trouble selling it for anywhere close to $10k.

Like someone else asked, is there a specific reason you want this particular car instead of something lower mileage in the same price range?

space115 · October 2018

I like that this the Subaru Legacy has the Eyesight feature. Having leather seats is important to me for hygiene purposes, too, because of the work that I do. Cars with less miles are going for $20,000 - it's more than what I hope to spend. The dealer said that there's a $2,000 warranty that I could purchase to cover anything under the hood. It's valid for 2 years. Whether I get a 30k mile car or a 100k mile car, I would still get this warranty.

Edit: I'm doing a search. It seems like most Subaru Legacys with 30k miles are selling for at least $19,000 and those with over 60k miles are going for $16,000. 80k miles car depreciate to $15,000. The Subaru dealer said that they do not buy cars with 140k miles, but they have a wholesaler who would buy the car 2 to 3 years later even if it has 140k miles on it. She said they would be willing to buy it for $7,000 to $9,000 depending on the condition of the car and how well it has been taken care. Doesn't it all balance out to be about the same depreciation? If I get a 30k mile car at $19,000 now, I'd lose $3,000 to $4,000 2 to 3 years later if it's between 60k to 80k miles. Seems like my loss would be the same with the 100k mile car, too, if I'm thinking about it correctly. I read an article on Edmunds that cars depreciate at the same rate between 50k to 100k miles and 100k to 150k miles.

kyfdx · October 2018

My take: It sounds like the car hasn't been taken care of. Sounds like a lot of heartache, in store.

What the dealership says about value in three years? You can blow your nose on that and throw it in the trash.
A $2000 warranty on a car with over 100K miles? Good luck collecting on that.

Read back over the comments from your fellow members. This looks like a bad choice, no matter how you slice it.

space115 · October 2018

Here's the Carfax. I thought it seemed like the car was well-taken car of. Clean title, too. https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?vin=4S3BNBN66G3014531&partner=DCG_0r It's my first time getting a car. And I've been told to be careful of dealers in general. On the other hand, if the car isn't well-maintained, would the Subaru dealer bother to put in a brand new transmission (not rebuilt or remanufactured, but brand new that comes with a 12-month warranty) in a 100k mile car? Transmission isn't cheap for them. I tried negotiating for $12,500, but the dealer's manager wouldn't go for it.

What Car is Right For Me? Help Me Choose!

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