Buying a new car tips

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
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5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
Well, the next thing is to shop for a new car.

I know what I want, and it isn't visiting a bazillion dealers.

Ten years ago I did this on the internet. It worked out well. I got what I thought was an excellent deal. Much has changed in 10 years!

Went through a car buying service where the dealers were actually bidding against one another. They said what they wanted. I said what I would pay. One said yes. Deal. Seems it is not so simple any more.

I got a couple of inquiries out and will drop by Costco and see what they can do. I even got a request in to the dealer I bought from 10 years ago. So far they are the least expensive. By nearly $2K!

The car I want is a Honda Fit garden variety model with the automatic tranny. Without the sun roof, shmancy wheels, nav system, etc. Believe that is the LX model.

Not in a hurry. Will go out of state to save money. I got friends in Reno, Phoenix, Albuquerque, etc. A family visit just makes it sweeter. They will even come to the airport to get me!

I can get the deal done on-line as far as price is concerned. I know about edmunds.com so I have an idea what others have been paying. And they pay a whole lot more in CA! I can work in a plane ticket and gas and still save money and get a nice visit out of it as well!

So any do's and don't's before I get carried away?
 
If you intend to buy out-of-state and register it in California, check the CA laws first. There used to be an 'emissions surcharge' for registering an out-of-state car. As I recall, the car had to have a certain mileage on it to qualify as a used car re-registration, and CA also wanted the difference between the tax where you bought it, and the CA tax (almost always higher).

That was ten years ago, but I'd be that if it's changed, it's only gotten worse, not better. Stuff like that makes me glad I left CA...
 
Jim, I know about paying the sales tax difference. The rate may be a little higher (not much with AZ, though) but the gross it is applied to is significantly lower. I'll run the actual numbers when I get them. Don't know if a brand new car needs to be smogged though. All cars sold out here have all the required smog equipment, so that is not an issue.
 
My last couple of cars, I have known what I wanted just as you seem to. I contated the fleet manager at the dealer in question (honda last time) and gave them the specs includng the price range and they got me the car. No muss, no fuss and no salesman to fool with.
 
For me a built in Nav system is Heaven on Earth.

The garmin is nice, but the cords bug me kind of, and I'm always worrying about someone snatching it out of the truck.

Without it, I remember using those map books and spending time being lost.

I like E150 vans. Cheap, ruged, can tow and big comfy roomy seats.
 
If you have chosen your vehicle for sure, then ignore this note.

We have two cars that cost the same. A Honda Odyssey and a Mercedes E class Diesel. How did they cost the same? By the time someone is selling a "normal" car, there is almost always a reason (perhaps unsaid) that they want to dump it, so I will only buy a new "regular" car. But there are a lot on luxury cars that are leased to businessmen/salesmen for 24-30 months, then sold used by the dealer as certified pre-owned (full warranty, etc.). When we bought the Mercedes I was surprised to note that the check was almost the same as the check we wrote for the new Honda 12 years ago.

Be sure to confirm delivery on the FIT. Our niece has been waiting for months, for a FIT that was supposed to arrive in weeks.
 
@Glenn. Exactly! And the CA fleet dealer will have the opportunity to match the AZ fleet dealer. Yes or no. No haggling. I gotta pay sales tax at CA rates in any event. Price of paradise. SOMEbody has to live here, and I volunteered. :rofl:

@Garry. Checking with Costco is on the list.

@Scott. Have the F250 diesel already - just not an everyday driver. Bruiser is named Bruiser for a reason! And the Nav system might be icing on the cake, but not on the 'must have' list.

@Charlie. Buying from a fleet dealer means choosing from what's on the lot. No waiting. He/she has a acceptable car or not. Also means better pricing. The dealer is already paying flooring charges. Cars already on the lot have to get off the lot - pronto. Leverage for the buyer.
 
If you have chosen your vehicle for sure, then ignore this note.

We have two cars that cost the same. A Honda Odyssey and a Mercedes E class Diesel. How did they cost the same? By the time someone is selling a "normal" car, there is almost always a reason (perhaps unsaid) that they want to dump it, so I will only buy a new "regular" car. But there are a lot on luxury cars that are leased to businessmen/salesmen for 24-30 months, then sold used by the dealer as certified pre-owned (full warranty, etc.). When we bought the Mercedes I was surprised to note that the check was almost the same as the check we wrote for the new Honda 12 years ago.

Be sure to confirm delivery on the FIT. Our niece has been waiting for months, for a FIT that was supposed to arrive in weeks.

How do the maintenance and repair costs compare between the Honda and the Mercedes? I love my Lexus, and bought it gently used for about the cost of a new Ford, but the price of EVERYTHING on it is inflated.
 
How do the maintenance and repair costs compare between the Honda and the Mercedes? I love my Lexus, and bought it gently used for about the cost of a new Ford, but the price of EVERYTHING on it is inflated.

I traded a Lexus LS400 on the Mercedes. Even though my mechanic said the maintenance on the Lexus was low and was going to be higher on the Mercedes (since it is normally done through the dealer), the Lexus was in line for a $1000 on the brakes and $2500 on the engine, at only 116,000 miles. (The value of the Lexus was only about $5,000, so no way was I going to spend $3,500 on it).

The Mercedes only goes in for service once per year (only one oil change per year - don't know how they do that). One year it is $300, the alternate years closer to $1,000. It had 36,000 miles when we bought it 3 1/2 years ago, it now has over 82,000 miles, but it still feels and acts like a new car. I am counting on that higher maintenance to take it to 200,000 or more miles.

In 2013 I only used the Honda for 559 miles, so maintenance was very low. When we had the Lexus and Honda, we always debated which car to take. Now that we have the Mercedes and the Honda, there is no question which car we take on a trip - the Honda is only used for lumber runs and furniture delivery.
 
Carol, I'm currently shopping for a new or very lightly used (under 10,000 miles) car as well, I've been using a site called.....usedcars.com I can put in what I'm looking for and it will bring up those vehicles within a set distance. I have found it useful. I have read that I should deal with VOLUME dealers because they usually can offer the best deals since they work on smaller profit margins per car but sell more vehicles. Good luck with your search.
 
Right on, Tom. I bought from that dealer 10 years ago. They are more into the fleet end of things. They move a lot of cars and trucks. I understand all dealers are not equal. So if you don't get too picky about the color and be flexible with the accessories, you can drive away with a perfectly acceptable new car and a good deal.

I considered used, but as someone pointed out, it was traded in for a reason. I am sure I don't want to find out why the hard way.

I also thought about leasing, but I drive way too many miles every year.
 
My last couple of cars, I have known what I wanted just as you seem to. I contated the fleet manager at the dealer in question (honda last time) and gave them the specs includng the price range and they got me the car. No muss, no fuss and no salesman to fool with.

That's pretty much exactly what we did with the pathfinder we bought back in 2005. We had already gotten prices online, knew what we wanted and it was so easy and drama free it was nice.
 
FWIW....we bought a certified pre owned. Dickered the price for a day which was really hard because I really wanted the truck! Loads of warranties and with 14k miles on it....hard to beat! Just another option.
 
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