looking for a new car

squishles10 · Jul 24, 2009

we've tried to buy a murano for a few months but we cant get one. options now are the fx35 or the xc60 but both obviously cost more than the murano. we'd rather not pay more. we dont want to go much smaller than the murano, but another option is the rdx, but that is the very smallest we could go. we cant go much bigger or it wont fit in the garage. im not so much concerned about msrp but what we can actually get the car for, and we want a new car, as we'll be keeping it for a really long time. with those criteria, any thoughts for or against anything?

maryannette · Jul 24, 2009

I don't know what any of those are. I feel really dumb. All I know is I have a RAV4 and I really like it. Sorry.

rudy · Jul 24, 2009

squishles10 said:
we've tried to buy a murano for a few months but we cant get one.

Why can't you get one? There should be lots available if not in Dallas, then Houston, Austin, or San Antonio.

Have you considered the Honda Pilot? It's not huge, but it has plenty of room. It's similar in size as the XC60.

or the Toyota Highlander? The split seat option for the middle seats will give extra space for when the kids get older... avoiding "Don't touch my side" fights. As far as size, it's in between the FX35 and XC60.

Depending on the options you get, the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander are similar in price, but less expensive than the FX35 and XC60. I'd recommend a 6-cylinder option. Although it decreases your MPG in the city (will use more gas), you'll have more power. In the highway, the 4-cyclinder and 6-cylinder will have similar MPG.

SkyWarp · Jul 25, 2009

You can get a dealer to order a car for you, and even negotiate on the price. I haven't driven one, but I'd like to try out the CVT transmission on the Murano.

I prefer the looks of the Murano, but the Toyota Venza is pretty comparable, but with better gas mileage, and hopefully Toyota reliability.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-...s/Toyota_Venza/

Between the FX, MDX, and XC60, and with the plan to keep it a long time, I'd go for the Acura or Infiniti for reliability.

CivE Bricky · Jul 25, 2009

Gotta be an engineer here:

budget?

amount of driving?

number & size of passengers?

type of driving? (long trips? commuting? off road? short hops? heavy ice/snow?)

cargo you need to carry?

expected changes during the life of the car? (say adding two kids?)

and...anything else that matters to you?

style

performance

handling

gas mileage

repair frequency etc.

squishles10 · Jul 25, 2009

we've looked all over texas. and oklahoma. theres one in missouri. the problem is its the end of the model year and they arent making any more so we have to choose from whats out there and there just arent many to choose from. we could have ordered one in a 3 day window in june for an august delivery, and had we known that we still wouldnt have one we would have done it. but theyre not making any more 2009s now anyway so no more ordering anyway.

i do not like the new pilot- the front is so ugly. the highlander is an options but we also have the problem where we cant find any. there are lots of hybrid ones but im not getting a hybrid suv for an extra $7k. actually if the rav4 was a tiny bit bigger itd be fine.

the 4 cylinder is the main reason i dont want the rdx. but the new ones jsut came out so maybe if we can get it soon we'll end up with that. that and i think if im buying a "luxury brand" i should get some cooler stuff on it, but dont get me started...

we want to pay around $35k for it, less is obviously better. more accurately, no more than $600 a month on the payment so a better interest rate plays into the price. right now i have no job so i wont drive it much but i assume ill drive it to work eventually, and itll be the main vacation driver. it should last through the addition of two or three kids, so kid friendly is important. an occasional ice storm but my sports car could handle it so thats irrelevant (dallas). cargo includes height (plants, grill etc from home depot) and length (furniture to take home), so folding down split seats is a must. i really really want a sunroof as my last two cars havent had one but i wont DIE without it. i might though.

roadwreck · Jul 25, 2009

a $600 per month payment? Are you shitting me? My advice is find something used and pay for it outright. I don't care what interest payment you get car payments are a bad idea in my book.

Yes, my car is not flashy but it's best feature is it's paid for and all mine.

squishles10 · Jul 25, 2009

i always have used cars and i always have a car payment because they dont last very long. that is without a down payment as we're still paying on my car until we get it sold. it wont be that high forever.

roadwreck · Jul 25, 2009

squishles10 said:
i always have used cars and i always have a car payment because they dont last very long. that is without a down payment as we're still paying on my car until we get it sold. it wont be that high forever.

So you are selling a car that you still have a payment on? And you are looking at buying a $35k car? In my book that is a very very bad idea.

RIP - VTEnviro · Jul 26, 2009

^ I'm with RW. It's not a great idea to replace something you still owe money on. Simply wanting a new car is not a good enough reason to buy one in my opinion.

EM_PS · Jul 26, 2009

roadwreck said:
So you are selling a car that you still have a payment on? And you are looking at buying a $35k car? In my book that is a very very bad idea.

VTEnviro said:
^ I'm with RW. It's not a great idea to replace something you still owe money on. Simply wanting a new car is not a good enough reason to buy one in my opinion.

Selling a car while still owing on it is not a bad thing. . .as long as what you get for it is better than what you owe on it obviously. Cars inherently carry so much negative equity with them that essentially anything break even or above is a good thing.

Buying a $35k car while being unemployed pretty foolish though (in this economy?!). Unload the car if you have to, but probably better to gut it out (since you're admittedly not driving much) till you got a paycheck coming in again.

Finally, the Big 3 are all but giving vehicles away, consider domestic (i.e. Detroit) maybe?

RIP - VTEnviro · Jul 26, 2009

^ Where ya been EM? Haven't seen much from you lately.

roadwreck · Jul 26, 2009

error_matrix said:
Selling a car while still owing on it is not a bad thing. . .as long as what you get for it is better than what you owe on it obviously. Cars inherently carry so much negative equity with them that essentially anything break even or above is a good thing.

Buying a brand new car while still owing money on your current vehicle is a terrible idea. New car values drop an enormous amount straight away, you have almost no hope of not being upside down even if you get a great deal. If you still owe money on your current car you have no business looking at a new car IMO.

I can see how changing vehicles in used cars may make sense if you can get a good deal and come out better off in the long run then what you are currently driving, but I'd still be inclined to stick it out with what I have if I owed money on it.

EM_PS · Jul 26, 2009

VTEnviro said:
^ Where ya been EM? Haven't seen much from you lately.

Went thru a 'local' move (still in MI) in May and its been alot of work. keeping the pc at bay has kept me productive on all these friggin' projects. . .but i can't quit you EB!

roadwreck said:
Buying a brand new car while still owing money on your current vehicle is a terrible idea. New car values drop an enormous amount straight away, you have almost no hope of not being upside down even if you get a great deal. If you still owe money on your current car you have no business looking at a new car IMO.
I can see how changing vehicles in used cars may make sense if you can get a good deal and come out better off in the long run then what you are currently driving, but I'd still be inclined to stick it out with what I have if I owed money on it.

Agreed insomuch as buyer is unemployed considering a $35k vehicle.

A car isnt a commodity, its a tool, one you will never recoup your $$ (principle or maintenance) on. If you can trade a payment for a new payment (which you can adequately afford) while avoiding transferring any negative equity to the new loan (i.e. your trade-in is a wash or even gives you money in hand) i don't see why that is a terrible idea. It can be a proactive maneuver depending on your vehicular needs, and right now is a pretty good time to buy new. and this is assuming you're planning to eventually own your new vehicle outright and enjoy some years of having no monthly car payment.

MA_PE · Jul 26, 2009

A car isnt a commodity, its a tool,

I've seen a lot of "tools" driving cars, too.

Chucktown PE · Jul 27, 2009

squishles, other than agreeing with everyone else on this being a bad financial move I would double check that RDX for cargo purposes. We have an MDX and you can't haul much in it. My brother in law needed me to pick up some furniture for him in it and even with the seats folded down it won't hold much. I put a trailer hitch on ours so I can haul larger stuff if needed. The RDX is very small. I know it doesn't look it but the Highlander and the Murano have much more room. My wife and I looked at similar cars for similar purposes except that I wanted something that could tow a boat as well. For the record we bought a used MDX at an auction with 55k miles on it for $17k. The car is in near perfect condition and based on what I have read it should last quite a while, at least 150k miles.

Capt Worley PE · Jul 27, 2009

I don't know why you think they stopped making Muranos, because they didn't. i suspect salesman chicanery there.

Anyway, I'm pretty much with the rest oif the group. Don't buy anything. Pay off what you have. You're probably upside down on it, which will hurt you.

I've never had a car that cost anywhere near 35K new. Just can't see spending that much money on a car. And I LOVE cars.

EM_PS · Jul 27, 2009

MA_PE said:
I've seen a lot of "tools" driving cars, too.

Capt Worley PE said:
I've never had a car that cost anywhere near 35K new. Just can't see spending that much money on a car. And I LOVE cars.

If i had croaked as a teenager, i would roll over in my grave to hear i would someday think of a car as a tool - gearhead to minivan 'taxi'driver - it happens. . .

RIP - VTEnviro · Jul 27, 2009

A car isnt a commodity, its a tool, one you will never recoup your $$ (principle or maintenance) on.

That's why, in general, I don't consider a car to be an investment, rather a purchase. An investment is something you think will grow in value over time. A car takes a dive as soon as you drive it off the lot.

Capt Worley PE · Jul 27, 2009

error_matrix said:
If i had croaked as a teenager, i would roll over in my grave to hear i would someday think of a car as a tool - gearhead to minivan 'taxi'driver - it happens. . .

I know, sad, isn't it?

looking for a new car

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