New(used) Car Tips

[Mazda.Mark]

Well you guys have a lot of knowledge and I am grateful for you all sharing your personal stories and expertse.

You all tell me, what car would you be looking at that has awd?

Toss up: Ford Fusion 62k 2009 awd 14,990 or 2005 audi a4 awd 58k miles 15,300?

 

[dtuna42]

Audi is "nicer", Fusion has really good reliability reputation and cheaper to repair. IF you're taking out a loan, consider extended warranty (only the service plan through Ford or Audi, not some other "independent" company). I say that because tranny and AWD systems can be really expensive to repair, and if you're making payments, I have to assume you don't have tons of cash sitting around..
Also, if you want AWD, did you look at any Subaru Legacy GT or Infiniti G35X options? You should be able to find some nice options in your price range, and I've had both and really like them..
One more thing- cars.com- will give you a really good idea on asking price of comps.

 

[TLMitchell]

What offer you think is faie here:

2007 Ford Fusion SEL, $14,990 - Cars.com

Im thinking 14k out door?

According to the Carfax it sold 8/27. If it's still available and a deal went bellyup I'd want to know why.

IF you're taking out a loan, consider extended warranty (only the service plan through Ford or Audi, not some other "independent" company).

A "certified" warranty effectively extends the original factory warranty. It generally costs a dealer 4 - $500 for it. I'd want it on any used vehicle I buy.

Questions: do you need to finance anything or are you able to pay cash? Do you have a trade or outright deal? If you need to finance get your financing in order before you go to kick tires.... do NOT let the dealer know you have your own financing until you're ready to sign on the dotted line. Know what you will pay and don't budge. I tell 'em that includes a Certified warranty, document fees are their cost of doing business, I won't pay 'em.

TL

 

[Mazda.Mark]

According to the Carfax it sold 8/27. If it's still available and a deal went bellyup I'd want to know why.



A "certified" warranty effectively extends the original factory warranty. It generally costs a dealer 4 - $500 for it. I'd want it on any used vehicle I buy.

Questions: do you need to finance anything or are you able to pay cash? Do you have a trade or outright deal? If you need to finance get your financing in order before you go to kick tires.... do NOT let the dealer know you have your own financing until you're ready to sign on the dotted line. Know what you will pay and don't budge. I tell 'em that includes a Certified warranty, document fees are their cost of doing business, I won't pay 'em.

TL

I have 6k cash and I am pre-approved for up to 15k at my credit union.

I called about the carfax b/c the car was still posted, it is a problem with the cars.com and it did sell.

I will definitely look into the ext warranty.

 

[TLMitchell]

I have 6k cash and I am pre-approved for up to 15k at my credit union.

Cool, so you can up to 21k if the really right vehicle presents itself or the 15k includes your down payment?

I will definitely look into the ext warranty.

The key work is "certified". Lots of extended warranties around that are basically insurance policies. Some are OK, some you have to twist arms to get a nickel out of them. A Certified warranty is an extension of the factory warranty. Mucho betterer, IMO.

TL

 

[dwengier77]

i got a great deal with my last car and this is how i did it. i test drove a lot of cars, when i found one i really wanted i used Edmunds.com to research and price out the car with all the options i wanted.I then went online and found a great deal one a big dealer website that had no haggle price out the door. I would have to drive 5 hours to pick up the car but it was a great deal. I then called all the local dealers and asked if they would beat the price or match it. I found a dealer an hour and a half away that beat the price by $100. I set up financing through my bank and sold my old car privately. i went to the dealer with a personal check and a bank check and walked out the door less then an a hour later. Simple and no dealer crap to deal with!

 

[yakky]

Audi is "nicer", Fusion has really good reliability reputation and cheaper to repair. IF you're taking out a loan, consider extended warranty (only the service plan through Ford or Audi, not some other "independent" company). I say that because tranny and AWD systems can be really expensive to repair, and if you're making payments, I have to assume you don't have tons of cash sitting around..
.

There are a lot of things to worry about on an Audi, but the AWD system is really not one of them. The stock drivetrain can handle levels that are double to triple the original power levels before breaking. And on a 2005, he is not going to be able to get a certified warranty due to the age. I think he'll need to look in the 2007 and up age range for that. Audis are incredibly durable, but fairly unreliable. They won't leave you stranded but they will empty your wallet if you want everything to work perfectly.

 

[Mazda.Mark]

Hey everyone. thanks again for the words!

Got an 08 Mazda6 sport ev. 35k miles. Sticker was 16k got it for 14,300, so I was happy with the results.

Stuck with my number and made it happen.

2 hours total time in and out.

Hopefully I am good for a while! I EXTENDED THE FACTORY WARRANTY!

Mark

 

[The Heater]

I never tell them what I want or have to spend, I only tell them what I want to look for cars they have.

If you have $15K to spend, tell the salesperson you have less than that, pick a figure, at least $2K less. That or don't tell them. They don't have to know. Look at what you are interested in.

Try to get something with lower mileage.

 

[dtuna42]

I never tell them what I want or have to spend, I only tell them what I want to look for cars they have.

If you have $15K to spend, tell the salesperson you have less than that, pick a figure, at least $2K less. That or don't tell them. They don't have to know. Look at what you are interested in.

Try to get something with lower mileage.

Very true. The biggest mistake people make when buying a car is answering the question of "What do you want your monthly payment to be?". It's a trap- every salesperson is trained to ask it. It allows them to work backwards and inflate the price with additional payments, higher interest rate, add-ons, or pushing you towards more expensive cars. Instead, negotiate the price first, then worry about the payment (although, in your head you do obviously need to know what you can pay monthly).

Congrats on the Mazda purchase!