How do you choose a new car?

[JanetRose]

Wanting to trade in my 2014 Honda CRV for a 2021 Subaur Forester Premium.

I looked at Consumer Reports.

How do you research?

thank you!

 

[kymom99]

Edmunds

 

[Praying Colonel]

Wanting to trade in my 2014 Honda CRV for a 2021 Subaur Forester Premium.

I looked at Consumer Reports.

How do you research?

thank you!

We almost always buy the same kind of car (Toyota Camry) because they've all been rock solid for us. My Camry had 265K on it when it was totalled in a wreck in 2018. My WAG is it would still be running today but for the accident.

After the accident we wanted to get an SUV with good AWD. We checked Edmunds, Consumer Reports and watched a ton of YouTube videos. We ended up buying a 2015 Forester.

Now having done all that research, I've not been happy with the Forester. There haven't been any major problems, but several annoying things (bad brake sensor, several minor fuse/electrical issues, bluetooth difficult to set up and work properly) that I never had with our Toyotas. People love Subarus and maybe I got the exception, so YMMV.

 

[soccerdad72]

Eenie-meenie-miney-moe

 

[Meglen]

I cant buy a car based on reviews everyone has a different Butt I go by what I need (size,storage,4wd) than look at my options and than go sit my butt in the seats at the dealer and find the most comfortable fit.

 

[Orion Nebula]

We almost always buy the same kind of car (Toyota Camry) because they've all been rock solid for us. My Camry had 265K on it when it was totalled in a wreck in 2018. My WAG is it would still be running today but for the accident.

After the accident we wanted to get an SUV with good AWD. We checked Edmunds, Consumer Reports and watched a ton of YouTube videos. We ended up buying a 2015 Forester.

Now having done all that research, I've not been happy with the Forester. There haven't been any major problems, but several annoying things (bad brake sensor, several minor fuse/electrical issues, bluetooth difficult to set up and work properly) that I never had with our Toyotas. People love Subarus and maybe I got the exception, so YMMV.

You can't be the only one obviously. I think the old days of "rock solid" are over and every manufacturer has gone much cheaper / cut corners. I remember people thirty years ago running Toyota's commonly over 200k without major issues. And Volvo's being nearly immortal. But anymore it seems like people keep getting "lemons" these days and I imagine they are not an exception. Cars suck.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I will generally decide what car I am generally interested in and then do a LOT of Google searches for reviews of all sorts on that car and model.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We tend to stick with brands. Grew up in a Ford family, but married a Jeep man. We’ve had almost every model of Jeep there is, along with some Chryslers, and we loved them all. But when my elderly mother could no longer get up into the Jeep, we had to switch it up. After a lot of reading on various forums, as well as seeing some examples of longevity in person, we decided to go with Toyota. Have three now in the family, and so far, so good. Hoping that with routine maintenance, they will live up to their reputation. Repairs on the older Jeep/Chryslers put a huge dent in our budget while the kids were in college.

 

[momz]

We just bought a new vehicle for hubby last week. the transmission went out on his 2013 Nissan Pathfinder, it has 150K miles on it. We had specific things we needed. Chiefly space for cargo and a minimum towing capacity. We looked at new, then saw that the interest rates for used are essentially the same as for new. So, we found a used vehicle with very low miles and was $9K less than buying the same one new.

We got a Ford Explorer with 16k miles on it, and it had been a leased vehicle, maintenance was done on time every time and we have all the documentation for that. He seems happy with it.

The only downside is that we are back to having a car payment after 7 years without one.

Also, I hate car shopping. absolutely despise it. But it seems to have been easier than for previous buys this time. Less haggling over the price. Our trade in value would have been better if we traded the pathfinder before the transmission went out....

 

[MamaBelle4]

I'm not too particular as long as DH can work on it. There are certain brands he considers a bear to work on, so we don't purchase those. He prefers Fords because his dad has access to certain on board computer stuff that really helps us out when things go awry. My vehicle right now is a Chrysler Town & Country. I'm relatively happy with it. It's flex fuel and it seems that actually using the flex fuel jams up the catalytic converters, so that's unfortunate.

 

[AussieFan8]

I bought a 2020 Forester Sport last year. I had two Acuras prior to that with no problems, so it was a bit scary switching brands. I did have a Subaru Outback before the Acuras and the only problem with it was that the windows would occasionally fog on the inside and I couldn't seem to get it to stop. Anyway, I knew I wanted a small SUV this time around and did a lot of research, test drives, etc. I was torn between the CR-V and the Forester but the Forester won me over with superior visibility out the rear windows. I worry a bit that the reliability may not be quite as good as the CR-V but am crossing my fingers. I love it so far! Good luck with your search.

 

[tcufrog]

I start by making a list of what I want, need, and refuse to have. I set a budget and then make a list of all of the possible vehicles. I then go on test drives of all of the possible vehicles. Once I've narrowed it down to 5 or less based on a test drive, I do my research using CR, Edmunds, Motor Trend, etc. At that point, I'm interested in safety, reliability and total cost of ownership. I then narrow it down to 3 or fewer and take another round of test drives with my husband and kids for a second opinion. Sometimes they notice things that I missed. That usually helps me make my final choice.

At that point, I start negotiating. I live in a large metro area and am willing to drive for the right deal. I look online to see the inventory of the different places and start calling to negotiate. I prefer to finish my negotiating before I enter the dealership and am prepared to walk away if they try to pull a bait and switch or some other form of manipulation. Once, a dealership made me wait too long and a different dealership called me while I was losing patience. When I told the other dealer's salesperson what was going on, she offered a better deal and threw in some swag (the car was a surprise for my indecisive DH). I walked and the dealership I was dealing with was furious. They tried to claim that we had a deal but I hadn't signed anything. Car salespeople hate me.

 

[RangerPooh]

We just did this as our soon-to-be 16yo daughter is about to inherit my old car. DH asked me what I wanted (a mid-sized SUV for camping and kids) and then he began researching. I did have a few brands that I was interested in and features that I wanted. Ultimately he read reviews and compared the SUVs that I was looking at.

We went with a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk edition. It drives nicely, has decent cargo space that I can take camping (with BSA this weekend) or haul my Girl Scout cookies (tomorrow). The downside is that it seats 3 in the back not 4, but honestly if we're hauling all 4 kids I can borrow my parents mini-van.

 

[sam_gordon]

I remember people thirty years ago running Toyota's commonly over 200k without major issues.

We've had two Sienna's (a 2001 and now a 2013), but with over 200k with no major issues. DD has a 2007 Prius with over 150K (I think) that has had some issues, but not a lot. I now have a 2015 Camry with <35k miles and it better last. lol

I also "handed down" my 06 Hyundai Sonata to DS and it has over 200k.

 

[NannyBeBe]

If safety features are important to you, I would look at the Hyundai Tucson. My daughter bought one a few months back and I am amazed at the safety features.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I’m probably of no help lol, because I’m a sports coupe person. So, when I’m ready to buy a new car, I go with whoever has the sleekest looking coupe of the season that offers a sunroof (must have) and touring features.

 

[Kae]

Eenie-meenie-miney-moe

and how cute it is. I got a VW Passat Turbo Diesal last year and love it.

 

[stsomewhere]

test drive a few different brands to get the correct fit.

 

[neverlandsky]

No major issues with our 10 year old Nissan Altima. In fact, I still see others like it on the road with me all the time. When she goes, I'm getting another Nissan Altima. How I choose is that I looked for cars that were still on the road 10-15 years later. Wanted a car that was cheaper in gas, insurance, routine maintenance, & repairs.

 

[wildride]

We always buy 4WD/AWD, we both are essential and have a 45 minute commute. So our go to vehicle is always Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now I am retiring and want a convertible, curious also how people research.