Buying my first car and want some advice
Hi Tildes, as the title says I am in the market to purchase my first car (of my own) and am finding myself pretty ignorant about the types of considerations I should be making. I really do not know that much about cars, so I am finding it a bit difficult to compare different options as I don't really understand what is important in a car. I was hoping to ask for some advice here and recommendations of guides or other resources to help with my decision. Here is some information:
- I am looking to buy new, not used.
- I am interested in an SUV or station wagon as opposed to a sedan — I like driving them more, and would very much like the extra space for moving things.
- I am in a situation where I intend to pay in cash, with a budget of roughly $30k. I know that paying in cash is sometimes not actually beneficial, but due to my specific circumstances this is the route I am going.
I have started to look at some options but am finding myself unable to compare things like different engines, transmission, and other performance and reliability metrics. What features should I actually be focusing on, i.e. what is actually important? Are there any primers out there that people can recommend?
To give a sense of what I am considering, some of my current contenders are: 2023 Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-30, Toyota RAV4, and similar cars.
Do you know the “five whys”?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys
Go through this process for each of your bullet points. You may end up finding out that your preferences aren’t what you thought they were.
For example: I am interested in a suv. Why? Because I like driving them more. Why do I like driving them more? Because …
Paper specs are pretty useful to determine the make and model you’d like to drive, but it kind of stops there. Here are some things I looked for when I evaluated several vehicles. I thought for a long time because I plan to keep my vehicle for at least 10 years.
I think a lot of the above can be determined by just going sit in the car on the lot and by watching YouTube rundowns. I scratched off the 4Runner and Subarus because of some of the above.
Here are some other things to consider when you've nailed down a make and model.
The last few questions can impact what's actually an option for you. For instance, I couldn't get a Honda with heated cloth seats, but my sister has a Toyota Rav4 with heated cloth seats.
I found Honda to have really simple trims. Just three or four levels. Toyota had dealership-specific stuff like rock sliders already installed, or state-specific trims (like a Texas/Louisiana truck). I found Ford tended to lock upgrades together. I rules out Subaru before getting to a dealership.
When you go drive the car, see if you can visit a dealership near an interstate or highway to get up to speed on the test drive. I was asking myself:
So to sum it up, go sit in a few models if you can. Do a little research and read forums and NHTSA complaints about reliability if available. Drive the actual vehicle you want to buy to make sure it handles like you want!
Also happy to chat further or answer any questions!
What is important, is that you enjoy driving the car.
Go test drive all three options.
Reconsider your first bullet point - you may get thousands off a car that only has been driven a few thousand miles if you buy used.
For me personally, this is the most important consideration. IMO the amount of extra money you pay for a new car is in no way proportional to the actual value difference between new and used. Depending on someone's experience, "used" may carry different connotations. Used does not necessarily mean some 10yr old car that's been abused by several owners and a sleezy salesman is trying desperately to con you into buying it. There are lots of cars that are technically used but are in practical terms brand new.
The car I currently own (2016 Mazda 3) was used when I bought it, but I bought it from Hertz for fairly cheap ($11k) when it was just over 2 years old. I felt good about this (and still do) because even though it had a high amount of miles on it, I knew the rental company had taken way better care of it than most owners (including me) would have in terms of maintenance and upkeep (oil changes, etc).
In any event, another thing I recommend is to spend a few bucks and pay for https://www.consumerreports.org/ and check their ratings for various makes and models. This can help you determine some of the longer-term questions about reliability and long-term maintenance costs associated with a car that aren't included in the sticker price.
Truthfully, I'd be hard pressed to buy anything other than a Toyota anymore. I'm on my third one, only ever because of life curcumstance changes, not because the vehicle was broken.
First was a Prius...a III if I recall. Bought used with 90k on it circa 2014 for about $12k. Never did any major repairs on it, traded it with 170k miles on the dial around 2018.
Switched to a minivan because the Prius was great for an adult-only car, but not so great dealing with car seats. Got a 2008 fully-decked Sienna for about $10k. Had about 120k miles Car was in relatively fine shape, though you could tell that previous owner was not doing proper maintainence, and the engine was making some bad noises. Otherwise...no issues, put another 30k ish on it.
Then the 2022 Ukraine/gas panic/car insanity came. I did some rough math and found I could trade in the minivan for nearly what I paid and upgrade substantially to something that will have better resale value when the madness subsided. The fuel economy was bad enough things could have gone real bad for our home if gas prices held at $5 indefinitely.
Now I have a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid. Its a relatively small SUV. If you're over 6' and constantly have passengers in the back one of you is going to be uncomfortable. It was ok with 2 smaller kids but as they grow I immediately start seeing the problems.
I'll be swapping back to a Sienna within 3 years now. I'm hoping that an all-electric option is coming.
Anyway, buy a RAV4 if you're without children. If you have kids embrace minivan life and don't look back.
Always act like you have more options to look at before you decide, even if you know which vehicle you want pretend there is always something else somewhere else that might persuade you to move on from the deal. This is your bartering chip, it doesn't work everywhere, because some places don't pay based on commissions but some times you can get $500-$1000 off because they want to make a quick deal. You just have to be the one to ask them. Basically leave the dealership and call them back the next day ask if there is anything they can lower on the price otherwise you have some other options to go test drive.
Having cash or your own pre-approved financing ready before you go in is also an absolute must. Never let the dealership run your credit, always go to a bank first if you need it. If you do decide on something higher than the 30k they will only give you a loan if it's over something like 5k and long enough terms to make it worthwhile. Just know that if you settle on a car at 31k and take out a load for w/e amount that on your first payment you can put almost all of your 30k on it and leave them with a small loan that will be paid off in 2-3 months instead of 3-6 years. So always go with whatever lands you the lowest interest rate.
I'm happy to see all of your preferred options are Japanese vehicles. In my experience they have been more dependable, cheaper and easier to fix and long lasting with decent gas mileage. My mother has been driving Mazdas since 1992. They usually have slightly smaller interiors, so if you are big or tall you might want to see how you fit. She has had problems finding snow tires for some of the models she has owned. Generally you have to get a bigger profile tire since they only design them with sporty summer tires in mind. The bigger profile can cause issues with rubbing during turning or driving down bumpy roads, they can also affect the accuracy of the speedometer. I remember have 14" snow tires on one that was supposed to be 13" and around 60mph I was actually going 65-66mph.
Subaru, everyone I know that has had one seems to like it. When I test drove a few I didn't like the comfort of the seating, the loudness of the engine to the interior, the tinny sound system and the myriad of useless features that I personally wouldn't want to use (but what car doesn't have these). It just wasn't that comfortable of a driving experience.
Toyota, My experience has been with Camry, Corolla and T100 truck. All were good vehicles, the only one I owned was the truck and that lasted 350k miles, a front end collision and being used with a plow attachment for several years. I think the transmission was finally starting to fail and the 4 wheel drive wasn't engaging properly is why my dad sent it to the junk yard. To be honest my next car is likely going to be a Toyota or Acura/Honda.
Personally I wouldn't buy new. The best value is something a year or two old with only a few thousand miles. A lot of people lease vehicles and trade them in after a year or two so you find stuff with 30-60k miles and the price drop is significant. You also can test drive some of these and if they feel like crappy vehicles chances are your new one will be running the same way after a year or two also. Might help spot some red flags instead of test driving only brand new ones.
Safety is probably the most important thing. We are fragile squishy meatbags that aren't really meant to travel at the speeds that these heavy metal boxes allow us to. Check the safety features on the cars you're looking for, as well as their NHTSA and IIHS ratings.
Beyond that, figure out your absolute must-haves (for example, I had to have adaptive cruise control in my most recent car purchase). Center your purchase around those and then don't sweat all the other small differences. If the car is safe, affordable, and has the few things you absolutely must have, then it's the right car. It's easy to hyperfixate on a lot of the other details, but unless you have incredibly specific driving needs, then pretty much all cars will get you, your passengers, and your stuff to all the same places in roughly the same way.