So we just found out we need to buy a car..,

[tacocat]

We are totally not prepared for this yet but are able to borrow and save for the next couple months for a down payment. Any one have any suggestions?

We want 4 wheel drive an good gas mileage. Hoping for at least a 2009. Maybe a crossover or small SUV...

We are going to start looking this weekend. We are going to go to Subaru for sure. Where else?

[georgeharrison]

Yeah, I was going to say Subaru. My mom test drove a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport a year or so ago and it was nice and inexpensive. They have the awesome warranty, too.

[mkate710]

Yup, Subaru. I'm highly recommend a guy named Christian Graham at Chaplins in Bellevue.

Good luck with the car hunt!

[Deleted]

No recommendations, but good luck with the car hunt!

[tacocat]

This is silly but I have never fully picked out and bought a car of my own. I had hand me downs before and my current car my parents picked out and paid for with insurance money when my old car was stolen (student and in their name. I have managed to make it last awhile.

Actually I did buy a car before. It was an amazing VW convertible named Vinny and it was a total lemon. It lasted me maybe a year but I loved that car...

[jennlin]

i've never bought a car either....

good luck on getting an awesome one!

[bettylou79]

I just bought my first car by myself. My first was bought by my mom and my second my mom cosigned on. I think I was in my first year of college. I paid on the loan though.
I did a lot of research for this car. I bought a 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe. I believe it's considered a mid size SUV. I love it but I do have to remind myself that it is not a sports car and needs a few more seconds to accelerate. I love all the features. It has blue tooth so I can talk through the radio to people. I love it! I know it's not new technology but it's great!

I went and got preapproved for financing through a credit union so I knew what my limits would be. It was also nice to know what the APR would be. It was a nice leverage feature when the dealer offered me financing at one rate and I said thanks but I have a better rate through ______. As it turned out they could beat it with a different bank but still it was nice to have.

[picksthemusic]

Subaru Forester.

We LOVE ours!

[catbus]

Forester would be a good choice. We went Outback when we bought last fall and I absolutely love that car, but it is more expensive than the Forester. Gas mileage is slightly better in the Outback (2.5i w/CVT) than the Forester, but not by much.

[maddysmum]

We've been car shopping forever.

I think we've settled on a Volvo XC90. Since you can't drive anywhere in this city without seeing three at any given time, there are tons available. The XC70 is a little smaller and equally popular.

We also liked the Subaru Tribeca and Mazda CX-9. We've had five Mazdas and have loved them all.

I'm currently driving a Chevy Traverse and I can say with certainty that I've never said this about a Chevy - I really like it! Lots of fun toys, too.

We also considered the Nissan Rogue, but it was a little too small for us so that might be just about right!

Or, if you're feeling a little spendier, the Infiniti FX is awesome. If we decide to buy new, I think we'll get the JX, which is bigger.

[tacocat]

Going into the mountains. I'm a wuss...

[catbus]

Sept 25, 2012 11:22:09 GMT -5 @lauralynne said:

jsut curious but why 4wd? (I've always wondered why people buy/own them...)

4WD adds a ton of stability in the weather we get around here. I never saw the need, either, until I rented a Zipcar a few years back that happened to be a 4WD Subaru. It was a really rainy day and I noticed a huge difference between it and my old rear-wheel drive car. The car was so responsive, and I never felt any of the "slipping" I'd feel in my old car when I drove through a big puddle at high speeds (I was doing a lot of freeway driving that day).
We bought our '12 Outback in November, and the 4WD really came in handy during January's snow/ice storm. We didn't try to drive anywhere the first few days, but we were definitely able to start driving around our very hilly neighborhood a day or two earlier than we would have been able to in our old car. Our driveway slopes down toward the garage, and I'm sure our old car wouldn't have even made it out of the driveway!

[catbus]

Heimeken, if you do go the Subaru route and want to buy new, I highly recommend buying through the Costco Auto program. Subarus are so popular around here that it's pretty difficult to negotiate a really good deal, so the Costco program is nice because a discounted price is already arranged with the partner dealership. In the Seattle area, you'd be going through Walker's Renton Subaru. We had a pretty good experience with them.
I've also heard good things about a specific sales guy at Carter in Shoreline, but can't remember his name right now. He maintains a website of all the current Subaru promotional deals, and helpful comparisons between models/trim lines.

[tacocat]

Thanks catbus!