Help me buy a car!

[mrsmew]

So now that we're back in Florida and no longer have the beauty of NYC public transportation at our disposal, we need a car. We already have one, a 1997 Lumina we got from my grandmother. Our goal is to have that be our 2nd car for H to take back and forth to work, but we want a new car for me to use with baby in tow, and to use for distance driving (largely back and forth from Jax to St. Pete, and other road trips).

So, I mean, what's the best way to go about this? Obviously it should be able to comfortably fit at least one carseat in the back, but aside from that, I really have no idea what to look for. I think we would lean more towards a sedan-type rather than something bigger (SUV or van) for the time-being. But I'm really feeling lost considering that we haven't even really thought about cars in 7 years or so (and all our old cars before that point were beaters we drove in HS/college). What's the best way to get this process started? Anybody have recs? Things that we should really look for or avoid? General thoughts and well-wishes? Help!

[sara76]

When I bought my car without anyone's help I went to my credit union and told them my car was totaled and I needed to go shopping. They pre approved me for 15k and made me out a check then and there. I picked out the car I wanted (Corolla LE) and went to the dealership and said if you can give me this car in grey for this check I'll take it now. They ended up having to throw in an upgraded CD player and power steering to get me grey but they did it. Sticker was 17.4 and I got it for 15.5 out the door. I felt so cool! H gets great deals by wheeling and dealing with the Internet salesperson. We actually drove to Jacksonville for our truck because they gave the best Internet deal. Coggin Nisaan. They were awesome.
Good luck mama!

[etteyam]

Since you already have the type of car picked out (sedan), I'd proceed with budget. I recommend the Honda Civic since it has the highest crash test rating. I had one as my first car and I loved it! If you want something roomier, there's the Accord or Toyota Camry.

[mrsjason]

Whatever you do, dont buy a VW! Ha. I have a 2007 Jetta and the thing is a piece of shit. My AC has never really worked right and after searching the internet, it is a very, very common problem with all VW. There is about a 10 minute delay before the AC blows cold air and it blows hot when sitting at red lights or driving in heavy, slow traffic. Which is totally awesome when the heat index is around 115 everyday here in Texas. My mom has a 2010 Jetta and she has the same issue with her AC.

We have a mechanic that we take our cars to (her works on all makes and models but specializes in foreign cars) and he speaks highly of the Honda Accord. He says the engine is solid and easy to work on. He said for a small SUV the Nissan Rouge is a great car and for a full size SUV the Toyota 4-Runner is great.

Good luck! And I'm super jealous, I really would like a new car but unfortunately it's just not in the budget for us

[aegis2005]

I second not buying a VW Jetta. Mine was a total lemon (2003) I had it 18 months and it had to go in 12 times for "non-standard" issues (i.e. defroster didn't go on, which in MA in winter was a problem, window wouldn't go up, whole dashboard kept flashing). I was very happy with my Toyota Camry. We traded it for a new car for DH and I'm driving his old Honda Accord and very happy with that as well.

[mrsmew]

Thanks, ladies! We test drove a Prius yesterday and liked it but I think it might be too small. It's fine for around town but for road trips and such, I don't know that it could accommodate all our luggage. Next to check out are the Camry Hybrid, Civic and Accord.

Hopefully we can get this wrapped up soon. Having only one car right now sucks. My H takes it to work and he's gone from 5:30 a.m. till 7:30 p.m. and there's very little to do within walking distance here (just a Publix, really, so I went to the grocery store literally every day last week, haha). I'm getting pretty antsy and bored, so I need wheels to get out and explore Jax already!

If any other words of advice or recommendations come to mind, please keep them coming!

[babybchbum]

I wouldn't get a hybrid. You aren't going to see the return for the extra money you are going to spend

[sara76]

Aug 20, 2013 13:23:57 GMT -5 babybchbum said:

I wouldn't get a hybrid. You aren't going to see the return for the extra money you are going to spend

Oh see now I would get a Nissan Leaf in a heartbeat if I thought it was big enough for a family of 4 and luggage.  The Corolla is very spacious though, great on gas, not ugly, and comes with some great options now.  I married a Nissan man though and that will be it for this family. 

[jen812]

I've had good luck with Hyundais before I got my pathfinder. They have great warranties.

[mrsmew]

Thanks again, all. Just in case any of you were waiting on the edge of your seats to find out how it turned out, we ended up with a 2013 Honda Accord. It has all the roominess we wanted, drives really well, gets gas mileage, and my H was all in a tizzy over the fancy back-up camera and such. I think it will be good. He's the one driving it, though...I'm stuck with the '97 Chevy Lumina we already had. Laaaame!

Really, thanks again for all the advice! I'm just glad the whole process is over, frankly.