Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Even new cars break and have expensive repairs and dealers aren't always helpful, even with a warranty.
Just don't go buying any until you are sobered up and an independent mechanic well versed in that brand looks it over for you.
If new car is in warranty what expensive repair would not be covered? Buying new gets rid of the unknown factor of what the previous owners did to the car. Honda's depreciate very little and so are a good car to buy new as opposed to used. Cars that depreciate greatly are better to buy slightly used but still in warranty and let original owner take the depreciation hit.
If new car is in warranty what expensive repair would not be covered? Buying new gets rid of the unknown factor of what the previous owners did to the car. Honda's depreciate very little and so are a good car to buy new as opposed to used. Cars that depreciate greatly are better to buy slightly used but still in warranty and let original owner take the depreciation hit.
My worst experience was with a VW. I had to replace the brakes at 20,000 miles (not covered). The upper strut bearings went bad, but they wouldn't fix it, even with an independent mechanic verifying the problem in writing. I had a few electrical problems that the dealer never seemed to be able to replicate. I ended up fixing them on my own, while still in the warranty period.
When i had a ford they always found some items that needed to be fixed but were somehow not under warranty. Not maintenance, not wear items, but parts that failed in the warranty period.
I lost a lot of faith in new car warranties due to my experience, I've never had a dealer truly stand behind them.
The majority of Accords being stolen are ones 1997 and earlier. This is before modern anti theft technology made it hard for everyday criminals to steal cars. New Accords are not stolen at a higher rate than other new cars. I certainly wouldn't shy away from an accord because of worries about it gotten stolen, car theft is rare with new cars now.
The fact that 20+ year old accords are still being stolen at such high rates shows how reliable those accords are, they are still rolling around and valuable despite their age.
If I was you i'd get the Accord Sport SE, it has leather seating, a fairly low price, and a sporty suspension. The Mazda 6 is also a great option. Honestly everyday cars like Accords and Camry's deprecate so little that buying new makes financial sense. Accords drop in value is much lower than German or even Japanese luxury cars that seem to depreciate like crazy. Remember depreciation is what you will end up spending on the car, not the initial purchase price.
I've never owned a car before, thanks to an awesome public transit system I've never felt the need to own one. And if I did need a ride, I had Zip car and other car sharing services at my disposal. BUT, I'm getting married and it'd be really awkward if the future wife were driving us around all the time.
My budget is anywhere from 20-40K and it's a wide range b/c I've been looking at everything from a Mazda 6 and a Prius to a C Class/Lexus/Audi. Basically what I'm looking for in a car is this: a sporty look with good reliability and good gas mileage. I love the Prius because of the mileage but I don't like the way it looks, if that makes sense? I've read good reports on the Mazda 6, I'm a huge fan of the Honda Accord Sport and that's my front runner. However, I took a drive in a C class and enjoyed the hell out of it but the maintenance costs are probably going to be big. I haven't test driven an Audi or a Lexus but in the case of an Audi, things like leather seating and a roof are their standard options rather than add ons like the C class.
Any tips/advice is greatly appreciated.
I'm gonna go a different approach to this. Considering you've never owned a car before, really seem to have a very broad range of what you are looking for with just a few mentioned, and plan to trade it in after the warranty, I would suggest going with a lease. See what manufacturers you like and narrow it down to a few, run your numbers and drive it for a few years to get a better idea of what you like/need in a vehicle. With your budget you could get something nicer (like a german car, but you will be spending several thousand a year on "preventative maintenance" (you will fix it all before it breaks)). You have listed several Japanese cars, an electric vehicle, some higher end brands and a couple a little more towards the basic end.
If you're getting married, is there a chance you may have a bigger family soon? May be moving to a different region soon? (next several years). Sure you may find something you like that may be decent or even the right fit, but nobody here is going to be able to tell you what fits you.
In these situations I always think places like CarMax and autonation are the best places to start. I would NEVER buy a vehicle from those overpriced places, and don't let them know that, but its a great place to go to a larger sales lot, and be able to; look at, sit in, test drive, compare several different vehicles from several different manufacturers all at one time. You may find that one just looks too cheap on the inside, or you don't like the way one drives. They only have used, which is also what I would recommend, (too much depreciation and uncertainty in what YOU might want/need from a vehicle that you really just don't know without some experience in ownership for a while). It should at least help narrow down the field.
I'm gonna go a different approach to this. Considering you've never owned a car before, really seem to have a very broad range of what you are looking for with just a few mentioned, and plan to trade it in after the warranty, I would suggest going with a lease. See what manufacturers you like and narrow it down to a few, run your numbers and drive it for a few years to get a better idea of what you like/need in a vehicle. With your budget you could get something nicer (like a german car, but you will spending several thousand a year on "preventative maintenance" (you will fix it all before it breaks)). You have listed several Japanese cars, an electric vehicle, some higher end brands and a couple a little more towards the basic end.
If you're getting married, is there a chance you may have a bigger family soon? May be moving to a different region soon? (next several years). Sure you may find something you like that may be decent or even the right fit, but nobody here is going to be able to tell you what fits you.
In these situations I always think places like CarMax and autonation are the best places to start. I would NEVER buy a vehicle from those overpriced places, and don't let them know that, but its a great place to go to a larger sales lot, and be able to; look at, sit in, test drive, compare several different vehicles from several different manufacturers all at one time. You may find that one just looks too cheap on the inside, or you don't like the way one drives. They only have used, which is also what I would recommend, (too much depreciation and uncertainty in what YOU might want/need from a vehicle that you really just don't know without some experience in ownership for a while). It should at least help narrow down the field.
The Benz dealership I went to was trying to sell me on leasing after I had told them I wouldn't be financing and would be making an all cash purchase. The idea sounded really tempting but at the end of the day, I felt like I'd just be renting a car for 3 years. At least if I bought a car and decided to trade it in, I'd have some collateral. We're probably thinking children within the next 3 years or so. I could always drive it more, I've got a free parking spot at my job so that's an incentive to drive more. But the traffic here is so terrible I'd just be hating life.
I guess in a way I've been trying to talk myself into getting a C class or something similar. They just look so nice and the ride is so smooth, but dropping 40K+ like that, I'd be trying to justify it to myself forever.
Is a C class really worth twice as much as an Accord or Mazda6? For some people the image that driving a german luxury car projects is worth it. They are nicer but i'm not sure that i'd consider them twice as good, however if you've got lots of extra cash laying around it may be a nice gift to yourself.
Another question will you have an off street parking spot. Personally I would be very worried about scratching a new Mercades if I had to street park it frequently, lots of people in large cities parallel park by "feel" meaning people will hit your bumper.
Assuming you are talking about new, I'd skip the Honda. Research "Honda engine issues", make a sandwich and be ready to read how many buyers are finding they can't pour enough oil in one. The issue is with the cylinder deactivation system, low tension rings, and the lighter viscosity oil. It just isn't working according to plan. I'd also suggest looking at the Lincoln line up especially the sexy MKZ.
With an available 3.7 300HP V6 that isn't a turbo that you'll end up maintaining, you'll have lots of power at hand and an engine that has a reliability history that most car makers wish they could match.
Every car maker has certain issues. Cars are so complicated that it's nearly impossible for nothing to go wrong with them over a long period of time. Looking at consumer reports ratings the Accord still has reliability at much higher than average.
Last edited by tysmith95; 08-17-2016 at 07:34 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.