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USA - New Car Vs Certified Pre-Owned and Sedan Vs Mid Size SUV and Best car to purchase among the list
Dear Experts,
I'm confused in choosing New car Vs Certified Pre-Owned car and whether i need to go with Sedan or Mid size SUV and which car among the list mentioned is the best one to purchase. I'm tired of meeting different dealers & the guidance they give is not satisfying .
(1) My initial plan is to purchase a New car but this will be my first car & started driving recently. I came to know from my friends it would be good to start driving used car for 6 months or a year & later purchase new one. I drive smoothly by following DMV rules of the road but even though i wouldn't drive rash , Is it wise to purchase New Car or Certified Pre-Owned used car ?
(2) If i opt to purchase Certified Pre-Owned car :
(a) Is there any website where i can see which year Car Make, Model is good in features & no recalls with security ?
(b) How many miles it would be decent to choose used car - I came across it is less than 50K miles but is it good to go for more miles ?
(c) Which year model i need to choose - Years : 2008 - 2010 or 2013 - 2014 Thinking about Resale value, safety, features ..etc it would be wise to choose which year or let me know if there is any other year ?
(3) Things to consider in choosing Sedan or Mid Size SUV
(a) I want to purchase HONDA ACCORD if it is Sedan or choose HONDA CR-V for Mid Size SUV. Please correct me if there is better car mentioned below in point - 4. Note : This doesn't mean i like HONDA much. I came across this info from some of my friends.
(b) I noticed that it is easy while getting in & out of an Mid Size SUV when compared it with Sedan. I'm not so fat less than 200 pounds with height 5 foot 11 inches.
(c) Space - I'm getting married this year thinking about future i believe Mid Size SUV helps me with good space during shopping & relocation whereas Sedans don't have much space.
(d) Speed - Acceleration and Power & Cylinders : I came across mostly Speed - Acceleration and Power of Sedan is more powerful when compared with Mid Size SUV due to its shape, size & other factors. I believe this speed is important during overtake & other reasons, Do i need to choose V4 or V6 engine or higher ?
(e) Two-wheel drive (2WD) or All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) - Currently I stay in Virginia where there is snowfall in winter, Is it good to choose Two-wheel drive (2WD) or All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) ?
(f) Features : Thinking about features in Safety Side Airbags, Dual Air Bags, Rearview Camera, Parking Sensor, Heated Seats (I stay in Virginia due to snow are they required)..etc what all features i need to opt them ?
(g) Towing Capacity : Towing capacity varies by year, make and model. It is important when we got struck up when compared to sedan Mid Size SUV is more tough ?
(h) Trim Levels Example Honda EX vs EX-L..etc - How better are these features useful to spend additional price ? Leather-Trimmed Seats, Heated Seats (I stay in Virginia due to snow are they required), Roof, Alloy wheels, Navigation, Dual Air Bags, Side Air Bags, Backup Camera, Parking Sensor, Power Steering, Power Seat, Cruise Control, Air Conditioning, Keyless Start, ABS (4-Wheel), Daytime Running Lights ..etc
(4) Among the list of cars which car would be the best one in the means of good security, resale value, Horsepower, Features, Reliability, Less maintenance, price ..etc
Mid Size SUV
(a) HONDA CR-V --> I would like to go with HONDA CR-V if i choose SUV, what do you say ?
(b) TOYOTA RAV4
(c) NISSAN ROGUE
(d) NISSAN MURANO
(e) SUBARU FORESTER
(f) SUBARU OUTBACK
(g) Mercedes-Benz® ML350 (Certified Pre-Owned only)
(h) BMW X5 (Certified Pre-Owned only)
Sedan
(a) HONDA ACCORD --> --> I would like to go with HONDA ACCORD if i choose SUV, what do you say ?
(b) TOYOTA CAMRY
(C) NISSAN ALTIMA
Note : This doesn't mean i like HONDA much. I came across this info from some of my friends.
(5) Price , Reliable source for purchase, Loan, Lease
(a) Price : Since depreciation rate is high which gives less resale value in returns & other factors..etc What would be the idle amount to spend for car purchase. I think these are the prices which i can afford, do let me know if my plan is wrong ?
For New Car : 25K - 30K
For Certified Pre-Owned : 12K - 18K
(b) Reliable source for purchase : I'm sick of different price, quotes from dealers with features & other online sites . What would be the Reliable source for purchase - Dealer, Carmax..etc ?
(c) Lease : Based on my current living condition i travel less to work, shopping ..etc but in future i might need to travel. what would be the best choice whether i need to purchase New Car with lease or not. In general i have seen people having 2 cars where they own 1 car & lease the other. If i take lease right now & plan to purchase the same car after 3 yrs of lease completion will i be in a loss or it is still a right decision ?
(d) Loan : I'm planning to take a loan from DCU , please let me know if there is any better option ?
I would also look at the price of keeping the car:
How much would your insurance be? Your insurance company can give you quotes for the various vehicles you've listed.
How much is maintenance? Tires, brakes, oil changes, etc.
What type of warranty would you get with a certified pre-owned? They're different between manufacturers.
In Virginia, I do not think you would need AWD, it's not a Colorado or midwest type of winter there. Heated seats are nice to have, I can't lie about that. But are they needed? I don't think so for Virginia.
If you're going to get married and expect your family to grow, I would go with the bigger car now instead of the smaller car and then 1-2 years later having to get rid of that smaller car and then getting the bigger car. You typically lose money doing that.
Don't rule out the Korean brands. Their prices are competitive and they offer great warranties. They also seem to offer the most creature comfort features (heated seats, navigation, back up camera, etc.) for your dollar.
The mileage question is tricky because what matters more is how well the car was taken care of as opposed to how many miles are on it. Highway miles are actually easier on a car than city stop and go miles.
You may want to look at lease turn ins. The people I know who have leased vehicles mostly took them back to the dealer for documented services.
Seeing how this is your very first car then I would go with a used certified one which will usually mean up to 3 years old and less than 50K miles. I would look at a 1 to 2 year old vehicle with less than 30K miles. This way you still have the remainder of the warranty. As for what you want, only you can answer that. Test drive each and every vehicle you want to test and then make a decision. Take your time if you can. I recently bought my wife a 2013 RAV4 and she loves it. She also test drove a 2014 CRV and did not like it. I would go with AWD since you live where it snows.
What do you prefer more in a car? Midsize sedans tend to handle better and get slightly better fuel economy than the SUV's that you looked at. SUV's tend to have better utility and also have more all wheel drive options if you want to drive in the snow. They both have similar rear seat space. I would test drive both to see what you perfer.
A certified pre owned car is often a great option. They can come with extended warranties and often feel like a new car. However make sure that it is a manufacture certified car not a dealer certified car. A manufacture certified car goes through the automakers improved inspection process and the automaker provides the warranty. While these pre owned vehicles carry a little bit of a premium over other used vehicles the piece of mind it provides is great. Used cars (pre-owned is a term dealers like to use) allow someone else to take the high first year depreciation and it will probably save you money over the long run. I think that finding a three year old car that has just finished its lease will often provide the best value so look at 2013 or 2014 model year CPO cars. Cars older than five years often won't be certified by the manufacture.
With midsize sedans the Honda Accord is a great all around car that provides a good mix of sportiness and comfort. Hondas also tend to hold their value well. I believe that Accords drive better than Camry however the Camry is a comfortable car that holds its value very well. Another option to look at is the Mazda6, seen as the enthusiast choice among midsize sedans. It is the most fun to drive and the best looking sedan however the wind noise tends to be higher. Mazda has improved alot in recent years so the resale values should be similar to Honda/Toyota. Another option is the Subaru Legacy if you want all wheel drive for a reasonable price. Again Subaru holds its value well. The Kia Optima/Hyundai Sonota also provides lots of value with one of the best factory warranties. Nissan used to be a great automaker however Consumer Reports and other sources have said that the quality/reliability of Nissan's has dropped below average in recent years so resale value may take a hit.
With the SUV's you mentioned the Mercedes and the BMW are great luxury cars. However used BMW's and Mercedes can be very expensive to maintain and the resale value will be worse than buying a mainstream brand. I would not recommend a BMW/Mercedes unless you have extra money to spend. Even used a BMW or Mercedes will have a higher cost to own than a comparable mainstream brand. Also the X5 and ML350 are both larger and more expensive than the other SUV's that you mentioned, the X3 and GLA are closer in size to the CR-V/RAV-4.
You mentioned Towing Capacity. Towing capacity only matters if you have a boat or some other heavy trailer that you will need to tow, without a boat I wouldn't worry about how much towing capacity the SUV has.
Importantly remember to negotiate with the dealer when buying a new or used car. Most dealers will knock thousands off the MSRP unless the car just came out and is in very high demand. TrueCar is a good starting point however I've found that many dealers can quote prices under the TrueCar price. I would take a look at Truecar and ask for a price slightly lower.
As far as safety all late model cars have side airbags, ABS, and stability control. The only optional feature that can be helpful is automatic emergency breaking that can be found on some new models.
Last edited by tysmith95; 05-08-2016 at 07:05 PM..
The useful overall cargo space gap between mid-sized sedan and mid-sized SUV can often be smaller than you think, and the sedans can be quite generous with cabin space.
If you think you're going to need a lot of interior cargo space at a reasonable cost to operate, a minivan is going to be far superior to a SUV for most scenarios.
First off, write off the BMW on your list. Friends don't let friends buy used German cars.
The CUV's (compact utility vehicles) are a good bet. Although someone mentioned sedans having decent cargo space, the usable space is much less. Hatchbacks/Wagons/SUV's reign here.
The Accord and CRV are fine. Nothing to write home about. I'd check out the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tuscan, and the Toyota RAV4 as well. The Subaru Forester is a good option too, if you plan on going into the mountains or doing any type of off-roading.
AWD vs FWD - AWD only helps to get your car started. It does nothing with braking. Tires are more important than how many wheels are spinning. Personally, I've only had FWD cars and I've lived in Chicago for almost my whole life. Never gotten stuck.
Features: Air Bags, AC, Cruise Control, Power Windows/Locks and Power Steering are standard these days on pretty much every car. Leather and sun roofs are a personal preference. Power seats are nice if included but not worth extra $$. Nav systems are never worth paying for when you have a smartphone
Engine: Get the cheapest one. Americans are obsessed with power numbers when the reality is that your 0-60 time will never be used. The 4cyl cars are more then fine, unless you are drag racing every weekend.
Since it appears that you need transportation now, but really do not know what you like or prefer, or what you will need down the road as you start a family... I would suggest going with used towards the older end of the range you specified. That way the newer vehicle depreciation will be older and the car won't cost you as much now, or in the long run. Especially since you may decide within a couple years to go another direction and your desires in a vehicle become better defined, as do your needs in terms of family and hauling.
No matter what the age though, I would not buy new with so much up in the air in the near term.
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