My least favorite thing to do - buying a new car

[CyberB0b]

Kia Telluride

 

[RJ_MacReady]

Coincidentally, I am in the market for a new SUV to replace my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I wanted to keep the Jeep until one of us dies, me or the car, but things are failing on the Jeep pretty regularly now and every time I take it to be fixed if costs me $3000. A few weeks ago I got a new message that the air suspension system failed and needs immediate repair. All of the Jeep dealers around here told me the soonest they can take the car in for service is the end of October or early November! The claim they have a shortage of mechanics. Where did they all go? I Googled the warning message and it appears the fix for the air suspension is probably going to cost me at least $2000. I am not interested in a new Jeep. The dealers around me are lousy at servicing their vehicles. Every time I have had to bring my Jeep in for a recall, something else goes wrong with the car. Once It was recalled for a potential short and fire in the passenger side vanity mirror/light. They fixed the potential short problem but broke the mirror and didn;t bother to replace it before returning the car to me! Another time they had to fix something around the water pump and managed to break a fuel injector - which they wanted to charge me to replace! I am done with them.

Anyway, I am thinking maybe it is time to replace the Jeep. I started looking and to me, everything is ugly or over priced. I don't need 3 seats, and I use the SUV like a truck as much as a car and I want something that is a true utility vehicle but is also a decent means of transportation - which rules out a large percentage of the SUVs I have looked at. I am told the Toyota 4Runner is a good truck, but it might be too much of a truck getting only 19 miles per gallon on the highway. My Jeep is actually a good combination but I would dread buying another Jeep.

My priorities are:

It needs to have enough power to get up hills without feeling sluggish.
I must have 4 wheel drive for the snow we get in the North East and for other things that require extra power to the wheels.
I want maximum space in the cargo compartment. If I can't get a 4' x4' sheet of plywood in the back with the seats folded down, it is too small.
I want a spare tire. No one offers a full size spare anymore, they just give you the donut but it is something. The Jeep has a full size temp tire at least or it did in 2011.
I don't need 3 rows of seats so either they have to be optional, no existent, or they have to fold away without seriously diminishing the cargo space.
Blue tooth for my phone - I think all cars have this now.
The cargo compartment has to be rugged so when I fill it full of building materials the damage is minimized.
I would love a fold down rear gate like in the old days of SUVs. I don't think anyone makes an SUV with a fold down gate anymore.

What you just said is that you need a 4Runner SR5 (base level 4x4). It has the bulletproof 4.0 (timing chain) and 5-speed that comes in my Tacoma. Yes, it gets a little less gas mileage than the newer SUVs with their new-fangled direct injection or Turbocharging. This baby has port injection and shim under bucket lifters! It’s built to give you a half a million miles! The engine a lone will save you money by not being in the shop.
Parts are so plentiful. No airbag suspension. Not a lot of electronic gizmos/infotainment etc. Basically, not much to break. Being it’s an SR5, they typically come without the 3rd row seating. Just toss a good rubber mat back there and use it like a truck with a topper!

There’s a reason they haven’t changed that set-up for over a decade (2010-2022). It just plain works. That’s the reason for the resale value. I would look at a well maintained 2014-2018.

 

[DasTex]

Kia Telluride

$10-14k over MSRP is the going rate right now. Crazy mark ups

 

[Creeper]

$10-14k over MSRP is the going rate right now. Crazy mark ups

I have seen this on a few models. I won't pay over sticker. I'll wait and see if the prices come down a bit. Weird though, in the middle of all this pandemic, inflation, and high gas prices, SUVs are selling for over sticker price. I read this is due to the chip shortage which is a little scary since everything today needs a computer of some sort.

 

[CyberB0b]

$10-14k over MSRP is the going rate right now. Crazy mark ups

That's par for the course. This segment of the market has been pretty hot. Bad time to buy a vehicle.

I have seen this on a few models. I won't pay over sticker. I'll wait and see if the prices come down a bit. Weird though, in the middle of all this pandemic, inflation, and high gas prices, SUVs are selling for over sticker price. I read this is due to the chip shortage which is a little scary since everything today needs a computer of some sort.

It's a combination of factors. Chip shortages, cheap interest rates, etc. Might be better to lease for a few years in this market.

 

[DasTex]

That's par for the course. This segment of the market has been pretty hot. Bad time to buy a vehicle.



It's a combination of factors. Chip shortages, cheap interest rates, etc. Might be better to lease for a few years in this market.

Not most models
Have Yukon Denali priced at MSRP...no mark ups. Same with a MDX and Jeep Wagonneer.

The Kia is the only one I'm running into the ridiculous mark up.

 

[Denim Chicken]

Those hyundai palisades look legit.

 

[DasTex]

Those hyundai palisades look legit.

Man I agree - but the wife said she is not going to drive a Hyundai.

I really like the new Genesis but the one with 3 rows is hard to come by and it appears pretty small in the back row. Just can't let her find out it's really a fancy Hyundai

 

[rags747]

Buying my wife a new car - she is wanting an SUV w/ 3 rows, same as she has now.

So far what she has looked at but yet to make a choice:

GMC Yukon
Acura MDX
Toyota Highlander
Jeep Wagoneer (These are new, haven't got to see one in person yet)
Lincoln Aviator

I would normally look for a good used vehicle but their prices are just as crazy as new right now.

Any thoughts?

Wagoneer for the win.

 

[rags747]

The new car I got last year came with this stupid innovation, where when the car comes to a stop at a traffic light, the engine turns off. Then, when you accelerate, the engine turns back on.

The most infuriating thing, is that that system is always on by default, so every time I start the car, I have to remember to toggle that system off.

Also, the new car came without any spare.

(VW Jetta S).

You mean you have to actually push a button to turn the system off? Dam, what is this world coming to!

 

[rags747]

I have seen this on a few models. I won't pay over sticker. I'll wait and see if the prices come down a bit. Weird though, in the middle of all this pandemic, inflation, and high gas prices, SUVs are selling for over sticker price. I read this is due to the chip shortage which is a little scary since everything today needs a computer of some sort.

We are building back better!

 

[1LoyalCowboyFan]

We looked at the Pilot and like it but they are changing body style in 2023 and she didn't want to buy something new that's changes the following year.

Like I said, my least favorite thing to buy.

I get that. It is always a risk if you don’t do your homework. Seems like you guys have. I just looked up the 2023 and looks amazing. Maybe we’ll sell ours and get one

 

[Creeper]

As I mentioned I am thinking about buying a new car after my Jeep Grand Cherokee popped a new service alert message recently. After taking my Jeep into the deal for service (which I knew was going to be expensive and something to complain about), I decided that when buying a car I have to consider the dealer I am buying from, not just the sleazy salespeople but also the service department which is more important.

I had to wait 3 weeks to get an appointment to take my Jeep in, which was 9:30 yesterday morning. After dropping the car off they advised me if would be $260 just to diagnose the problem. I did not hear back from them until 5:00pm when they apologized for not looking at my car at all on the day of the appointment, but they promised they would look at it first thing in the morning. Promise! Really sorry, and all that. It is almost noon and I have not heard a word from them so I assume they still have not looked at the car. Since I got a warning message I assume all they have to do is plug into the computer chips and the computer in the car will tell them what the problem is! I called the service rep responsible for my car an hour ago and I got his voice mail. I left him a message and he has not called back yet. I kind of know what is wrong with the car, the air suspension compressor pump is seized and needs to be replaced at least. I also know what they are going to charge me, between $2000 and $2500 (at least). But what I want to know is when I can get the car back. If they don't get to it again today I can probably pick it up but then when do I bring it back? Do I wait 3 weeks again? I am sure there are people who dropped their cars off yesterday after I did and more did today, all waiting to get their cars repaired. I can see the snow ball that is rolling down hill with me at the bottom waiting to get buried.

In any case, I am now looking at dealers as much as cars. I have narrowed my search to few cars, the Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner, and possibly the Acura MDX (which might be to lux for me needs but it has a huge cargo compartment for hauling stuff.) I love the new Infinity QX60 but again it is too lux for me and more expensive, and it is only offered in limited quantities so that probably means paying over sticker which I will not do. I once had an Infinity MX35 and In the 5 years I drove it (100 mi/day to work) I never had a single problem with it. Never had to take it into the dealer once. Great car.

Anyway, my decision will be heavily swayed by the reviews of the dealers I research.

 

[lukin2006]

Car buying sucks. I prefer goo used vehicles with low mileage.

A couple years ago I bought a Jeep Cherokee. It was 2015 low kms. I hope to drive it till the titres fall off…

Here in Canada used car prices are way up and I’ve some dealers are asking over sticker on new vehicles. I saw a piece on the news where these folks pre ordered a new Bronco before it was available and when the dealer finally got the car they wanted 10 thousand over sticker…

Just greed.

 

[John813]

I love car buying lol. New or used.

Going to upgrade the wifes SUV(18 expedition) to a suburban/Yukon XL/Navigator L next year. This time used but we'll see how stupid the used market is price wise. Now, it feels like the used prices are close to new with the vehicle shortage.

 

[terra]

Man I agree - but the wife said she is not going to drive a Hyundai.

I really like the new Genesis but the one with 3 rows is hard to come by and it appears pretty small in the back row. Just can't let her find out it's really a fancy Hyundai

Tell her she is an idiot. For my money, you really cannot do better than Hyundai as regards quality and reliability at this time.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Buying my wife a new car - she is wanting an SUV w/ 3 rows, same as she has now.

So far what she has looked at but yet to make a choice:

GMC Yukon
Acura MDX
Toyota Highlander
Jeep Wagoneer (These are new, haven't got to see one in person yet)
Lincoln Aviator

I would normally look for a good used vehicle but their prices are just as crazy as new right now.

Any thoughts?

I have thoughts, though not about those specific models. My thoughts are:

1. Take your time. Never let anyone pressure into an immediate decision. If they throw some deal in your face like "$300 off your first payment if you sign today," let that go in one ear and out the other. Having an extra three hundred bucks is not worth ending up in the wrong car.
2. It's a car that needs to serve you and your wife. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, and especially not what the salesperson thinks.
3. This may go without saying, but test drive it.
4. If possible, have a mechanic check it out.
5. If you're going to finance it, get your own financing, if possible. Sometimes a small-town bank will have better interest rates. If you've got good credit, or even just decent credit, it's your buyer's market for loans. Shop around. If you've got bad credit, the car dealership will probably still give you a loan, but the interest rate will probably stink. There is a work around if there's someone with good credit who trusts you -- and that's having them co-sign the loan. That's only if you don't have good credit. If your credit is good, disregard. All kinds of banks will loan you money.
6. If you've got enough to pay for it in cash, that's even better. Granted, not everyone can do that, but if you can, you avoid paying any interest at all.
7. This one bit me in the butt. Find out from your DMV how much the taxes are going to be first! I neglected to do that, only to find out that here in Nebraska, they tax the bleep out of us on a car purchase. Find out how much that will be. Then if you're getting a car loan, include that in the loan. I had to really scramble to scrape up enough for my DMV taxes.

That's all I got. Some of that, I'm sure you already knew, but I included everything I can think of just to be thorough.

 

[DasTex]

Tell her she is an idiot. For my money, you really cannot do better than Hyundai as regards quality and reliability at this time.

Probably wouldn't go over so well - can I crash at your place?

 

[terra]

Probably wouldn't go over so well - can I crash at your place?

Tell HER to sleep on the couch. They want equality; give it to them.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Hey, man. I happened upon a Steve Lehto video about car loans. He's a lawyer and knows a lot more about them than I do. If you're getting a loan to buy the vehicle, this video can help you a lot. If you're paying in cash, disregard.

I watch a ton of Steve Lehto videos. He seems like a good guy, and his info helps.