Car shopping... my worst nightmare.

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You obviously don't know me very well.

So you don't mind spending $200 on a shot of scotch but you do want to go cheap with a car which will be taking you places reliably in different seasons over the years in comfort and keep your family safe if (god forbid) something were to happen?

I'm on my second Honda Pilot... Hondas are all I drive car wise.. and this is comming from a Harley guy

2007 Honda Pilot ( mine)
2006 Honda Accord (wifes)
2010 Honda Fit ( daughters)
1996 Toyota Tacoma (son)

I don't know anything about these specific cars, but I do have opinions about Toyota and KIA.

The KIAs I looked at when I was car shopping all felt cheap--like plastic bits where other cars had nicer materials. However the price was tempting.

As for Toyota... can't stand the dealership near me.

I was fresh out of college when my beloved Honda was totaled in an accident (not my fault). I hadn't even gotten my first "real paycheck" yet, because I started work that very week. I had a sizable down payment though, thanks to insurance. So I needed my parents to co-sign with me to get a replacement car because I had so little credit history. My BF was also in the market for a car of his own (to replace his aging bought used car that had started raking up costly repair bills). He was mostly just browsing and wasn't serious about purchasing yet, but he wanted to tag along. So I was shopping for a car for ME with mom, dad, and BF in tow.

Toyota was sleazy and insulting the entire time. The salesman kept talking to my father or to my BF and ignoring me, even though both men kept insisting that I was in charge. Literally I could ask a question and the jerk would turn to my dad and answer facing dad instead. Or he'd turn to my BF to describe features that he thought I should have. My dad and BF even told the guy to talk to me and to imagine that they were not present, but it didn't change how I was treated. Grrrr....

Then he tried to get me to test drive a Camry. I got in and started to adjust the seat and mirrors, but no matter what I couldn't see worth a darn out of the thing. My view out the back was so bad I was afraid to back up out of the parking lot. The seat wouldn't adjust enough for me to see out of clearly (I'm only 5 foot) and it had a "bubble butt" sort of trunk. When I turned to the salesman and told him I wasn't comfortable test driving it. He backed the car out for me, but I still refused to drive it. He tried to get my guys to test drive it for me, but they told him that would be pointless. Mom got in the driver's seat then and she hated it as well. We didn't test drive it. Sales guy was not happy and Mom and I both pushed to leave.

(We later heard that the same Toyota salesman had taken an elderly woman's keys and thrown them on the dealership's roof so that she would be forced to buy from them. Not sure if the rumor was true or if the woman bought a Toyota, but I was willing to believe it when I heard it.)

He then did talk us into sitting down so that he could give us some information about the other models. He tried to tell me that this car was the best in it's safety class. He was really insulted when I pulled out my notebook of research I'd already done that showed that in fact, the Nissan I was comparing this to had the better safety rating. He tried to tell me lots of things about the car that were untrue. Fortunately my parents and I had all done our homework ahead of time, so I knew when he was trying to pull the wool over my eyes.

In the end, I got another Honda. The Honda dealership was a dream to work with (still are for service appointments) and I loved the newer version of my older car. The salesman was well informed and not pushy. He respected me, my parents and my BF. When BF was ready to make his search for a car more official, he didn't even bother with Toyota because he saw how badly they treated me when I was there. BF loved the way Honda cared for me so much that he really wanted to get his car from there, but ended up with Hyundai instead because he wanted a larger car for a lower price. He's been just as happy with his as I am with mine.

We thought of getting me a 1-2 year old used Honda, but this was during the 2008 big gas price hike, so ironically a used Honda was more expensive than a brand new one (with new the dealer's price was locked by the manufacturer, but with used they tended to be scooped up for auctions and sold at a higher price). I did get a deal for buying one of the last of the two '08s on the lot. The rest of the lot was all '09s.

The jerk salesman at Toyota doesn't realize that he lost not one, but two possible sales that day. It may have been a great car for someone, but I will never drive Toyota if I can help it.

Depends, how many miles will you put on a year? will your needs change? How long must you keep it? Must it be 100% dependable? Can you afford unexpected repairs? Are you willing to keep a new one for 150,000 K to make it pay? Don't buy new if you can't save at least 10% of your monthly income after you have the payment.

I purchase new every three years because I pile on the Ks and need dependability, my wife sticks to her beloved van 11 years old.

If someone didn't buy new, You couldn't by used! so don't think badly of those that Can.

When you've decided on your car of choice, order the New Car Price Report from Consumer Reports. Follow the tips they give you, and you will get a good deal.

And based on personal experience, I highly recommend the RAV4. They are very reliable vehicles.

I have a RAV4 and I love it. I drive it much more than my fancy car.

If you have a Costco membership, you can use their auto program. Saves a bit of haggling.

Whatever one you can get with a sun roof with.

Unless you are planning on putting a sizeable amount of cash down, I would not recommend purchasing a new vehicle. You will have little to no equity if you intend to sell in the future and could possibly even end up upside down on your loan, ESPECIALLY if it's a KIA. Try and find a 2012 model if they are just now putting out 2013 vehicles of the cars you are choosing, either gently used or new should be okay. They will probably be offering good discounts to get these off the lot. That being said I would steer clear of the KIA (they are overpriced these days and do not hold value at all.)

Once you find a vehicle, start your negotations/communications via e-mail. Then work your way up to the phone. Unless you are a born negotiator I would wait until most details are worked out before you even set foot in a dealership. I work for a credit union in consumer lending so if you have any more questions just shoot me a message!

Can you just do it for me?? GREAT tips! Thanks much!!

No problem! A few other things worth mentioning: Don't let a salesperson know that you are in need of the vehicle right away, even if you are. Also, if you are financing don't let them know that either. If they ask just say "I am unsure if I am going to pay cash or finance." Remember, they don't know squat about you or how much you have in your bank account. They are only going by the information you give them. Negotiate the price FIRST, get it down as low as you can, then go into specifics (I.e. down payment, trade-ins, and whether you will be financing or not.)

We have two Hondas and a Buick. It pains me to say it, but Honda knows how to make cars and Buick doesn't.

We inherited the Buick. It rides like a boat. Rear wheel drive? Is this 1979?


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