I need car recommendations!

EVM1216 · October 2012

I guess I'm getting a new car, my car was totaled. The good news is that it's valued for approximately twice what I owe on it, so I should be able to pay off the old car and have a chunk to put down on a new (used) car.

But this means I have to shop for a new car by myself while working and taking care of DD because DH is moving back to Ohio this week to start the process of us moving there. I am totally freaked out....

jessrenee11 · October 2012

I have a Toyota Rav4 and I LOVE it! It has awesome safety ratings and is ranked high in consumer reports for small SUVs

eta: I actually heard a few ladies on here talk about how much they liked thiers so it made me take a look

EMOmamma · October 2012

I bought my last car pretty much by myself (it was a dealership by my work so it was very out of the way for H to come down). I test drove 4 small suvs and when I went in I explicitly told them that I was just there to test drive and if they got pushy about checking credit reports or such I just left (I actually did at a Honda dealership).

If you can get pre-approved for an auto loan from your bank or credit union it's great to be able to go in and say oh, I already have financing approved. They may offer you a better rate but at least they know you're a serious buyer (and you know what you can afford).

After I decided what I wanted I pretty much did the rest online, even negotiated my trade-in and new loan terms. I'm much more confident about that stuff when online than in person. I ended up getting a Mazda CX-7 and I love it.

bumpuser260585 · October 2012

I have a Nissan Altima and I love it. It has a push button start and a button on the doors to lock or unlock it. I never have to take my keys out of my purse. It is really roomy in the backseat too.

dee12807 · October 2012

EMO-mamma:
I bought my last car pretty much by myself (it was a dealership by my work so it was very out of the way for H to come down). I test drove 4 small suvs and when I went in I explicitly told them that I was just there to test drive and if they got pushy about checking credit reports or such I just left (I actually did at a Honda dealership).
If you can get pre-approved for an auto loan from your bank or credit union it's great to be able to go in and say oh, I already have financing approved. They may offer you a better rate but at least they know you're a serious buyer (and you know what you can afford).
After I decided what I wanted I pretty much did the rest online, even negotiated my trade-in and new loan terms. I'm much more confident about that stuff when online than in person. I ended up getting a Mazda CX-7 and I love it.

I did this with my car also and it was a huge help. I ended up getting the same rate through the dealer so I went through them since it was quicker (the dealer we got the car form was over an hour away and we would have had to go back 2x if we went through my credit union).

I have a 2008 Ford Edge. I love my car - the only complaint I have is that it has poor gas mileage, and I know that's a big deal these days. If I could afford a newer Explorer I would probably upgrade to that, but I just can't do it right now. MIL, step mom and friend at work all have a Honda CRV and love them. They are very roomy, get good gas mileage and are super comfy.

jarebearsmom · October 2012

I agree with seeing what kind of financing you can get and don't let them push you into anything. And of course try to talk them down. Generally they will negotiate I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this. Glad y'all are ok!

lrn327 · October 2012

We have a Honda CRV and love it!! We also have a Civic (the one I drive) and it's pretty good, but I'd like something different. The view out is just too low, I hate feeling so small.

We bought all of our cars in the past through our credit union's car buying program and it was so, so easy and we got a great deal. For the Civic, we actually went through Costco's car buying program. They have agreed-upon (great!) prices with local dealers. You just walk in and show them your using the Costco program and it's absolutely no haggle (otherwise, they risk losing their Costco contract). We'd absolutely do it again.

lulu8109 · October 2012

I have a Pilot and love it, but not sure if you wanted something so big.

I agree with PPs about getting pre-approved through your bank first. When we bought my Pilot, we got pre-approved for a pretty good interest rate through my credit union. The dealership gave us an even lower interest rate so we would go through them For DH's car, we also got pre-approved, but the dealership couldn't top our CU interest rate.

Also, try to research the heck out of prices before you go in. My DH did this for my car and his, so we were able to go in pretty confident about how much we should be paying and trying to get them to shave off even a few hundred dollars from a competitor.

Good luck with car shopping! I'd be intimidated too. I've never done it alone.

EVM1216 · October 2012

Thanks for the advice! I've been looking on local dealership websites and I've seen several of your recommendations available out there. So I know where I'm going to start.

And I'll certainly check into a loan through my bank or see if I can get pre-approved with the bank I have my current loan through.

On the plus side, the amount that my 2009 was totaled out for was for $1800 more than we paid for it 2 years ago, so we'll be able to pay it off and have some cash left to put down on another car. I may even be able to come out of this with lower payments. Wouldn't that be crazy?

nursedevivo · October 2012

Aren't you from Dayton? Are you moving back to the area?

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