in the market for a new vehicle

[guster girl]

I'm almost finished paying my Escort off, and, I'm really jonesing to get a new vehicle. I'm completely new to the whole thing, and, am going to do tons of research. But, I wanted to see if any pet talkers had any ideas. Any suggestions on how to deal with salespeople, when to go to the dealerships to get the most one-on-one attention, what vehicles to check out, what vehicles to avoid, etc. I know I'm being really vague and, I apologize. I'm really leaning towards a JEEP or an small SUV. Since we got Finn (our labrador), I'm just wanting to get something more appropriate for him. Thanks for all of your suggestions ahead of time.

[Nomilynn]

Are you going for new new or used but new to you? All I can say is research the car you want before you even get there, and set up the sales people. Ask about safety ratings/gas mileage/government tests etc and see what the salesperson says, but make sure you already know those answers. Also, if you think you are being ripped off, don't hesitate to just walk out!! I just bought a new-to-me car, and when it came down to the final two I was looking at, I walked out of one dealership because they were going to refuse to replace a damaged tire on the car. Well, half an hour later I got a cell phone call - they had come down $1000 on the price and would replace the tire. If you are going to trade in the escort, do some research on what those cars are "going for" in the public, and also see what they are going for on used car lots. If you go in there with no idea they will REALLY lowball you. The bad tire dealership weren't going to pay anything for my car and I went to another dealership and they offered me $1500, which was likely more than I could sell it for privately.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

[Logan]

there are a lot of places on the net that you can go to research new and used cars. I like having an SUV to haul my dogs and my kids!!! LOL!! Mine is a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought new. Purchased a liner with my former Jeep for the back to keep the carpet cleaned and just transferred it to this car. It is perfect for keeping the hair and other stuff off the carpet.

Good luck in your decision!

Logan

[guster girl]

I'm definitely looking to get a new vehicle. Again, I'm leaning towards JEEPs or a small SUV. I had a Ford Escape for a couple of months while my Escort was in the shop that I really liked. Does anyone know if they've come out with a hybrid Escape? I've heard some talk about that. Yeah, I'm doing lots of research, but, I just like to get your "average joe" opinions, too.

[joycenalex]

www.cartalk.com is an excellent source of information. if your car is almost paid off, do you really want another bill each month? i kept my first car, a 1990 toyota tercel hatchback for 12 years and 140,000 miles. i had 8 years w/o payments, just repairs and maintenance, which is cheaper then payments and insurance. when my current 1999 ford escort(bought used) is paid off in september, i'll keep it for as long as i can also. i'm sure the last car salesman cringed when i drove my beater onto his lot to pick up the new car...

[neko1]

I have a 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport and I love it!! It's excellent in the bad weather. It's really easy to drive and roomy too.

[slick]

When I was car shopping a few years ago I "played" one dealer against the other. I found a 97 Chevy Blazer with all the bells and whistles at one dealer and a 98 GMC Jimmy at another. Since I wanted the best deal I struck a deal with #1 then drove to #2 and sat down and told them what #1 was offering and they made me a better offer. I then drove back to #1 and told them about #2 and they made me an even better deal and I got a full 2-yr bumper-to-bumper warrenty to boot.

As for the kind of vehicle, I'll always stick to SUV's.

[2kitties]

I just ordered a new car and am selling my 2001 Dodge Durango if you're interested!

My personal feeling is that you should start by going to www.edmunds.com. This will tell you exactly what you should plan to pay for your new car (new or new to you ). It gives wonderful reviews, etc. I count on Edmunds to make sure I dont' get ripped off. It's smart to know everythign about the car you want- including the price you are going to pay- before you even set foot in the dealership.

[Cataholic]

I echo 2Kitties response. If you know ahead of time what price you **should** pay, you are more apt to stick to that, and not let emotions sway you at the time of sale.

Then, I also agree with joycenalex...do you REALLY want car payments? Yuck. To me, it is basic, safe transportation. If I could transport a St. Bernard in a honda civic...you can transport a lab in your car.

My 99 Civic has been paid off for nearly 3 years. I l-o-v-e! that fact. I will keep it as long as it will drive me around.

Good luck.

[guster girl]

Well, in response to keeping my car. I haven't decided on whether I'm not going to keep it yet. I am completely aware of the fact that I CAN transport Finn in an Escort. My boyfriend and I both have cars (he has a Camaro), and, I simply want something bigger. And, different. And, new. And, not something my mother picked out for me five years ago. I also road trip frequently and I want to start doing more outdoors stuff, and, even just driving to the skydiving site sucks in either of our cars. Again, I haven't decided yet anyway, just checking out options. Thanks for the sites, I'll definitely look into them. And, keep coming with the advice! Who knows who else is reading this!

[Corinna]

Last summer i gave up my 1984 jeep wagoneer(it was the fore runner of the cherokee small) It had 100,000. miles when I bought it ,drove it 4 years adding another 200,000 miles it was leaking every fluid but still running great. I got a 1995 montero I love it it is 4 wheel drive on the fly. it has lots of room for Merlin and Lady plus Tim(6'5") and me. about 22 mpg( needs a tune up. )It is a little taller so if your short like me (5'2") it is great you can see more road.

[Tonya]

The only advice I have is don't get to excited and take the first deal you see. I've done that more then once, I'm such a sucker. The salesmen are alot more flexible then what you think.

Another thing, go on the last day of the month. They have quota's and contests. They want the best numbers by the end of the month.

Here is an example: When my husband got out of the military, he had no job, no money, and needed a truck. He went from not being able to get financed, to getting financed, to getting 1.9% interest, a warrantee and the truck just over cost. Why? Because the salesman needed to sell just one more car for the month to beat some record and Mike happened to be there on the last day.

We tried it again when we bought our GMC. Same deal, they were much more willing to haggle to get their numbers in. We wound up getting the employee discount and 2.9% interest.

Right now, you can get even better interest rates!

[lovemyshiba]

First off, do your research.
Second, do go to the dealership armed with all of your information, and don't back down. If you don't like the way they treat you, go somewhere else.

I would try to have some idea of what you are looking for when you go in--like if you go to a Ford dealer, tell them you want to see the Escape, or a Jeep dealer, tell them you want to see the Cherokee or whatever it is you would like. Some of them can be quick talkers, and could have you down the road in something you may not be crazy about.

As far as what day to go in, the last day of the month does NOT guarantee you a better deal, because most dealers actually count the month ahead a bit. So their last day may be the 25th or 26th, although I do think that is a bunch of crap. Maybe some places are going for quota, but they shouldn't be pushing you into buying something just to meet their quota. Not a respectable dealer anyway.

As far as getting good deals, some of these dealers are offering some great offers right now--but don't buy a car because of the deal they are offering, make sure it is a car you want.

If you go to look at a Honda at all, they don't run any of these 0% gimmicks like everyone else does, so don't even bother asking!!

My husband sells cars for honda, and he loves it when people know what they want, and have all of their information.

As far as a recommendation on a car, it really sounds like you want an SUV. I would do a Nissan Pathfinder, X Terra, Toyota 4-Runner, Honda CRV or Pilot, Volkswagen Toureg, or BMW X5, or X3.

If you need any information from the "inside", feel free to pm me, and I can ask my husband some questions for you.

[G.P.girl]

my mom just got a Honda CRV adn we love it! one thing to remember: don't be afriad to ask for a really low price, the most they can do is raise it alittle

[guster girl]

Plus, I have a friend that I'll probably take along if I go to look at cars. I'm not a pushover, but, I will get nasty with someone if I feel like they're pushing me. And, I think a mediator with some car sense will be beneficial. Anyway, yeah, I have actually thought about a CRV, too! I'm going to do research on Sunday, if I'm done with my spring cleaning by then!