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Tips for buying a car. (pg. 14)
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| DigiNut |
Here's what I have to say about those three:
Civic:
Pros
- They last forever;
- Handling is very good for its class;
- Service isn't bad (easy to find, not too expensive).
Cons:
- Looks and feels cheap (especially the interior);
- Ricer/gino image;
- Not really much pep, in spite of the better handling;
- It's *SO* easy to find a recent, used Civic, buying a new one really makes no sense.
Mazda 3:
Pros
- Has great pep for a 4-cylinder;
- Looks way better than the others (but I don't want to put too fine a point on this; it's not a sports car except in the imaginations of proud owners);
Cons
- Service is HORRIBLE. I've heard more horror stories from more people about Mazda dealerships than any other company (except maybe VW).
- As John says, parts and service are expensive.
- Not as reliable as the others (not terrible, but not great).
Corolla:
Pros
- Also lasts forever, although performance does take a very slight hit.
- Has better resale value used than pretty much any other car on the market;
- Super efficient;
- It's reasonably high up, so you don't feel as much like a dwarf on the road as you do with most compacts.
Cons
- Handing is a little stiff;
- Engine noise used to be an issue (not sure if it still is);
- The "boring" image.
I used to own a 2004 Corolla S. I don't think I could ever drive a 4-cylinder as my primary car again, but for its time, for my first car, it was a great vehicle, and I never had a single problem with it up until the night it was stolen. I still sometimes miss being able to drive for 3 hours and not use more than 1/3 of a tank of gas.
I never saw the Corolla as an old-man car; it's obviously not as sexy as the Mazda 3, but seriously, we're talking about a 4-cylinder compact here, who are you trying to impress?
Personally, I think the Corolla is the best in that class/price range. I don't really like Toyota's other cars, but for your first car you want something that's going to last and give you minimal trouble, and the Corolla is it. Civic I think would be a close second (but I'd suggest looking for 1-2 years old instead), and Mazda 3 would be a very distant 3rd. |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by E2EK1EL
No one can see the front of the new Civic, just get use to it. I heard nothing but amazing things with them ... if you can over come the dash part. IMO, if you get this car Lisa, get a pillow since your short ... you won't be able to see the dash, but it will help a lot more.
1) Never get a Mazada, parts are expensive and they breakdown fast. Everyone I know who had a Mazada .... never bought one again.
2) Toyota is ok still.
3) Honda is the way to go, they do last forever .... my old Accord 92 still kicked ass after 450,000kms and can take more beating. The only thing Honda has flaws with is electrical areas, but that's minor compaired to replacing an engine or tranny. |
I see what you're saying with the Civic, but if I'm the one that's going to be driving it for the next however many years, I don't want to just "get used to it". There's a good chance I won't, and I don't want to have to put a pillow in my car just so I can see better. I'd rather buy a car that I can see out of well from the start.
I think I'm leaning towards the Toyota, b/c it just seems more practical. Even though I love the look and feel of the Mazda more. Especially when it comes to the traction and stability control where I would end up paying more for on the Mazda, whereas the Toyota I'm looking at comes with it. Not to mention insurance costs.
The only other car I'm thinking of throwing in the mix is the Focus b/c I like the way it drives, and the features on the one I'm looking at are comparable to the Corolla, and it's a bit cheaper. |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
The only other car I'm thinking of throwing in the mix is the Focus b/c I like the way it drives, and the features on the one I'm looking at are comparable to the Corolla, and it's a bit cheaper. |
Focus is actually a great car. The only thing you have to keep in mind when comparing prices against the Corolla is that when you do decide to move on (and you will, eventually), you won't be able to get nearly as much for it. They "age" faster than the Corollas and it shows in the depreciation. I once had to drive a 6-year-old Focus and I was none too crazy about it.
I'd rate it above the Mazda 3, easy, but probably below the Corolla and Civic. |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Focus is actually a great car. The only thing you have to keep in mind when comparing prices against the Corolla is that when you do decide to move on (and you will, eventually), you won't be able to get nearly as much for it. They "age" faster than the Corollas and it shows in the depreciation. I once had to drive a 6-year-old Focus and I was none too crazy about it.
I'd rate it above the Mazda 3, easy, but probably below the Corolla and Civic. |
Ya, a friend was telling me that, that the resale value of the Corolla is definitely better than the Ford. However, my dad made the comment that while the resale value would be lower, the price of the car right now would also be lower. |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
Ya, a friend was telling me that, that the resale value of the Corolla is definitely better than the Ford. However, my dad made the comment that while the resale value would be lower, the price of the car right now would also be lower. |
Lol, of course, but it's not proportional, which was my main point. A 4-year old Corolla in good condition with low mileage could sell for almost 70% of the original retail; a Focus in similar condition would be more like 50% (I think - might be lower).
It's the depreciation, not the price tag. Even if you don't plan on selling that soon, something might happen to it and you'd end up with a low-ball offer from your insurer.
If that matters less to you than the price you pay today, and you're comfortable with the idea of occasional repairs, go for the Focus. It's just another factor to consider. |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
Lol, of course, but it's not proportional, which was my main point. A 4-year old Corolla in good condition with low mileage could sell for almost 70% of the original retail; a Focus in similar condition would be more like 50% (I think - might be lower).
It's the depreciation, not the price tag. Even if you don't plan on selling that soon, something might happen to it and you'd end up with a low-ball offer from your insurer.
If that matters less to you than the price you pay today, and you're comfortable with the idea of occasional repairs, go for the Focus. It's just another factor to consider. |
Okay I get you. I've never purchased anything and worried about the depreciation value of it, so this is all new to me! lol |
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| malek |
| geez 24k for a tiny 4 banger compact... are they crazy? |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by malek
geez 24k for a tiny 4 banger compact... are they crazy? |
I rounded up, but he said he's give it to me for $23K. Once I make a final decision I plan on calling the dealers in Chatham and seeing what they'll give me, and do a bit more negotiation. |
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| JoyRyde |
Negotiation is the best part.
My dad got 4500$ reduced on his Nissan altima and 1200 on my grand am.
Tilbury has HUGE car shopping malls on like this one major street. It's insane. Try making some calls there. |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by JoyRyde
Negotiation is the best part.
My dad got 4500$ reduced on his Nissan altima and 1200 on my grand am.
Tilbury has HUGE car shopping malls on like this one major street. It's insane. Try making some calls there. |
Ya, my mom's the big negotiator, so I'm gonna get her to do it when I'm ready. Did you negotiate with just the one car after you made your decision? Or did you try it with say your top 2 and then pick between? The reason I ask if b/c I prefer the Mazda but I'd want the extra traction and stability control which bumped the price up to $27K, whereas the Corolla was only $24K w/it. So if I can get the Mazda down to around the same as the Corolla, I may go for that instead.
Thanks for the tip on Tilbury. |
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| JoyRyde |
| quote: | Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
Ya, my mom's the big negotiator, so I'm gonna get her to do it when I'm ready. Did you negotiate with just the one car after you made your decision? Or did you try it with say your top 2 and then pick between? The reason I ask if b/c I prefer the Mazda but I'd want the extra traction and stability control which bumped the price up to $27K, whereas the Corolla was only $24K w/it. So if I can get the Mazda down to around the same as the Corolla, I may go for that instead.
Thanks for the tip on Tilbury. |
My dad was looking at Nissan Sentra and Nissan Altima. What he basically did from what I remember was that he told the saleman that he would buy the Nissan Sentra, which is ALOT cheaper than the Altima, but if he got a significant discount on the Altima he would buy that instead. The altima was still relatively expensive even with the discount compared to the Sentra so it seemed like a good incentive to the salesperson. After some talking they gave the discount on the altima and he got that instead.
Something similar might be possible in your situation except it was the same salesman for both the cars.
Similarly we did for the Grand Am. It was between Sunfire and Grand am. But once again it was the same dealership and same salesperson. Gave the person the choice of selling us a higher option for a discount. It was always beneficial to the dealership to sell the higher model.
I would try and get a good discount in the county towns like chatham and tilbury and show those quotes to the people in Windsor and try and get the deals on the Mazda. The Mazda would be a really nice car if you got a deal. A $3000-4000 discount on a 27000 car is not un-heard off. It's very common especially right now. It will be hard to get discounts on Toyota though but Mazda I would expect some discounts.If you're paying cash its almost expected that you will get a significant discount. It's a bit harder with financing. |
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| *~LiSa-LoO~* |
| quote: | Originally posted by JoyRyde
I would try and get a good discount in the county towns like chatham and tilbury and show those quotes to the people in Windsor and try and get the deals on the Mazda. The Mazda would be a really nice car if you got a deal. A $3000-4000 discount on a 27000 car is not un-heard off. It's very common especially right now. It will be hard to get discounts on Toyota though but Mazda I would expect some discounts.If you're paying cash its almost expected that you will get a significant discount. It's a bit harder with financing. |
I looked online and there were no Mazda or Toyota dealers in Tilbury, but there were in Chatham, so I'm going to call them this week and find out what they can offer me.
I told the Mazda dealer in Windsor that we'd pay cash and he gave me a $500 discount, and $500 for being a recent grad. But he said there wasn't much room to budge since it was a 2010 model. But then again, that could be me being totally gullible. |
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