The inside scoop of buying a NEW car

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vp9c said:
@larryh1108

thanks for this thread.

as someone who wants no debt.

am i better or worse off as a cash buyer?
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In my opinion cash is still king. I always tell them that I have my own financing or cash available to make the purchase. I run financing through USAA when I start the buying process and I have the cash if I want to go that route but I rarely do. I make more $$$ on my cash than I pay in interest. ;) Look at the MSRP but try to find the true dealer cost. Sometimes brand specific message boards will have this type of info. From there you want to have an ask for a price based off of that cost not the MSRP. By using cash not financing at this point there are no other numbers to mess up the deal. Once you have the cash price agreed upon you then want to add in incentives. Lots of dealers are going to give you an offer price with the incentive built in as a starting point. IMHO it is cleaner to start with price then incentives.

You can look up on Edmunds.com for all the rebates specific to your zip code on the brand you are looking at. Check to make sure look at the manufacturer and determine if they apply the rebates where you purchase the car or where you title the car. Most of the time I have found it is based on where the car will be titled. For example here is a link to current BMW rebates. https://www.edmunds.com/bmw/car-incentives.html

Factor in those incentives off your ask price to determine your out the door cost. I will sometimes also offer to let them run financing once the deal is done and if they can beat the rate from USAA I will finance through the dealer. I have had this happen once or twice were the dealer financing got me a lower rate than USAA so I took it but I only asked them for their financing once the deal was done.

The only place where a cash deal can hurt you is if there is a cash back incentive for financing through them. I got a $5,000 cash incentive for taking 2.99% financing on a BMW M550xi. I could have paid cash or financed it through USAA but I would have cost myself $5,000. Even if you long term goal is to not have any debt in this type of deal you should look at the terms. As long as there are no penalties for paying the car off early take the loan. Make the min number of payments required and then payoff the note. You get the incentive and no debt.

The last car I bought I ended up 6% over cost and with all the incentives I was at 16% off of MSRP and 10% under invoice.
 
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SPST said:
I just started the process through the Costco Buying program. I put in the car I wanted with accessories and all. An hour later I get a call from the Costco approved dealer. He gives me his price on the vehicle build I sent in. I emailed him back that I would like to have the final OTD price. He immediately emails that back. He is within $500 of what I was wanting to pay going in. He's $3200 under the MSRP build price OTD. I plan on wrapping up the deal in the next week or so. If the rest of the deal goes as easy as it has so far then the Costco membership is well worth it. I'll report back when I get the car.
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My in-laws used Costco and were pleased with the deal they got. It made the process super easy and uncomplicated. It did not get them the best deal of the century but they got a solid deal with ZERO headaches. Sounds like you are getting the same.
 
larryh1108 said:
I have no problem with friends/relatives helping the naive person buy a car.
They aren't "Mavens" they are helpers to the buyer.
A maven makes demands that can't be met, usually in a loud and demanding voice.
Maven: "My sister with the 525 credit score will not be ripped off and will pay a maximum 9% interest rate when the going rate is 4%.
5% is more than fair for her credit."
Really, sir? Her 525 score means she EARNED a 21% interest rate. Her repo 2 years ago means only a select few lenders will even look at her app.
They charge 21% and the dealer cannot mark up the rate because they are considered high risk.
Now what? Does she want a car or do you want to take her elsewhere where they will charge her 21%?
We all use the same lenders.
Maven: "My sister wants that car listed for $15,000 and will only pay $325 a month because that is her budget!"
Really, sir? Does your sister have $7,000 down because she only qualifies for an $8,000 loan with her repo and 525 score and income.
No? She has $500 down? Well, sir, she cannot buy that car without a cosigner. Are you willing to see if you qualify? No?
Why not? She is your sister and needs a car. Not willing to help family? I thought you are here to help her buy a car. If she wants THAT car she'll need a cosigner. Still not interested?
Ok, let me do my job and find a car that works for her and the lender. That ok?
Anything else before we actually try to help your sister?

Ok, in your situation mentioned, you are not being a maven. You will step in if you see something that isn't right and ask the salesman/finance man
to explain himself. If he cannot clearly explain what is going on then you should advise your friend to think about it over night, right in front of the
person in question. If he doesn't perk up and quit mumbling or double-talking then just get up to leave. He'll do what he can to stop you. A vigilant
manager may be watching and come over to ask if there is a problem. Tell him that Joe here is not listening to you and is making you uncomfortable.
Tell the manager that you are ready to go home to think about it. The manager should talk in private to the offender or take you to a different finance
guy or just take you to another office and finish the paper work himself. They do not want you to leave. Trust me.
Advising a friend or relative is a professional and helpful way is not being a maven. Making demands that are unreasonable and proving that you do not
know what you are talking about is being a maven. Acting like a tough-guy in front of your buddy, girlfriend or relative makes you look like an ass and
will definitely cause your friend to pay more or to waste your time and leave to do it again at another dealer. Usually the buyer will come back without the
maven if they liked you and the car. They realize that their maven embarrassed them and himself. Usually the buyer tells the maven to shut up or leave
when they see he is more of a hindrance than a help.

I am all for helping our loved ones thru the car buying process. Nothing turned my stomach more than watching a slimy shark totally rip that poor divorcee or widow because they needed a car and found the wrong guy. If you are uncomfortable, get up and actually leave. Seriously. They need you more than you need them. If/when a manager asks why you are leaving, tell him that you do not like how your salesman is treating you. If he hears that enough, he won;t be there much longer because a slimy salesman makes the entire dealership look bad. If the new owners prefer to have these types of guys on staff then he won't be around long and another name will be on the pole. A maven is bad. A helper makes the process less frightening.

I have often thought of "renting" out myself to help unsure people buy a car. I'd charge $150 to $200 and I will save them at least $1ooo. I'd be worth it. I would not be helpful to the seasoned buyer or old pro but a recent divorcee or widow can surely use help from someone like me. I'd save them (literally) thousands when it was over.
I'd be a "maven for hire". If anyone here wants me to be their maven, PM me. Seriously.
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I'll be hunting out a car eventually, and I will PM you!

People see a little old lady coming, and they think they have what she "needs".....lol.
 
@easternnc4me: I believe you and Alfred are correct. If you take it to the installing dealer and they have a good reputation with the factory, they can word the claim so the factory approves it without an inspection by a factory rep. Usually the better shops have this freedom to approve almost every repair. New dealers and dealers of suspected less-than-honest warranty work usually must have a factory inspector approve a repair over $XXX with a visit and inspection. Some service managers have an attitude that if you didn't have the work done there, they won't cut you any slack. If you take any suspension issues back to the installing dealer I'm sure you won't have any problems. Take it to a local shop with a jerk of a manager and he could tell the factory that there was sloppy suspension work that voided the warranty. Of course, the manager may know the manager at the installing shop and are buddies and all is well. I suggest that any suspension related work including wheel alignments, etc, and you should take it back to the installing dealer. Any other work, go to a local shop.

@vp9c.
Cash buyers can usually get to the bottom line faster. There is no drama in the finance office like there is with financing. You should insist on a total, out-the-door(OTD) price at the salesman's desk before you get to finance. Insist on it. Tell him you are not signing anything unless there is a total OTD figure on the Bill of Sale. If he can't/won't do it tell him to take the paper to the manager to fill in the numbers. Once you have the OTD number, finance office drama is limited.

The only negative to being a cash buyer is you may lose out on their special financing deal. Sometimes they offer you a $1500 or $2000 rebate if you use their financing and no rebate if you don't. This is rare but happens. If you are buying at a time this is offered, nothing says you cannot put 75% down and finance the balance. There may be a minimum finance amount of $10,000 or whatever but put down as much as you can to qualify for it. Make 3 payments to allow the paperwork flow to catch up and then pay the car off totally.
The 90 days of interest will be more than offset by the rebate they give.

Other than that, the finance guy may not appreciate you but ohhhh welllll!
 
I’ve done that financing deal twice, once each with GMC and Kia. Took the financing rebate, made the minimum number of payments and then paid off the balance. In both cases, the interest cost was inconsequential compared with the rebate.
 
Can't remember if I posted about my most recent car buying experience in this thread.

My son was only 1 week old and I did not have patience but I did need a new vehicle. I printed out a page from a dealer's website with a car I wanted. I took it to my local dealership (who did not have what I wanted) and told them "I want this car. Bring it here to me and I'll buy it from you." I even let them run my credit to be sure I qualified for 0% financing.

For various reasons that car didn't work out, so the salesman worked for a whole week to find one the Boss and I both liked (he found one with 20" wheels that I didn't like, one that was brown with a brown interior that the Boss didn't want, and one with a $2000 rear seat entertainment system that I wasn't about to pay for) before we landed on the right one for us. He called when it was ready for me to pick up, and I signed the paperwork and walked out with it. Total time I was inside the dealership that week: <2 hours.

I think that letting the salesman know I was serious by letting him run my credit but knowing for sure he didn't currently have the car I wanted cut way down on the time I spent sitting around the dealership.

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GoWolfpack said:
Can't remember if I posted about my most recent car buying experience in this thread.

My son was only 1 week old and I did not have patience but I did need a new vehicle. I printed out a page from a dealer's website with a car I wanted. I took it to my local dealership (who did not have what I wanted) and told them "I want this car. Bring it here to me and I'll buy it from you." I even let them run my credit to be sure I qualified for 0% financing.

For various reasons that car didn't work out, so the salesman worked for a whole week to find one the Boss and I both liked (he found one with 20" wheels that I didn't like, one that was brown with a brown interior that the Boss didn't want, and one with a $2000 rear seat entertainment system that I wasn't about to pay for) before we landed on the right one for us. He called when it was ready for me to pick up, and I signed the paperwork and walked out with it. Total time I was inside the dealership that week: <2 hours.

I think that letting the salesman know I was serious by letting him run my credit but knowing for sure he didn't currently have the car I wanted cut way down on the time I spent sitting around the dealership.

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Back in 04 I bought a brand new GTO.

I called the dealership before buying and asked to speak to the sales manager. I told him he had a car I wanted and gave him my information. He ran my credit, told me what I needed and gave me a huge discount. He emailed me the paperwork and I signed everything before I went there. I sent my down payment via the bank and after work picked it up. Spent a total of 20 minutes at the dealership only because i told them to take the dealer sticker off and had to wait for that. Bob King Automall in Wilmington. Best car buying experience ever.
 
larry, after reading through half of this wonderful thread i have to know....what do you drive and are there any cars you would recommend against, whether it be brand, model, year.
and thanks for this one, your alright in my book buddy.
thanks, brad
 
Thanks Brad!
As for my preference in specific cars I can truly say that they have all come a long way since when I began in 1991.
As part of a manager's compensation, we got to drive a demo which was a new car in the brand we worked at. We drove them
until they hit 6,000 miles when we then retired them and got a new one. We usually got a mid-level car that was a good seller so we didn't get our choice.
So, the last new car I bought was in 1988 before I started in the car business. In 1993 when I worked at Nissan, the Altima came out. I got one as a demo and I was so impressed with it that I bought one for my wife. It was a great car.

Since I never worked at a Luxury car dealer, I can't comment on my first hand experience with them but I've worked at many used car lots where I did get my pick of used cars and the luxury lines, specifically Lexus and Acura, were quite impressive for being 5+ years old with 80K plus miles on them. I'd buy one without thinking twice if I needed a nice, used car. As a matter of fact, I presently have a 2006 Toyota Solara convertible with 160k plus miles on it that drives like new. Brakes and tires, oil changes and it is perfect. I bought it 5 years ago with 120k on it and have been very pleased. I will drive it until the wheels fall off or my wheels fall off, whichever comes first. I'm betting it outlasts me!

I worked at Kia for almost 5 years. I was there after Hyundai bought Kia and redesigned their lineup in the early 2000s. Kia used to be a disposable, cheap car and that reputation still sticks with it today even though they make a very nice (as in reliable) car. Someone in the classifieds has a Kia Spectrum for sale for $1200 and if I needed a spare car I would be all over it. They may not be the plushest cars but they just run. In 2011 I bought my wife a used Kia Sportage with 80k miles on it. She drove a lot for work back then and we finally junked it last year with 200k miles on it. It got a timing belt (and water pump) at 100k miles and it did blow an alternator at about 150k miles. Oil, tires and batteries was all it needed in 10+ years of ownership. Great car.

Late in 2006 when the 2007 model year was being released my wife bought a used 2006 Kia Optima with 35k miles on it for peanuts because they changed the body style in a 2006.5 release. She drove it until 2011 (when she got the Sportage) and she then gave it to her daughter who moved to TN and needed a car. It had 150k miles on it at the time. Her daughter sold it 5 years later, still running. Oil, brakes and tires was all it needed in all that time.

In 2018 when I knew I was retiring and losing my company car, we decided to give me the 2006 Toyota convertible as my run around car and I got my wife an 2013 Nissan Rogue AWD with 65k miles on it. It's been a great car up to now with recent brakes and tires along with the usual oil. No issues and a solid car.

In 2008 I ran a BHPH lot for 3 years. Those cars were not up to my needs so I bought a 2002 Dodge Stratus R/T 2 door. This was not the same as the 4 door Stratus which was a rough car. The 2 door R/T (only) was a Mitsubishi Eclipse with a Dodge badge on it. Same drivetrain, interior, etc. I bought it with 90k on it and sold it in 2011 when I got a new, company car for my newest adventure. I did get an ESC with that car because it was a Dodge and it paid off because it blew 2 alternators in 3+ years. Since these were Bosch alternators, they cost about $600 for a new one. The warranty paid for both with the $100 deductible.Well worth it.

M last adventure before retiring was I worked for a bank that did floor plans (secured auto loans for inventory of dealers). I was an auditor so I traveled, by car, for 40k miles a year. They gave me a new Kia Soul (I had no choice). I had it for 3 years, put 120k miles on it and all it needed was oil, brakes and tires. (see a pattern here?). I was not happy when I got it because it looked funky but it got great gas mileage (company paid for gas) and was as reliable as it gets. I grew to love it and would buy one today if I had a kid who needed a car. When they retired the Soul, I got a Toyota Prius. Wow, nice car for what it was. That thing just kept running, getting 50mpg and other than oil, brakes and tires it needed nothing. It rode great, felt heavy and was a joy to drive for 40k miles a year. They retired the car the day I retired and I could have bought it for $10,000 (trade value was $12,500) but I already had my 2006 Toyota convertible and couldn't justify spending $10,000.

SO, in my opinion, I would not hesitate to buy any Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia or Subaru though Subarus can be pricey to fix if the drivetrain goes out with no warranty. Lexus, Acura and Infiniti are also great cars. I've never seen a BMW that didn't need work (used) and are pricey to fix. Usually electrical, which can be a ball buster money wise. I'm sure there are a ton of BMW owners who will tell me different but all I can say is I've dealt with thousands of used cars over the years and a used BMW was a risk. Can't speak for new since I never worked there. If you gave me a Jaguar for free you'd also have to promise to pay for any and all repairs. Same with Land Rover. I don't know how they stay in business with the upper middle class crowd with their issues. Of course, they may have improved the last few years but not from my view of used ones.

I am not a fan of the Dodge/Chrysler lineup for reason of reliability. They always have sharp looking cars but always fall short in the reliability category. Fiat, forget. Buy anything but one of those. Ford and Chevy put out nice cars. I have nothing bad to say about either but can't endorse them either. It depends on the specific model and how long they've been on the market. I know people who own Fords and Chevys who love them and are problem free. I also know some who are nickled and dimed to death after the warranty expires. Back in the 90s they both built disposable cars until they realized they had to catch up to the imports or perish. They got it together and some models thrived and some models put out problems until they stopped making them. An F150 or Silverado are as good as it gets for trucks. Mustangs seem to be all there. Nothing bad to say about either of them but if a relative asked for my opinion, I'd steer them to the imports.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
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I enjoyed your take on the Kia Soul. We bought one a few years ago for our daughter and I was sure it would fall apart as soon as she drove it off lot. How could such an inexpensive car possibly hold up? She loves that car and it has been 100% reliable.
 
larryh1108 said:
Lexus, Acura and Infiniti are also great cars. I've never seen a BMW that didn't need work (used) and are pricey to fix. Usually electrical, which can be a ball buster money wise. I'm sure there are a ton of BMW owners who will tell me different but all I can say is I've dealt with thousands of used cars over the years and a used BMW was a risk. Can't speak for new since I never worked there. If you gave me a Jaguar for free you'd also have to promise to pay for any and all repairs. Same with Land Rover. I don't know how they stay in business with the upper middle class crowd with their issues. Of course, they may have improved the last few years but not from my view of used ones.
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I think the the Lexus, Acura and Infiniti cars are all reliable because for the most part they are just tweaks on the parent company's platforms. When you drive and Lexus you can still "feel" the Camry inside. LOL What you say about BMW IMHO applies to most of the German cars. Audi, MB, VW & BMW all seem to have electrical issues down the road. I have owned a lot of German cars over the years and I think they are at times over engineered and they have too many gadgets. That said they usually have systems which directly effect driving which are well ahead of their time. Sometimes you pay for that down the road. The other thing I have really seen in the BMW brand is that most of the certified pre-owns are leased cars. If you read the boards and look at the owners of these cars they drive them hard and put them away wet. They know that they are under warranty for a 3 years covering everything including maintenance. Tires are pretty much the only things not covered so they drive them like they stole them. They turn them in after the lease and get another one. This is especially true on the M models. I would never buy a used M car unless I knew the owner.

I would never buy a Jag or a Land Rover. The are IMHO POS.
 
Awesome to hear from somebody with so much experience in the field... my mom also has a 06 solara convertible and she loves it. We're a Toyota family. I just got a '19 Avalon and i love it... might have paid a bit much but i do love it. Wish i knew you then;)... thanks for spending the time to school us on something we all need to know. Best of luck in retirement partner!
 
Jeppo said:
I enjoyed your take on the Kia Soul. We bought one a few years ago for our daughter and I was sure it would fall apart as soon as she drove it off lot. How could such an inexpensive car possibly hold up? She loves that car and it has been 100% reliable.
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I asked my old mechanic when I lived in Fredericksburg, VA who was half Japanese half Irish what he thought about the Hyundais and at the time new Hynudai/KIAs and he replied to me.... Rick you know nothing good every came out of Korea, knowing full well I am Korean. LOL These days they remind me of Honda/Toyota of the 90s. They are moving from making inexpensive ecoboxes that held up pretty well to more sophisticated more refined cars.

I looked at the Stinger but the long term test drive from I think Car and Driver said that by 24 months the interior fit was loose and it was starting to rattle. There were also fit and finishes issues with the body and window seals. It is a shame because it really is a BMW 3 series killer IMHO.
 
I believe the Stinger will tighten up and become what it was meant to be. In the mid 2000s it seemed like Kia was behind the others when it came to innovation and the next, great thing in automobiles. I truly believe that they watched the others iron out the issues and then Kia and Hyundai would come out with their version 2 years later but already refined. To me, instead of the buyer being the beta testers they let the manufacturers deal with the recalls and tweaks and then they put it out right the first time. I think it's smart, not a step behind. Their 10yr/100k powertrain warranty and 5yr/60 warranties are solid and make the buyer feel comfortable. Of course, in the finance office, it was a tough sell to sell an ESC due to how well the cars were covered when new.
 
@larryh1108 I posted in another thread weeks ago about the 2010 Kia Soul I had as my daily driver. I bought it from Copart in 2012 with a salvage title due t hail damage. It had 128K on it. Other than routine maintenance the only other thing I had to do to it was replace the front wheel hub on the front passenger side. I did replace the water pump and timing belt, but that was because I didn't know if the timing belt had ever been changed and my mechanic said you had to go through the water pump to get to it so I might as well change the water pump too. I sold it this past year with 166K miles on it. I wouldn't be afraid to drive that car anywhere. I ended up buying a 2015 Honda Civic from Copart with salvage title due to hail damage for my daily driver. 54K miles on it when I bought it. Runs great.
 
larryh1108 said:
Those Copart cars with hail damage sure are worth the money!

I'm telling anyone who will listen, lose the Kia is junk mindset. Yes they were pre 2002. From 2004 and on they make a reliable, though not extravagant, car.
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But extravagant is nice... and fast is not bad trait either. ;)

fjCmSYT.jpg
 
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I got a call from my oldest brother last week. He and his wife are looking at replacing her 2000 Lexus RX300, which they've had since it was new. They're the type of people who take excellent care of their vehicles and that car is like new all around and under the hood. All maintenance performed when it should, spotless, etc. 20 years old and 315,000 miles on it.

Knowing my wife and I are keeping an eye out for vehicles for our kids, he gave me a call about it. He's replacing the A/C on it, and "while he's at it, he's replacing all the rubber on the engine". I told him I wasn't really in the market for a third car payment right now...but he said all he's looking for is the cost of this work. About $1,600.

Soooo...looks like I'm getting a 2000 Lexus RX300 for the kids! I figure for that price, if it lasts a year or two, it's worth it. And, like I said, it's been taken care of since day one by them.
 
I haven't told my wife about it, yet. I called our youngest daughter (senior in high school) who currently is the only kid with a driver's license (the other two have been dragging their feet).

ME: "How do you feel about doing a little driving work for me?"
HER: "Why?"
ME: "Don't tell Mommy yet, but I've located another car (told her the story). It's at your Uncle Marsh and Aunt Cheryl's house in Virginia. I'll need a driver to get it home."

(Background: Home is in SC...I work in VA. My oldest brother lives in VA.)

After they get a new car, I'll go up and buy the Lexus and get the title signed over to me. Then take it home to get it registered and whatnot. Then we'll take a long weekend and driver up to their house, pick it up, and she can drive it home.
 
Completed the Costco Buying process. I would highly recommend it. It's well worth a $60 membership fee even if you never use the membership for anything else.
I "built" the car on the Costco service. The local dealer they use contacted me. I asked for an OTD price. The dealer was within $500 of what I wanted to pay right off the bat. I changed a couple of my options and they immediately adjusted the price and got back to me.
They had to do a dealer swap because they didn't have what I wanted. I got a couple of small dealer add ons free because the car they got already had them on it.
They had the car ready. I went in, went through the vehicle operations with the salesman. Then went to the finance guy and wrote him a check. No high pressure extended warranty or paint protection stuff. In an out in an hour. No fuss no muss. This is what I left with.IMG_20200127_174549042.jpg
 
I should also add that a couple of reasons that helped things move right along is that I had no trade and did not finance it.
Now, if this one is as good as my '99 Accord that I still have with 255k miles, it might be the last one I ever buy!
 
SPST said:
if this one is as good as my '99 Accord that I still have with 255k miles, it might be the last one I ever buy!
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Congrats on the buy. I bet with some care your old one will go 355k if you want it to.

It wasn't all that long ago when the possibility of your car not starting in the morning was real. Tune-ups really were needed every 10 or 15k miles. Mufflers rotted out. Fenders rotted off. Pretty much lacked common safety elements we take for granted. Cars didn't stop worth a damn, didn't handle well and got lousy gas mileage. Today's cars are scary good- of course stuff happens, but in general they are the best ever made. I do have an issue with a lot of the modern styling trends that look like they were designed by a cake baker using an icing spatula, slab-sided funky angles and stuff. No soul, really.

However as much as I love the classics for their soul, most days I'm gonna prefer the modern car that asks for nothing more than oil, tires and an occasional wash.
 
Hey @larryh1108, I have a question I hope you can help me with. In all your experience, is it common for manufacturers to offer incentives on heavy duty (3/4 and 1 ton) trucks? I have been looking at Chevy and Ford, but even though between the two Chevy seems to be more open-handed with truck incentives, they're confined almost exclusively to the 1/2 ton truck segment. If I am waiting on a special factory incentive deal to buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, am I wasting my time?
 
In my experience, the heavy trucks don't see many incentives. They seem to sell all they build and companies buy them as fleet sales. You will see some incentives in early spring when they go after the business from small business owners like landscapers and local contractors. So, March will probably be the best time for the heavy trucks.
 
One more question: the truck I want will have to be ordered from the factory. Are the incentives always contingent on delivery from a dealer's stock or does it vary? Is that more common from one company or the other (Ford or Chevy)?

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SDIVER2006 said:
I’m done buying new cars...

unless that 202o BRONCO is as bad ass as I hope...then my ass is going into hock
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Guaranteed it won't be as good as you hope, unless you were hoping for a hopped up misshapen Edge.

The concept art of something that looks like a full size Bronco from the 90s is pure fantasy.

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GoWolfpack said:
One more question: the truck I want will have to be ordered from the factory. Are the incentives always contingent on delivery from a dealer's stock or does it vary? Is that more common from one company or the other (Ford or Chevy)?

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The rebates do vary. Some ads specifically say purchased from dealer stock. Usually these are the model year end (Aug & Spet) and year end clearance sales. They want to move inventory on hand and already produced. Watch for the wording. If it's a spring sale for upcoming truck season, a factory build should qualify but the rebates are much less that year end. They all run them about the same due to competition.
 
Glad I helped!
One thing about this year's models is that there is not as many units to sell due to the Covid.
Plants didn't produce as many and inventories are low.
If anyone is considering buying a new car, do it ASAP while the best choices are out there.
Dec is Tuesday so any year end rebates will be in effect.
If you snooze, you will lose!
 
larryh1108 said:
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M last adventure before retiring was I worked for a bank that did floor plans (secured auto loans for inventory of dealers). I was an auditor so I traveled, by car, for 40k miles a year. They gave me a new Kia Soul (I had no choice). I had it for 3 years, put 120k miles on it and all it needed was oil, brakes and tires. (see a pattern here?). I was not happy when I got it because it looked funky but it got great gas mileage (company paid for gas) and was as reliable as it gets. I grew to love it and would buy one today if I had a kid who needed a car. When they retired the Soul, I got a Toyota Prius. Wow, nice car for what it was. That thing just kept running, getting 50mpg and other than oil, brakes and tires it needed nothing. It rode great, felt heavy and was a joy to drive for 40k miles a year. They retired the car the day I retired and I could have bought it for $10,000 (trade value was $12,500) but I already had my 2006 Toyota convertible and couldn't justify spending $10,000.

SO, in my opinion, I would not hesitate to buy any Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia or Subaru though Subarus can be pricey to fix if the drivetrain goes out with no warranty...
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I mentioned previously that I had a 2010 Kia Soul with the 2.0 and it was a tough little car. I wouldn't have been afraid to drive it anywhere. Bought it with Salvage title due to hail damage with 128,000 miles and sold it to a local person with 166,000 miles on it. She's still driving it to this day. Went to Copart in Dunn yesterday to pick up a 2019 Kia Soul I won on auction. 32,000 miles but it has the 1.6 engine. If it is as tough as the 2.0 is it should last him through college with routine maintenance (he's in the 11th grade). Salvage title due to rear end damage. Even with the cost of parts and body shop repair it's still way cheaper than new. It runs and drives fine. Parts ordered and it will be going to the body shop next week. My saving grace is my brother in-law has his own business where he paints hoods, bumpers, fenders, etc for dealerships and will be doing the painting for free for my son. The rear bumper and part of the hatch will need to be repainted once the body shop fixes them.

Had to tow it to Wilson to the Highway Patrol License and Theft office this morning to get a pre-repair inspection and paperwork.IMG_0507[1].JPG

The rear end damage:
IMG_0508[1].JPG


On a side note I was talking to a car salesman I know and he mentioned that, due to the Pandemic causing delays in new car production, the used car market is exploding. My nephew (he does the same type of work as my brother in-law) said that a couple of the people at some of the dealerships he works at have said the same thing.
 
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I have also heard and read the same thing. Like the ammo market, the used car market is going crazy. Of course, if you want to trade in your car, the dealer will make it seem like he is doing you a favor by selling you a new car that is hard to come by and by taking your trade in for below market value because the used car market is down. (Car dealers lie a lot to justify stealing your trade in). If you are looking to sell your used car, the market is a seller's market right now.

Salvage titles are great if the damage is identified and you pay cash. Banks won't finance salvage titles so it is a cash thing. Great job on the Soul!
 
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I glanced through the first two pages of this. To be honest, all of the games make me just want to keep fixing my old stuff or buy from private sellers.
 
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