Solved Help me select a car

[Thorsen]

Yes... a car.

Ok so I usually come on here for all sorts of info and with the tremendous amount of sheer knowledge combined in one place I figure this is probably the best place to ask (also I am not on any car forums)

So I need a new car, but am torn between two different options when narrowing down the search.



First car:

2010 Ford Fusion
$16000 (all fees included)
46,321 Miles

Mo payments at $271/mo for 5 years
Pros: has warranty for next 4 years or up to 100k miles
Is certified pre-owned
Is newer and less miles so it is less worn in
Is well below blue-book value

Cons: cost more than I was wanting to spend

Second Car:

2005 Honda Civic
$10,135 (all fees inc.)
90,130 Miles (has had 100k maintenance)

Mo Payments at $273/mo for 3 years
Benefits: costs less
is a honda so it should last longer
already has 100k maintenance

Cons: No warranty. could get extended warranty but not sure of cost

Both prices include tax, tags, and gap insurance.
Per month cost is based on 10% down on online edmunds car payment calculator

Any advice on either car. I have had a honda accord before, but have not found too much on the fusion.

Thanks,

Thorsen

 

[whs]

I would not buy any of those cars. I would buy a new car for $15.000 (after hard negotiated discount), e.g. a Susuki SX4 two wheel drive or a Kia Soul or something similar.

But if you want to stick with the above choice, I would opt for the younger car. The Honda has too many miles.

Btw: the Ford Fusion blue book value is appr. $12.700 (4 door SE)

And I never buy a car on credit. You pay for the car twice.

 

[Gary]

I bought a 2000 Acura TL new in 1999 and it is still running like new. Honda/Acura make good vehicles.

 

[Thorsen]

Interest rate I am getting is really low interest after all is said and done is only $1800.

Thanks for the advice. I will look into new-new cars. when I started this my price was at 9k, but it kept going up as I looked and saw issues with all the available options.

 

[whs]

Interest rate I am getting is really low interest after all is said and done is only $1800.

Thanks for the advice. I will look into new-new cars. when I started this my price was at 9k, but it kept going up as I looked and saw issues with all the available options.

Make sure you look into the blue book first (on the net). The Fusion was worth a lot less than the asking price.

And when you buy a new car, ask to see the factory invoice. Give them $50 more than they payed for it. They make out in Yearend incentives which is probably $300 to $500 per car depending how they met their quota.

If they don't want to show you the invoice, go to the next dealer.

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Last year I bought a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe at Enterprise which is a rental company.
Still under warranty with only 30K miles on it. Runs great and it is easy to get my wife in and out.
Had to get a mid-sized SUV to transport my wife with MS. Smaller cars were to difficult to get her out a low profile car.

Just for fun check out Hertz, Enterprise and rental outlets that are selling their cars below market that are still under warranty. Make sure you do a Car Facts Report.

Have fun shopping.
THW

 

[DocBrown]

Have you seen this Big Red Wagon



Radio Flyer Car Original Story By Mike Nederbrock for KTUU-TV - YouTube

 

[Thorsen]

Thanks Dennis

WHS, i checked blue book for the Fusion and it listed at 19,000. I can't remember the options, but mileage is low. I am going to test drive it tomorrow. I looked into a few Kia's and they were really poorly made. read reviews for the new Kia Soul and Hyundai's and found the same thing. the reviews for the Fusion were pretty good and of course the honda reviews were good.

Thanks for info guys.

 

[whs]

Maybe it is a different Fusion model that I looked up. You must look at the prices when you would sell it - not dealer prices. Those are inflated. But you do the right thing making thorough research.

 

[A Guy]

If you consider the Honda, make sure the timing belt has been changed recently. Honda recommends changing the timing belt every 60,000 miles. these are overhead valve engines. Should the timing belt fail the valves drop and the pistons rise and...lots of mayhem and expensive repairs follow. They recommend changing the water pump at the same time as the same disassembly is required, and you only pay the labor once. A Guy

 

[Thorsen]

Thanks Bill. yes for the Honda the full 100K maintenance has been done. that was one thing I questioned first since it is near the mark. the timing belt, water pump were the two I knew of, but I think all has been done. I will check the maintenance records when I look at it since it is at a dealership.

The KBB prices for retail are inflated to cover expenses and fees that the dealership will charge so I added those to my price numbers for each car. The fusion was originally 14750 and the civic was 8995 each added about $1,000 for taxes/tags and $250 for gap insurance.

I will have to check the model for the Fusion to be sure of the model. My price was higher, but I might have the wrong model or it put in stuff the car doesn't have.

Thanks guys

 

[Thorsen]

Here is the KBB i got for fusion: Kelley Blue Book

It is a certified pre-owned, base options, base powertrain Fusion SE

This one says 16,625 not sure what I did for the 19,000 price... so it is on the mark with the kbb value

I will definitely try to bring price down, but not sure how much it can decrease

 

[Thorsen]

Have you seen this Big Red Wagon



Radio Flyer Car Original Story By Mike Nederbrock for KTUU-TV - YouTube

Thanks for that doc

 

[Britton30]

The Kelly Blue book is for consumers to see only. Car dealers use a Black book which isn't generally available to the public. I got the info from a good friend who is a used car dealer. He claims Blue Book prices are usually falsely high so a "rube" as he said" thinks he is getting a great deal.

A good way to buy, and I've done it twice, is to have a friend in the business who can take you to a dealer-only auction and buy through them, some may charge you $200-$300 for the service because they will have to resell it to you. I was able to look at the cars on the block all I wanted before the sale.

Buying direct from the owner can work out well too for good pricing and most will be honest if you ask some good questions.

My worst experience was buying a '74 Mazda brand new, lots of problems to sort out with mechanical issues.

 

[Thorsen]

Thanks for that Britton. Will ask about that. The fusion is through a friend of the family but I know he is making 500 on it... Will try to get lower price main thing that is worth more is that it is still under warranty

 

[whs]

Just saw a model that might fit the bill.

 

[Thorsen]

Did you miss Doc's post WHS? ^^^^


also, I got the Ford Fusion. it has a 12mo bumper to bumper and 4 more years of powertrain. It's nice. really happy with the purchase. got price down by about 1k and interest rate at 4.19%.

Will post a pic if I get a chance. spent all weekend doing stuff and have been super busy. Thanks to everyone for your input. I learned a lot through this process.

 

[Britton30]

Sounds like a good deal Thorsen, have fun with it.

 

[whs]

Yeah, I really missed Doc's post. I apologize.

 

[FuturDreamz]

Ask yourself: Is the car comfortable to ride in? Will the controls and such become second nature or a nuisance? You might end up strongly disliking a car because some of the cool bells and whistles you bought it for only serve to annoy you on a daily basis.