Need to buy a new car

I have had a company car for the past 12 years (free car, gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.) but my role has changed and the vehicle plan has changed. I have to turn in my car at the end of September and go on a new plan where I will get $550 a month (taxable) and it will cover everything (car, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.).

My wife has a Camry and it is a great car. I am considering getting a Camry but wanted to reach out for suggestions. I prefer a used/pre-owned/CPO car because I am cheap! I am considering everything from a Camry to a Civic to a BMW. I would like to pay under $20K because I plan to pay cash. However, I would consider a lease if it makes sense. I plan to drive about 12-15K miles a year.

Any suggestions?

 

Have you tried researching the past couple of years best models on Consumer Reports? This helped me to narrow my choice to a Toyota Corolla back in 2000. I still own the vehicle and have no complaints.

By consulting the best years car list, it gives you an idea of what is reported to be a reliable car. Remember that Toyota has some shoddy years recently, so steer clear from those (can't recall which was the worst period, 3 to 5 years back or earlier).

The other issue: if you don't like to haggle on price, check out Consumers' CHECKBOOK - Table of Contents. I used this service to buy my car and only paid $150 over the dealer's inventory price for a car on the lot. I don't recommend this to buy a souped-up car as dealers will nickle and dime you on features (e.g. alloy wheels, four-wheel drive, etc.) and that defeats the purpose of a no-haggle purchase deal.

 

In recent years, I have become a big Hyundai fan...solid reliability, great warranty, good gas mileage. We are shopping for a new car and a new Accent is on the short list to replace my old accent.

I put about 80 miles a day on the car with the daily commute and mileage is the priority.

 

My Jeep now has the death wobble so I'm sour on it. Don't buy a Jeep (unless you want to buy my Jeep).

 

I looked at a 1999 E320, 2002 XJ8, and a 2005 Jaguar S-Type. I will head over to the Hyundai dealer and Toyota dealer next.

 

Need more info; commute length, type of vehicle (SUV, Station wagon, Truck, or Sedan) and engine size?

I have been eye balling several vehicles lately, and I'm a huge fan of the new/ redesigned Subaru Outback or a Lexus ES sedan.

The Subaru would offer room to grow, get mileage, and of course all-wheel-drive which is nice for those unscheduled trips up to the snow country. The Lexus offers a spacious and luxurious sedan, with unquestionable reliability and great bang for the buck!

Both are great vehicles with solid reputation for quality. I agree that Hyundai has come a long way. However, after two decades of producing throw away cars, their new quality versus their new price tag increase has me saying "No Sir" and I wouldn't consider them. They would have to begin producing quality cars for much longer than they have in order to justify the price their asking IMO. We have someone at work that just dropped $54K for a new Hyundai and we all kinda roll our eyes when she talks about how her car was worth THAT kind of money, lol.

 

Commute to the airport once a month (30 miles). I work from home so when I travel I typically drive to the airport, fly, and rent a car.
Sedan / 4D
Engine 4 or 6 cyl
No need for a 4WD since I live in FL!

The Hyundia that is $54K is supposed to be worth it. The features are unreal and supposed to compare to the 7 series BMW. You can even get the "wing package" and it looks like a Bentley. Our neighbor has one and loves it.

 

I recently got a 2010 MB E350 for my daily driver that i love and have a 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer for a toy (not a car for daily driving as it gets 8 miles/gallon). I previously had a BMW but would not recommend one beyond 2005 as I feel they are simply living off their brand and the quality has declined. For low cost with nice features I'd recommend VW. My fiancé has a 2011 Toureg and I'd say the features are close to my MB for less money. I've heard good things about the Passat. Subarus are also good for the money.
Additionally, I can't believe anyone would pay $50k+ for a Hyundai.

 

We love our Lexus RX 300 and have driven it for many years. Lexus seems to make a very stylish and reliable car.

 

I was alos looking at a 1997 735 and considering looking at a VW CC - thanks

 

I bought my wife a Buick Regal Turbo with a sunroof. This is an excellent car and with my GM card money and the Amex Zag site, I got it brand new for what most people pay for a 2 year old car. Its designed and manufactured in Germany and imported here for US sale. The thing is quiet, fast, the suspension is supple, and the interior quality is very nice.
2012 Buick Regal Turbo Premium 1 Prices: What Others Paid | U.S. News Best Cars

We ended up paying 24k for ours since it was a leftover 2011 and we got 3k off for the GM Card. MSRP is just over 30k.

 

I look a lot closer at $15-17K Hyundais than I do at $54K cars. That is over 1/3 of the price of a decent house in my area.

The wife has a 2010 Subaru Forester. It has been great in the snow and averages 26-27 mpg on vacations when we put the roof rack on and load it up with boxes. Without the rack on, it creeps up into the low 30s when travelling across the flat Midwest highways.

 

My wife has been a Jeep fan for years as she likes vehicles with a rigid look. She has been a really big fan of Subaru's redesign where most of their station wagons now look more like SUV's; and I completely agree when you couple that with their reasonable price tag.

 

Always check out the quality ratings per manufacturer also. Some of the most popular manufacturers have terrible quality compared to their competition. An example is Volkswagen and Land Rover. They are at the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality.
2010 J.D. Power and Associates IQS Photo Gallery - Autoblog

 

Many people whom we tell about our Volvo 'deal' say, in effect, "I wish I had known."

1. Buy or lease the car at local dealer.
2. Get 8% off the MSRP.
3. Get two free round-trip tickets from anywhere in the US to Sweden.
4. Get 3 nights in a fancy hotel in Gothenburg.
5. Drive in Europe for anywhere from a day to a month. (Free insurance)
6. Return the car to any of a couple of dozen cities.
7. They ship it home to anywhere in the US for free.
8. Oh, and a bowl of meatballs at the company dining room.
We did our first one 16 years ago (our daughter now drives it) and our second last year.

 

And when did this happen? Seems like a lot of hubub to sell a vehicle.

 

Looks like it is still happening - Buy a Volvo and Plan Your Trip to Europe

 

Volvo has been doing this for 20+ years. BMW does something comparable.

There was a California couple picking up their car last year, same day we did. They do this every year: presell the car in California ($5,000 profit), drive it straight from the factory to the dock, then embark on a free 2 or 3 week European vacation.

 

Look at 2012 VW Passat TDI. Great car, roomy, fun to drive and TDI reliability and get 50+ miles a gallon on Highway.
I purchased one 3 months ago and was able to drive almost 800 miles on one tank of Diesel on my vacation last months.