Rule of Thumb For Buying Cars
06-11-11, 12:22 AM
#16
Lexus Test Driver
Rules of thumb I've learned from 30+ years of car shopping:
- When shopping for new cars, don't walk inside when you first arrive. Go to the new car row and look at the window stickers. If they have supplemental stickers with paint protection, pinstripes, etc. get back in your car and shop elsewhere. In my experience, this is a big red flag that the dealership will try all kinds of other ploys get you to overpay. I've regretted every time I stayed at one of these dealerships.
- When shopping for new cars, don't walk inside when you first arrive. Go to the new car row and look at the window stickers. If they have supplemental stickers with paint protection, pinstripes, etc. get back in your car and shop elsewhere. In my experience, this is a big red flag that the dealership will try all kinds of other ploys get you to overpay. I've regretted every time I stayed at one of these dealerships.
06-11-11, 09:22 AM
#17
Yeah,those add on item sticker prices are a joke.
I've seen wheels and tire accessories for a couple of thousand dollars or more.
They keep the OEM wheels and tires and you can get the same add on wheel and tires much cheaper yourself and have the original wheels and tires to sell or use in winter.
I've seen wheels and tire accessories for a couple of thousand dollars or more.
They keep the OEM wheels and tires and you can get the same add on wheel and tires much cheaper yourself and have the original wheels and tires to sell or use in winter.
Last edited by Joeb427; 06-11-11 at 09:29 AM.
06-11-11, 10:48 AM
#18
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC/ATL
Posts: 2,618
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah,those add on item sticker prices are a joke.
I've seen wheels and tire accessories for a couple of thousand dollars or more.
They keep the OEM wheels and tires and you can get the same add on wheel and tires much cheaper yourself and have the original wheels and tires to sell or use in winter.
I've seen wheels and tire accessories for a couple of thousand dollars or more.
They keep the OEM wheels and tires and you can get the same add on wheel and tires much cheaper yourself and have the original wheels and tires to sell or use in winter.
never understood that
06-11-11, 12:24 PM
#19
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
don't ya just love those 'dealer protection packages' already tacked on, supposed rust proofing, scotch guarding, maybe initial oil changes included, etc., for some $600 or so. saw this at toyota dealer on every car there. 
06-11-11, 12:35 PM
#20
buy towards the end of the month
talk to a internet fleet manager and get a price over the phone before even stepping foot in a dealer. I would never go to a dealer then start talking price, you just did half the work for them by showing up to the dealer. Make them work to get you to the dealer.
talk to a internet fleet manager and get a price over the phone before even stepping foot in a dealer. I would never go to a dealer then start talking price, you just did half the work for them by showing up to the dealer. Make them work to get you to the dealer.
06-11-11, 01:52 PM
#22
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: CA
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm most likely going to purchase next July. Hopefully there can be a special on the veloster. The only reason why I want to buy is cause of the 100k warranty. Someone mentioned on how they were able to double the warranty, and if I can do the same, I would definitely buy.
06-11-11, 02:13 PM
#23
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
06-11-11, 04:26 PM
#24
The warranty has a number of limitations.
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/assurance/...-warranty.aspx
I would make sure the CAR is something I really want to keep for that long regardless of the warranty.
http://www.hyundaiusa.com/assurance/...-warranty.aspx
I would make sure the CAR is something I really want to keep for that long regardless of the warranty.
06-11-11, 04:27 PM
#25
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: CA
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I average at 15k, I once drove close to 18k. I got my LS in september, I already put 12k miles on it; summer might put another 2-3k. The high miles is cause of the commute to work (55 miles total per workday) mostly. I do plan to drive less this summer, no summer school and I plan to ride my bike as often as I can (exercise).
06-11-11, 08:42 PM
#26
Pole Position
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 310
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My rule that I tell people who are shopping...
Spend 3-6 months researching, shopping, and test driving everything you possibly can. Don't limit yourself on brands or models, only limit yourself on price range. Spend as much time as you can looking for reviews and reliability information to make an intelligent decision.
After all, buying a car is the second biggest purchase of most people's lives... Put some effort into it!
Spend 3-6 months researching, shopping, and test driving everything you possibly can. Don't limit yourself on brands or models, only limit yourself on price range. Spend as much time as you can looking for reviews and reliability information to make an intelligent decision.
After all, buying a car is the second biggest purchase of most people's lives... Put some effort into it!
06-11-11, 09:56 PM
#27
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC/ATL
Posts: 2,618
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm most likely going to purchase next July. Hopefully there can be a special on the veloster. The only reason why I want to buy is cause of the 100k warranty. Someone mentioned on how they were able to double the warranty, and if I can do the same, I would definitely buy.
06-12-11, 02:44 PM
#28
Out of Warranty
Don't buy for a warranty. That's simply an insurance policy against catastrophic failure, and you can buy those much cheaper by shopping the aftermarket for extended warranty coverage. Like buying a car, shop around for these . . . performance doesn't always equal price.
Buy instead for what you NEED, vs. what you want. Why buy a little tin box off the showroom floor when with a little research and shopping, you can find a really nice car from the "pre-owned" selection that boasts low mileage and two or three years of loving care.
After 40 years of driving ONLY new cars, I got the message: you will take an enormous hit in the wallet if you trade for another new car every three or four years. That new car is only "new" for a few months, after which it is "used", if only by you. Soon you start to notice the little things you don't like and begin to see cars in the showrooms you have convinced yourself you like better.
I've had several self-employed friends who purchase a new company car, then sell it to themselves as a private sale after another three years, giving them a nice, well-maintained car for the family, cycling through automobiles every six years or so.
If business demands you drive something brand new, that's fine, but if you are careful, you can pick up a deal on something heavily depreciated after three years, then cycle that vehicle through, trading the car out of the family at nine years, at which point it's pretty well reached the end of its depreciation. If it's still reliable, it makes a good car for a kid or a college-bound student - one that you know EVERYTHING in its history, unlike something from the typical used-car lot.
I have a good friend who buys an off-lease Town Car every five or six years simply because at three years down in their lifespan they are cheap and they've taken a huge percentage of their depreciation. OK, they're thirsty as a commuter, but he only drives it on longer trips or business calls while his wife commutes and shops from her SMART. I'd perhaps reconsider the latter choice, but it works for them.
There are plenty of creative ways to preserve capital when buying a car. Anyone, who like me, who falls into that "new car" trap every few years is simply burning their paycheck.
Buy instead for what you NEED, vs. what you want. Why buy a little tin box off the showroom floor when with a little research and shopping, you can find a really nice car from the "pre-owned" selection that boasts low mileage and two or three years of loving care.
After 40 years of driving ONLY new cars, I got the message: you will take an enormous hit in the wallet if you trade for another new car every three or four years. That new car is only "new" for a few months, after which it is "used", if only by you. Soon you start to notice the little things you don't like and begin to see cars in the showrooms you have convinced yourself you like better.
I've had several self-employed friends who purchase a new company car, then sell it to themselves as a private sale after another three years, giving them a nice, well-maintained car for the family, cycling through automobiles every six years or so.
If business demands you drive something brand new, that's fine, but if you are careful, you can pick up a deal on something heavily depreciated after three years, then cycle that vehicle through, trading the car out of the family at nine years, at which point it's pretty well reached the end of its depreciation. If it's still reliable, it makes a good car for a kid or a college-bound student - one that you know EVERYTHING in its history, unlike something from the typical used-car lot.
I have a good friend who buys an off-lease Town Car every five or six years simply because at three years down in their lifespan they are cheap and they've taken a huge percentage of their depreciation. OK, they're thirsty as a commuter, but he only drives it on longer trips or business calls while his wife commutes and shops from her SMART. I'd perhaps reconsider the latter choice, but it works for them.
There are plenty of creative ways to preserve capital when buying a car. Anyone, who like me, who falls into that "new car" trap every few years is simply burning their paycheck.
06-12-11, 02:58 PM
#29
Lexus Fanatic
Don't buy for a warranty. That's simply an insurance policy against catastrophic failure, and you can buy those much cheaper by shopping the aftermarket for extended warranty coverage. Like buying a car, shop around for these . . . performance doesn't always equal price.
Buy instead for what you NEED, vs. what you want. Why buy a little tin box off the showroom floor when with a little research and shopping, you can find a really nice car from the "pre-owned" selection that boasts low mileage and two or three years of loving care.
After 40 years of driving ONLY new cars, I got the message: you will take an enormous hit in the wallet if you trade for another new car every three or four years. That new car is only "new" for a few months, after which it is "used", if only by you. Soon you start to notice the little things you don't like and begin to see cars in the showrooms you have convinced yourself you like better.
I've had several self-employed friends who purchase a new company car, then sell it to themselves as a private sale after another three years, giving them a nice, well-maintained car for the family, cycling through automobiles every six years or so.
If business demands you drive something brand new, that's fine, but if you are careful, you can pick up a deal on something heavily depreciated after three years, then cycle that vehicle through, trading the car out of the family at nine years, at which point it's pretty well reached the end of its depreciation. If it's still reliable, it makes a good car for a kid or a college-bound student - one that you know EVERYTHING in its history, unlike something from the typical used-car lot.
I have a good friend who buys an off-lease Town Car every five or six years simply because at three years down in their lifespan they are cheap and they've taken a huge percentage of their depreciation. OK, they're thirsty as a commuter, but he only drives it on longer trips or business calls while his wife commutes and shops from her SMART. I'd perhaps reconsider the latter choice, but it works for them.
There are plenty of creative ways to preserve capital when buying a car. Anyone, who like me, who falls into that "new car" trap every few years is simply burning their paycheck.
Buy instead for what you NEED, vs. what you want. Why buy a little tin box off the showroom floor when with a little research and shopping, you can find a really nice car from the "pre-owned" selection that boasts low mileage and two or three years of loving care.
After 40 years of driving ONLY new cars, I got the message: you will take an enormous hit in the wallet if you trade for another new car every three or four years. That new car is only "new" for a few months, after which it is "used", if only by you. Soon you start to notice the little things you don't like and begin to see cars in the showrooms you have convinced yourself you like better.
I've had several self-employed friends who purchase a new company car, then sell it to themselves as a private sale after another three years, giving them a nice, well-maintained car for the family, cycling through automobiles every six years or so.
If business demands you drive something brand new, that's fine, but if you are careful, you can pick up a deal on something heavily depreciated after three years, then cycle that vehicle through, trading the car out of the family at nine years, at which point it's pretty well reached the end of its depreciation. If it's still reliable, it makes a good car for a kid or a college-bound student - one that you know EVERYTHING in its history, unlike something from the typical used-car lot.
I have a good friend who buys an off-lease Town Car every five or six years simply because at three years down in their lifespan they are cheap and they've taken a huge percentage of their depreciation. OK, they're thirsty as a commuter, but he only drives it on longer trips or business calls while his wife commutes and shops from her SMART. I'd perhaps reconsider the latter choice, but it works for them.
There are plenty of creative ways to preserve capital when buying a car. Anyone, who like me, who falls into that "new car" trap every few years is simply burning their paycheck.
06-12-11, 06:24 PM
#30
Former Sponsor
One general rule that way to many people don't follow is negotiate the price of the car, not the payment. Salesmen are quick to get people into a "Payment" and "how much a month can you afford" which works to their advantage. Don't go that route, talk the price of the car first.