anyone buy a new car this year?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

It has the added benefit of being a beautiful Duke blue.

Like my current ride!

Attachment 2332

And mine too!
Larry and new 2012 Sonata at fka Brunchgate, Sept. 3, 2011.jpg

You know, I also think it's time for a new 9F shirt for next football season. This one has started to fade to the wrong color...

[devildeac]

You wouldn't believe all the advanced features on a 2112 model. It came with the Mr. Fusion powerplant as standard! And talk about auto-navigation! It took me to the Moon and back without getting lost!

I thought only Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble could Fly (you) Me to the Moon...

Back on the new car road. Moonpie, PM me for the name and phone # of the manager of the sales managers at AutoPark Honda in Cary. We have bought several Hondas from him over the last 10 years or so.

[allenmurray]

My wife bought a new (to her) car just a few months ago. A (slightly used) 2010 VW Beetle convertible. It won't hold muchof anything, and realistically it is a two-seater. But damn is it fun.

[mkirsh]

As a related tangent, has anyone here used new car buying services, perhaps for pre-arranged discount pricing? I know that Costco has one; I think AAA had one in the past, and there may be others (Consumer Reports? or maybe that's just informational).

Thanks

Last time I bought a new car, I used a website called "the fighting chance". It's a little dramatic, but for $45 they gave a ton of detail on the specific car I wanted - invoice and MSRP pricing of all options, all factory and dealer incentive program, sales volume for the model and manufacturer, what other people were paying for them, etc. They also advocate a methodology for comparison pricing/playing dealers off one another - basically calling/emailing 5-6 dealers with the exact car you want, and tell them the best price gets your business. They all said they won't do business this way, yet they all came back with pretty good pricing (right around invoice price for an in demand car, albeit in a bad overall economy). One dealer came back with a much better price, about $2k less than the others, for the same new car. (Basically the way this is possible is that many dealers have threshold incentives with the manufacturers - ie if they sell 20 cars in a month they get a $10k bonus. So if you are there on the last day of the month and will buy the 20th car, they are willing to discount a lot as they still end up ahead. Spread this around to many dealers and you are likely to find one close to a threshold). I was worried it would be a bait and switch, but went there and got the car in less than an hour, though did have to listen to the usual upsell pitch on protective coating, etc. Overall great experience and have recommended to others who got great deals.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

We have a CRV that is primarily my wife's car. When the newer design came out a few years ago, I remember reading an article that it was being designed for women with 0-1 children. I think they hit that target spot on with feature like back doors that open 90 degrees out, one hand cargo space access, and the "conversation" mirror. Great car. The engine isn't peppy at all, but it drives fine around town. It's incredibly practical.

I also like the RDX or A3 if you want speed. Maybe a Tiguan. But I would also check out the new Explorer. It's more of a car feel than the old model and has a lot of technology inside.

[DevilAlumna]

Just over a year ago, I got a 2011 Chevy Equinox. I got it as an upgrade to my 2000 Nissan Altima, as I was expecting our first child, and I wanted the non-minivan "mom-mobile" - something to hold 4 adults + car seat, plus room for the bulldog & groceries in the cargo area.

It has been great. I went with the V6, because it's a somewhat heavy vehicle (weighs more than my husband's 2007 fullsize silverado truck) and I want something that will pass on the mountains here, and AWD to deal with the occasional snow.

I was also looking at the CRV, RAV-4, and Subaru Forrester & Outback. I wanted to consider a Nissan, but the Rogue was too small/dark, and the Murano out of my price range. I ultimately went with the Chevy due to price-for-features, fit & finish, and reliability. My husband's truck has been rock solid, so despite having only driven japanese cars until now, I felt okay "taking a chance" with a GM car. I haven't been disappointed there, and I have a 5-year/50k warranty. I also liked that it looks & feels like an "expensive" car on the interior - quality materials & good attention to detail. Honda & Toyota really have fallen here in comparison - the RAV-4s I looked at just felt cheap & plastic; Subarus just felt too "utilitarian." Lastly, IIRC, although Honda/Toyota had lower base prices, for something somewhat loaded, the extras added up quickly, and faster than for the Chevy.

I used USAA's price-agreement arrangement, plus GM's X-program. It made haggling unnecessary beyond finding the right vehicle with the right combination of features I wanted. (Leather, no nav, etc.)