Advice on a car purchase

[jfkbengals]

(12-20-2019, 07:37 PM)Cure4CF Wrote: I would appreciate any advice you all have on buying or leasing a vehicle. It’s been about 12 years or so since we’ve had to purchase a car. My wife’s suv is a money pit and I’m done throwing money at it.....This  could be a long post but just in general, what’s your all’s suggestions / experiences?  Thanks in advance!

CarMax is a great place to buy.  I copied a post from a different thread about experiences with them below.  Other nice things about them is the warranty packages are outstanding.  From my own experience in that, it cost me $125 to have them do $1500 of work when my moonroof started leaking 4 years later.  Also you have a grace period of a week or two (I don't remember exactly how long it was) to return the vehicle for a full refund (probably minus registration fees).  I remember talking to a guy who loved a car on the test drive, then returned it for something else as he found the seat was making his back sore as the week progressed.

(11-17-2019, 01:43 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: Not all.

CarMax is on the up and up.

My better half was looking for a new car about 8 years ago and went in to the local CarMax to look at a Ford Focus she saw listed online that seemed like a great deal.  When they brought the car out to her, she questioned the price tag on it and showed the online listing.  Turns out they listed the same car twice, one for what it was supposed to be, and one in place of the 5 year older model they also had on the lot.  They corrected the listing while she was standing there while showing what the correct car was.  They then pointed out that she could not be prohibited from buying the newer car at the lower price that day because it would be false advertising.  She bought it that day.  Two years later she traded that car in for a brand new car, and the trade in she got was still more than what she paid for the vehicle two years earlier!

[Nati#1]

Honda's run forever and are cheap to fix.

[*Synric*]

(01-05-2020, 12:49 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Don't search different lots for a car that comes close to what you want. Find a dealer you trust and tell them what you want. I've been dealing with the same lot since 2002 and work directly with the owner's son. It is the only place I buy cars and have sent many there by word of mouth. If they don't have it on the lot, they'll find it. Many car lots has the same ties higher up.

My last purchase was a 2019 Ford Fusion. He had a silver on on the lot that had every thing I wanted, but my wife wasn't a fan of the color she loves white or black cars. Within 1 week he called me saying he had a white one with the exact same options. i took it before he could get it inspected fpr tags.

That's the best way you tell a dealership exactly what you want and they find it.

In 2014 I bought a Ford F250 It took Ricart a little over a month to find the one I wanted. I didnt want an extended cab, had to have a full bed, and this is the part that was the most difficult to find was the Standard Transmission.

[grampahol]

(01-05-2020, 01:34 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: CarMax is a great place to buy.  I copied a post from a different thread about experiences with them below.  Other nice things about them is the warranty packages are outstanding.  From my own experience in that, it cost me $125 to have them do $1500 of work when my moonroof started leaking 4 years later.  Also you have a grace period of a week or two (I don't remember exactly how long it was) to return the vehicle for a full refund (probably minus registration fees).  I remember talking to a guy who loved a car on the test drive, then returned it for something else as he found the seat was making his back sore as the week progressed.

Car Max.. pfffft.. They leave no room to haggle price.. You pay what they want...period.
Personally I've never bought a new car in my life and don't intend to. The moment you sign your name on the contract it's a used car..