Hey, guys. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to upgrade my vehicle. What I'm after is an SUV that's four-wheel drive and has a V-6 and automatic transmission. What do you guys suggest? Thus far, I'm a fan of the Cherokee. I'm trying to stay at or around 25,000.
It depends on what you're doing with it. If you are seriously off roading or plan on using the 4wd a lot. Get a real one like a 4 Runner or such. If you're going to be mostly driving in town and fetching groceries, get a crossover with a unibody frame and enjoy driving it down the road more.
I'd go to www.carsdirect.com and run whatever car you want to buy through it. at least gives you an idea what it should cost. I'd certainly not pay a dime over what the offer you on the site. I think I got my last car $2K under the carsdirect number and they started out $5k over.
it really is a huge waste of money. I regret buying one myself, but I had never had a new car before and it was somewhat of an ego thing.
I had one new car and it was stolen two months after I paid it off. Now the only thing new I'll ever get is something issued to me.
I've bought two. One was through an employee purchase program. I love new cars, but that doesn't mean I'll necessarily purchase another.
That's a tough target for price, 4wd, V6, and new. You might get more of what you want looking at used cars.
that sucks. if I had to do it over again I'd buy a used one with 10-20K miles on it. on the other hand I bought it to drive it to 200k miles so the $5k I wasted probably isn't the end of the world if you think about owning the car for 10 years or whatever.
Both of these. I have a 4 runner that was my dads (97' model) that I have turned into a work vehicle. It has 350k miles on it. And outside of burning a small amount of oil it runs like a top. Id go a couple or 3 years old for the money you ll come out better.
Awesome. I appreciate it, guys. I'm not dead-set on new. I'm looking at a few used ones, too. This is my first time having to buy a car, so it's a relatively new experience for me.
Take my wife with you. She tears car salesmen to pieces and usually gets what she wants. It's fun to watch. I just got a 12 GMC Sierra from Columbia. It was a leased vehicle from the GM plant in Spring Hill and only had 5000 miles on it with full factory warranty.
don't forget to not get screwed on the financing too. there is a website out there that lists the best financing rates available for different car companies. i'll see if I can find it.
Number 1 rule, imo, don't be afraid to make them mad. You will never, ever make it so they will not sell you a car no matter what you say. Unless the dealer is a family member or close friend, they only want to squeeze every dollar put of you along the way regardless of how they seem, what they say, or how many bibles are laying around the office. Rule 2, know what you want before you start dealing and do research on pricing, etc. before you get there. Rule 2a make sure you know the value of any trade in you may have. Thousands in allowance for junk heap deals are a lie. Third is all the little stuff. Show up late. Don't get there until you know what you want, and arrive so that it's somewhat near closing time. This will shorten the experience and drive them to the price you want to pay more quickly. I got a great deal on my pickup with little struggle due to the entire office wanting to leave for a staff member's wedding ASAP late on a Saturday afternoon. Also, question every charge all the way through the financial dealings if you plan on using their financing. Oh, and dealer hold back is real no matter what they tell you although there are some exceptions with import networks. Never believe they aren't making plenty money off of you. Don't worry about them. They won't worry about you. Edmunds.com used to have a good guide to buying a new car. It's been a long time since I read it, but it may still be there.
