| Author |
Message |
Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Sunday, July 18, 2021 - 10:32 pm 
I have bought two new cars in my life -- in '80 and in '96.. The '97 Honda Civic is coming to its end. Now 25 years later I've got to do it again. How? I know what I want -- Honda Fit. Honda doesn't make it any longer. Used is OK. I've been looking on-line so far. Looks like Honda dealer where I bought Civic has two Fits. Maybe some Fits on Carmax and Carvana. Good to buy from either? Don't haggle with Carmax or Carvana, but do with dealers?
Nice to have a new (to me) car, but not looking forward to the buying / haggling if it comes to that. Can it be quick and easy? Wrote a check for the Civic. Quite certain will do the same this time. More appealing for dealer? If can't find Fit, Civic again. It has been a good car.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-02-2001
| Monday, July 19, 2021 - 6:48 am
I had an excellent experience with Carmax! I went there because it was recommended by the manager of the car maintainence - oil changes, tire rotations, etc. - company. He has previously worked there and said that cars are rigorously reconditioned.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Monday, July 19, 2021 - 10:28 am
One of the mechanics where my car is now being repaired recommended Carmax too. In a post on Facebook someone said they were happy with Carvana.
My ol' Civic is currently at mechanics I've been going to for 35 years. Serious problem to me yesterday. They worked on it. Road tested it. Going to keep it overnight and try it in the morning. New car or not??
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Monday, July 19, 2021 - 11:14 am
I just want to know where that giant Carvana rotating car container is located, hahahahahaha.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Monday, July 19, 2021 - 3:27 pm
Me too. 
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Monday, July 19, 2021 - 6:16 pm
The dealers will haggle, if you let them.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 4:56 am
Years ago I thought the idea was to haggle among 2 - 3 dealers. That's a pain. Now just haggle / bargain with one? Not looking forward to this.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-02-2001
| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 5:09 am
We have had one of those giant Carvana "dispensors" here - Nashville - for several years now!
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 10:45 am
Really!!! I thought they were just a marketing thing.
How tall is it? Can you see all the cars like they show on TV.
This just cracks me up.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 8:52 pm
Color, just a suggestion, but I know you are very tall like me, and it keeps getting more difficult to get in and out out your car the older you get. You might want one with a higher seat than a sedan. I have a RAV4, and it is damn near perfect. I could even get in and out of it easily right after knee replacement, which would have been next to impossible in a sedan.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 10:07 pm
I remember you saying you're tall also. I have thought about getting in and out of car. I want compact car again. I don't "know" cars. Honda Civic and Fit are good and reliable. When I was rehabbing my right hip area after fall, my doctor suggested a car cane for getting in and out. I never got one, but keep it in mind. I'm still getting in and out of Civic. Got it back from mechanic today. At least for the driving I do, he said it's still good -- has life in it.  . Hope I'm not little ol' lady yet. So I don't have to get a car now. Should do some looking (and maybe buy) before I am carless which makes looking and buying difficult.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-02-2001
| Wednesday, July 21, 2021 - 3:47 am
The Carvana "dispensor" isn't hear any other buildings so hard to tell exact height. I would save about seven stories though -
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, July 21, 2021 - 10:16 pm
Toyotas are known for reliability.
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Kaili
Member
08-30-2000
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 8:06 am
Car shopping isn't what it was a few years ago. Short supplies due to covid- the chip shortage- used cars are selling for higher than they sold for new. I've read that right now there really is no haggling and people are sometimes paying over sticker price. I don't know first hand- haven't car shopped- but I have noticed a significant drop in how many cars I see sitting on dealer lots.
Also, I've had Subarus for years and they are amazing
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 8:34 am
We bought my wife a new car just four weeks ago. The sticker price was the price but they did sweeten the deal with something like three or four incentives that brought the final price down around $4,000. Interestingly her previous car was a lease which seemed to make sense three years ago so we kind of expected that we would be walking away with no money out of that deal. Turns out that because the car sat in the garage 80% of the time during the past 16 months because of Covid she hardly had put any miles on it. The “blue book” value of the car was more than the residual on the lease and they gave her another $4,000. We bought her new car rather than a lease.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 9:25 am
I liked the Civic I've had for 25 years. It's been good. Drove it more when I got it. Not so much any longer. For 25 years, it has waaay low miles. Yes, I would like a Fit, but might be other model or two Honda. Saw something about a Civic hatchback. Civic I have now is a coupe. Want sedan / four doors.
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Egbok
Member
07-13-2000
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 9:57 am
Kaili, I heard those facts about buying a new car which we were planning to do this year. My last new car was a 2008 Honda Accord. It's been a great car. My hubster suggests I get a medium size SUV and we are going to look into the Subaru's but now I want to wait until next year. I'm in no rush.
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Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 11:17 am
I bought my RAV via online on the dealer website. I did everything online and just told the dealer that when they have a black RAV sport in, let me know. I only let them know my name and email address. They told me the price, which I paid. However, they kept trying to upsell me add on’s when processing the sale…. I held firm and kept saying no. I think he got annoyed because I said no to everything they wanted to upsell me on.
I’ve also heard that going through Costco is a good way to buy a car. You tell them what you want and they find it for you.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Sunday, August 01, 2021 - 9:24 pm
Eggie, If you are looking at Subaru medium SUV's, also look at Toyota's RAV4. I'll come down and navigate you around in it until you get it broken in. Yeehaw! Speed Racer and Chim Chim ride again.
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Kaili
Member
08-30-2000
| Monday, August 02, 2021 - 9:28 am
My last two cars have been Outbacks and I love them so much. I kind of want to size up to the Ascents but they are so expensive. We need more dog space though. I kind of think we need a minivan just because Ginger needs a ramp for my car and she's getting awfully heavy for me to boost her rear end up!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, August 02, 2021 - 8:45 pm
If you are looking at Ascents, also look at Toyota Highlanders. They are pretty expensive as well but have been time-tested and held up as excellent cars that will pretty easily go 200,000 and would be a pretty safe car when you have teenagers starting to drive in a few years. ACK!!!
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Saturday, August 14, 2021 - 6:09 am
I'm back. One of these days I am going to go at least car looking. I could ask here at home, but . . . . My Civic is a '97 -- nothing tech about it. How do you get the stuff on the screen in the car? Do you get a "package" of tech? Is there a standard package and you use what you want? Who supplies it? Monthly charge? Offhand I'd say I'm only interested in GPS / directions and music and radio. Don't need phone. I know nothing. Don't want to talk to car dealer totally stupid.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Saturday, August 14, 2021 - 6:51 am
It depends on the manufacturer, All the systems I have seen give you pretty much total control over the operation of the car. Mine and my wife’s have so many it would be hard to describe here. That’s not to scare you as it really is pretty straight forward and there actually is kind of a default setting so the various features will work just fine without you having to change settings, GMC products use OnStar as their system and it has nice features like their navigation system. Their navigation system is a fee for service but you can use Apple Car Play with will pair with the system and use the navigation from that. Not sure about other smart phones. Ford also has a similar system though there is no fee for it. Pretty much the same functions as GMC’s system. What I really like about newer cars are the driver aids they have. Lane keeping, back up, 360 view around the car for parking, blind spot warnings, etc. Makes driving much easier.
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Colordeagua
Member
10-24-2003
| Saturday, August 14, 2021 - 7:37 am
How 'bout Honda? Know what system it uses?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, August 14, 2021 - 10:14 pm
Your basic non-luxury car will come with a built-in GPS fancily called a navigation system. You will probably be able to give it voice commands while you are driving, or if you want to manually enter an address, you need to pull over and put the car in park. If you have a mobile phone, your car can connect with the phone, and you can use the phone hands free. You just talk in the car without ever holding the phone, and you hear the other person through the car's audio system. You can also place calls through the car and cell phone using voice commands without ever touching the phone. The car will likely also come with a back-up camera, which you will wonder how you ever lived without it once you start using it. The car will likely also have alerts that you can set to be on or off. I find the back-up alert to be the most valuable. If you have checked all the mirrors and the rear camera and are all set to back up, then suddenly somebody walks behind your car pushing a baby stroller, a back-up alert will sound. I also like the lane deviation alert which sounds if you are driving too far to the edge of your lane or the center of the road. The car will probably have a blind spot alert that makes a sound, or flashes an image on your sideview mirrors telling you if it is unsafe to change lanes, or if you are cutting back into a lane too quickly after passing.
Those are all the basics I use, and I am grateful to have them as I am ageing. They should be pretty much standard on all new cars, and not be considered extras you have to pay for. Don't be afraid to ask the salesman to demonstrate how they work. When she is showing you cars, she should already understand that you have been driving a 1997 car that didn't have any of these features.
You don't "need" any extra subscription services, and if you find you really "want" something later, you can add it on.
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