Hi, two questions.
1) If you don’t want to pay the big price of a new car, what would be the next best buy. A car from a dealer that is 1 year old to get a better price?
2) There are so many SUV’s out there, that i am not sure which is better or nicer to drive.
At the moment i debate if a Ford Escape or maybe a Mazda CR7 good cars compared to other onces. I recently was driving in a GMC Arcadia, but did not like the plastic feel of the interior.
Well, i guess what i am locking for is a affordable price and a good car.
Its quite a long time that i really bought a new car, so i just want something to think about it in how to buy a car.
Thanks.
Most people who think they “need” an SUV don’t. Check out gently used Hyundais – Sonata, Santa Fe & Tuscon.
We have Escapes at work. I hate them. They’re cheaply made, pieces started falling off within 6 months, and the traction control/ABS is semi-psychotic. Oh, and the tranny slips in 3 of them and Ford is trying to tell us that’s . . “Normal.”
Take that as you will.
You need not be hung up on the SUV tag. If you feel you need a wagon with more room vertically than the traditional and like upright seating, you’re a car based raised wagon candidate or SUV. If you feel you really need AWD/4wd, than add the feature. The best buys are the “compacts” which have really grown in size. The off lease from dealers 2 to 3 years old seem to be the best buy and the best backed. CRV, RAV, Escape, Rogue etc. are good choices. IMO, the larger ones are overkill unless you tow and need room for 7. Read CR for a good start on buying strategy.
Makes sense. 2-3 years, good to know. I know that insurance, banks have a 7 year limit. So after 7 years, you should replace.
Nah, i don’t look for the biggest, just a good size and i do like to sit higher.
I don’t need AWD, but do you need V6? I can not get my head around that.
A long time ago i used to drive mazda and still like them, but the smallest is the SUV (same as the ford) or the next is i think CR7. Not sure where they fit in.
Yeah, CR is good for sure. I think i canceled them. But i will research there too.
Any time you are considering a used car, your first question should be maintenance. Have the prior owner(s) keep up the maintenance as prescribed in the owner’s manual. If not walk or make sure you are getting a low enough price to allow for likely repairs and maintenance that it likely will need.
My son is six foot four and owns a Nissan Rogue because it was the most comfortable for him. If you opt out of awd 4 cyl in most of the compacts have excellent performance. 4 cyls in these cars today are in the 175 hp range which is plenty even with awd.
Mazda has 3 "SUV"s. The CX-7(smaller one), the larger CX-9(seats 7 people), and the Tribute(Escape clone). Though the CX 7 and 9 could be considered tall hatchbacks rather than SUVs.
I own the 7(GT AWD) and have been very happy with it in the 8 months I’ve owned it. The 07 to 09 had nothing but the turbo 4 in it, and the 2010 year introduced the 2.5L regular 4cyl to it’s lineup. The 2011 brought about the i-Touring which has the normal 4cyl and leather seating
Okay, since I am “still” shopping for a similar car I will add my 2 cents. On the RAV4/CRV & CX-7, a 2-3 year old one esp if it a CPO, with ~ 40K miles on it goes only for ~ $3000 less than a new one. That is if you use some sort of on-line source for your new car shopping. To me it seems since the economy has gone south, everybody is trying to buy a used car without even paying attention to the cost effectiveness. I am spending a lot of time to get a deal with at least 30% off the new car price on a used one and it is not working.
And on the Escape, I test drove one with 30K miles and transmission was slipping, salesman reminded me that since it is a CPO I can use the warranty 
Smart way to sell a car I guess.