Car shopping

[sylvar]

When your mechanic tells you it's time to replace your car, take his advice.

We went to CarMax yesterday, me and Jodi and my mom, and sat in a bunch of different cars. I took an Aveo for a test drive, and while looking on their site today, found a 2003 Mazda Protege that I'd like to try also.

The Ford Focus doesn't seem to be comfortable for Jodi, which is a real shame because I loved it. The Aveo isn't bad, but Consumer Reports doesn't think much of it. I might also try a "traditional" car lot, one operated by a rental agency. They seem to have a decent selection, though I'd have to negotiate a mechanical inspection by my mechanic; CarMax would let me do this anyway, and return it within five days if I don't like what I hear.

We're trying to spend $12k or less. What would you recommend, dear reader?

Comments

[ximinez]

If you're not buying with cash, consider a new car. Most banks charge a higher interest rate for a used car than a new one, and very frequently, you'll end up making almost the same monthly payments for used as you would new, and you don't have a spiffy warrantee.

A base MSRP for a Scion xA is just under $14k. For the xB is just over $15k. (And without a car seat, there really is more room in the back seat than it looks like!)

We also love our Saturn LS2, though as it's got over 50k miles on it, and is a first-run model, it's been spending a bit of time in the shop lately. We're still happy with it.

[(Anonymous)]

We checked. Our credit union offers terms as nice as 5% for used or new cars.

[ximinez]

Nifty.