Need to Get a Car, Not Sure What to Get or How Much to Pay

I would suggest buying used. Dave Ramsey says that a car loses most of its value in the 1st year, so even if you buy a car that has been used for a year or 2, you could still get one in good shape but for way less.

I don't like the lease option. I know that it is cheaper monthly, but you usually have a big down payment and a huge payment at the end if you go over your miles. And then at the end of your lease, you have to do the whole thing over again. Buying new or used is kind of a toss up. You know with a new car there haven't been any accidents, no smokers in the car, can get a warranty and maintenance package up front from the dealer if you want, etc. But the new cars are more expensive than used. If you buy used, definitely get it from a major car manufacturer dealer or a local car dealership that you trust, not just some no name dealer with a good price. If it is a good and honest dealership, they should allow you have a mechanic look it over before you buy it, just to make sure you are happy with it.

For cars, my family has always been a Ford family and I love them. The Fusion is what the Taurus used to be and there is a lot of room in the backseat, good trunk space, and the car drives really well. That may be more than you want to spend, but our cars have lasted and we've gotten our money's worth out of the Fords, so it's worth it to us. Good luck with your car search!

I am not a big fan of the lease deals. There are a lot of little traps you can fall into and it end up costing you more.

First of all, don't buy more than you can afford. Honda has a good name and you might be able to get a good used Honda. If you buy new, try if at all possible to pay cash or at least as much down as possible to avoid monthly payments.

As for us, we are a Mercedes family and that is all we drive. I have not driven the C Class models but they are the most economical of the Benz group. You could get a good used C-Class. Mercedes is a very safe and reliable car. Weve never had any issues. We currently have 2 (a sedan and a sport coupe) and will be making a 3rd purchase (another sport model)by Dec because our daughter will get my 4 yr old (sport coupe) when she gets her license in Dec. At 4 yrs old, we could not go buy a new car for her that would be as safe and reliable. Don't let the Benz name sacre you away, some C-Class models are nice and very reasonably priced, especially used.

Good luck.

I would recommend a slightly used car this way you can have warranties on it. Buy instead of lease and a Honda Accord would definitely be more accommodating for a booster seat and car seat.

go the DAVE RAMSEY route. I wish I did! Buy a used car and pay cash. Run it till it doesnt run anymore. You wont be stuck with a car note. Instead you will have more money in your pocket and savings. My dad bought a used 1999 taurus on craigs list 2 years ago for $1000. He has put about $500 in it over the past two years (tires etc) He has no car note and the car runs perfectly. You not only will have extra money from no note but your ins will be cheaper.

when driving around look at cars you like the looks of and then go check them on consumer reports website. There is a minimal fee I think. To me safety and reliability are the most important ratings. This way you can compare all on consumer reports.

People seem to like the hyundai's right now. I like toyota and honda as well.

Also, consider CarMax for used cars.

We bought a small used car from the dealer. That is the car we put all the miles on. It runs great and has excellent gas mileage.

Even if you buy a one year old used car you are saving thousands of dollars, and as you said honda certified used cars are/should be in excellent condition.
I have a 05 honda civic and although I wish I had a bigger vehicle at times because hubbie has honda accord, I do love it. Great gas milage, huge trunk space, and the backseat is really roomy. I only have one carseat in mine but it would fit 2 easily, I have even had 3 kids across the back, one in a booster, all sitting comfortably.
Our accord seems to have less room in the back than the civic, I don't know why, most likely because his is a lot older, but I would try the seats in the one your thinking of buying before you decide!

I have to say, when I got divorced about 6 years ago, I bought a used Subaru, on the recommendation of my mechanic. I am STILL driving it and will definitely be getting another Subaru when I replace it. ( My son is 10 and the current plan is to retire this car to his grandparent's extra parking until he is ready for a car of his own. It has been THAT reliable!)

Consumer Reports gives the Subaru Forrester its highest ratings and they also often recommend it on Car Talk on public radio. Mine has been an absolute workhorse- I have moved twice using it, driving it to work and several times from Chicago to Ohio and for other vacations- I can't say enough good things about it.

With regular oil changes and maintenance, I just needed to replace the brake pads and tires this past year. It's a great car and a good size- not too big, but not so small that you can't load it up at the grocery store or garden center!

I would definitely buy used rather than buying new or leasing. It is the smarter option finanacially speaking.
I have a 2008 Subaru Outback and my husband drives a 2000 Honda Accord. We LOVE them both. They are roomy enough for everything we need, and very dependable. We drive cars until they die, but when the time comes to replace these cars I will be looking for newer models of the same cars.

Leases are really hard to come by these days because of all the people who defaulted on their loans when the economy took a hit.

The benefit to a lease is that the payment is usually lower, but the negative is that you don't own anything at the end of it unless you purchase the car after the terms of the lease expire. I've leased several cars because I like getting them new and changing them often (not the best thing economically, but that's how I've done it).

A lot of companies are offering incredible rates right now on purchasing a new car. We opted to trade in 2 cars we had for a brand new one which reduced our payment $200/month, but when it was clear it was a lemon, the only option the dealer was willing to give us was to trade it back in for exactly the same thing or lose $3000 on depreciation only 2 weeks later. The new one has no problems.

If you can get certified used, I'd go for it as long as you're happy with the car and can get a warranty to go along with it.

New cars aren't the best investment, but you also don't have to worry about any mechanical issues (unless you get a lemon like we did), you have warranty, peace of mind and the amenities you select.

For us, we went with a Honda Pilot for space. My husband has a Subaru Legacy as a company car and LOVES it. It runs on a 4 cylinder engine (V6 not optional) and gets almost 30 mpg. Lots of room in the back for the kids and good trunk space for him as a sales man.

I'd also look into brands like Hyundai that have really shot up in quality and reviews lately. They've done a good job to improve the cars and have one of the best warranties in the industry.

I also heard a guy on Dennis Miller's show last night saying that more people need to look into Diesels. My parents had them in the 80's, and they weren't great, but they've come a long way. He said he was able to get over 42 mpg in a high-performance BMW diesel. VW makes a great Jetta diesel. The fuel is a little more expensive, but it likely will still put you ahead $$$ down the road because of the increased gas mileage.

Whatever you decide, make sure to spend the time on sites like NADA.com, KBB.com, Edmunds.com, CarandDriver.com, MotorTrend.com and see how their experts rate the cars and do side-by-side analyses of the cars you're looking at. It may just knock something out of the running like it's done for us many times.

Good luck!

Get a used car... My husband and I both have Honda Civics and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone... Toyota and Chevy brands seem to last longer and are easier to maintain yourself.

Do your family a favor and stay away from leasing... Its like throwing money into a fire... Buy used and pay cash....

Don't lease a car - you are wasting money! Buy yourself a nice Certified used car from a reputable dealer. We bought a small truck from DriveWay and love it. Ford, Toyota and Kia all make several nice size sedan you could find used.