looking to buy a new (to me) vehicle

[spikerS]

Hey guys, I am currently looking to find a new to me vehicle, and kinda unsure about what to get, so I figgured who better than car nuts to point me in the right direction.

The wife and I are looking for the following in a car, take these into consideration, and make a recomendation!

1) we would like something 4 door so that we have easy access to the back seat for putting the kid in the car seat.

2) would like something hatchback so that our 2 huskies have room to lay down and move when we travel.

3) we would like to find something that still has warranty and under 15k

4) can be a car/SUV/truck any of these will fit our requirements.

We would prefer to get an import, but all the ones we have seen so far have just been too far above our budget. :(

we found a Chevy malibu maxx with 37k on it, 2005, for $14,900 as the asking price at a chev dealership, and it is kinda leading the pack on what we have found so far....

any help or guidance anyone can give us would be greatly appreciated.

Chris and the Family :goflames:

[Impreza]

Have you looked into a Subaru Legacy/Outback? Might be a touch above your budget though.

[rusich]

Masda 6 wagon or virtually any minivan.

[nismodrifter]

VW Golf!

[Audio_Rookie]

ya just get a minivan lol.

[MikeHL]

how about a mazda 5 ? they start @ $20k new

[Mitsu3000gt]

First of all I would not reccomend EVER buying from a dealership unless you want to buy brand new. You piss so much money away by paying their markup and GST. Also, every dealership has an "admin fee" which is $150-$350 usually, and you don't find out about it until you sit down to sign the bill of sale. DO NOT PAY THIS AS IT IS A 110% MONEY GRAB - 100% of that money goes directly into their pockets. The price you decide on is what you pay or you should walk away. They will not lose the sale over this pure money grab so just tell them you aren't paying it. They have stories lined up as to why you need to pay it, but you don't.

Secondly, if you care about build quality, I would not pick up a malibu maxx. They are built very cheaply (in my opinion), especially inside. The cost to make one of those is probably EXTREMELY low, but I suppose that is reflected somewhat in the price. It has a 4-speed automatic which is way behind everyone else, especially for 2005 (typical GM). It also has a very average 3.5L Pushrod V6 making a pretty pathetic 200hp 220lb/ft. (Pretty much anythign else with a 3.5L V6 is not a pushrod and is at 250-300HP, nissan's makes over 300HP) Here are some quotes from Canadian Driver on the 2005, reflecting exactly what I stated above:

"It should be known, though, that while the Malibu does its job well, it is still an appliance for use by those for whom driving is one of life's necessities and not an enjoyable pastime. The sounds coming from under the hood don't exactly encourage spirited driving, and the steering is over-boosted and lacks feel.

The utility-sans-emotion motif inherent in the Malibu's driving manners is carried through to its interior. While functional, it does little to get its owners excited about being behind the wheel.

But visually, the interior is awash in acres of grey and black plastic with only a few examples of metallic brightwork that seem like an afterthought. "

Pretty scary to think you can pay $35,000 new for one of these fully loaded. You aren't getting much for your money at all.




As someone else suggested I would look at subaru outbacks, and the mazda 5. Perhaps even a mazda 3 wagon but I'm not sure if 2 big dogs will fit in the back. The best possible choice is a minivan if your looking for room/practacality, however many people don't like the image. Also Honda CRV's and Toyota Rav 4's would be an option.

Good luck, hope this helps some.

[spikerS]

^^ that was a huge help, and I thank you for your input. glad no one is slaggin the car just because it is a domestic. +1 for beyond!

I know the Maxx is nothing special, but it fits my budget and has what I am looking for.

I am 27, and would rather avoid the mini van for now.

As for a subaru, yeah i would be all over it but they are out of my price range and to still have some warranty on it.

Mazda 5? never seen or heard of it before, I will go check it out. anyone know of a mazda dealership near the COP area?

Thanks for the input guys, keep it coming!

[lilmira]

Mazda5 would be a pretty good choice. There are really not too many cars out there similar to it, B-class is the only one that I can think of. Plus they are all made in Japan.
Northhill Mazda is the closest one to COP. I would suggest Kramer Mazda down south, it's far but they have the nicest showroom. Go check it out, you might be able to get a good deal on 06 model.

Rav4 and CR-V require a vagina to drive, it's written somewhere in the owner's manual. j/k

[ninspeed]

The malibu maxx is a great car, and has very few problems. Its buil,t off a sabb platform, and has lots of room. Plus if you can find a used one with the dvd, its an added feature for anyone with kids.

[Annoyingrob]

Get a Saab 9000 (or 95) from before they were bought out by GM, 1995-99 I think. Great cars, tons of room, very comfy, good on gas, and decently powerful (Turbo I4 is 200hp stock). You can find them for <$15k. The 9000 CSE is a hatch back model, 4 doors, plenty of room for 4 adults.

[85regal]

what about a volvo wagon?

[spikerS]

we would look for something like those mentioned above, but we would still like to find something in warranty still so that is one less thing we have to worry about, and chances are that if we do find one of those on the lot, the dealership won't finance it based on the age...

[Mitsu3000gt]

The mazda 5 starts at 19,995 for a brand spankin 2007. If you don't buy new, do not buy from a dealer for reasons previously mentioned.

You can buy a Ford Escape with a decent amount warranty for $20,000 as well. Not the greatest of vehicles but it will certainly get the job done. The mazda tribute is the identical vehicle, its a rebadged ford.

Also you can buy a brand new Hyundai Tuscon (its a small SUV) (or a year old for a huge discount) for $21,000 new. I would buy Hyundai over american car any day, as they are built better and have come a really long way but just haven't been able to shake their old reputation. It's really worth a look at the very least. The magazines like them and they get alot of awards.

[spikerS]

yeah, gonna check out a few more dealerships, but like I said, right now the maxx is leading the way

it is a 2005, with 37k on it, in great condition and the dealer is asking 14,900 for it.

opinions?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by spikers
yeah, gonna check out a few more dealerships, but like I said, right now the maxx is leading the way

it is a 2005, with 37k on it, in great condition and the dealer is asking 14,900 for it.

opinions?


Find one privately....buying that from a dealer instantly turns it into $15,794....that is stupid in my opinion (unless you absolutely cannot find one like it privately), spent the extra grand on a better car or one with less KM. If you buy privately you get to talk to the original owner and not pay GST.

If you do choose to buy from a dealer because its easy and they have the exact car you want, DO NOT pay their "administration fee" as I mentioned above. That's another 150-300$ depending on the dealer. They will tell you story after story on how its unavoidable or what they did to your car to warrent the cost. If you pay this, you are literally giving them $300 of PURE profit directly into their pockets. You DO NOT have to pay this, walk away from the sale if they try and make you and they will just call you back in and take it off the price guaranteed. I've even talked to salesmen who told me that, as well as car magazines, and plus I think it's a farily obvious 100% money grab. I've also bought a car from a 3rd party place (Platinum Motors) where they told me that they wouldn't charge an admin fee because everyone knows its 100% profit and nobody who knows better even pays it anyways. There is absolutely no exception to this, so no matter what the salesman says, he is lying.

Hope this helps, good luck, and don't pay the admin fee!! THe price you decide on before you sit down is the price you pay, don't let them add to it (except for gst). Their all the same, he will sit you down, and write the bill of sale, and descretly write the admin fee, he might tell you ,he might not, same old story.

EDIT: I forgot to say that 3m rock protector tape, tint, undercoating, detailing, etc. etc. etc. are all HUGE ripoffs at dealers, as some dealers even have a seperate department to try sell you that stuff. All of the above mentioned work is done WAY cheaper and better at other non-dealer locations. Do not pay for any of that stuff from the dealer. Buy the car (without paying admin fee) and nothing else.

[spikerS]

lol, thanks mitsu, wanna come with me when it comes time to buy the car? salesman would see you coming and wet his pants lol.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by spikers
lol, thanks mitsu, wanna come with me when it comes time to buy the car? salesman would see you coming and wet his pants lol.


Haha nah, its not hard. Just when he writes it down say "umm we decided on X dollars, I'm not paying that" then he will tell you why you should pay it. Then say sorry, no thanks I think I will shop else where. Then he'll tell you that everywhere has that fee. If you want an example of a place that doesn't, Platinum Motors does not have that fee. Way too many people get sucked into paying that, he won't lose the sale over it though, if he does, I'd be very surprised and your probably better off anyhow. Tell him you know exactly what it is and its a pure money grab if you want. Just don't pay it or your better off donating $300 to charity.

[euro_racer]

what about a toyota matrix?
-4-door golf
-dodge caliber
-mazda 5 or protege5
-lancer sport-back

just a couple to also think about perhaps :D

Edit: Stay as far away as possible from the dieler when buying a used car (you pay wayy too much and their used cars are usually brough in from auctions in ontario), and when buying a used car privately make sure to get an inspection done buy a trusted shop/mechanic....good luck :thumbsup: