cheap cars/good lease deals right now?

[collegejunkie]

dbf broke up with me and we share his car at school because mine was totalled 2 summers ago. now i need a new one.

what are cheap car companies and who has some good lease deals right now? i'm only interested in leasing or buying a new car.

thanks

 

[TnTWalter]

ZERO advice on leasing or buying only a new car, perhaps someone else has tips there.

But I would love to tell you about one of my favorite books for your financial future....

"The Millionaire Nextdoor"

If you can find it at the library or borrow it on kindle or nook, etc. I would strongly recommend. It's an easy read and very interesting. One of the books I wish I had read when I was a younger version of myself!

Good luck to you. Sorry about the break up.

 

[mrodgers]

A. I would never lease. That is definitely like throwing money out the window. You pay almost what you do with buying a car, but then have absolutely nothing at the end of the term.

B. I fell into the thought of new car better than used car. Big mistake. For the $18,000 I paid for a new Ford, I could have had twice the quality in a used Toyota or Honda for that $18,000. If you can afford a nice new car, go for it. But if you are settling because you think something like a new Chevy or Ford is better than other cars used, they definitely are not. I don't have major problems with my Ford, but the maintenance and wear items come around about 4 times quicker than my experience with Toyota and Honda for example.

I will be going back to buying 3 or 4 year old quality Toyota or Honda vehicles (or VW even, love my little cheap turbo. All and even better power and torque of a V6 and the gas mileage of a little econobox 4 cylinder.)

 

[klacey1]

A. I would never lease. That is definitely like throwing money out the window. You pay almost what you do with buying a car, but then have absolutely nothing at the end of the term.

B. I fell into the thought of new car better than used car. Big mistake. For the $18,000 I paid for a new Ford, I could have had twice the quality in a used Toyota or Honda for that $18,000. If you can afford a nice new car, go for it. But if you are settling because you think something like a new Chevy or Ford is better than other cars used, they definitely are not. I don't have major problems with my Ford, but the maintenance and wear items come around about 4 times quicker than my experience with Toyota and Honda for example.

I will be going back to buying 3 or 4 year old quality Toyota or Honda vehicles (or VW even, love my little cheap turbo. All and even better power and torque of a V6 and the gas mileage of a little econobox 4 cylinder.)

Ditto. Why do you think you need a new car? If you have a long commute to school or your job, get a used Honda Civic. Fabulous on gas and will last forever. My brother has a 1999 Civic with 200,000+ miles on it and it's still going.
No need to invest in an expensive new car unless you have tons of disposable income. Used cars (if you go to a reputable lot and get a CarFax, etc.) are the way to go-- especially in your situation.

 

[sherry7]

If you're dead set on buying new, look for the companies that offer a longer warranty. Kia has a 10 year warranty, and I think Hyundai is 7 years. A lot of individual Toyota dealerships (where I live anyway) do a limited lifetime warranty.

At one point of my life, I was dead set against foreign cars. But the domestic auto makers have a LONG way to go before they get my business back.

 

[mrodgers]

If you're dead set on buying new, look for the companies that offer a longer warranty. Kia has a 10 year warranty, and I think Hyundai is 7 years. A lot of individual Toyota dealerships (where I live anyway) do a limited lifetime warranty.

At one point of my life, I was dead set against foreign cars. But the domestic auto makers have a LONG way to go before they get my business back.

Now see, warranty is very similar to junk new vs. quality used. I wouldn't buy a car just because it has a long warranty. This is just an example, but, a car with a 5 year warranty that never sees a shop for 10 years is much better than a car with a 10 year warranty that is in the shop every single year with an issue for the whole 10 years.

 

[benniecooper]

I work at an Acura dealership and my DH works for Hyundai.

First off, leasing is not bad if you like to trade cars often. But if you don't care, and plan to keep it, buying is the way to go. Right now Hyundai has several great offers on the 2011 and 2012 Elantra. They are affordable, get fantastic gas mileage and look really nice. Hyundai and Kia have come a long way in the last few years. Hyundai also has 10 year warranty, college graduate programs, owner loyalty programs and other incentives to attract customers.

 

[collegejunkie]

Right now Hyundai has several great offers on the 2011 and 2012 Elantra. They are affordable, get fantastic gas mileage and look really nice. Hyundai and Kia have come a long way in the last few years. Hyundai also has 10 year warranty, college graduate programs, owner loyalty programs and other incentives to attract customers.

can you tell me a bit more about the college graduate deal? i graduate in may, so would i be able to take advantage of it now? i actually don't know anything about hyundais or kias, but i will take a look. we might buy, but i don't know where the future is going to take me as far as being abroad for a year or what else is going on.

thanks for the other input. we only do new, but i appreciate the input on the used cars. we've had really bad experiences with them, unfortunately.

 

[Darcy03231]

The Nissan dealership near me is offering a lease on a Versa for $99/mo or an Altima for $149/mo

 

[Soarin_04]

This is my second one.

The first one I bought new. Duh. Will never buy a new car again because it depreciates the second you drive it off the lot, and really? If you're getting it from a reputable dealer, they're as good as new in a lot of ways anyway. Anyway, it had 120,000 miles when the transmission went and instead of replacing it (which in hindsight I should've done), I bought another Hyundai -- used this time, saving around $5,000.

This one currently has 171,000 miles on it, and she's still chugging along like a champ.

I can honestly say that beyond tires, oil changes, and other regular maintenance, I didn't drop a dime on this one until it hit 150K -- the thermometer went.

They get great gas mileage, the warranty's great, and as you can see, they're reliable as all get out.

I'm trying to eek 200K out of this one, and then -- yep. Getting another one.

Not sure about what car to buy? Check out the Consumer Reports car edition. They rank both new and used cars and they're spot on.

Good luck!

 

[mrsklamc]

Used is actually BETTER than new in terms of not getting a lemon. If a car has been out for a couple of years, issues with that year's model have had a chance to become known.

For example, two of my co workers have the same model/year of Hondas, normally known for their reliability, and both are on their third transmission in the first 100,000 miles. Statistically people like their Ford Escapes overall, but the 2008 model has issues. And I heard something about all the new mytouch or whatever it's called in the 2011 Fords having problems.

So BOTH in terms of price and reliability, you are better off with a used car.

 

[benniecooper]

can you tell me a bit more about the college graduate deal? i graduate in may, so would i be able to take advantage of it now? i actually don't know anything about hyundais or kias, but i will take a look. we might buy, but i don't know where the future is going to take me as far as being abroad for a year or what else is going on.

thanks for the other input. we only do new, but i appreciate the input on the used cars. we've had really bad experiences with them, unfortunately.

Visit the Hyundai website at http://www.hyundaiusa.com/financial-tools/college-grad-program.aspx for the college program info. The site says its available from Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2011, but they run the program all year round.

My DH and I love cars and we have had 30 in the last 14 years between us. I've had Nissan, Toyota, Infiniti, Mazda, Subaru, Honda, BMW and others, and I would totally buy a Hyundai. I have been thinking about a Genesis Coupe.

 

[MichiganKris]

Most of the car companies offer new buyer incentives and college graduate incentives. You will need to visit the dealerships in your area and see what you like and what deals they are offering. Deals on new cars change by regions (some states have more than one region, so it's not always state by state). As far as leasing vs. buying, that depends on how you drive and how long you want to keep the car. I have done both dependinging on the circumstances at the time I got the car. My last job gave me a car allowance, but I could not drive a car over 2 years old, so I leased cars. I don't have that right now, so I purchased the car I'm driving right now. If you can still find 2011 cars on the lot right now, you will be able to get a better price on those.

 

[crazelion]

I would go with the Nissian Versa or Nissian Sentra. I have experince with the Sentra. I have 20 year old Sentra that still running like a champ. I bought brand new Nissian Sentra 09 and I love my car.

Next choices would Toyota or Honda

 

[collegejunkie]

this is incredibly frustrating because the lease would be in my mom's name and i would like to bring it back to school with me at the end of thanksgiving weekend, but they won't tell us anything on the phone. any tips on that? she's super busy and is getting surgery next week, so it's not really ideal to visit tons of dealerships right now, but my time is pretty limited

 

[sherry7]

Now see, warranty is very similar to junk new vs. quality used. I wouldn't buy a car just because it has a long warranty. This is just an example, but, a car with a 5 year warranty that never sees a shop for 10 years is much better than a car with a 10 year warranty that is in the shop every single year with an issue for the whole 10 years.

Well, I guess that all depends on your perspective. I own both a 2009 Kia Borrego and a 2007 Hyundai Elantra, and they are FAR from "junk". Neither has had any problems other than a routine brake job.

 

[mrsklamc]

Well, I guess that all depends on your perspective. I own both a 2009 Kia Borrego and a 2007 Hyundai Elantra, and they are FAR from "junk". Neither has had any problems other than a routine brake job.

I don't think he was saying that, just that the length of the warranty in itself shouldn't be a deciding factor.