Decisions decisions! new car or used? minivan or suv? finance or pay cash?

[SarahKate]

2011 Kia Sorento owner here and LOVE it. We got an excellent deal on it. It's super safe (crash test report just came out and ours got ALL goods, which is as high as you can get). Has an optional 3rd row, which ours does have. You are right, it is usable in a pinch. We have one child as well. I wouldn't use the 3rd row for anything other than in town use, and the airbags do not reach back there so I doubt I would seat a child there (even though they would be more comfortable there than an adult).

The Sorento is considered a compact SUV but is about the roomiest one out there - they did a brilliant job using every possible space.

It comes with a lot of great features and is definitely worth a look. We have been loyal Honda and Toyota owners for a long time and still feel their quality is great but Kia's shouldn't be discounted because they're not a Japanese carmaker. Their quality has really improved a lot and we are extremely happy! We drove it from central IL to FL in early May and it was wonderful. Plenty of room, comfy, and drives very well.

Also, another note about SUV's and gas mileage. The newer SUV's seem to have much better mileage!

 

[gillenkl]

My vote is putting a new motor in your old volvo - way cheaper than getting a new vehicle or
buying used. We had a lease (never again) and when we turned it in we kept looking for used and my
DH after a long search found a great used vehicle online. They are out there you just have to look hard.

 

[gk90]

Thanks to all for your input! We ended up going with the winner of the poll with 11 votes, used minivan--not because it was the winner but because DH and kids really did not like the 2 compact SUVs we test-drove (Kia Sorento and Toyota Rav-4) I have to say if it had been just my decision I would have gone with the Kia Sorento. (runner-up on the poll with 10 votes was new compact SUV)

BUT they all wanted a van so I was basically outvoted. We tried out a Chrysler Town and Country, a Kia Sedona and a Toyota Sienna. The Chrysler and Kia were both new. The Toyota was used low mileage and of the 3 it was the one I was most comfortable driving. DH liked the feel and look of the Town and Country a lot but not its reviews and reliability record. We thought the Kia Sedona was ok but it didn't really grab us so we kept looking. When we found a used Toyota Sienna online at a very good price we thought it was worth a look, drove it and both liked it a lot--so that was it.

 

[meriface11]

i totally subscribe to the philosophy that the most expensive trip you ever take in a new car is the one out of the dealership. a few years ago we bought a new explorer at 0% and i am still kicking myself about it to this day. i'll never buy new again. i bought my used 06 jetta when it was a year old and had 12K miles, and with the VW "pre-loved" warranty stacked upon the original warranty, it's covered for longer than any new VW. i say buy used and pay cash, or half cash and you can finance the rest at a really low rate and pay it off quick.

 

[blanq]

If you can get 0% financing, why not do it? The only reason I don't like to finance cars is paying interest. If you don't have to do that, I don't see any problem with it.

I agree with this, especially if you buy new and drive it until is basically dies.

 

[badiggio]

If you can pay cash for a used model,then that's ok,imtherwise,financing on used vehicles is a lot higher then on new.Sometimes if you factor in the financing and warranties,it actually costs just as much if not more to drive a "used" vehicle.

 

[Kayka]

When we bought a new car there were a few things we did that I believe helped us get the best deal.

1) we bought last year's model... we purchased in August of 2006, 2007 cars were already on the showroom floor but we purchased a 'leftover' 2006.

2) Before we shopped I knew what I was willing to pay. I subscribed to Consumer Report online for one month best $5 I ever spent. It gave me a price range that one could reasonably expect to pay and that was my focal point during negotiation (cause believe me the salesman talked fast and talked nonsense!)

3) I was prepared to walk away without buying the car. He wanted to sell it more than I wanted to buy it.

We were also able to take advantage of zero percent financing. But we were prepared to finance the vehicle without Dealer involvement if need be, which I think helped us negotiate the best price.

 

[Darcy03231]

When I was buying my Mazda MPV, they were just coming out with the Mazda 5. I wanted that car so badly! But it was a first model year, and we decided to go with the MPV. I love it, and don't regret the decision, but if I had to buy a new vehicle tomorrow I'd go with a Mazda 5. Good on gas, but can seat six when necessary and otherwise the third row can fold down.

And if my dh were to buy a car he'd choose a Dodge Caliber. It's sporty, good gas mileage, and my dh is tall and he fits very nicely in it.

I bought one last summer and love it! I find I'm averaging about 30 mpg on the highway (quote is 27) and about 24 mpg in town.

It isn't room though. While it will seat 5, its cramped. It's very comfortable for 4.

 

[PrincessBelle09]

My two cents...If you have the cash, pay cash. I also would not advise getting a new car unless you have the extra money to blow since new cars decrease in value so rapidly (which you obviously know). I voted for the compact SUV, but my personal suggestion would be a Honda Pilot. My mom has one that she purchased the year they came out and has had no complaints. She hates larger SUVs as well but wanted the extra seating capacity, The Pilot is a good compromise. It's a wee bit larger than most compacts, but not nearly as big as a typical SUV. It works very well for a family of four and and has the optional third row, so it can seat up to eight people. Fitting eight adults in a Pilot is not the most comfortable, but it's great with kids and teens. And, of course, Hondas are best known for their safety and reliability. The service and parts will definitely be cheaper than on the Volvo. =)

Edit: Oops...I see you already made the purchase. My bad!

 

[SoonerSarah]

When we began looking into getting a new car, we were looking for a used mini-van. We were going to get either a Honda, Toyota or Hyndai (sp). In the end, it was cheaper to get a brand new minivan. We could not find any under 40,000 miles that was cheaper than a brand new one. We however were not looking for all of the bells and whistles, and that was the only used options that we could find. We have a Honda Odessey and we love it. We have 3 kids, two dogs, and we frequently transport teenagers in addition to making week long trips that are 12 or more hours away.