New Cars

[disneychrista]

I am in the process of looking for a new car. I expect to keep the car around 10 years (or more potentially). I am debating a hybrid, not really interested in an electric. My current car is a 2014 Ford Fiesta hatchback. I am thinking of getting a compact SUV.

Any recommendations for someone who is used to small cars? What features are must haves for you?

edited to add another question:
Have you ever had a dealer order you a car to your specifications vs just buying what they have on the lot? Most of the cars on the lot have a lot of options I don't need or want to pay for. I built a car the way I want but all the cars on the lots are $3,000 or more because of unnecessary options.

 

[ronandannette]

Check out Toyota for gas hybrid models (no need to plug in). My DH is in a Camry and the system more than doubles his gas mileage (with an equal reduction in emissions and fuel costs). Toyota has been building these for quite a while and the tech is very reliable, and has great re-sale value that a Toyota in general will hold. My next vehicle is almost certainly going to be the Corolla gas hybrid (a compact cross-over that comes with AWD). If a car is what you prefer, look at the Prius.

 

[Micca]

DW bought a Toyota Rav 4 hybrid last year, she's really happy with it.

 

[_19disnA]

Compare the prices for hybrid vs a regular gas engine. With some brands, it seems more like a marketing gimmick, costs more and really doesn't accomplish much. The theory behind a hybrid is that that battery is used to provide more power so they can install a smaller gas engine. Need to do some shopping around to see if the extra cost of the hybrid system is really worth the supposed savings in gasoline. Size of the battery is basically what determines how much power it adds or how much benefit you get in real world driving.

Friends have had a Prius for many years and have said good things about it. They originally got theirs when it first came out before all the marketing hype around these systems. Likely there are now also other brands who sell various hybrid products.

 

[disneychrista]

My next vehicle is almost certainly going to be the Corolla gas hybrid (a compact cross-over that comes with AWD). If a car is what you prefer, look at the Prius.

The Corolla Cross is the one that I have been looking at. My boyfriend liked it so much he is thinking of getting one too. I am a little concerned about it being a little too large for me, since I have driven sub-compacts for the past 20 years.

 

[tvguy]

Compare the prices for hybrid vs a regular gas engine. With some brands, it seems more like a marketing gimmick, costs more and really doesn't accomplish much. The theory behind a hybrid is that that battery is used to provide more power so they can install a smaller gas engine. Need to do some shopping around to see if the extra cost of the hybrid system is really worth the supposed savings in gasoline. Size of the battery is basically what determines how much power it adds or how much benefit you get in real world driving.

Friends have had a Prius for many years and have said good things about it. They originally got theirs when it first came out before all the marketing hype around these systems. Likely there are now also other brands who sell various hybrid products.

Our 2020 Camry Hybrid LE cost $4,000 more than the gas version. The gas version is rated 28 city mpg and 39 city mpg. The hybrid is rated at 53 and 52. Driving conditions make a huge difference with a hybrid. We figure will get a minimum of 48 mpg and have hit as high as 58. Did a 400 mile road trip and averaged 53, and that includes mountain roads.
The way I look at it, it is an option we felt worth paying extra for. We could have gotten a XSE trim line, for $11,000 more than the base price, but that was an option we did not want. Or a sunroof for $900. At least we will get some return on the hybrid options. And I really love that I can drive farther on a tank of gas, nice not having to stop for fuel so often.

 

[tvguy]

I am in the process of looking for a new car. I expect to keep the car around 10 years (or more potentially). I am debating a hybrid, not really interested in an electric. My current car is a 2014 Ford Fiesta hatchback. I am thinking of getting a compact SUV.

Any recommendations for someone who is used to small cars? What features are must haves for you?

Cars are VERY well equipped these days. Our 2018 Ford Flex has no options on it. Everything we wanted is standard. Our 2020 Camry Hybrid only has floor mats as an option, and only because they were on the car we bought off the lot. So do your homework to see what, if ANY options/features your really need.
These days the average length of ownership of a car is 12.6 years, so you are trading off cars more often that average. I know we are an exception, the vehicle we traded in on the Flex we had 31 year, and on the Camry, over 20 years. Barring some catastrophe, at my age, not sure I will ever be buying another car, ever.

 

[DisneyHardin]

My Mom recently bought a Honda HR-V - It's not a hybrid, but it is a fantastic little crossover SUV.

 

[disneychrista]

My Mom recently bought a Honda HR-V - It's not a hybrid, but it is a fantastic little crossover SUV.

That was on my list as well. But the mileage isn't nearly as good as the Corolla Cross and the price is higher.

 

[disneychrista]

Have you ever had a dealer order you a car to your specifications vs just buying what they have on the lot? Most of the cars on the lot have a lot of options I don't need or want to pay for. I built the car the way I want but all the cars on the lots are $3,000 or more because of unnecessary options.

 

[focusondisney]

Any recommendations for someone who is used to small cars? What features are must haves for you?

My last 2 cars were a Ford Focus & a Hyundai Elentra, not subcompact cars, but small sedans. We downsized to 1 vehicle & got a Hyundai Kona in February. It’s a small SUV & I love it. It drives beautifully & was easy for me to transition to from a car. We still wanted a car with upscale options & were able to get them with the Kona. Were retired & don’t drive much, so only have about 3K miles on it, so I can’t comment much on mileage yet.

 

[focusondisney]

Have you ever had a dealer order you a car to your specifications vs just buying what they have on the lot? Most of the cars on the lot have a lot of options I don't need or want to pay for. I built the car the way I want but all the cars on the lots are $3,000 or more because of unnecessary options.

I did that with my Ford Focus, but that was at least 12 years ago. With the Hyundai Kona, the salesman said they don’t do that anymore. We wanted a color & trim that wasn’t readily available with dealerships in our area. They basically put in an order for the vehicle & options we want & get put on a list for when that particular vehicle is available. He really had no idea of when our order would come up. I kept an eye on the Hyundai website & after about 2 months found the exact one we wanted at a dealer about 200 miles away. Our dealership was able to make a trade & got the car for us that way.

 

[robinb]

Have you ever had a dealer order you a car to your specifications vs just buying what they have on the lot? Most of the cars on the lot have a lot of options I don't need or want to pay for. I built the car the way I want but all the cars on the lots are $3,000 or more because of unnecessary options.

Depending on where the vehicles are actually made, you may or may not be able to specify exactly what you want. Many foreign made cars only send over cars with "non-optional" options. For instance, we were in the market for a Toyota about 10 years ago and all of them came with the same "options" package. I would fire up one of the car searching websites and look nationally for what you want instead of limiting to only nearby. If a dealer in another state has it, then it can be ordered. You may even be able to have that particular car delivered to your dealer.

 

[disneychrista]

I did that with my Ford Focus, but that was at least 12 years ago. With the Hyundai Kona, the salesman Sid they don’t do that anymore. We wanted a color & trim that wasn’t readily available with dealerships in our area. They basically put in an order for the vehicle & options we want & get put on a list for when that particular vehicle is available. He really had no idea of when our order would come up. I kept an eye on the Hyundai website & after about 2 months found the exact one we wanted at a dealer about 200 miles away. Our dealership was able to make a trade & got the car for us that way.

That is what I am afraid of. I might have to do what you did and just keep an eye out. I know dealers put the options on the cars to make more money because people are going to be okay paying a little extra because it only adds a few dollars to the monthly payment but I am paying cash. So paying $28,000 vs $32,000 is a big difference.

 

[disneychrista]

Depending on where the vehicles are actually made, you may or may not be able to specify exactly what you want. Many foreign made cars only send over cars with "non-optional" options. For instance, we were in the market for a Toyota about 10 years ago and all of them came with the same "options" package. I would fire up one of the car searching websites and look nationally for what you want instead of limiting to only nearby. If a dealer in another state has it, then it can be ordered. You may even be able to have that particular car delivered to your dealer.

That is a good idea. I was looking within a 100 mile radius of the dealers 60 miles way, which would include my local dealer and those closer the bigger cities with more inventory.

 

[tvguy]

I did that with my Ford Focus, but that was at least 12 years ago. With the Hyundai Kona, the salesman Sid they don’t do that anymore. We wanted a color & trim that wasn’t readily available with dealerships in our area. They basically put in an order for the vehicle & options we want & get put on a list for when that particular vehicle is available. He really had no idea of when our order would come up. I kept an eye on the Hyundai website & after about 2 months found the exact one we wanted at a dealer about 200 miles away. Our dealership was able to make a trade & got the car for us that way.

My son and daughter in law had a Kona Electric. Loved the car, but the dealer and the dealer service department were the pits. They had a battery recall and dealer had nobody on staff who knew how to do the recall. Sat for over 30 days in the service department so my son called Hyundai direct. The said that was an automatic buy back since it had been over 30 days. Took another two months to finish the buy back as the DEALER would not let the Hyundai representative on the lot to inspect it. Right now I would think twice about buying any Hyundai or Kia because of the huge engine issues they are having. They ARE fixing them for free, but why put up with that? Hyundai dealerships around here just don't last. The original dealer owns like almost every brand dealership you can think of, but dumped Hyundai. No idea why. And the ownership since they seems to change hands ever couple years.

 

[Kitty 34]

I bought a Toyota Camry last year. It came off the truck from Kentucky. I like it but really miss my Ford Fusion stereo system.

 

[_19disnA]

Have you ever had a dealer order you a car to your specifications vs just buying what they have on the lot? Most of the cars on the lot have a lot of options I don't need or want to pay for. I built the car the way I want but all the cars on the lots are $3,000 or more because of unnecessary options.

Have always ordered the vehicle I wanted but perhaps some brands only sell what they have in stock. I do think all cars in general have far fewer build options then in the past. In an effort for car manufacturers to reduce build combinations/complexity, the number of exterior/interior colors have been reduced along with options that aren't part of some 'package' which means fewer individual options to choose from. Dealers placing orders for their inventory likely try to configure the vehicles they think are most likely to sell in that market (or perhaps make the most profit for them).

Could be an issue of long lead time or for something made a long distance away, there is a very long transit time for getting a vehicle built to order. Vehicles built overseas are all shipped to the US on cargo ships which can involve long ocean lead-times. I think some people also wait until they only have 2-4 weeks left when either their current lease runs out or some other circumstances relating to a trade-in when they urgently need a new vehicle which doesn't leave enough time to place an order.

 

[ronandannette]

Our 2020 Camry Hybrid LE cost $4,000 more than the gas version. The gas version is rated 28 city mpg and 39 city mpg. The hybrid is rated at 53 and 52. Driving conditions make a huge difference with a hybrid. We figure will get a minimum of 48 mpg and have hit as high as 58. Did a 400 mile road trip and averaged 53, and that includes mountain roads.
The way I look at it, it is an option we felt worth paying extra for. We could have gotten a XSE trim line, for $11,000 more than the base price, but that was an option we did not want. Or a sunroof for $900. At least we will get some return on the hybrid options. And I really love that I can drive farther on a tank of gas, nice not having to stop for fuel so often.

DH's is an XSE with red leather seats and the sun roof - he's fancy like that. He's getting more than 800km on a tank, mostly city these days, and we're thrilled with it. I'm very interested in the Corolla, which is just slightly bigger than the Mazda CX-30 I'm in now. It's been fun to drive but I can't wait to cut my gas consumption.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I had one hybrid and it was a great car. Ford Fusion 2015 I think. I had it 5 years, put high 40,000 miles on it and it got 40 mpg around town and sometimes 50-60 mpg on back roads on longer trips. I never had to change tires or brakes. We were concerned that if the battery ever went on the hybrid, it would cost more than the car was worth. We live in NH and my complaint was it took forever to warm up.

I traded back to gas and a Subaru Legacy Limited 2020 which I still have with 25,000 miles on it. I got a great price for my Fusion when cars were scarce in 2020. It warms up quickly, has the bigger engine and I get 30 mpg around town climbing up and down the mountains. We plan to keep this car forever. DH also drives a Subaru. Totally reliable.

IMO I would tread carefully into the hybrid car world.