Saved 35k for a new car - recommendations?

new toyota camry or new honda accord

Do the typical American thing and buy the most car you can for a $35k down payment and your credit history.

2005 civic and a trip to Vegas

Honda CR-V and Subaru Outback are great choices, I would also consider a hybrid as you can save money on gas

What are your driving habits and what are you looking for in a car?

A gently used car gives you the most bang for your buck. Check with some of those leasing outfits - they sell the cars that are returned at the end of the lease. Often, low mileage and in great shape.

I bought a 2017 Outback with 175 hp and I really like it, but it has a CVT transmission and accelerates very slowly. If you want quicker acceleration, get the 250 hp Outback or buy a vehicle that doesn’t have a CVT. I wouldn’t buy an Outback used because I feel like their resale value is disproportionately high. The CR-V has better acceleration and is a great vehicle. I bought the Outback because Subaru had 0% financing at the time, but if all else was equal I would have bought the CR-V. My opinion of the Wrangler is that it has a great image, but is impractical for most crossover/SUV buyers, and the Jeep owners I know have had more frequent maintenance issues. I didn’t shop for a luxury vehicle, so can’t help you there.

Texerine wrote:

A gently used car gives you the most bang for your buck. Check with some of those leasing outfits - they sell the cars that are returned at the end of the lease. Often, low mileage and in great shape.

This exactly. Any dealer will have 3-yr old leased vehicles for sale at 60-70% MSRP. The terms of the lease generally guarantee the car has been maintained and is in good shape.

Honestly, unless you're set on blowing $35k, you can get a 2015 CR-V EX-L (leather and other goodies) with 30k-40k miles for $20k. Hell, buy the 75k miles extended warranty for $2k-$3k and you won't have to worry about it breaking down until the car is well over 100k.

you should invest the 35k, and find 0% financing with a small downpayment. Doesn't make a lot of sense to just blow that amount of capital on something that starts depreciating immediately.

Of the cars you listed only the Bentley is actually worth spending 35k on.

From the list of cars you provided you appear to see cars as an utility item, in which case there is no need to spend 35 k on one. Go buy something used for 15k, you will be just as happy.

knowledgeable posters only wrote:

what's up guys I've been saving about 8-10k a year for a new car and its finally the time.

I wouldn't mind getting a new car but a used car within the last four years or so seems like the best bang for the buck.

Some of my considerations:

New Subaru Outback

Used Audi Q5

Used BMW X5

New Honda CR-V

Used Mercedes-Benz GLK 350

Used Jeep Wrangler

(half serious) Used Bentley Continental (2006)

if you have any opinions, discuss and back them up! willing to hear new recommendations

Get the S-Line Q5. The 3.0 engine is well built and extremely durable, not to mention quattro is the superior AWD platform. Maintenance is expensive if you don't do your own fixes though.

Upside is you can get the ECU re-flashed for about $1000 and get an extra 130 horsepower just from that. Throw on a larger diameter crank pulley and you can push 500 hp without any problems or concerns. The engine is way under tuned and the platform is way over engineered.

Get a cheap used car with low mileage and invest the rest. Spending 35k on a car is a good way to waste a lot of money.

Where are you located? I'd say location would be the deciding factor here.

Tesla

You could buy a Prius and be done with it. Yes I am a car guy and I'm serious about that. It has lots of cargo area, incredibly reliable with low maintenance costs, and you will save lots of money on gas. Not to mention you will be doing a good thing for the environment, if you care about that kind of thing. Finally, a good used one can be had for $10K or less. I see no better all-purpose car for the money.

However, it seems like you want a crossover or small SUV, something a bit bigger. For that the Outback is a good choice. It's reliable, holds resale value well, is actually decently enjoyable to drive, and gets good gas mileage. Because of this though they will cost more up front, and parts are slightly more expensive than Yotas/Hondas. On that note, look into the new Subaru Ascent. It's more in line with the other cars you're considering and has been getting really high marks from all around the industry. I would never advise anyone to buy a new car, so if you can wait a year or two, getting a used one of these would be worth your while. Invest the money while you wait.

Please don't even bother with the German stuff unless you care about looks or status. None of those bulky SUVs are that fun to drive anyways. If you're going to spend the money on a German car, at least make it something that has some kick to it. Still, I had a 328i that was a blast to drive, yet even that wasn't worth the maintenance costs. As someone who does most work myself, the parts prices were outrageous, and if you wanted to take it to the dealer you were in for a bath on any of the minor issues that constantly came up, as well as the big ones, which I had too. Also, unless you're doing some wheeling, please don't buy a Wrangler. There's a reason people refer to Jeep as Just Empty Every Pocket. Again, parts prices and the capitalization on these becoming suburban mom summer cars has made these not even fun to own anymore. Furthermore, the solid axle makes these cars really not enjoyable to drive on regular roads and is completely unnecessary unless you are going offroad often.

So, what SHOULD you buy in the crossover/SUV market? The CR-V especially if you get one with a CVT is a good choice, in addition to the Outback mentioned earlier. My personal choice though would be the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. It gets 26mpg, seats 7 (foldable for more cargo area), has 4WD (in a hybrid!), is backed by Toyota's legendary reliability, and can be found at a reasonable price.

My last piece of advice is just to be patient. Wait for the right Craigslist ad to come. You can find some wicked deals if you don't have to buy the car in a week or two. Facebook marketplace is also a good place to look. Find someone who "just needs to get rid of it" or "must sell because I'm _____" and go get a good deal. Almost all sellers will be a bit flexible on price. Best of luck!

Absolutely do not get used Audi, BMW or MB. Maintenance is extremely expensive, and they will be at the tail end of their warranty periods. Note that many of these cars come with free maintenance for 2-3 years, which would have accrued to the benefit of the first owner but not you. They’ll cost more upfront, comparatively, but depreciate more and further.

Check out the sales offerings from Avis and Hertz. Late model vehicles, priced to sell

good recommendations, thanks.

I do want a bigger sized car, i like the emerging crossover/compact SUV category.

I live in a desert-y area where there are lots of offroad trails. Hence, the reason for wanting a jeep.

I have investments already, this 35K budget is purely for a new car. Thanks for the advice though.

Also, looking to buy around december.

Racket wrote:

Get the S-Line Q5. The 3.0 engine is well built and extremely durable, not to mention quattro is the superior AWD platform. Maintenance is expensive if you don't do your own fixes though.

Upside is you can get the ECU re-flashed for about $1000 and get an extra 130 horsepower just from that. Throw on a larger diameter crank pulley and you can push 500 hp without any problems or concerns. The engine is way under tuned and the platform is way over engineered.

what year do you recommend? also are the upgrades aftermarket?

I was gonna post something but then I read this. Your answer lies here.

Before you buy anything, google problems with that car. Oh, look, the amazing, reliable Honda CR-V actually leaks gas into your oil, and Honda has done nothing to address the issue. That's kind of a problem! If you get a Honda, avoid their 1.5L engine.

If I had $35k for a car, I'd buy a 2015 Honda Accord V6 EX-L with under 50k miles for about $20k. Nothing too fancy, but a nice, reliable car for a reasonable price.