The confusion of car buying | GTAMotorcycle.com

The confusion of car buying

nobbie48

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So we're looking for a new set of wheels (4) and I'm not overly particular but don't want a headache.

One thing that has thrown me is that for example a base Chevy Traverse comes with a 310 HP V-6 but as you move to the higher level models it drops to an L-4 @ 257 HP. What am I missing?

A Dodge Caravan would do the job (The Swiss Army Knife of Transportation) but I'm past suddenly needing a sheet of drywall.

I've never needed AWD or 4WD and don't use most of the electronics on a base model. I doubt I'll ever tow anything but a hitch mount bike rack might be in the cards.

My greatest concern is that I will get fed up looking and just grab something. A friend did that when he was house hunting. He got so fed up looking he told his wife that if there was nothing wrong with the next place just buy it. They did and while there was nothing wrong with it there was nothing right with it. My view of the Caravan.

I like the looks of the Kia Sorento but don't know much about the brand.

It will be replacing a Chev Uplander that in spite of some model negativity has served well for 11 years. It needs a new tranny and struts so putting $7K + into it doesn't make sense.

Thoughts?
 
There is only one trim of the Chevy Traverse that comes with the turbo 4, the RS. As far as I can tell, there is no reason whatsoever to go for it.
 
Th I4 turbo in the Traverse gets around 2 MPG better around town (though worse on highway), but your right in that it is slower and won't tow near as much. It is also a relatively new engine in that platform.

Also can't go wrong with a Caravan or an Odyssey
 
Don’t go by looks alone. Go and test drive a few but don’t stay around and “discuss options” with the sales staff for hours as it’s soul destroying. Once you drive what you like go and get a car cost Canada report or something similar that gives you the dealer cost (beware though, these are now dealer tools, not consumer tools). Look online on the region specific forums to see what kind of (minimum) profit should be added to that that will have the dealer “bite”. Send out mass emails and see who comes in with the best offer and don’t be afraid of travelling a little bit to get a deal. We did that with our Honda. Got a great deal but had to travel from Kingston to Oshawa for it. It’s a lot easier once you know exactly what you want in terms of colours/options etc.

Edit: also only ever use the “on the road” price for your dealing otherwise the dealers will spin your head around with odd fees here and there.
 
Of all the models the OP mentioned the Kia is probably going to keep you happy the longest. Look at the imports and you'll be happiest in the long run. If you want to buy a deal then good luck.

Odyssey, Sienna, Highlander, will be worth your extra $ in the long run.
 
Of all the models the OP mentioned the Kia is probably going to keep you happy the longest. Look at the imports and you'll be happiest in the long run. If you want to buy a deal then good luck.

Odyssey, Sienna, Highlander, will be worth your extra $ in the long run.
Odessey is on the do not buy list from CR, kia is still a low level Hyundai. The traverse is by far the nicest vehicle that will actually stand up to doing some towing on the list.

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Really? That's like saying to prevent pregnancy you can either pray or get vasectomy.


I'd buy a Caravan over an Odyssey everyday of the week. $22k for a base Caravan vs $40k for a base Odyssey. Any benefit you get by spending ~$18k+hst more isn't worth it.

I'll be fair and say I have no doubt the base Odyssey has a lot more options than the base Caravan, but even if the Caravan was $30k after you added some options, it's a much smarter financial decision. Both are fairly solid vehicles, you'll get at least 10 years out of both, and the resale value after 10 years is about the same on both, aka $0. Buy the Caravan and invest the savings to come out even further ahead.
 
Drive both and tell me they are remotely the same. sit in the third row and tell me they are remotely the same. A 10 year old Odyssey will be worth 5k more than at 10 year old Caravan (which you are correct will be worth nothing). And you'll enjoy the ride and spend less keeping it driving nice than the Caravan. Having said that....I'd buy the Sienna but I am biased.
 
Odessey is on the do not buy list from CR, kia is still a low level Hyundai. The traverse is by far the nicest vehicle that will actually stand up to doing some towing on the list.

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OP specifically said he will not tow. What does CR say to buy in the category then? The Traverse? the Hyundai? A Mazda? A Toyota? Which does CR say will do well?
 
I like the looks of the Kia Sorento but don't know much about the brand.

Thoughts?

Co-worker has a 2010 Kia Forte, almost 200k. Other than oil changes, he has replaced tires and brakes. No problems, no recalls.
Not a Sorento, but he said he would buy Kia again.
 
I wouldn't buy a Chevrolet period.
 
Good timing on the thread! Baby #2 coming in June and now we need to start looking at 7 seaters unfortunately....the older Rogue and Volt (if I keep it) will not work for us unfortunately :( Odyssey is at the top of the list (used) and looking sub-25/30k. Can't afford new, and haven't heard anything bad about the Odyssey/Sienna. I would buy the Grand Caravan...wife hates the look :(
 
There are very few modern vehicles that you can go wrong with today. Pick whichever you like most for your needs that fits your budget.

One of the few exceptions I can think of would be the Caravan. It's not a good van today, and wasn't even a good van when it was first introduced over ten years ago. It is a good initial value. Which is about the only reason why I could see someone buying one. You can buy one brand new, with ok options, for $30k or so. Remember that resale will be higher on an Odyssey or Sienna so your total cost of ownership may work out to be similar. Out of curiosity I checked Autotrader for 2014 Honda Odysseys with 60-80k km's, they average about $22-23k, same year same mileage Caravans are $15k. That's probably a similar delta to when they were brand new.
 
A few things to keep in mind

- A car and a house are not the same
- Upgrades are where all of the margin is, pricey features don't break on base models. Most are really just gimmicks you don't need.
- 0% 1%, etc financing is all b.s., usually cash gives you a "discount", which means financing is partially rolled into the price. Cash still speaks.
- End of the month can be a good time, sales people need to hit targets and get deals closed.
- make sure all communication regarding pricing, options, accessories is in written form
- Don't be afraid to leave, or ask for time to think about something.
 
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I'll add that asking about demo models is worth the effort. On my last car buying experience, the demos were a substantially better deal than the brand new cars. I looked at 2 demos, one had 400 km, the other 9000 km. Both were ~5K cheaper than a new car (discount on price plus freight/pdi is $0 on the demo). I was going to buy a base model new and ended up with the 400 km demo which was a model up for the same money.
 
I have a '13 Optima, just changed the front brakes at 108k. I had a small part in the shifter assembly need replacing ($75 & half hour shop time) other then that i'm quite happy with it and would buy another KIA.

The Sorento has won a lot of auto journalist hearts over the last few years, i don't think it's a bad one to take a closer look at.
 

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