I need some car Pixie Dust

[DisneyDudet]

OK, I didn't tell hardly anyone of my wreck a few weeks ago, but I had one. It was pretty bad, and all my fault. I don't want to go into details, but after having my car appraised or whatever they do, they found it to be totaled. I LOVED that car. It was great and awesome, and we never had a problem with it at all.

Now I'm having to find a new car. I got around $3000 for my car, after the insurance company paid off my loan. I will probably put $2000 more down for a new one, but I don't know what I want!

I thought about getting the same car (Hyundai Tiburon), but they don't make it in yellow (which is what I had) and the body doesn't look right to me. Also, I doubt we'd get as good a deal as we did on that car. A new one a year and a half ago was about $3000 cheaper than a new one now. And nothing is really different on it. I have that as an option, or some others like the Scion tC or a Honda Civic. When I tried the Scion when I got my last car, it was very loud and such, and I really didn't like it. Since then, my best friend bought one (manual) and so she has talked me into looking at one again. She said that she wouldn't think I copied her (since I really wanted one first), but its just weird driving the same type car. You get a lot with it standard that is optional on most other cars (moon roof or whatever).

Anyway, I am going to test drive it today, and if I like it, probably buy it or order one tomorrow when my father is with me (I'm 24 with good credit, just not a lot of us, and I'd like a good interest rate, so I'd like him to co-sign on it with me).

Please wish me luck in finding a good, safe, reliable, inexpensive car quickly (my rental car will run out). Pixie dust is helpful. I know getting a new car is exciting to most people, but this isn't how I wanted a new car, especially when I was in love with the last one.

Thanks everyone. Hopefully my depressed state will get better soon. I've been in a bad state since before Valentine's Day.

[laprana]

Sending lots of :car::pixie: your way! That's a tough situation to be in when you HAVE to get a new car and you weren't really expecting it!

I think you made a great pick with a Scion tC. I almost bought one of those when I got a new car last year. They seem like they're a good deal for everything you get with them, and since they're made by Toyota it should be good a quality car that will last you a long time! My Dbf recently got a new car and we looked at a tC for him, too. The salesman told us that the tCs actually have the Toyota Camry engines in them (4 cyl).

If you decide against a tC, a Honda Civic is another great choice. I got my second Civic in January 2007 and I absolutely love it! You can't beat all the features it has for the price. It's really a great car. I traded in a 2002 Civic to get the one I have now, and I never had any problems at all with that one. It had close to 100,000 miles on it when I traded it in, and the only thing it was ever in the shop for was routine maintenance and once to fix the alternator. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have the same good luck with my '07!

Good luck with your decision and have fun with your new car!! :thumbsup:

[BigRedDad]

Here is some :pixie:

Now, don't go in thinking you are not going to get a good deal. Toyota and Honda may be the exception though. Car dealers are going to take massive losses this year, especially American auto makers. The pending recession, inflation, and total economic woes we are facing will provide very good deals. Most car dealers in my area are offering Employee Pricing plus the rebates. If you are in the market to buy a car, don't let them push you around. Tell them your price and if they don't take it, there is another dealer that will.

You may also want to look at the internet for car purchases. You can get direct quotes and use those as leverage when you are at the Dealer. I cannot recall a better time to be buying a car than now. This is completely a buyer's market.

[MsMin]

Sending :pixie: for you and the car. Hope you are feeling better soon. It's normal to get into a funk after a major event so treat yourself to something special even if that means don't be too hard on yourself.
Whenever I buy a car I find it great to have someone who is trying to talk me out of it. You would be surprised how many will take a little more off if they think they will lose the sale. Don't be too eager. Good luck!
:pixie:

[garymacd]

I thought about getting the same car (Hyundai Tiburon), but they don't make it in yellow.

You want a yellow car? You gotta get a Dodge Charger Daytona. It comes in yellow.

Seriously. Good luck.

[Quasimodo]

I have some buying advice. My father-in-law used to be a car salesman and my mother-in-law currently works at a Mercedes dealership. I also made a new car purchase myself last year.

- After you decide which car you want, go to the dealer on the very last day of the month to make the purchase. Salesmen are more desperate on the last day of the month to make their monthly sales quota. Many get bonuses if they meet their quotas by the end of the month.

- Calculate 20% - 25% of the sticker price and ask them to come down by that amount. If they tell you they can't, tell them thank you and that you have another car to look at at another dealership. More than likely, they will make you another offer. You probably won't get that much off, but they will come down off the sticker price.

- They will ask you how much you want to spend each month on car payments. Don't fall for this. They are trying to work financing to get to the amount you tell them without coming down on the price of the car much. Tell them which car you want and what you are willing to pay. Talk about financing only after you have settled on a price.

- Once you have settle on a price, get them to throw in some accessories. Floor mats, cargo covers, whatever you want. Check the accessories brochure in the dealership before so you know what you want. You don't need to be as pushy on this unless its an accessory you really want, but do ask. You may be surprised at what they will be willing to give you.

- Be patient. This process will take some time. Make sure you eat before you go, so you don't get hungry during this process and end up cutting a deal too soon.

[LauraF]

:pixie:
DisneyDudet - I was totally in your shoes about 5 years ago: 25 yo and owner of a totaled car. Today the "new" car will be paid off in a couple of months. You too can get through this process.

A little advice from having been there:

1. Buy what you want, assuming you can afford it, not what others think you should get. I got the same car as my old one (new model year). You're going to be driving it for the next 5-10 years - make sure YOU like it.

2. Don't beat yourself up over the accident - your insurance company is happy to do it for you. They'll be taking it out of your wallet for the next 3-6 years anyway.

3. Vehix is a great place to search, and it makes recommendations based on what cars you tell it you prefer. (Like the Mitsubishi Lancer or the Subaru Impreza)

4. The process is a pain. It gets stressful, so trust your gut. If you're getting butterflies, then take a break and come back to it in a few hours.

Good luck with it all. It does get better.
As my insurance agent wisely said to me when I went through this: "At least you're alive to complain about how much of a hassle this is!"

[BronxTigger]

How'd the test drive go?

[DisneyDudet]

The test drive went well! I like the Scion. They fixed everything I had problems with two years ago, and drives really well! I really enjoy the hook ups for MP3 players and the electric moon/sun roof that all come standard! Its a great price for all that, and my mom drives a Toyota Camry and she likes it quite a bit. My best friend drives the manual Scion and her mom drives a Corolla, so everyone is quite pleased with everything!!

So we are headed to the dealer tonight to hopefully get it. With Scion, its no haggle pricing, but I hate haggling anyway. They say that eventually, everyone will go with no-haggle, but I don't mind it. Its a good price for all the features, which is all that I was looking for in a car, and its the cheapest option.

So, thanks for the pixie dust!

Bethany, thanks for calling yesterday! Its amazing how we went from cars to getting lost in WDW!!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I had to hurry up and buy a new car a few years ago because the engine blew on Jan. 2. I like the Saturn dealership because they are no haggling so I just went in and bought one. No stress.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy the new car.

[DisneyDudet]

I had to hurry up and buy a new car a few years ago because the engine blew on Jan. 2. I like the Saturn dealership because they are no haggling so I just went in and bought one. No stress.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy the new car.

The Scion was just like that. We bought it last night without any problems. It also helped that I already knew the guy I wanted to talk to, so I wasn't swarmed by salesmen. It was no haggle, so there wasn't any pressure or anything. After my experience with my last car, this buying experience was so much easier!

Also, my dad was going to co-sign with me. When they ran the credit scores, I had such a high credit score by myself, that they said it would be easier for me to be the sole person on it! So, now, I officially own my own car!! That is REALLY exciting to me!!

Thanks for all the wishes. I do think that the pixie dust helped!!

[Beast_fanatic]

Congrats on the new car, Morgan! What color did you get? Is it going to have your customized license plate on it?

[Stan]

Congratulations- not just on the car but on being "done" with the process. :whew:

New cars are fun, even though you'd rather not have needed to get one.

[ElenitaB]

Morgan, congrats on the new car (even if it's not how you envisioned getting one). Here's some :pixie: for you and the new wheels. Are you going to give it a name?

[DisneyDudet]

Congrats on the new car, Morgan! What color did you get? Is it going to have your customized license plate on it?

I got white. I liked having a light colored car, and the white looks pretty awesome with the black top where the sunroof is. It will have my customized plate!! We just have to transfer the information to the new car.


Morgan, congrats on the new car (even if it's not how you envisioned getting one). Here's some :pixie: for you and the new wheels. Are you going to give it a name?

I don't know what to name it! The last one was "The Highlighter" for the yellow color.

I just don't know what to call it!!

Hmmmm

Thanks for the well wishes and congrats. It does feel good to be done, but now I need to pay the SUPER high insurance premiums :(

[Marilyn Michetti]

First of all, we're ALL happy that you weren't hurt. As awful as accidents are, a car is just metal, glass, rubber, and cloth. They can be replaced - you CAN'T be !

I was so sad to have to replace my 1993 T-Bird. I loved that car, but it just wore out. My 1999 Taurus is symptomatic, so we're looking at using our tax refund for what will probably be my last new car.

It's a fun "hunt", but I'd rather not have an accident.

SO GLAD you're O.K.:thumbsup: