Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and new

Knife catching isn't just for real estate

MrMulan — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:59:04 -0800

How can I increase my chances of buying a new car below dealer cost? Would you get an additional discount if you paid cash in full? There are many articles on how to negotiate a good deal for a new car which usually involves offering slightly above dealer invoice.

I am trying to increase my chances of scoring a new car that has become a sunk cost to the dealer.

Some reasons I am choosing new over used:
-It is an apples to apples comparison once you have the configuration you want.
-It is easier to weed and screen dealers via email, as there is no reason to have to come in to the showroom
-There is a chance of getting a sunk cost car for about the same price of a used car.

I am looking for Hondas or Toyotas, preferrably top of the line Rav4s and CRV, but not opposed to sedans or other brands.
I had an offer of $27k for an Honda CRV EX-l w/Nav, and I wanted $25
I also had an offer for the above without Nav for $25k

These offers came two hours of very frustrating blah blah blah from the dealer.

I know the cash for clunkers program may have an effect.
I plan to have financing lined up with my own bank.
I plan on doing all negotiations through email.
I am in the New York area, so there are tons of dealers.

As always, thank you in advance.

help me thrive with a car in nyc

jak68 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:07:15 -0800

NYC parking filter - I need to know what you know. I'm going to have a car in manhattan around 125th street.

I didnt want to have a car up here but i'm stuck with it now.

Can you help me make my car-in-NY experience a bit more bearable?

I will learn the alternate side of street parking rules in my neighborhood. But -- is it true that once the street cleaner passes by, you can go park your car back where it was, even if the official time slot for no parking (for instance, 8:30-10) isnt over yet? The street cleaner doesnt come back, does it?

Is it true that the street cleaner comes by at around the same time for a given street, each time that it comes by? For instance, if I observe it coming by at 9:30AM on a given street, will it come by around 9:30 AM again the next tues or thurs?

So could I just sit in the car a bit before the expected time, wait to see the cleaner, drive around the block and park once more where I was once the cleaner has left that street?

Is it worthwhile to park waaaay far away like in queens even tho i live in manhattan? I hear the parking rules are much less oppressive there, with alternate side parking only once a week instead of twice.

Is it worth finding out "good parking neighborhoods" along the #1 subway train going uptown, parking up there and taking the subway back?

So what kinds of things did you do to survive NYC parking? Can it actually become bearable?

thanks!

Shall we grab our ankles now?

6:1 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:25:45 -0800

New car buying hell. Are we the only ones being told that the Toyota Prius price is MSRP PLUS expensive add-on premiums to cover their gouging? We have been told that not only do we have to pay MSRP (at one dealership, for example), as well as (they) demanding, no, FORCING us to buy Lo-Jack and Finishing Touch (a paint and fabric/leather conditioning/protectant) for an extra $1800+ bing. Is this happening everywhere? And is it Toyota or the dealers/ dealer co-ops that are controlling the supply, to keep prices artificially inflated? Pardon me, but is this another government boondoggle? Every place we go they seem to say they are out, but then suddenly they have 1 or two that appear a hour or two later or next day. Are there more of us out there, or are we just the mark?

FWIW-looking at a 2010 Prius IV in So. CAL. and do not have a "clunker".

New England Car Needed

billtron — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:07:51 -0800

I'm moving to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire in a month and need to buy a car for the first time. Help me choose the right one. We've narrowed it down basically to two general options: something resembling a 2 year old Subaru Outback and something resembling a new Prius. Our choice will depend on the availability of options, incentives at the time of purchase, and the necessity of getting an all-wheel drive vehicle for the harsh winters versus the fuel efficiency of getting a hybrid for our monthly trips to NYC. What, o great metahivemind, do you suggest we do?

Where to car camp with a dog either a) along I-90 in OH or NY, or b) along the northern shore of Lake Ontario?

binocularfight — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:23:49 -0800

we're two women driving from milwaukee, wisconsin to central vermont with our dog, and we'd like to car camp along the way. we need a camping place that's dog friendly, not loud and obnoxious, and isn't run by religious fundamentalists (we're clearly total homos). any recommendations on sites? we're not sure about the route yet - our two options are going up through michigan and canada and then back down through northern vermont, or going the way we always go, which is straight across I-90. our hope is to leave home around 6am, and drive for about 12 hours, which will give us enough time to set up the tent before it gets dark, and give our poor dog (and ourselves) some much needed exercise. so if the campground has access to a clean lake/pond, trails or any other fun exercise-type thing, that's an added bonus. for the route through canada, driving for 12 hours will land us somewhere around kingston on the northern shore of lake ontario. taking I-90 will get us to new york state, somewhere around buffalo.

also, we'd like to not have to travel too far off the highway. however, we also don't really want to stay in a campground that's incredibly crowded, with only a couple trees and a bush between campsites. ideally, we'd like our accomodations to be no more than a half hour off the freeway, but if there's something really amazing out there that we should know about that's further, by all means, share away.

finally, on the way back, we'll definitely be traveling the I-90 route, as we'll have an extra passenger w/o a passport. so any recommendations on sites between 9 and 12 hours from montpelier would be awesome (for the record, this is basically the state of ohio).

in your response, i'd love to hear why you like this particular campground. thank you so much for your time and assistance! after the trip, i'll post about where we ended up and how it was.

Zipcar Update?

The Whelk — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:35:30 -0800

Daytrip Dreamin': I've read the previous question about Zipcars in NYC, but it's about a year old and I have some specific questions. I am considering joining, but have heard that the availability is not terrific. What's it like for a daytrips out of the city? Any big problems? Does it make sense if you're only planning to use it 2 or three times a year?

Keep the new car Shiny

tdreyer — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:39:38 -0800

Just got a sweet new car. Now I'm looking for car care products, tips, and suggestions. After a few years getting by with a old junker car, Mrs. tdreyer1 and I have gotten ourselves a new 2009 Kia Optima. Unlike with my old car, I actually care what this car looks like & how long it lasts. Because of this, I'm new to taking care of the car (beyond mechanical maintenance) and I am looking for car care products for the interior and exterior, tips on keeping it nice for as long as possible, and anything else anyone thinks would be useful to keep it looking nice and working good for years to come.

Looking for more cosmetic care & protection than mechanical. Thanks!

Forced into the car market: Lease or Buy?

lonemantis — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:00:56 -0800

We just lost our car in a garage fire, should we now lease or buy? We live in a condo, and a bunch of us homeowners lost our cars (and other belongings) in a garage fire. My wife and I want to know the hive-mind's opinion on whether we should lease or buy now that we're forced into the market for a new car. Some information: we're "tree-huggers" so we appreciate good gas mileage (and we're enamored with the upcoming 3rd gen Honda Insight). But we also drive the cars a ton, we drive everywhere. We live in Indianapolis, but our parents and families are on the east coast, so we drive to NYC and the D.C. area multiple times a year; not to mention the Chicago area, too. So that would also be a consideration whether we lease or buy... Thanks for anyone's opinion.

Seems like a good idea?

6:1 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:50:07 -0800

Is LoJack really worth it? We've been quoted $695 (after taking $100 off) for our new vehicle. Does anyone out there have any first hand experience? Thanks.

how do i sell my car registered in CT to an New York resident?

nanhey — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:07:53 -0800

Selling my car (registered in Connecticut) to a New York state resident, who is not a US citizen. please help me with my forms checklist! I am selling my car that is registered in CT to a New York state resident who is not a US citizen. I am going with him to the DMV tomorrow to sort this all out. what else (if anything) do i need besides a

bill of sale
title
statement of transaction (sales tax form)

Thanks!

Need for Speed

Vindaloo — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:05:33 -0800

What is the most powerful car you can buy for around $25k? A friend of mine loves fast cars and is looking to purchase a new car to replace his SUV. What he is looking for is a combination of good looks with great acceleration (top speed isn't a big priority, see speed limits). I was suggesting the Mazda Speed3, but he thinks there must be a better or more interesting choice available.

Here are the basic criteria:
- Total must be under $30k.
- Car must have a back seat.
- Car must be able to accomodate a fairly tall driver (6' 2")
- Car must be reliable.
- Preferably new, but interesting older models could be considered.

Basically he is looking for what could be described as a good car, but with fantastic performance. The price tag is what makes this challenging. What do you, MeFites, say?

Looking for traffic accident details

shortfuse — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:36:20 -0800

Is there a way to find out details about a particular traffic accident and death that occurred in New Jersey on May 11? The only additional info I have is the name of the deceased. I found out that someone I used to know has passed away due to a traffic accident of some sort. I had fun hanging out with him back in high school, and I'd like to attend the funeral or any remembrance events that might be taking place. Unfortunately I wasn't in touch with him and I don't have a way of contacting the family. I thought of trying to find any published info about the accident which might also contain further info. I didn't find much thru Google. Is there a news/government/community site or instituation that can help with such inquiries? Should I call the police - if so, which one, as I don't know the city where it happened? Thanks.

Do any of the various car search sites out there NOT require you to know in advance what make of car you want?

ArgentCorvid — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:14:17 -0800

Do any of the various car search sites out there NOT require you to know in advance what make of car you want? So, after putting my car on its' roof on the ditch last weekend (no one was hurt, thank God/Allah/The FSM), I suddenly find myself in the market for a new car.

All of the car search sites I have come across so far want me to already know what make of car I want. I really couldn't care less who made it, as long as it's reliable and has most of the features I want.

Is there a site out there that will ask me what features are important, then suggest a car, and possibly allow comparison with others?

I'm in the Midwest US, since it probably matters.

Buy clear floor mats for new car?

seekingsimplicity — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:12:59 -0800

I just bought a brand new car and wondered about buying clear floor mats. The car comes with floor mats that are rubber on one side and carpet on the other side and right now I have them turned to the rubber side because we have wet weather. I live in a drier area of the Pacific Northwest but do not want my carpet dirty when we do get snow and slush. If I buy clear mats, are the ones at the local car supply store good enough? some people cut their own from the clear runners you find at office supply stores but that sounds like a pain. Any advice? Thank you!

I can't drive... 55

ForeverDcember — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:35:53 -0800

When to drive our new car up a long distance and up a mountain... (more inside!) My husband and I just purchased our first new vehicle, a 2007 Nissan Versa (known as a Nissan Tiida outside of the US). It now has 250 miles on it and we are planning to go from Orlando, Florida to Asheville, North Carolina next weekend. Should we take the new car? I have heard that you shouldn't drive a new car long distances or at higher speeds for a while. How many miles should we ideally have before a long trip? Just for reference the trip is about 590 miles and we bought the car on Friday with about 10 miles on it.
Thank you in advance for your help.

New car - cleaning & waxing advice.

rdurbin — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:00:58 -0800

I just bought a new 07 Accord and I want to clean and wax the car myself. In the past I have done the automatic car was thing. What type of wax? Should I buy a buffer? How often do I need to do this? Also... How do you clean off bugs from road trips without abrading the paint?

I live in MN (no heated garage) so what the hell am I supposed to do in the winter? I am assuming that if I go down the path of hand washing, I don't want to switch to the automatic scrub car washes during the winter, right?

Looking to buy an SUV as my first new car ever.

PetiePal — Sat, 26 May 2007 22:11:36 -0800

The time has come to buy a new car, and I've got a LOT of questions with regards to cost, options, leasing vs. buying, and haggling. Also recommendations on Toyota Highlanders and Mazda CX-9's... I currently own a 1996 Chevy Blazer. It's come to the point where it's starting to cost me way too much money a year to maintain (not to mention the gas consumption is horrendous). I've started looking at cars and I had two in mind before I even ventured out:

-Toyota Highlander or Highlander Hybrid (leaning away from hybrid since the savings doesn't really justify the extra cost)

-Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring

Basically here is what I'm looking for in my new car:

-Decent mileage city/highway
-Preferably an SUV (I'm 6'4" and smaller sedans don't fit me too well)
-Excellent track record, options, reliability etc
-Decent sound system
-Navigation system

The Highlander is a nice looking car, and has a positive recommendation from friends/family. My parents own a Lexus and an Acura SUV and are very happy with both. I've heard the Mazda CX-9 compared a lot to those cars.

So today I went to look at the CX-9 up close, just to get an idea of how I'd fit etc. I learned if I got one of those the sun/moon-roof would be a no go as it chops off about an inch of height above my head. Now when I went home I started pricing things out on Edmunds and autos.msn.com. I wanted to find out the MSRP, invoice and TMV prices for the options I wanted. This is where I started to get really confused.

On the Mazda I could get the following package: ncludes DVD navigation system, rearview camera, Smart Card with MAZDA Advanced Keyless Entry and Start system and power open and close rear hatch.

However this package REQUIRES that you get either a moonroof/Bose package or the rear-entertainment package. Now I don't want DVD screens in my headrests, nor do I want a moonroof. Is this a manufacturer ploy to jack the price up? Honestly I want the nav system, Bose audio and maybe an alarm system. The alarm system isn't available with the navigation package.

What's with all the restrictions? How customizable are cars? If I wanted a car with the above configuration and a certain color shouldn't I be able to get that somehow? Do they only make the cars in these preset configurations to bolster price?

The second half of my question is in regards to prices. I'm looking to buy over lease, simply because I don't believe in paying to only use something when you can be paying to own it. How much should expect to be able to haggle down from TMV etc? Should I go the fax-route with dealerships and see who offers me the best deal?

The final part of my question is simply in regards to the quality of Highlanders and CX-9. Advice greatly appreciated if you've owned either and can give me a personal review.

Thanks!

Can I drive with an expired New Jersey drivers' license in Spain?

BigBrownBear — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:20:54 -0800

Can I drive with an expired New Jersey drivers' license in Spain? I have a old NJ drivers' license that expired on June 30th of this year. I am going back to renew it in August but in the meanwhile I need to rent a car for work. Is this possible? You can drive with an expired license in the states, but I doubt I will be able to rent a car hear. My hunch is no, but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas.

Car rental recomendations in New Zealand?

chr1sb0y — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:35:56 -0800

Does anyone have any recommendations/horror stories for car rental in New Zealand? We're coming from the US. We'll be driving for about 2 weeks with our 3 and 6 yr old boys, and we'll need a car seat too - and probably a mini-station-wagon - so we probably want to avoid Rent-a-Dent. (FYI - we've rented and driven in NZ before, but not with kids and their associated complications.)

Parking ticket

MrMulan — Fri, 12 May 2006 05:46:13 -0800

I just got a ticket for parking at a commercial meter in NYC. Can I leave the car there for the rest of the day or do I need to move it?

help me buy a car

alkupe — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:27:07 -0800

help me buy a used car in new york city(brooklyn) I'm trying to buy a car for around 8K. I'm leaning towards an older nicer car (versus a newer crappier car).
I would prefer to buy from a private seller.
My plan is to find one that i like, then bring it to my mechanic for a diagnostic, then make an offer based on what he says.
Basically just looking for any advice on this process and my general plan. I've never bought a car before. Bonus points for new york specific advice.

New Vs. Used Car?

retro88 — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 11:00:20 -0800

I am in the market for a new car. Does anyone have some remarks on Pro’s and Con’s of buying new vs. used? I am looking to replace my 95 Subaru wagon which was totaled last weekend. I am considering buying a used Subaru outback (99-04) range or a new 05 outback. Some Pro’s I see for buying used are price obviously, Con’s being unknown history, no warranty, won’t last as long etc. Pro’s of buying new would be Warranty, one owner etc. Anyone else have some insight on these pro’s and con’s and maybe what else should be taken into consideration? Also, I read a thread a while back about tricks to prevent overpaying at the dealer for a car, anyone know where that is? Thanks,