Oct 4th 2011, 3:04:16
I am not a car salesman, but worked in the auto/dealership racket for quite some time about a decade ago, and have purchased vehicles through just about any funding option you could think of...not to mention I'm a die hard car nut.
My best advice is stay away from new cars. 2-5 year old used cars still come with a warranty from the dealer in most cases (and a longer one for a negligible price through a 3rd party insurer), have not had major wear and tear on them, allow you to buy a nicer vehicle than you would for the same price in a new car, and if you are selective/careful in your choice are just as good as a new car in 99 out of 100 situations.
DO NOT lease a car! Leases are designed to make you think you're getting an awesome deal, and then suck money out of you when you're not looking. This is true in any state in the US, no matter the price of the vehicle. You will, on average, pay 10%-15% more for the same vehicle over the life of the lease, and end up with no liquidity whatsoever to show for it.
Here's a very good lease vs. buy calculator to help you determine the exact difference in pricing between the two so you can weigh your options:
http://www.money-zine.com/...r-Lease-a-Car-Calculator/
Focus/Corolla are both very good cars, and I can't say much of anything bad about them other than that they are a bit on the boring side. I'm a big fan of Hondas and Subarus myself, as they give you the same value for the money (in some cases better), lower depreciation, and quite a bit more of that "excitement" factor. What model you go after really depends on what your needs and day to day habits are. In general though, paying a bit more for higher mileage models is always a good idea.
I very much dislike Kia. They are cheaply built with inferior materials, and their "no haggle, no hassle" pricing structure is really just a nice way of saying "fluff you, that's what you're going to pay for it whether you like it or not". Hyundais are improving greatly though, and are a pretty good value for the money, even in comparison to Ford/GM. GM's are great vehicles IMO, I worked for a GM dealership for years, and overall loved their vehicles. Chrysler/Dodge is getting better, but I consider them the IE of the car world - always chasing the curve.
My best advice is stay away from new cars. 2-5 year old used cars still come with a warranty from the dealer in most cases (and a longer one for a negligible price through a 3rd party insurer), have not had major wear and tear on them, allow you to buy a nicer vehicle than you would for the same price in a new car, and if you are selective/careful in your choice are just as good as a new car in 99 out of 100 situations.
DO NOT lease a car! Leases are designed to make you think you're getting an awesome deal, and then suck money out of you when you're not looking. This is true in any state in the US, no matter the price of the vehicle. You will, on average, pay 10%-15% more for the same vehicle over the life of the lease, and end up with no liquidity whatsoever to show for it.
Here's a very good lease vs. buy calculator to help you determine the exact difference in pricing between the two so you can weigh your options:
http://www.money-zine.com/...r-Lease-a-Car-Calculator/
Focus/Corolla are both very good cars, and I can't say much of anything bad about them other than that they are a bit on the boring side. I'm a big fan of Hondas and Subarus myself, as they give you the same value for the money (in some cases better), lower depreciation, and quite a bit more of that "excitement" factor. What model you go after really depends on what your needs and day to day habits are. In general though, paying a bit more for higher mileage models is always a good idea.
I very much dislike Kia. They are cheaply built with inferior materials, and their "no haggle, no hassle" pricing structure is really just a nice way of saying "fluff you, that's what you're going to pay for it whether you like it or not". Hyundais are improving greatly though, and are a pretty good value for the money, even in comparison to Ford/GM. GM's are great vehicles IMO, I worked for a GM dealership for years, and overall loved their vehicles. Chrysler/Dodge is getting better, but I consider them the IE of the car world - always chasing the curve.
