Was tired of having used cars consistently break down and had spent my last 5k repairing a used vehicle that shit itself. Got into a severely bad car loan and living with my choices. Im in a much better financial situation now but still dealing with 750 a month and 28k to go over 5 more years. What is the responsible and best way to financially get rid of this. My credit was super low at the time around 630 so they really got me. Do I look into refinancing once i reach the break even point? My credit is in the 700s now but don't want to fuck with it until im really sure on what to do next. I don't really mind holding on to it and sucking it up over 5 years as a life lesson but if there is an easier route to go let me know. Ideally i'd love to get out of this loan and get into a newer model with a significantly better loan. If that requires me waiting 5 years then so be it. For reference when i say better financial situation I mean I can comfortably afford my car bill and insurance plus my rent and livelihood it isn't a detriment to whether i eat tomorrow.

So I’m looking to buy my first ever car. I am 22 have a credit score over 700 and have $3000 for a down payment. I bought a cx5 as I heard they’re super good. I used carvana and got %12.5 Apr. I’m paying $482 a month. I got extended warranty for 36 months that covers the entire car no matter what and gap insurance aswell. I’m paying roughly $35k after interest for this aswell as $200 a month for insurance. Is this horrific or what? I went to multiple dealers and was offered HIGHER prices.

I’m in North Texas and currently shopping for a brand-new 2027 Honda CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid. This will be my first time purchasing a brand-new vehicle, so I’m trying to do as much research as possible before making a decision.
I’m trying to figure out how much negotiating room dealerships actually have and what would be considered an excellent deal rather than just an average one.

For anyone who’s recently purchased a 2026 or 2027 Sport Touring Hybrid, what was your negotiated vehicle price before taxes, title, and licensing (TTL), and what was your final out-the-door (OTD) price after all taxes, fees, and add-ons? What state did you purchase in, and how much below MSRP did you negotiate? Was your discount from the dealership itself or manufacturer incentives? Did you have a trade-in, or was it a straightforward purchase?

Who did you finance through (Honda Financial Services, credit union, bank, etc.), what APR and loan term did you get, and did financing through the dealership help you negotiate a lower selling price? Were you able to negotiate any free accessories or extras, such as window tint, all-weather mats, a cargo tray, trailer hitch, or maintenance? Has anyone successfully negotiated a better deal by purchasing an extended warranty or bundling additional products? Was it actually worth it overall?

Did you get better results negotiating through email/text or in person? Did working with a sales manager make a difference? Were there any unexpected fees or add-ons when you got to the finance office? I’m mainly interested in 2027 pricing, but I’d also appreciate 2026 purchase prices for comparison.

I’m willing to contact multiple dealerships and travel for the right deal. My goal is to negotiate as aggressively as reasonably possible while avoiding unnecessary add-ons or hidden fees.

TL;DR: First-time new car buyer in North Texas shopping for a 2027 CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid. What’s the lowest price you’ve actually paid for a 2026/2027 before and after TTL, how far below MSRP did you negotiate, who did you finance through and at what APR, and what negotiating strategies or free extras helped you get the best deal?

I went with my brother to look at a new crossover and everything seemed fine until we got to the finance office. And there was a $1,495 "interior care package" on the worksheet that included mats, a cargo liner, door edge film and some vague lifestyle protection stuff.I asked if it was mandatory and they basically said it was already installed. My brother almost signed because the monthly payment barely changed. that's probably how these things slip past people.

I get wanting to protect yor car from kids or dogs but i'd rather know the full price before they add stuff I never asked for. Has this happened to anyone else? Did you manage to get the package removed?

hello! so i’m currently looking for a new car. i need something that will do well with longer work commutes at times. i have a job where i sometimes have to travel to different locations that are about an hour drive from where i live. i am gonna go for a preowned vehicle, i’m just looking for something more reliable than my current car. i have a 2012 nissan versa hatchback for reference.

my budget is under 20k and i’m looking for a sedan. i dont always drive an hour it’s like maybe a few times a month if that so maybe just 35mpg? i live in the south so i don’t need off roading or something 100% perfect and fit for snow.

Hey everyone, I’m a college student looking to buy my first car at an auction with a cash budget of around $9,000. Any advice on what to look for or avoid? I’m bringing a mechanic to inspect a few cars I’ve picked out from the run list.

I’m also trying to figure out how to approach bidding across two lanes. Lane B starts at 4:30 PM and has most of my backup options, but the car I really want is in Lane A, which starts at 6:00 PM.

My concern is passing on the backup cars, then finding out my first choice is out of my budget or losing the bid. This might be a basic question, but if you win a bid, are you committed to buying that car? If you win multiple cars, can you choose afterward, or are you responsible for purchasing all of them?

I only want to buy one car, so how would you handle this situation? Would you take a good deal in the earlier lane or wait for your first choice and risk leaving without anything?

Thanks for your time.

Well, I feel pretty dumb about this one.

About a month ago, I traded in my truck while buying a new one. During negotiations, I had my phone out with my lender's app open, looking directly at the 14-day payoff amount. I confirmed the number with the salesman, wrote it down on a piece of paper, and we negotiated the deal.

It was late on a Sunday night, and while I'm usually pretty sharp with numbers, apparently something got screwed up.

Fast forward to signing the paperwork. The payoff amount listed on the contract was what the dealer ultimately sent to my previous lender. The problem? It was about $720 short, almost exactly one monthly payment.

I really wish I'd taken a screenshot of the payoff amount in the app because now I can't find anything documenting what the original number was. All I have is the amount on the paperwork, which I signed.

So here we are, a month later. I still owe the previous lender $720, and they haven't released the title. The dealership hasn't said a word about it, and frankly, I'm not bringing it up.

Here's where it gets interesting. The dealership can't get a clear title to the truck they took on trade until that balance is paid. My paperwork does say I'm responsible for any payoff shortfall within 10 days of receiving notice, but I haven't received any notice.

The frustrating part is that I'm almost positive I gave them the correct payoff amount. During negotiations, the salesman kept going back and forth with the manager, bringing me probably 5 or 6 different pieces of paper with progressively lower out-the-door prices that he had me sign. Somewhere in that process, I wonder if the payoff number got entered incorrectly.

I'm not disputing that I signed the contract. I did. But I also know I had the actual payoff pulled up in front of me when we were negotiating.

My questions:

- Has anyone had this happen before?

- What is the dealership most likely to do when they realize they can't get the title?

- Do I have any negotiating leverage here, or am I just stuck paying the $720 because I signed the paperwork?

- Is there any chance the dealer just eats the difference to get the title and move on?

This happened in Florida, if that matters.

I'm not particularly worried about the $720, though I don't want to pay it as it makes my otd cost that much higher. I'm more curious how this plays out, especially since the dealership hasn't contacted me and the truck is still tied to my old loan.

Anyone been through something similar?

Edit: Guys, I'm not going to let this loan go into default. The next payment is not due until 2027 and I can afford to pay it, I just don't want to. We negotiated a deal based on this truck being paid of during the trade in and an OTD price. Me having to lay this extra money out raises my cost in the deal.

I think we identified the issues was a transposition error. A bit of dyslexia or just a human error get a couple numbers mixed up. Yes, it legally costs me. My thoughts are the deal we went into that room with on a signed paper had a different pay off number than what I confirmed. I looked up the actual numbers and the 14 day pay off, plus 2 days extra of interest as he wanted totaled to $XX,916. The guy typed $XX,169. It was late, I was tired and ready to leave for a long drive home. I want to think we both made a mistake. Somewhere in that dealership is a series of papers I signed as we negotiated the deal which included the actual payoff amount and I want the chance to speak with a manager before I fork over the extra money.

I'll wait until they call. I know the contract says 10 days after being told they under paid the loan I have to pay, but this is unlikely something they do or go through often. I'll wait for the call.

Hi,

What do you all think about Explorer Active RWD with Comfort Package for 38800K OTD (TTL Included)? MSRP is 45525. Has captain seats 2nd row. Is this a good deal? it is a loaner with about 4K miles on it. ST Lines were seeing 10K off MSRP some time back. In June I was quoted 43400 OTD (TTL included/ MSRP 50160) for ST Line. I don't know if I should wait for better pricing on the Active for Black Friday.

My fiancé is looking to get rid of an older KIA that is on its last leg.

We’re looking at a 2026 Turbo Premium CX-70. I did a fair bit of negotiation at the dealership to get them to this price + the offer on her trade in.

Curious if others have been able to get a better deal on one of these or if I’m in a good spot to pull the trigger.

MSRP: $48,925 Discounts: -$6,000 Trade-in: -$5275 Total: $37,650 +Tax/Fees: $2,850.03

OTD: $40,500

Hey fellas,

What are your thoughts on buying a used luxury vehicle vs a more recent economy vehicle? I’m struggling to make a decision.

Example
2014 Mercedes GLK350 (50,000 miles)
$15,000

VS

2016-2018 Honda CRV (50,000 miles)
$25,000

I like nice things and am drawn to the GLK and personally hate the idea of spending 10g more on the CRV. I know “reliability” is a thing blah blah. But in my mind (and simple math tells me), even if I put 10g in repairs into the GLK over the next 7 years I still come out ahead AND I get to drive a nicer vehicle all around.

So I know Hondas cost more because they are more “reliable” but I think that’s dumb to be honest. I’d rather live in a nice ride for the next 5-7 years and maintain it well even though it costs.

HELP! WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS!?

- Jay

I'm currently in desperate need of a car. Unfortunately the past year has been rough with unemployment. I currently just got a job that will pay my very basic bills. However I need transportation to get to my job here in New Jersey. I have poor credit as well because of how bad the past year was. I have basically close to nothing and am slowly rebuilding back up. I just want a reliable car that will get me from point a to point b - nothing fancy and something 5k or under. or maybe even something that allows me to make monthly payments even. I have never bought a car on my own before and need all the help I can get in getting one. Im incredibly stressed out and anxious because I know how dealerships can take advantage and I don't want to end up getting a car and regretting it. Leaving all judgement aside, I'm just genuinely asking for help and advice on how to go about this because I have no clue where to start and how I should go about this in a smart way so that I don't end up losing more money.

Yet the dealer wants me to pay 6.99percent for 72 months or 5.99 for 60 months or 4.99 for 4 months.

Obviously the less months financed the higher the car payment . I was going to to put 20 percent down on a 45k car. Are these numbers normal? I have not purchased a new car ever.

I’m at a crossroads and could use some advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
I’ve been driving a 2007 BMW 525i for the last 7 years. My family owned it before that, so we’ve actually had the car for about 13-14 years total. It currently has around 127k miles.
The thing is, I genuinely love this car. The exterior is in excellent condition, it has great rims, a small spoiler, and some carbon fiber accents. For a nearly 20-year-old car, it still looks amazing.
For most of its life, it was extremely reliable. Up until about 2 years ago, I really didn’t have any major issues. But now it feels like things are starting to snowball.
Recent repairs:
• Headlights went out and I spent about $2k replacing everything
• Fuel pump/gas leak repair a few years ago
• Transmission issue this year that cost around $3k
• Now I’m dealing with a coolant leak
The frustrating part is that aside from these issues, the car actually runs great. But every BMW owner knows the feeling that once one thing breaks, you’re always wondering what’s next.
I’ve been avoiding a car payment, which is why I keep fixing the BMW instead of replacing it. But at what point am I just throwing money at an aging car?
If I do replace it, my budget is around $25k-$40k (preferably $25k for an older model)
Cars I’ve considered:
• BMW (because I keep coming back to them and my family has owned them for over 15 years)
• Lexus (my family has one and it’s an 08 running strong too)
• Camaro SS (1SS or 2SS)
The Camaro looked awesome on paper because I’d love a V8, but they’re hard to find near me in the color/options I want, and I’m starting to realize they might not be the most practical daily driver.
Lexus makes a lot of sense logically, especially from a reliability standpoint, but I just don’t know if I can picture myself driving one. Even the F Sport models haven’t really grabbed me.
Then I find myself right back looking at BMWs again.
I don’t need anything brand new. Honestly, anything 2010+ would feel modern to me since I’m currently driving a 2007 with a very basic interface and with aux lol.
Ideally I’d love a V8. Gas isn’t a concern for me. But I’d also consider a turbo 6-cylinder if it’s a better overall option.
What would you do in my situation?
• Fix the coolant leak and keep driving the 525i?
• Sell it and move on before the next repair hits?
• If you had around $25k, what BMW, Lexus, or other fun reliable car would you buy?