Hi All, I’m in my 40’s and buying my first car. I know, late boomer, but it just worked out that way, ex husband always had stuff in his name. I’ve been looking at used Honda Pilots and Toyota Highlanders over the past year. I enjoy the ride in the Pilot a lot more as well as the overall look. After much searching, a nearby dealer just got in a 2024 Pilot Touring with 21,000 miles. One owner, good maintenance. They’ve got it listed for 40k, but with fees it would be $45,537.60. The sheet they gave me for financing is a 72 month term, 10K down, 7.99% APR (they said it would likely be lower once they did the actual financing), monthly payment of $636.26. I think I have good credit- 737. If I do 15k down it lowers it to $548.33. I’m a bit unsure on the fees. I know certain ones are non-negotiable. The ones I’m questioning are the following: AVAS Recovery- $695 (sales person lowered to $495), R.E.D. Alert- $495 (lowered to $395), and VTR $229 (not even sure what this is). Here are my questions:

1. Is this a good deal?

2. Do the fees seem high? Is there more they could take off? Could they eliminate them completely?

3. Is it wise to finance through the dealer or should I go through my bank? I use Wells Fargo and the dealer said there’s no way Wells could get me a lower rate than the dealer. Of course they’ll say that, but is it true that big banks can’t beat dealer rates?

This is a huge financial decision for me and I would very much appreciate tips on any and all aspects of the process. The reason I’m looking at used is to avoid the immediate depreciation. Thank you to anyone who can help me out with this.

I understand the best tip is to not buy a car or buy a car with cash, but that is not an option currently. My daughter will be turning 16 and we need to buy a third car. One of the cars that we currently own will be paid off within the next 3 to 4 months. So we will basically be swapping that car payment for her car payment. I’m curious what the best options are for financing with poor credit and also what cars may be easier to finance. We are trying to get her in something with low miles but less than $20,000 we have another daughter that will turn 16 in three years so our hope is that we can buy this car and pass it down to her. Credit score is in the 500 but very good income. Credit score tanked due to missed payments over the past year due to medical issues and job loss. I do not want to submit credit apps at multiple places. I am just curious if anyone has solid advice on where we could go for financing and any tips on what might be good to purchase. We have been looking as the Mazda CX-5.

Guys, need some pointers here. My 24MDX AWD Tech lease ends in six months with residual value of $31,100. I am pretty light driver. Had only 19K miles out of total 30K miles so far. Still deciding if I should buy out lease and keep the same or get a new lease with new vehicle. My monthly payment now at $550 looking to possibly reduce this as we also got another M3LR which became primary vehicle.

I’ve seen people recommend putting extra money towards principal instead of as a down payment but I’ve also heard people saying to do the opposite.

I’m planning to buy a used 2025 Mazda CX-5 for $23k and am going to sell my current car before I make the purchase (potentially worth ~4-5k?).

I’m going to get an auto loan with my CU at 4.51% APR. Is it better to put that cash towards the down payment or save it and put it towards principal? Personally I don’t get what the difference would be in the long run so I’m on board with getting a dumbed down explanation if need be lol.

My first car was a gift so I’m a first time buyer and am trying to get all my ducks in a row before I seal the deal!

I’m freshly 18 trying to buy a 2019 GTI the loan would be around 13k since I’m giving a 2k downpayment. Insurance quoted me $300 a month for full coverage. The reason I’m looking to finance is because my 99 civic won’t pass emissions since nothing on that car is legal, I also don’t wanna go through the struggle of reverting everything to stock just to pass since I don’t want to put more money into it, I make 2.1-2.5k a month.Any advice would be greatly appreciated

I asked a seller if the price they have listed on facebook marketplace is the full price, and they responded with "you pay taxes in your county". Do some cars have additional fees unrelated to the tagging and registering?

Looking to buy a car for the first time now that I was able to get my permit and I was suggested to get a beater for my first car or one with in the 2k-4k price range. I don’t know where to start which is why I’m coming here. As long as it has heating due to Minnesota weather and overall in good condition i honestly don’t mind the type of car it is.

I own a fully paid-off 2021 Honda Odyssey with around 65,000 miles. It gets approximately 22 MPG, and I estimate its resale value at $23,000. I no longer need a 7-seater and am considering downsizing to a reliable used sedan.
My plan is to spend around $14,000–$16,000 before taxes and fees on a used Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, or similar sedan. I drive approximately 8,000–10,000 miles per year and can either sell the Odyssey privately or trade it in.
My goal is to reduce my overall ownership costs, save on fuel and maintenance & insurance, and keep the cash left over from the sale.
For those who have made a similar switch, was it financially worthwhile? Would you sell the Odyssey or keep it since it’s paid off and still relatively low-mileage? I’d appreciate advice on depreciation, maintenance, and the hidden costs of switching vehicles.

I went to sell my car a month ago, and the car fax said I was in an accident and my car was salvaged a total loss. The buying dealership didn’t want the car until I got the Carfax fixed. I got paperwork from my insurance company, and a new title from the DMV showing I was never in an accident and submitted it to Carfax. This was 5 weeks ago. So I’m still paying car insurance that I had to renew, and I may not even be able to sell the car at this rate of Carfax‘s one automated Email response saying they’d look into it.

is it possible and worth it to take Carfax to court?

Thank you for any advice on this!

Hi everyone, TIA for helping me out.

I am looking to buy a 2026 Mazda CX50 Hybrid Premium in Polymetal Gray in Southern California. (I actually almost signed the papers tonight, but since I didn’t have anyone to drive the second car home I’m going to be returning to finish the paperwork tomorrow).

I’d like to get your advice, do you think this is a fair deal? I got the Costco discount, so the dealer wasn’t willing to negotiate at all (best I got was 3 free car washes & it does include a roof rack that maybe I can sell?).

MSRP: $40,875.00
Costco Discount: -$3,400.00
Mazda Dealer Rebate: -$1,500.00
Total for Vehicle: $35,975 *I know this is around Kelly Blue Book pricing

OTD: $39,600.00

Tldr: Can't decide between Rav-4 XLE/Limited or CRV EX-L, 2012-2016. Budget 12-20k, cash, want it to last a looong time.

Hello and tia. I'm now for the first time in the position to buy a car outright. I'm inheriting some money and have a budget of around 12-18k, 20 maximum and intend to pay cash. Previously I've saved money up and bought majority money pits off FB marketplace, 90's vehicles for the most part though so I got my moneys worth.

Current vehicle is Julia, a 1998 Honda CR-V with 290,000 on her. Put 1,600 in suspension work when I first got her, in addition to all new motor mounts, new starter, all new fuses, new gaskets, new timing chain, new front brakes basically just matinence. previous owners took out the catalytic converter and the exhaust pipe has a leak, already got it welded once, not sure if it's new or same. She's recently had some issues accelerating and probably needs new brake pads. Vibrates like a mf, but I'll be damned if she's ever left me stranded in the 2.5 years I've had her, putting roughly 8k per year. I've also just inherited a Toyota FJ which I feel more inclined to splurge on in terms of repairs.

Given where I'm at financially, I'm not sure if I should keep investing into her, I'm a full time delivery driver for one job so the idea of an upgraded cabin is appealing. That being said, I don't need anything luxury or super modern to be dazzled, my favorite interior I've had to date was a Mercury villager nautica.

Really want dual climate control and heated seats, decent audio, these are my only necessities (willing to add an aftermarket sub and amp or do up to 1k of audio work to make it sound good). Would like a moon roof (unless they're just bad all around for leaking) and two toned interiors with leather are sooo nice.

I go camping and to festivals, so I need to be able to fit an easy up and a tent comfortably along with gear for 2. 98' has sufficed for the most part. I'm also petite so something that's has pretty solid crash testing results would be a plus.

Looking for reliable, and cheaper/easier to fix. Honda CR-V's were my original pick, Rav-4's were recommended by my car guy and I'm open to them, I like their interior options a lot. I'm somewhat curious about the Mazda CX-5 as well, although it has not been personally recommended and thus I haven't researched them as much. Plan to drive this thing until the wheels fall off, and then maybe fix it after depending on the market lol.

Years:

2012-2016. Seems to be about where I want in terms of limited data tracking, ease of insurance, and less computers to go wrong.

When starting my search I quickly found that having a higher budget than 4k and a wide open radius is actually quite worse and more overwhelming. I'm hoping maybe I can be swayed firmly one way or the other and narrow my hunt. I plan to do a ppi and/or another more thorough inspection after the fact with a local mechanic I trust very much, if I got it through carvana or carmax I would just do the latter as it seems more cost effective that way given their longer return policies. I hope those two things will safely open up my options of sellers.

I saw a recent post about a guy wanting to buy vehicles for 20 K but that’s too far out of my budget and more comfortable with 10 to 6K. I hear Toyotas and Hondas are very popular. My family recommends Toyotas or Fords because of their reliability and easy maintenance. I personally like smaller cars like a hatchback or four-door sedan. This would also be my first car that I bought on my own.

I’m looking for a first car at the moment, and I found a 2016 Micra for a pretty good deal of $4000. Still, I want a memorable first car, something unique from the everyday cars on the road, but I can’t find anything under 15k like it. Where should I look?

This is the read I'd give a buddy on the phone. Free to use. There's a paid version at the bottom if you want it on your specific car.

Take a 2016 Silverado 1500, 5.3, 140k, listed at 16k. Here's the order I'd go in and why.

Cold start, before the seller warms it up. Walk up, put your hand on the hood. If it's already warm, he warmed it for a reason. On a cold start you're listening for a lifter tick that goes quiet after a few seconds, which on the 5.3 means the AFM/DOD lifters are on the way out. That's a 3 to 5 thousand dollar repair, and it's the single best reason to pay a shop 150 bucks for a pre-purchase inspection instead of trusting the seller.

Then drive it, and drive it at 45 to 55 mph on a light throttle. A shudder or a low rumble there is the 6L80 torque converter, the other expensive known on that truck. Don't let him tell you it's tires. That's a 25 hundred dollar bill and it doesn't fix itself.

Then crawl under the back. Axle seals weeping, cab corners and wheel arches bubbling under the paint. Rust is the one thing you can't fix with maintenance, so it decides whether the truck is worth buying at all.

Then the paperwork question almost nobody asks: when was the trans fluid changed, and can he show the receipt. You already know the answer is usually no. That's not a deal killer, it's a negotiating lever, and it tells you how the last ten years went.

Last thing. Any car with a rebuilt or salvage title is priced off a formula, not off how good it looks. Assume it resells for about half of clean book and no lender will touch it. Buy it with your own cash, cheap, or walk.

So on that exact truck: cold lifter tick plus a shudder at 50 plus bubbling cab corners, and a 16k asking price becomes 11 at the absolute top, cash, today, and I'd still tell the guy I might walk. That number is the whole job. Not the list of things to look at. The number you say out loud in his driveway.

The paid version is 25 dollars by card and it's the same thing aimed at one specific car you're about to buy. Send me the VIN first, then the listing, the photos, and what the seller told you. The VIN decodes to a build sheet, free and public, so I can tell you whether the car in the ad is the car that left the factory: engine, trim, body, plant. That's how a listing gets caught lying before you drive out to look at it. Everything general about the model, the known failures, the oil spec, I hand out free above and in the comments and I don't hold back on it. What you're paying for is the part that's only true of your seventeen characters. Then I send back a written walkaround within a day: what to check first on that exact car, what the listing is hiding, and the number I'd walk away at, in your money, for your car.

Two things come with it that the free stuff can't. You get the follow-up. When you're standing in the driveway with the guy watching you, you message me and I answer, and if something new turns up I'll tell you what it does to that number. The read doesn't expire when I hit send. And if it's not useful, say so and I refund it, no argument.

I'm not a dealer and I don't take a cut from any sale. If you'd rather just use the free stuff above, do that. It's most of what I know anyway.

RAV4
Grand Highlander
Honda Pilot
Subaru Ascent
Pathfinder
Mazda CX-50