Question about leasing vs buying a car
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Besides the places @Lisa mentioned, you can also do all your buying via email. Find the car you want, price it out online and see what a reasonable price is. Ask the dealer for their best price. And tell them they only get one chance at it, that you're going to go with the best price you get. Avoid the annoying car salesmen on the floor. The guys who do the internet deals cut to the chase.
I think @jon-nyc has used this method...maybe he'll chime in...
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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Oooh, I like the online/email option!
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You'd be disappointed if I didn't point you to a "how to" guide...
https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/how-to-buy-a-car-online/
...or two...
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/how-to-buy-a-car-online
When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
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@wtg said in Question about leasing vs buying a car:
You'd be disappointed if I didn't point you to a "how to" guide...
Seriously though, thanks!
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We have done this too (the email/online shopping), for the rare occasion where we purchased new (maybe 2 or 3 of our cars since we've been married). But even when you get to the bottom line price, I've found the finance office plays games with all sorts of stupid add-ons. You have to watch them like a hawk. And that goes for the certified used purchases we made (which are harder to shop between dealers because they're used, so not really comparable between dealers.)
Carshop was the first car buying experience ever, of my entire life, where I didn't feel like the paperwork process was one long pickpocketing session where I had to keep my guard up the whole time repeatedly saying no to all the shady stuff they were trying to pull. I just signed the paperwork, paid the price they originally said I would pay, and left in my new-to-me car -- it took like 15 minutes. So refreshing!
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Oh SK I didn't answer your question. Yes Carshop (at least the one I used) has a garage where they do their own maintenance. One of the cars I was looking at had a chip in the windshield and they were going to replace it for me if I bought that one. And I ended up negotiating a brake fluid flush and change on the car I bought because it was overdue for one according to the carfax and manufacturer service schedule. I could take it back there if anything went wrong under their warranty period or I could take it to the dealer since it still has a few months of dealer warranty as well. And they do regular maintenance stuff too, but we already have a regular mechanic so I won't be taking it to carshop for any of that. But it's available if I needed it.
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Who leases a car instead of buying one? There are pros and cons for car buying versus leasing. Check “Consumers Reports”. CR is a good reference for autos. I personally don’t have any car leasership experience.
But I do know of one group of people who would rather lease than buy. They’re owners of business properties. One of my coworkers owns a couple of gas stations. By leasing, he says he gets certain income tax deductions by using the leased car in the course of checking on his gas stations.
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We just sold our 2006 Honda CRV with 200k miles on it. The reason we sold it is because I found the seats to be absolutely crippling. That became my #1 criteria in car shopping--the comfort and support of the seats. Which meant we needed to get one of the top trim levels, that have many different seat adjustments. I have found that both Toyota and Chevy have the best seats for support, adjustability, and comfort. We got a used 2018 Toyota 4Runner off the lot of our local Subaru dealer. We had our mechanic do a pre-buy inspection and he raved about this particular model--extremely reliable. We love it, and every time I get in and sit down my back sighs with happiness.
As for dealing with car salesmen and dealers. I was going to buy online and have delivered or fly to the dealership that had what I wanted.. But it turns out we are very lucky, and the closest car dealership to us--the Subaru dealer--gives the best prices of anywhere, and doesn't play any of those stupid high pressure games. Everything was quite low pressure and fair, and they have a terrific service shop. Apparently people fly in from all over to buy from them, and it doesn't hurt that there is no sales tax in Montana.
We also bought a brand new Forester from them a month later, and paid cash, as we also did for the 4Runner. The Forester's seats are much more comfy than the CRV's, but not quite as comfortable as the 4Runner's or my Chevy truck's. But it gets great gas mileage and will make an excellent road trip car.
The CRV has good years and bad years for reliability. I would scrutinize the Consumer Reports car buying guides carefully before making a decision. I have found them to always be spot on, for as long as I've been buying cars (bought my first one in 1977). If you want an SUV and you can find a good used one, you can't go wrong with the 4Runner.
fear is the thief of dreams
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@pique said in Question about leasing vs buying a car:
We just sold our 2006 Honda CRV with 200k miles on it. The reason we sold it is because I found the seats to be absolutely crippling. That became my #1 criteria in car shopping--the comfort and support of the seats.
Same here. Hondas are great cars in many respects but the seats are like sitting on flat boards. The five hour drive up to Door County in my Mom's Accord used to leave my back in bad shape. Plus in my case, there's not enough thigh support; I'm 5'10".
Toyota and Subaru seats, OTOH, are very comfy for me.
