Variation on a Question that Has Been Asked a Million Times

[Robin Danderkindt]

I am new here on this forum, and as a resident of Manhattan for the past 30+ years I can say that I haven't owned a car since the late 80s. My wife and I are buying a house upstate however, and we'll need a car. So I was hoping to get some advice from those much more experienced than I...

Our first thought was to buy a used car. Something with a good reputation for safety, reliability, etc. Like a Honda CR-V or a Subaru Forester/Outback. I've heard people say how great Carvana and other online sources for used cars are, so I've been browsing for weeks now on TrueCar, CarGurus, Autotrader and a bunch of other sites. Finding one of those cars in good condition (no accidents or damage, clean title, etc), with fewer than 70,000 miles for a price we can afford is challenging. And when I've found cars that seem to be within our budget, there are always ludicrous add ons that bring the price out of reach. For instance, today I found a 2016 Honda CR-V on TrueCar, listed for $12,900. That sounded great... Until I found out that there were over $5000 in random ridiculous fees added by the dealer. The reports of bait and switch tactics by local dealers here in NYC are so numerous that it's worrisome. Dealers with good reputations are asking $20,000 or so for these cars...

So maybe it makes more sense to buy a new one? I believe a new CR-V, Forester or Outback would be in the $26,000 range. Maybe financing one of those would give more peace of mind and even save money in the long run?

Should we go the Carvana route, have the car delivered and just trust that it won't fall apart one day after their guarantee period of 100 (?) days or whatever it is expires?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Recommendations for other cars that would be substantially cheaper but also reliable would also be welcome. Honda and Subaru are just two names I know and hear predominantly great things about. We do like the idea of having that cargo space in the back, and AWD is appealing as well. Thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks in advance!

[Mrbizness1]

I think there is a difference between buying from Carvana, Car Max then Auto Trader and others. They physically have the cars they have bought while auto trader and others use various used car dealers they deal with, your not actually getting they car from Auto Trader, it seems like a referral service to me. Also you should look at new car dealers selling vehicles they have loaned or rented. After I bought my new car from a Ford dealer while waiting for service They we’re selling current year used for thousands less than new with under 10k miles. You still get the remaining factory warranty so you won’t need to buy one.