So... the hubby and I bought another car this weekend! We were so torn on leasing vs. buying used vs. buying new and by the time we did all our research and everything, we decided to go with a new car.
There was a used car that the hubby liked, but the sticker price at Carmax was $16,998. For those of you who don't know, Carmax doesn't negotiate the price of their cars, so that was what we'd have to pay. It was a 2012 with over 30,000 miles on it. I did a little looking around online and found that we could get a 2013, for less than that price. The models may have been slightly different, but we didn't notice.
We went with a Ford for the first time because we've read great reviews lately and the mileage is terrific. Because it was President's Day Weekend and there were tons of sales and rebates, we ended up getting the car for $15,300ish! Not bad given the sticker price was almost $21,000! We felt pretty good about the purchase.
We would have loved to pay cash but weren't in the place to do so, so we have a self-imposed aggressive payment schedule and plan to pay it off in August. I need to update some of the side bars to reflect our new bills and savings goals.
As an added perk, the car has Sirius radio, which I really wanted for some long work trips I'll have in the near future, so I'm excited. It's free for a while, so we'll take full advantage of that. For those of you who don't know, I love Howard Stern and have been going through withdrawals for the last few years, so it was nice to hear his voice on the drive in this morning.
Hope you're all having a good week and if you went car shopping (as it seems many people did!) that you got a great deal too. Enjoy the week!
That is a nice car! Good price too - it seems that most decent cars are well over $20,000 now days.
ReplyDeleteAs for Carmax, they are notoriously overpriced! You can get a much better deal on used vehicles at any major name car dealer - some you can even get certified.
Thanks Jennifer. Yeah, I agree about the Carmax prices. They did seem high. Although I like the idea of a "haggle free" experience, I don't know that I want to pay that much more for it.
DeleteThat's awesome congrats! Sounds very similar to when my BF was looking to either lease or buy, he ended up buying a new car after everything and hasn't regretted it one bit.
ReplyDeleteThanks :) I am excited that it was the right decision in the end.
DeleteWow!! Congrats & sooo jealous! My minivan is a 2001 with almost 130,000 miles. But as long as it keeps going I will keep driving it. I almost don't notice the thunks & clunks when I turn at all!
ReplyDeleteKeep on chugging! My old station wagon made it to 300K! I would just turn the radio up if the noises got too loud :)
DeleteDrive safely and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteBTW...my dad went to high school with Howard's older sister. He remembers hanging out at the Stern's house, with annoy little brother Howie. ;)
Thanks Mysti :) That's wild that your dad knew him. I bet Howie was annoying as a kid!
DeleteWoot woot! I think you got a fantastic deal - Happy Driving!!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! When I bought my last car, we bought new because the used ones were almost the same price. It sounds like you got a great deal.
ReplyDeletecongrats! sounds like a good deal. I bought a new car for the first time jan '09 and paid it off dec '11 and it feels great not to have a payment. I intend to drive the car a long time which is good and bad - good because it's paid for but bad becaue I'm not entirely happy with the car. It's a Honda Civic sedan but it's low to the ground which doesn't do well in a city with lots of potholes :-( it does get good mileage and I have enough room inside for all I do so that's good. been thining about getting sirius but so far havent looked into it too much.
ReplyDeleteSusanna
Is that the new car? It’s sleek and handsome! I agree with you that having to weigh all of your options -- whether to lease a car, buy a used car, or buy a new one instead -- is tiring if not frustrating when you can’t decide. But I am glad to know that you are pleased with your purchase and are happy about that new car. I guess your intensive research paid off, eh?
ReplyDeletePrince Moss