Hi Scotty,
Thank you for everything you do. You really are an American treasure. God Bless You and your family.
Now to my question. I'm 46, single, no children. Looking to buy a car. Preferably a Toyota or Honda. I have never owned a car in my life. I live on Lawnguylind. Commute to work in NYC by train and subway. I have excellent credit with a decent amount saved up in the bank. Not much of a sports car enthusiast but I do like to speed (responsibly of course) I like mid-sized sedans, SUV's and Hybrids. What make and model would you recommend? Should I buy new, used, or wait a little longer until the car prices start coming down? I've read prices won't come down for another 12-24 months. {black}:idontknow:
Your opinion will be highly appreciated.
Best
Mario
Mid Sized Sedans: Toyota Camry or Honda Accord with a slight edge to the Camry for reliability. But I do have a personal preference for Honda’s styling inside and out.
Mid Sized Sedan hybrid: Toyota Camry if you want tried and true hybrid tech. Honda Accord if you are willing to take a chance on newer tech from a reputable company.
SUV: Toyota RAV4, Highlander or Honda CRV with a slight edge to the Toyota for reliability. Like the sedans, I much prefer the CRV overall design inside and out. Possibly Honda Pilot or Passport, but prefer the Highlander over the Pilot/Passport.
SUV hybrid: Toyota RAV4 or Highlander if you want tried and true hybrid tech. Honda CRV if you are willing to take a chance on newer tech from a reputable company.
Since it seems like you are not in a rush for a car once you decide on what car you want go to different dealerships and see which one will commit to selling you at msrp without any add ons and then put a deposit on your desired car, get a sales order, and wait for it to come. Msrp is the new norm in this market and is considered a reasonable price for a Toyota or Honda. and the key to buying at msrp is being able to wait for an incoming unit instead of buying from an on the lot unit. If you plan on keeping the car for a long time then msrp is a fair price and it won't make a huge difference in the long run.
For hybrid first Toyota and then Honda. Just remember with hybrid there will be longer wait times. Also with hybrid there is more to brake down and then there is battery replacement at some point. So see if you need a hybrid or not. If you do a lot of city driving then yeah hybrid is a great choice, but if not regular gasoline only.
I agree with @kaizen on Honda; their new body style and interior design is much nicer than Toyota. If going with a sedan between Camry and Accord the Accord feels much more roomy due to the design. Test drive both and see which one you like.
For hybrid check out the new Prius too; the quality is Toyota hybrid quality and it's definitely good. But then there's the new body style too which is nice if that's something that matters to you.
And yes in this market buy new.
I have never owned a car in my life
Commute to work in NYC by train and subway
Do you even need a vehicle?
I do like to speed
Rent a Hellcat (with full coverage).
Camry XSE V6 gets you your speed but not outrageous and should be quite livable in NY traffic. Also is an easy ownership experience for a first time owner.
An out of the box choice would be a RAV4 prime. Last I checked, they were a bit hard to find. But they are fast, comfortable, economical and could handle a nor’easter or two.
New or Used?
Depends. Whichever is relatively cheaper. It was insane the past two years, USED cars about a year or two old, were going for MORE than a NEW car. In this situation I would get NEW.