Buying new car

[ripper1]

I don't know if this is the right forum for this but here goes. We have a perfectly good car in a 2006 Toyota Camry. In great shape. All the gadgets and new tech in new cars are deterring me from considering a new one. Also the cost of repairs because of the tech are more costly to fix. The only issue is that we do not have side airbags in our current car. What are others ideas about buying newer cars?

 

[njhowie]

Pull up the websites for all of your local dealers and go through their certified pre-owned inventory. You'll be able to find any somewhat-recent years without all of the gadgets.

I also refuse to buy new for the same reason - I have no need/desire for all the overpriced bells and whistles which may break.

 

[pacergal]

We bought two new cars the year before we retired, both Toyotas. The safety features I really like and would not go without in the future: Pre collision system, lane departure alert, back up camera, radar cruise control, air bags all around.
Our previous cars had none of these, except front airbags.

 

[Ian S]

The lack of a full complement of airbags on older vehicles is a real concern AFAIAC. According to Consumer Reports data, the in-car electronics are improving in reliability as the years go by. I welcome the impressive new safety electronics and while my 2011 vehicle has some of them, I look forward to my next car that will have a full complement. If you are concerned with costs of repair, then you might consider a new car with a longer warranty e.g. Hyundai and Kia cover such components for 5 years/60,000 miles.

 

[youbet]

All the gadgets and new tech in new cars are deterring me from considering a new one:

Agreed. Just returned from dropping DS and DIL off at the airport and drove their newer Honda Odyssey to do so. Way, way too many doo-dads for me. I still prefer to drive the car unaided and when driving his sometimes feel tempted to relax a bit because the gadgets are "watching over things for me."

The only new stuff I'd like to have on my 20+ year old vehicles would be the latest in airbags and bodies/frames designed for impact absorption. But the electronic goodies....... nah.

 

[GrayHare]

"HAL, open the garage door." What could go wrong?

I don't want all those extra electronics either. On various youtube channels that buy and refurbish used cars those gadgets so often no longer work, which can mean inability to control the air conditioning, radio, etc.

 

[OldShooter]

I like the idea of side air bags, too, but not to the point of being worried about their absence. They provide important protection in a certain class of collisions, but since the probability of being in a serious collision is low in the first place and this is a subset I am not really all that concerned. I have a perfectly good full-face racing helmet in the basement, too, but I do not wear that when I'm driving a street car because there is a very low probability of a collision where it would be important. (Come to think of it, it would be a better solution than air bags for some side-impacts.)

Now, if you want a new car, this is as good a rationale as any.

 

[W2R]

Pull up the websites for all of your local dealers and go through their certified pre-owned inventory. You'll be able to find any somewhat-recent years without all of the gadgets.

I also refuse to buy new for the same reason - I have no need/desire for all the overpriced bells and whistles which may break.

Yes!

I still prefer to drive the car unaided and when driving his sometimes feel tempted to relax a bit because the gadgets are "watching over things for me."

The only new stuff I'd like to have on my 20+ year old vehicles would be the latest in airbags and bodies/frames designed for impact absorption. But the electronic goodies....... nah.

Exactly!

The money for my next car is sitting there waiting for me to find one that I like, but I haven't found it despite looking for quite some time. Thank goodness I only have 33,000 miles on my 2009 Toyota Venza, so there is no rush. But still I want to have a shiny new car for the fun of it, because the money is in the bank and as they say, "you can't take it with you". So I wanted to Blow That Dough.

Personally I don't like the car making decisions for me; I am the driver and I want to drive it myself. To me that is the fun of driving and I don't even use cruise control. Plus as far as driving goes, I already call my Venza my "nanny car" because it does so much that I'd rather do myself. From what I hear, newer cars are 10x worse about that sort of thing and that is mostly what is keeping me from buying my next new car.

Also, I don't like all those bells and whistles either! I honestly do not care if my car has bluetooth or USB ports (yes I think the Venza probably does have both). And most of the latest supposed safety electronics is just junk to me. I am a grown-up and honestly I can avoid a collision all by myself, thanks anyway Toyota.

Another thing is that my Venza has a lot of minor features that I actually DO like, and that I just can't find in the same combination in most other cars. Fooey. I'd love to buy a new car if I could find one that I like.

 

[Scrapr]

I love the new driving aids. I was driving back from a football game late at night. Game over 11:00 pm. 3 hour drive. Do the math. Auto high beams, lane control, adaptive cruise control (didn't use much as no traffic to follow much of the time...mountain driving) Large animal detection ...haven't sensed any yet so don't know exactly what the car might do.

It made the drive much more enjoyable. Filled up, 2 cups coffee, snacks, water. Took me a bit to go to sleep because...coffee

 

[Teacher Terry]

I drove my friend home in her new car and didn’t like it. I wouldn’t have gotten the A/C on if I had been alone. Since our cars are low mileage I doubt we will need to worry about it for another 10-15 years.

 

[RobbieB]

I'm a huge fan of Android Auto. Especially now since retired and aging and doing a lot of car trips to So Cal as step daughter is going to UCLA. We "expand" these to include a leisurely return up the coast to places we've never been.

You can ask (voice) about places to see, things to do and best restaurants in an area you've never been and the magic of google will guide you perfectly. Wanderlust dream!

It sure makes car travel more fun as less anxiety re driving in "the unknown"

 

[Bamaman]

I have all those "bells and whistles" on our 2018 Camry Hybrid. I don't care for the new style adaptive cruise control, but I've cut off the lane change alarms and other high tech features.

And I love how silent and smooth the car is especially since I'm getting 49 mpg on average.

 

[Andre1969]

I'm sort of on the fence, with regards to newer cars. Currently, I do most of my driving in a 2003 Buick Regal, with a 2012 Dodge Ram as a second vehicle.

The Ram is in the shop right now. The radio started shorting out, where the sound would come and go. The CD worked fine, and it got power, but the actual stations would come and go. I was hoping it was just something loose, but they traced it down, and it's some internal problem with the radio itself. So, $600. Sometimes I miss the good old days where you could pull out the stock radio, put in a cheap Craig or Spark-o-matic, and actually get a better sound system!


About a month ago, I saw a 2018 Impala at the dealership when I went with a friend, to get an oil change. It was kind of tempting...$16,500, with about 35,700 miles on it. I thought it would make a nice upgrade from the Regal, which is showing its age.


But, I'm sure it's a lot more complicated than the Regal. And, the Regal only has about 94,000 miles on it, and has cost maybe $200 in repairs/maintenance so far in 2019. It's had its cranky spells in the past, and it won't last forever, but I figure every month it lasts probably saves me a few thousand $ down and an easy $300-400 a month or more.

As for side impact, meh, whatever. The government started mandating that back in 1969, so anything since then should be fine (that was sarcasm, yes, I know cars have come a LONG way since 1969...they've had to, with the rise in popularity of trucks and SUVs that hit above the frame rails).

 

[Ian S]

As for side impact, meh, whatever. The government started mandating that back in 1969, so anything since then should be fine (that was sarcasm, yes, I know cars have come a LONG way since 1969...they've had to, with the rise in popularity of trucks and SUVs that hit above the frame rails).

That doesn't apply to side airbags which I think are a great idea and often lacking in cars from the 00's let alone older vehicles. I have backup sensors but some of the rental cars I've had have actual backup camera which I would love to have. And adaptive cruise control I've experienced is another feature that I'd like.

 

[Bamaman]

All vehicles in the U.S. now have backup cameras standard--even econoboxes.
I've seen many wrecked vehicles with airbags that have blown, however I cannot remember any side air bags going off. Hopefully I'll never get T Boned.
I wish a switch would restore non-adaptive cruise control, as I find myself often running 5-10 mph below where I'm intending following a much slower car in front of me.
I'm not afraid of the technology in newer cars, as we've driven well over 500,000 miles on cars and never had a warranty claim of any kind.
We attempt to combat high technology by purchasing vehicles that are on the lists of being the most reliable. And often the same cars are on the list of the least depreciating vehicles.

 

[wrigley]

I remember when my cell phone only rang and I answered it to talk.

It's kind of hard to find newer cars that don't have a good amount of the bells and whistles. Some I like, some I can do without.

Mike

 

[dvalley]

The safety features standard on most 2018+ cars are impressive. Aside from the usual aids like traction control, ABS etc the lane assist, collision mitigation, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition etc will definitely help enhance safety. As for the complexity, yes they're complex (for guys who like to do their own maintenance and repairs like me) but for most drivers it doesn't matter because they're likely as reliable as the fuel injection computers we've had in cars since the 80s. My guess is that in the next decade or so majority of the cars will self drive or have some level of auto drive feature.

 

[Badger]

I recently bought a 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe and am so confused with all the whistles and bells. It is a nice car but I would be just as satisfied with a 70s era VW Karman Ghia, or Type 2 (bus). Yes, I would have to get on the ground (not an easy thing for me to do nowdays) to adjust valves, change oil, and replace points and plugs but I kind of enjoyed getting it just right to run smoothly.



Cheers!

 

[dvalley]

I totally get it. That's when you buy a weekend/fun/project car that's old and needs fiddling. Keep the new vehicles as your main A to B cars

 

[freedomatlast]

For those that want a back up camera in their next vehicle, it may be good to know that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires all automobiles sold in the United States built beginning in May 2018 to include backup cameras.

 

[ncbill]

Backup cameras are trivial to add to older vehicles.

Blind spot monitoring (the closest I've come to an accident that would have been my fault) can be added professionally for ~$1000.

If I drove extensively on highways adaptive cruise control would be worth paying for a newer vehicle.

Here is one vendor offering safety upgrades for older vehicles:

http://www.blindspotsolution.com

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

Difficult to put a price on an injury that could be avoided or lessened with better safety features. I would not go without blindspot detection now that Ive had it and am comfortable with it. Its not on my current rental and MAN do i miss it.

 

[Aerides]

In some cases the new gadgets are a great reason to get a new car. Back up cameras are improving every year, as well as sensors, remote entry, etc.

But you also can order a car with the basics. Might not be on the lot, might be you have to wait a few months if there's none nearby, but can be done. Try building online to see where you can pick and choose options and take only what you want (I hate the way they package everything, but some let you go more ala carte.)

When I was shopping for my new car the way I built it online was about $5k less than any single one within an 800 mile radius. I was set to wait for about 3 months while it was ordered to spec, but then found a 1 year old used version that made it slightly cheaper (and was, most importantly, the right color scheme too.)

 

[Sunset]

I love my back up camera on my 2015 vehicle, especially when I need to back out of a parking spot and two Vans/trucks/big SUV's have parked beside me.

The camera can see a wide view once it's inches past the edge of the two blocking vehicles. No more pray and backup for me

 

[stephenson]

Oh, c’mon.

Most of the “new tech” relates to safety and better fuel, ignition, and transmission interactions.

Learning how to press a touch button vs one that “click” is hardly a daunting issue.

Remember how shocked our grandparents were with electric windows? Power seats? All that tech?