thoughts on my car options? (updated! purchased car)

[nageov3t]

I've got the list pretty narrowed down, I think. hoping to buy it this month or next, since I've got a friend of a friend interested in giving me cash for my current car but he needs it before school starts up again.

my basic requirements: AWD for winter driving, needs to parallel park easily in an urban environment, low on the target list for potential car thieves, and must have a rear view camera/GPS built-in if I lease (since I wouldn't pay for aftermarket parts in a leased car)... if I lease, I'm pretty curious about residual values, and if I buy, I'm worried about the overall reliability of the various manufacturers.

leasing is pretty attractive to me, given my low daily driving milage and the fact that I'm trying to save up for a down payment on a house in 3-4 years. I've got $5k socked away for a downpayment on a ~$25k car plus the $2k from selling my old car, but if I leased I'd transfer that 7-grand into my house fund. my big leasing worries, though, is potential damage from dings/scrapes as a result of city living and whether or not I'd get screwed leasing a 2014 car right as the 2015's are about to be released in the fall.

this is my current list:

1. 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek; currently my top choice, pending a test drive (I'm not sure how I'll feel driving it, given that I hate having to drive my parents' SUV with a passion). otoh, it leaped to the top of my list because I feel like the extra clearance could help with navigating the crazy snowbanks like we had this year. my poor Mazda got stuck twice.

2. 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid; I like some of the bells and whistles it's got on the base model, but I'm not sure I'd want to commit to Subaru's first generation hybrid as a car I'd expect to own for +10 years.

3. 2014 Subaru Impreza; the option if I don't like the height of the Crosstrek.

4. 2015 Subaru Legacy; EyeSight is really tempting and it overall looks like a really comfortable ride... on the other hand, it's the longest of the cars at 188" which could make parking a bitch.

5. Mazda CX-5; this car just came up in my searches today... I actually enjoyed the Mazda Protege that I've been driving since 2003, but I've heard some horror stories about overall reliability that makes me wonder if I just lucked out with mine.

6. Nissan Juke; didn't really love it when I drove it as a rental car a few months ago, but the fact that it's a full 18" shorter than any of the other crossover options makes me really tempted. I don't do a lot of cargo hauling (and when I do, I either borrow my parents SUV or my sister's minivan), but I do have to parallel park a lot.

I was really hardcore sold on the Subarus, until I started looking around and noticed that none of the dealerships seem to offer any kind of discounts/specials beyond the manufacturer deals. it made me expand my search to consider the CX-5 and Juke if I could potentially get a significantly better lease/finance deal on one of them.

my math might be wrong, but I'm budgeting for ~$250/month on a lease or $25k purchased (~$400/month on a 4 year loan after a $7k down payment)

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update! thanks for all the help AT Garage people! just getting back from the dealership after buying my first ever new car (apparently can't actually pick it up until Monday, though, which is unfortunately... paperwork and cleaning or something the guy said)

ended up going with the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. between a deeper markdown under invoice and better incentive financing, it ended up only being $10/month more than the gasoline model (plus comes in a color I love, has keyless entry and a nicer display)... total price before tax was $24,877, $1200 under invoice.

 

[bigi]

Test drive both the Forrester and CX-5 as well as others you have in mind. Pick one you enjoy most.

 

[nageov3t]

Test drive both the Forrester and CX-5 as well as others you have in mind. Pick one you enjoy most.

that's a good idea that had never even occurred to me (well, obviously I planned on test driving, but I figured I'd do it on the same day I planned on buying... of course, that was when I assumed I'd be going with one of several Subarus and could do all my test driving on the same lot)

as a totally noob who's never even been to a car dealership before, how much pressure am I going to get if I show up on a random weekday afternoon wanting to test drive but with 100% no intentions of purchasing anything?

 

[sourceninja]

90% of people who walk into a dealer have no intentions of buying a car. Just be honest and test driver. Don't get suckered into the 'what payment do I want' game or anything else.

Just say you are looking, you want to test drive some cars and compare them to other cars you are interested in.

When I bought my A4 last year I drove 7 different cars and it took 3 months.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

awd and compact means the impreza is going to be hard to beat. Deals on leftover 2014's start in august. Lots of test drives in the meantime. Be willing to spend time with sales people and have them show you the costs. There will always be a certain amount of pressure from people who make a living selling. Only you can sign the paperwork. Just don't commit to anything until you know for certain what you want.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Might want to look at the Nissan Rogue as well, it just got a much needed redesign this year. It is about the same size as the CX-5.

 

[soulcougher73]

I'd say the non hybrid crosstek or Forrester which you didn't list.

 

[NutBucket]

If you buy a Subaru I wouldn't pay anything over invoice. If you're a Costco member the price is typically $250 under invoice but you can still negotiate that.

 

[nageov3t]

I'd say the non hybrid crosstek or Forrester which you didn't list.

I haven't paid much attention to the Forester, it's a bit too SUV rather than a crossover for my tastes.

 

[NutBucket]

True. IMHO the hybrid Crosstrek is a joke.

 

[Viper GTS]

True. IMHO the hybrid Crosstrek is a joke.

If you think of it in gas mileage terms then yes it is. If you think of it as adding some much needed torque along with higher grade sound insulation/generally nicer amenities then it's not so bad. The price premium isn't huge and reviews seem to conclude it's what the crosstrek should have been all along.

The gf is looking for a new car and it's at the top of her list.

Viper GTS

 

[NutBucket]

I looked at the hybrid because of the green color it comes in. But alas, that was the only noteworthy feature it had over a Forester.

IMHO a hybrid that size should get high 30's on the highway, minimum.

 

[nageov3t]

I looked at the hybrid because of the green color it comes in. But alas, that was the only noteworthy feature it had over a Forester.

IMHO a hybrid that size should get high 30's on the highway, minimum.

yeah, the gas milage isn't a big selling point to me (it's barely different than the non-hybrid model), but I really liked the green color and it's got some nice addons for a small price bump.

I actually really like the Mazda CX-5, the only thing keeping it from the top of my list right now is that I'm not sure how it's reputation compares to Subaru's in terms of reliability and handling in snow.

 

[NutBucket]

I wouldn't hesitate to get a CX-5 if reliability is your concern. If my brother-in-law hasn't managed to kill his Skyactiv3 yet you'll probably be fine Now, you might think this is dumb but I honestly believe there's still a benefit in quality from cars being made in Japan...like the Mazda and Subaru.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Pretty sure unless you decide to get a range rover or mini cooper any vehicle will likely last many years past the day you sell it and get another one.

 

[nageov3t]

Pretty sure unless you decide to get a range rover or mini cooper any vehicle will likely last many years past the day you sell it and get another one.

I bet GM owners thought the same thing

 

[unokitty]

I've got the list pretty narrowed down, I think. hoping to buy it this month or next, since I've got a friend of a friend interested in giving me cash for my current car but he needs it before school starts up again.
... I was really hardcore sold on the Subarus, until I started looking around and noticed that none of the dealerships seem to offer any kind of discounts/specials beyond the manufacturer deals. it made me expand my search to consider the CX-5 and Juke if I could potentially get a significantly better lease/finance deal on one of them.

Both the Crosstrek and CX-5 are excellent choices. Don't think that you would go wrong with either one.

A good part of the buying process is clarification of your values. That is, which make and model do you want. After that, it becomes which dealership and what price.

With the models that you are considering, I wouldn't expect substantial differences on price. A search of online forums should provide some data concerning price and availability.

When you begin to visit dealers, I'd be careful about letting a dealership have access to my contact info. When I bought my Element, I kept getting follow up calls from Honda dealerships for months...

My experience with Honda's is that most dealerships within a given region maintain very similar price points. Don't know if Mazda or Subaru operate that way or not. But if you had access to a buying program through Costco, or similar vendor, that would provide a useful data point.

And oh, when you get to the finance guy, just keep saying no. (You don't want the extended warranty or other profit enhancers that he will try to pawn off on you.)

Be sure to read and understand the contract. Doesn't hurt to have your own computer and spreadsheet to make sure that your understanding correlates with what is in the contract. (And if its not in the contract, it doesn't count.)

Best of luck. Please keep us informed of you choice and how you like it.

Uno

 

[toronado97]

I'm five months into ownership of a 2014 Mazda 3s GT and couldn't be happier with the vehicle. The CX-5 is just a taller 3, so you can't go wrong there. The only downside to the CX-5 is that Mazda is selling them like hotcakes, so you're almost certainly not going to get a better deal than sticker, but you never know. I don't think Subaru will haggle either though so maybe it's a wash.

 

[nageov3t]

after sleeping on it and talking it over with the BF, I think I can safely rule out the Crosstrek Hybrid (unless a dealership was willing to lease it to me for the exact same price as a standard model, in which case I'd get it just because I like the green color and push button start), the Legacy (we really just don't need the passenger space... in the 12 years I've been driving, I can probably count the times I've had backseat passengers on one hand), and the Juke (ease of parallel parking notwithstanding, I recall not liking cockpit-like feeling of the interior)

so I'm just down to basically the XV Crosstrek (or Impreza if I don't like the height) vs a Mazda CX-5.

 

[Claudius-07]

If AWD/4WD is in your books, and you are looking at Subaru's or the Mazda small SUV, have you considered the Mitsubishi models perchance? My wife was in a similar situation, wanted a small SUV or a crossover -- I wanted 4WD for the insane weather we get up here in Canada at times. We looked at Subaru's as my dad has always owned one, we looked at the Mazda CX-5 as she liked the look of it.... we looked at many more... yada yada. We were not even looking at the Mitsubishi models as Mitsubishi just has such a small market share, many don't even know them unless you are talking about their EVO line. Anyhow we tried out the RVR (What you folks in the US call the Outlander Sport), and she got the GT model with the panoramic roof and she could not be happier -- BTW the BEST headlights you will EVER have... period and a fantastic REAL AWD/4WD system that all the SUV's dont really have.

Anyhow I liked it a lot and when my turn comes which will be next year I will be getting the new Outlander.

Again just a thought if you really want an smallish SUV... good gas mileage, fantastic 4WD system and oh yeah great warranty. Also for us the financing options were very aggressive. Again this is up in Canada.

PS: The RVR-Outlander Sport has the rear view camera and fantastic turning circle and outstanding brakes, from my observation and comparing to many other models.

 

[OSULugan]

You may also want to consider a certified pre-owned Audi A4 or A3 with quattro? I picked up my '04 A4 with about 45k miles for about $16k in 2008. I've not had any major problems with it. I don't know if this breaks your "low on target list for thieves" requirement or not, though. I was surprised at how reasonably priced this option was when compared to a BMW 300 series w/ x-Drive.

 

[NutBucket]

Audi reliability doesn't really compare Subaru and/or Mazda's reputation

 

[Drako]

Audi reliability doesn't really compare Subaru and/or Mazda's reputation

No shit, it's a lot better than either Subaru or Mazda.

 

[smackababy]

Seriously question: do you live in an area where starting in the snow will be a problem? Like your parking lot is never plowed or something like that? If not, realistically an AWD car isn't going to offer you anything other than a false sense of security while driving in the snow. It won't help you handle better, not will it help you stop any faster.

With that said, are those the only options you're willing to look at?

 

[nageov3t]

Seriously question: do you live in an area where starting in the snow will be a problem? Like your parking lot is never plowed or something like that? If not, realistically an AWD car isn't going to offer you anything other than a false sense of security while driving in the snow. It won't help you handle better, not will it help you stop any faster.

With that said, are those the only options you're willing to look at?

my town isn't bad when it comes to plowing (notwithstanding asshole neighbors who toss the snow from their sidewalk onto whatever stranger's car is closest), but the two towns surrounding me (which I have to drive through to reach several major highways) are notoriously bad... I got stuck a couple times last winter where I had to get out and shovel out the snow around my tires. hoping that AWD and a higher ride will prevent that (also looking to the higher ride for water issues too... lots of areas that I drive through prone to minor flash flooding -- eg: water up to my ankle/lower calf)

so, AWD is pretty high on my list though I supposed I'd consider another car if it presented itself and was otherwise my ideal. the list isn't the end-all/be-all, but more or less what I've narrowed down to after a few months of research.