New car?

[sle]

I am starting to shop for a new car and am totally at a loss. The requirements are very conflicting and I have to come to compromise .
So far I have owned two cars, a Volvo station wagon and a compact Honda Fit.
I really liked my Volvo - it was comfy and had plenty of room, had various bit and pieces of luxury without the fuss of true fancy cars. At the same time, it was a bitch to fix and parking it in Manhattan was a nightmare.
The Fit I like less but it's cheap to park, uses little gas and has been very reliable. Inside, it's surprisingly roomy. Yet it feels very cheap and it has an engine from a lawnmower - sometimes I want to get out and push it :/
Today, I spent the whole day test-driving cars. No decision was reached, I didn't even narrow it down to a 5-6 models. Help!

 

[Robert Morse]

I have a Honda CRV with Apple play. I was never a Honda guy. Love the car and very inexpensive.

 

[TreeFrogTrader]

 

[hmcp]

A very nice midsize car is the Hyundai sonota you can get one with most of the options you would find in a luxury car and good on gas we got one in june for my daughter only problem we had is the alignment and Hyundai fixed it no problem or charge .It is a four door with a big trunk but a lot easier to park in the city than you would think. great car for the money

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

You need to narrow it down to size and whether you want a car or would consider a small SUV, like the CRV Robert Morse likes. I think the CRv is attractive, as is the Toyota Rav4 but they are both crossover SUV's. If you want a really small car that is surprisingly roomy inside, the Fiat 500 really surprised me. I have several friends who absolutely love their Priuses. I know a uber driver who has one and he told me it is the best car he ever had. Of course, he loves it because he gets phenomenal gas mileage, but they are reliable and nice inside.

I'm a car guy and drive a Tahoe but it's not what I would rec for NYC. Great out on I-95 though.

 

[Robert Morse]

My requirements have changed over the years. I used to drive this!

Now I drive this:

 

[lawrence-lugar]

Don't buy technically "New" ....buying new is for suckers, instant big depreciation.
That's like buying an IPO stock for investment while all the insiders are instantly dumping them to cash in.

Buy used, with miles -- the more the years and miles, the better...in my weird simple opinion.
You don't have to worry about the value dropping any further. that much.

Buying/choosing a car...is much more of a right brain, emotional, subjective opinion,
Rather then a left brain, logical, neutral, rational one,
...it's like Clothes.

Robert, that little maroon speedster is a chick's car.
Double/quadruple exhausts and custom racing wheels/tires, and cosmetic head bars, and even possibly an aero kit...doesn't make it more manly.

I use to be kind of obsessed with sports cars; now my thing is more of fancy high-end wrist watches.
I don't mind driving a Toyota Camry, over a Porsche 911.
Trading has made me much more deeper and introspective...appreciate the concept of time,

 

[Ditch]

I think a Golf GTI is one of the best values on the market today, it's fast, fun to drive, roomy, reliable, has decent comfort and is not too expensive. You will have to spend a whole more to beat this well rounded package.

https://www.caranddriver.com/volkswagen/golf-gti

 

[sle]

Don't buy technically "New" ....buying new is for suckers, instant big depreciation.

That's been my way with cars before - I bought them on the tail end of their life span and did not have to worry about scratches or anything of that sort. This time, however, I am considering a new one because of the new safety features.

I have a Honda CRV with Apple play. I was never a Honda guy. Love the car and very inexpensive.

Yeah, I like it too. Unfortunately, the trunk gate is a bit too high for Patrice to get in - in fact, that crosses most SUVs off my list. I am stuck with a hatchback.

A very nice midsize car is the Hyundai sonota you can get one with most of the options you would find in a luxury car and good on gas we got one in june for my daughter only problem we had is the alignment and Hyundai fixed it no problem or charge

Not a hatchback I test drove a Hydnday Accent SE today and liked it. However, I feel that it's not enough of a change from my Fit to justify the hassle.

PS. An interesting observation about car salespeople drawn from todays experience. It did not seem to matter how I was dressed or that I drive an elderly Honda compact - each one of them correctly guessed a few things about, including that I work in finance and that I will be paying cash. Seven dealerships gives me a reasonable statistical sample.

 

[Robert Morse]

Patrice

Is that a dog? Is the Mini Cooper Clubman too small?