(Almost) New car

Recently, my 1998 Honda Passport needed a new starter. That costed about ~$650. They also pointed out that it needed new axels & boots. Plus, the brakes and tires needed replacing. And finally, the windshield was cracked. With all of that said, it was obvious I was upside down on the repairs vs. value of the car.

I started looking at new cars. I really just needed a good commuter car. The ones that I considered:

• Honda Civic
  Nice car but I felt the steering wheel was too close.
• Honda Fit
  Good car and good price. It has a lot more space than you might think. Unfortunately, a 3 to 4 month waiting list. I called 5 Honda dealers to just see & drive one.
• Toyota Corolla
  Ok car…great gas mileage.
• Toyota Matrix
  Good looking car and very comfortable.

I didn’t consider the Toyota Camry. I test drove one because of the my uncle knew of a good deal. I was pleasantly surprised about the ride, size, price and gas mileage. Unfortunately, they didn’t make a good offer on my trade-in.

After I went to test-drive the Honda Fit, I stopped by a nearby dealership to show my wife the Camry. That dealer had a “service courtesy car” that had 9500 miles. It was fully loaded and I was able to get it for about $7k off and a fair trade in value.

One thing that I did learn: if you have a trade-in car that is not in mint condition, don’t bring it to the sale. I actually firmed up my deal with my trade-in sight unseen. I was honest about its condition but they were more focused on the new car. It also helps that it was a few minutes before they closed.