[AccordSport]

Originally Posted by arun687

Just moved to the US of A early this month. Looking to buy something fun to drive yet practical by the year end.

I was thinking of a 2016+ CPO Mazda 6 GT or a 2019 VW Jetta SEL Premium / 2019 Mazda 3 GT. I was budgeting ~15k for used / ~20k for new ones.

Am I looking at the right cars? Has to be fun, practical, automatic and fuss free to maintain. I love the gadgets and hence looking at top end models and also would love to have the modern conveniences and safety features like Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, auto high beams, blind spot monitoring etc.

You could buy a new Jetta SEL Premium or a new Civic EX for ~19k. (Though Jetta resale will be poor)

~25k can get you a new Accord Sport/Mazda Touring.

If you are married and about to start a family I would suggest having a Crossover is better. CRV EX or a Mazda CX5 would be around ~26k.

CPOs are good only if you get a good deal on price. Most of these CPOs dont have much depreciation unless it is a luxury car. So I am not sure if you can get a good used one for 20k

You can bargain on new cars and I have seen many experiences of my friends where you can save 20% on bargains. Dec is coming and you are at the right time to buy a car.

Remember that there are tons of choices for new/used cars. Test drive all your choices and pick the one that you like.

All Toyotas and Hondas provide ACC,Blind spot monitor and Lane keep assist standard on all except base versions.. Only Mazdas provide on the top versions.

For loans you can reach out to DCU or any other Credit unions.

[arun687]

Originally Posted by hema4saran

US Jetta is completely different from the one sold in India. I never driven a Jetta here but you will take big resale hit in case if you want to upgrade in one or two years. Mazda is generally budget friendly and it is getting popular among the Desi crowd nowadays. I am not sure you will be able to get new Mazda 6 in $20k budget. Try CarMax as well. They provide good options and some warranty too on the cars they sell. Can you please share the location where you are residing also your daily driving distance? Keep in mind that Mazda 3/Civic will feel little cumbersome if you are keeping a child seat in the rear.

Thanks, Mazda makes better sense then. I will try out CarMax as well.

I will be using this in South Jersey / Philly area as my daily drive, ~20 miles per day for commute and long distance touring on the weekends. Most of my rides will only have the front 2 seats occupied.

Originally Posted by AccordSport

....If you are married and about to start a family I would suggest having a Crossover is better. CRV EX or a Mazda CX5 would be around ~26k.....

Thank you, not married yet but will be early next year, hence the need of automatics only as wifey will also be able to drive it, if she wants to. I'll start with truecar for price comparisons and get dealers to match offers if I'll end up with a new car.

Also since I have no credit history, what is the APR I can expect on new/used cars for loans from credit unions?

[AccordSport]

Originally Posted by arun687

Thank you, not married yet but will be early next year, hence the need of automatics only as wifey will also be able to drive it, if she wants to. I'll start with truecar for price comparisons and get dealers to match offers if I'll end up with a new car.

Also since I have no credit history, what is the APR I can expect on new/used cars for loans from credit unions?

I was on the same boat when I bought my car, but now after marriage my wife prefers a crossover. So was just throwing that idea out.

When I bought my car I had <6 months of Credit history and DCU gave 8%. But within a year I was able to refinance it to <2%.

[hema4saran]

Originally Posted by AccordSport

I was on the same boat when I bought my car, but now after marriage my wife prefers a crossover. So was just throwing that idea out.

When I bought my car I had <6 months of Credit history and DCU gave 8%. But within a year I was able to refinance it to <2%.

Exactly, I am on the same boat now. My wife sat in a rental Ford Edge recently and ever since she is preferring a SUV. Also I am thinking of getting crossover because of the luggage space issues in my Altima's trunk. My baby's stroller occupies more space and even grocery shopping I need to plan properly nowadays. As a short term remedy, I am thinking of changing the stroller for now.

Will plan for a crossover in couple of months time after looking at the new RAV-4. It looks fresh and big in the videos compared to the old gen.

[aks2010]

I received a call from my dealer asking me whether I would be interested in trading in my car. Their offer was a newer car for the same EMI that I currently pay. I politely refused saying that I am looking to payoff the loan and am not interested in a trade in. While I understand the pros and cons of a trade in, I would like to know what team-bhpians generally think about it. Do we have people in this forum who regularly trade in cars every couple of years?

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by aks2010

Do we have people in this forum who regularly trade in cars every couple of years?

It does not make economic sense to trade in a japanese car that is less than 5 years old. If one likes new cars that much, then leasing a car is a much better option. 3 year lease offers are often very enticing.
That said, it is no fun to always think logically, and make financially smart decisions. I traded in a 3 year old Mustang convertible, & a 3 year old Toyota Prius. Mustang was too much fun for a soon to be dad, Prius was the opposite - made me feel like a grandpa. Both decisions cost me dearly. Just the 8% sales tax is hurtful, add on the depreciation, and deductions for minor wear - it makes no sense!

[RSM_TorqueZoner]

Alright, so after looking at several options for a used car, I've narrowed down to the Mazda 6 and the Nissan Maxima (Both 2016 models). Maxima is dearer by approx. 3 - 4k. These cars, technically, are in two different segments but I've always loved the Mazda 6 and it has marginally bigger interiors. Gadgetry or the lack of it isn't a deal killer. The way the car drives and comfort (Front and Rear) is important. Is the Maxima worth the additional $$? Or should I just stick to the Mazda 6? The Accords, Camry's and Altima's of the world have been written off.

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by RSM_TorqueZoner

.. I've narrowed down to the Mazda 6 and the Nissan Maxima (Both 2016 models)...

If I had to make this decision, I would go with the Mazda without thinking twice. Mazda has a reputation, along with Subaru, that is challenging even for the other Japanese manufacturers to match.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by GutsyGibbon

I traded in a 3 year old Mustang convertible, & a 3 year old Toyota Prius. Mustang was too much fun for a soon to be dad, Prius was the opposite - made me feel like a grandpa.

Those two cars are at the opposite ends of the spectrum! What did you get in exchange?

Originally Posted by RSM_TorqueZoner

Alright, so after looking at several options for a used car, I've narrowed down to the Mazda 6 and the Nissan Maxima (Both 2016 models).

Originally Posted by theMAG

If I had to make this decision, I would go with the Mazda without thinking twice.

I agree with theMAG! Also, I don't know whether by 2016 Nissan had fixed the rubber band effect of its CVT

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Those two cars are at the opposite ends of the spectrum! What did you get in exchange?

True that. I did not go directly from the Mustang to the Prius. I had a Saab 93 turbo, Civic, 4Runner, Mazda CX-9 then the Prius (after I was tired of paying for gas). Prius was an efficient dog!

I was a first day reservation holder for the Model 3. More on it here -
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...model-3-a.html

[RSM_TorqueZoner]

Originally Posted by theMAG

If I had to make this decision, I would go with the Mazda without thinking twice. Mazda has a reputation, along with Subaru, that is challenging even for the other Japanese manufacturers to match.

Originally Posted by amitoj

I agree with theMAG! Also, I don't know whether by 2016 Nissan had fixed the rubber band effect of its CVT

Thank you so much for the feedback, and pretty much resonates the thoughts I had. However, just curious, why exactly the Mazda over the Maxima, reputation aside? I believe the CVT on the Maxima is an improvement from the earlier models though I guess it still has the rubberband shades.

[R. Ravi]

Hello BHPians!

Summer has come and gone, and Fall us upon us for those of us Stateside.

The supercar scene is drawing to a close for the season, so it seems like everyone is trying to squeeze one last event out of 2018. The arrival of Fall doesn't just mean colder weather and colorful leaves, though. For those of us in Chicago, fall also brings ///M-Vade.

///M-Vade (MVade, I can't keep typing /// followed by M and then - and then Vade) is an event that happens twice a year, (open to all makes and models, but highlighting BMW M-Division cars) once in the spring and once in the fall.

Now, if you're a visual learner, and want a summary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjwYGe-CbaY

The plan:

9:00 a.m. : All the cars meet in a Marina parking lot on the shore of Lake Michigan, one of the five great likes of the U.S. midwest.

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. : Cars arrive, and park up in the Marina. We take it over. It's packed, and the cars sit bumper to bumper to the point where people don't walk in-between cars.

11:00 a.m. - undefined : Rally from the center of Chicago to a place in the suburbs, called the Glen (Google Maps image below, to make it clear). If you've seen Dhoom 3, or any movie set in Chicago/New York City, you know how crazy traffic can be in a major city. Bumper to bumper, buses, cops, cyclists, other cars etc.

Now imagine 60-80 (maybe more, it was hard to keep track) M-Division cars, some heavily modified - loud exhausts, wide bodies, slammed, etc. all driving through the narrow streets, revving and generally causing a bit of a scene

As you can imagine, it's pretty fun.

undefined - 2:00 p.m. : Once you get to the Glen, everyone parks up again on a parking Garage, and we all get lunch at the Glen. The Glen is a shopping center, kind of like a strip mall, but it has restraints and all other sorts of stores as well. The event wraps up around 2, because the cops usually get notified of the event on our drive to the Glen, and tail us there, so that's a wrap for the day.

------

So that's the agenda for the day. Now for the details.

Woke up at 7:30. Drove from my college campus to Chicago the night before, so I was running on about 3 - 4 hours of sleep. Plus I was pretty excited, so I didnt sleep much for the few hours I did try (lel). People generally don't like to show up to bigger events alone, so a few of my friends from Chicago and I all met up at my friend's house, and we decided to leave from there (Map 2). I'll put the city we started from, but for obvious reason not his actual house address.

His house is in a suburb of the city, so about 45 mins from the actual start point. Left from my house at around 7:50, drove to his, and we left his place at around 8:15, after all our friends showed up. Our little group consisted of:

My M6 Gran Coupe (Bone Stock). F10 M5 (very modified). F80 M3 (very modified). E90 M3 (kinda modified). M5 E60 (not sure tbh).

So once we all left my friends house, did the mandatory fuel stop, and blasted into the city pre-rush hour (weekend, so bumper to bumper starts a bit later).

9:00 a.m we pulled into the Marina, and there were maybe 20 cars there when we got there. Almost all M Cars, but an Alfa Giulia Quad, SQ5 and some others were there as well. Some tuned Evo's, Impreza's, AMGs and Porsches, too. (there were quite a few cars, so I can't remember all of them, but if you're a fanboy of a certain brand, it was probably there!)

Map 1 (Event Start & End): We don't take the shortest route, but rally through the city first.



Map 2 (Getting to Event):




The Marina we start at is nestled between a harbor, and the Lake. It's a public parking lot, so we have to behave (an important detail), or we risk getting kicked out or arrested, if the cops catch you doing something. We're allowed to park there, but they have tight security, since there's literally million dollar yachts parked a few feet away.

So 10:15 am comes around, and one of my friends that was riding in my car had a small emergency (non bathroom related lol) so we had to leave the parking lot for a half an hour and go to a store nearby. 10:50, we sorted everything out, and were on the way back to the event, when my friend called me and told me that everyone was bailing from the marina because someone started doing burnouts.

I was a solid 12 minute drive away from the rally point. R.I.P

Long story short, I missed the start, and missed my friends completely. Since there's no fixed route, packs of cars just drive together and are all within a few blocks of eachother, but because of red lights and traffic and such, once you miss your group, it's impossible to catch up. So I ended up cruising with another pack of friends.

Cruise was pretty straightforward. Hearing the cars' exhausts resonating off the buildings is amazing though, and sadly we were having camera problems (this was the first time we tried shooting an event like this, so please excuse).

Got to the end point, had some traffic in-between. Cops tailed one of the groups to the end point, so once we got there, we had to be on our best behavior.

6 cops showed up in the span of 5 minutes, so everyone got a little nervous that they might start handing out tickets for having no front license plates (BMW's don't have front license plate mounts for some cars, and people don't want to drill into their bumpers, so a lot of cars run plate less). In illinois, you need front and rear plates, but they only really enforce that rule in Chicago limits. So once 6 police cars showed up, people got nervous about tickets and started leaving.

I have front and rear plates, so I was good. Met up with my friends at the endpoint, we all hung out for an hour or so, and then we all left.

I hope that didn't get boring.

If you scrolled straight to the pictures, I don't blame ya. The pictures are all from the Marina. I couldn't capture the sheer number of cars in any frame, so if you want to see that, watch near the end of the video.

[RJK]

Originally Posted by RSM_TorqueZoner

Thank you so much for the feedback, and pretty much resonates the thoughts I had. However, just curious, why exactly the Mazda over the Maxima, reputation aside? I believe the CVT on the Maxima is an improvement from the earlier models though I guess it still has the rubberband shades.

Hey RSM - I've recently bought a 2016 Maxima with 25k kms on the clock in Dubai & I must say the only thing slightly wrong with the car is light steering. I don't feel any rubber band effect that seems to plague CVT's (maybe I've gotten older?).

Didn't drive the 6 as I didn't see many in used market here, besides I got a great deal on the Maxima. The car is almost fully loaded even in the base trim with lumbar adjustment & sunroof being the only omissions.

Attaching a couple of pictures below.





Cheers

[hema4saran]

My friend got a tempting offer on a brand new 2018 Rav-4 Limited trim here in Dallas. When I sat in that car in dealership yesterday, I felt the interiors are too old for a car in 2018. The reason for this offer is 2019 RAV-4 is about to be launched by end of this month and it looks great and fresh. I told my feedback to my friend that you will feel outdated within one month of buying this car. But he is still tempted. On the other hand CRV is kind of okay and Mazda CX-5 is awesome and feels great to drive as well.

I am posting this question on behalf of my friend. Is it okay to buy the car at the of the production cycle? What might be disadvantages at long run apart from the outdated feeling? I want to know our members perspectives and opinions on this. The offer is valid for the RAV-4 till stocks last.

[AccordSport]

Originally Posted by hema4saran

My friend got a tempting offer on a brand new 2018 Rav-4 Limited trim here in Dallas. When I sat in that car in dealership yesterday, I felt the interiors are too old for a car in 2018. The reason for this offer is 2019 RAV-4 is about to be launched by end of this month and it looks great and fresh. I told my feedback to my friend that you will feel outdated within one month of buying this car. But he is still tempted. On the other hand CRV is kind of okay and Mazda CX-5 is awesome and feels great to drive as well.

I am posting this question on behalf of my friend. Is it okay to buy the car at the of the production cycle? What might be disadvantages at long run apart from the outdated feeling? I want to know our members perspectives and opinions on this. The offer is valid for the RAV-4 till stocks last.

Once the new Rav-4 is launched in a few months you can get a descent discount on it ~4k . (This is the case atleast in Dallas).You can check the True car pricing for CRV, camry and Accord to get the idea. Unless he gets a 7-8k off the price it is not worth to buy the old model at all.

If I were your friend, I would pick the CRV/CX-5 or wait for the new RAV-4. Buying an old model within days of the new model launch in one of the biggest car market makes no sense at all.