New (used) vehicles in 2025

[Tronner]

The wife and I are in need a of a vehicle to replace her 2002 impala that is long past retirement age. This evening we looked at a 2023 Toyota Rav 4 Adventure. I have not bought a vehicle since I bought my 06 wrangler in 2021 and the wife has never bought a vehicle so there is added amount of 'special' to this endeavor. The out the door price after some negotiating with the dealer was $30,992.50. They have had it for almost 2 + months and claim to be a high volume dealer which I interpreted to mean, they like to move cars quick. We are not made of money and nearly 50% of the vehicle would be financed. I am comfortable with the payment, both up front and over the next several years as well as the increase to insurance. However knowing the market is volatile and having not been in it for some years I am unsure if this is the time to buy or not. Some Plus's I see are 1. Its a Toyota so reliability and re-sale are good, 2. Road trips and trips home will be easier and more comfortable, 3. longevity, I am hoping to get 10-12 years out of this vehicle and that it will be safe enough and big enough for us and the soon to come kiddos. Any and all thoughts are welcome, especially the ones telling me I am an Idiot LOL. Thanks in advanced.

 

[bbaldwin237]

I don't have any experience with the current generation, but they're everywhere so they can't be too bad or they wouldn't sell so many! My in-laws have a 2017 or 2018 and love it. I've driven it a few times and was pretty impressed with it for what it is. It's really comfortable, gets good mileage, and has AWD.

 

[Tronner]

I don't have any experience with the current generation, but they're everywhere so they can't be too bad or they wouldn't sell so many! My in-laws have a 2017 or 2018 and love it. I've driven it a few times and was pretty impressed with it for what it is. It's really comfortable, gets good mileage, and has AWD.

The one we looked at had AWD as well, big selling point as camping in the Jeep is becoming harder for us both

 

[DuckNut]

There is no "gooder" or "badder" time to buy a vehicle as they are all priced to the market in order to sell them. If you get online and dig you can see the approximate pricing for cars in your area to gauge your own deal and make a decision. True Car has this feature.

Toyota makes a good vehicle and it should last you a long time. Keep in mind the model you are looking at, albeit 4x4, is not the same as your jeep.

If you are comfortable with the price and like the car, then go for it.

On the other hand, as a younger person trying to get ahead, financing a vehicle is not the most sound decision you could make. Maybe look at one a couple years older and maybe without the 4wd feature. Remember, this too will turn into the Impala you currently have. As a personal vehicle, the tax laws are against you and any and all costs will be money poured down the drain.

I was driving an 82 VW Rabbit diesel until I bought my first brand new car (Porsche 911) for cash. I continued to drive the Rabbit for several more years until I replaced that with another dinosaur model. I still have the Porsche.

A couple repair bills sure beats years of finance charges on a depreciating asset.

 

[DaveC]

I interpret 'nearly 50% will be financed' as you've got access to the other ~50% in cash. Like @DuckNut, I'm not a fan of paying interest on an asset that looses value.

We recently helped our daughter find a vehicle to replace hers that was totaled in an accident by another driver. I'm not familiar with your area, but $15 - $16k, $20K tops, could buy a pretty decent used smaller suv like that here.

Her budget was less than that, and after maybe 60 days of searching, just missing some good ones and passing on a bunch of dogs, she found a very well kept, lower mileage suv that checked all the boxes, paid for it in full with her settlement, and it should easily last her 10+ years.

 

[Tronner]

There is no "gooder" or "badder" time to buy a vehicle as they are all priced to the market in order to sell them. If you get online and dig you can see the approximate pricing for cars in your area to gauge your own deal and make a decision. True Car has this feature.

Toyota makes a good vehicle and it should last you a long time. Keep in mind the model you are looking at, albeit 4x4, is not the same as your jeep.

If you are comfortable with the price and like the car, then go for it.

On the other hand, as a younger person trying to get ahead, financing a vehicle is not the most sound decision you could make. Maybe look at one a couple years older and maybe without the 4wd feature. Remember, this too will turn into the Impala you currently have. As a personal vehicle, the tax laws are against you and any and all costs will be money poured down the drain.

I was driving an 82 VW Rabbit diesel until I bought my first brand new car (Porsche 911) for cash. I continued to drive the Rabbit for several more years until I replaced that with another dinosaur model. I still have the Porsche.

A couple repair bills sure beats years of finance charges on a depreciating asset.

We love the Jeep, and it is not going anywhere! Needed to replace the impala as it was Her fathers and it is not worth sinking the money in it and through family politics we were not allowed to make large decisions on it. (if it were me, I would have replaced or rebuilt the transmission a few years ago when it started slipping). The new vehicle in no way would be a substitute for the Off-roading we do in the Jeep, so no worries there. I agree with you, Payments and interest suck, I do not plan to be a slave to the loan for long, A year or so at least. When the time comes to get a pickup, which will be sometime next year when we start having some kiddos, that will be an older model, cash only deal.

 

[Tronner]

I interpret 'nearly 50% will be financed' as you've got access to the other ~50% in cash. Like @DuckNut, I'm not a fan of paying interest on an asset that looses value.

We recently helped our daughter find a vehicle to replace hers that was totaled in an accident by another driver. I'm not familiar with your area, but $15 - $16k, $20K tops, could buy a pretty decent used smaller suv like that here.

Her budget was less than that, and after maybe 60 days of searching, just missing some good ones and passing on a bunch of dogs, she found a very well kept, lower mileage suv that checked all the boxes, paid for it in full with her settlement, and it should easily last her 10+ years.

Very Nice! Yes We could buy outright however would like to leave some in the bank for the emergency fund, I hate having a payment and do not intend to keep it for long, Thankfully the payment is less that our budget so we are comfortable there for the time being. Provided the worse occurs, it would not be difficult to get out of it.

 

[Tronner]

We looked again on Saturday and decided to pass on the Rav-4 due to the price and Miles. Additionally the first Rav-4 we drove was a little odd and had a wiggle that felt like it was coming from the Motor mounts when accelerating from 10-35 mph, could have been tires but it was enough to make us think something was off. We did drive a 2021 Hybrid with AWD to compare, however the OTD price was 34k which was nuts. We ended up loving a 2023 Mazda CX-5 Carbon edition with 30k miles, that was in the mid $20's and pulled the trigger on that. The overall experience was good, finance guy sold us hard on the Warranty, and we declined. Overall the numbers were good, They were able to beat the interest rate given to me by my bank/CU. Once our retirement accounts are funded for the year, we will pay extra to kill the note sooner, According to the amortization schedule this should save us quite a bit on interest over the length of the loan. I don't believe any one should finance a vehicle longer than 5 years so I was amazed when the sales guy told us they offered 12+ year loans with $0 down, that's damn near predatory IMO. (During my undergrad, I did a research project regarding car notes and the increasing delinquency rates, at that time the highest loan term was 9 years. which was still insane to me.)

I was very thankful that in SC they only additional that are added to a car deal are the dealer paying the IMF tax and registration fees. There were no hidden fees or BS that I have seen in GA and TX when we looked there last year.

Happy with the Gas mileage and safety rating, very happy that my Wife has her First Vehicle and that together we have a more reliable vehicle to take on the Highway. Surprisingly enough the insurance was cheaper on the Mazda than the Toyota, go figure.

Thank you everyone for your advice and insight, I greatly appreciate it! Feel free to keep it coming anytime.

 

[tworley]

...so I was amazed when the sales guy told us they offered 12+ year loans with $0 down, that's damn near predatory IMO.

Jesus--thats insane! I remember thinking 72 and 84 months was ridiculous.

Congrats on the ride! My sister just bought a CX50, They're very sporty looking and sharp. I dont have any experience with Mazda, but she apparently has heard a lot of good things.

 

[Shank]

We looked again on Saturday and decided to pass on the Rav-4 due to the price and Miles. Additionally the first Rav-4 we drove was a little odd and had a wiggle that felt like it was coming from the Motor mounts when accelerating from 10-35 mph, could have been tires but it was enough to make us think something was off. We did drive a 2021 Hybrid with AWD to compare, however the OTD price was 34k which was nuts. We ended up loving a 2023 Mazda CX-5 Carbon edition with 30k miles, that was in the mid $20's and pulled the trigger on that. The overall experience was good, finance guy sold us hard on the Warranty, and we declined. Overall the numbers were good, They were able to beat the interest rate given to me by my bank/CU. Once our retirement accounts are funded for the year, we will pay extra to kill the note sooner, According to the amortization schedule this should save us quite a bit on interest over the length of the loan. I don't believe any one should finance a vehicle longer than 5 years so I was amazed when the sales guy told us they offered 12+ year loans with $0 down, that's damn near predatory IMO. (During my undergrad, I did a research project regarding car notes and the increasing delinquency rates, at that time the highest loan term was 9 years. which was still insane to me.)

I was very thankful that in SC they only additional that are added to a car deal are the dealer paying the IMF tax and registration fees. There were no hidden fees or BS that I have seen in GA and TX when we looked there last year.

Happy with the Gas mileage and safety rating, very happy that my Wife has her First Vehicle and that together we have a more reliable vehicle to take on the Highway. Surprisingly enough the insurance was cheaper on the Mazda than the Toyota, go figure.

Thank you everyone for your advice and insight, I greatly appreciate it! Feel free to keep it coming anytime.


View attachment 620464

I’ve read a lot of very good things about the newer Mazdas. Congrats!

 

[Tronner]

We had too, After test driving we went to lunch to do a research session, Everything negative I read pertained to the Turbo models, Thankfully this one is an NA with a real automatic transmission. Even Toyota cannot make a CVT that lasts LOL. If things had not worked out on the CX-5 a CX-50 was the next stop LOL!

 

[bucky]

We have a 23 CX-5 Signature Turbo and love it. It’s a rocket but fuel milage is a bit low at 26mpg. We went with Mazda because I will not have a CVT. We bought it while it was still on the boat for invoice, paid cash with no Dealer Upgrades.
The best feature is the heated and cooled seats.

 

[KennethS]

finance guy sold us hard on the Warranty, and we declined.

It's been 20 years since I went through this, but check around and you can likely get the same warranty for a lot less than the dealership was stating. My experience was the dealership said $2500 and I told them I could get it through a group buy on a car forum for $1700 and they immediately matched that price without blinking. I shoulda told them I could get it for $1500.

 

[Tronner]

It's been 20 years since I went through this, but check around and you can likely get the same warranty for a lot less than the dealership was stating. My experience was the dealership said $2500 and I told them I could get it through a group buy on a car forum for $1700 and they immediately matched that price without blinking. I shoulda told them I could get it for $1500.

Will have to look into this, The dealership quoted 6500 for the warranty, an extra 100 a month for the term of the loan, Covered oil changes and not much else. Felt like I was getting ripped and pushed our total remaining balance way over initial budget for the vehicle.

 

[Tronner]

We have a 23 CX-5 Signature Turbo and love it. It’s a rocket but fuel milage is a bit low at 26mpg. We went with Mazda because I will not have a CVT. We bought it while it was still on the boat for invoice, paid cash with no Dealer Upgrades.
The best feature is the heated and cooled seats.

Currently getting 29.5mpg after driving to GA to return said impala, We don't have the cooled seats but we do have the heated option. Glad to not have a CVT as well and surprisingly Mazda is one of the very few that still include a spare tire and not a tire repair kit.

 

[Apparition]

Will have to look into this, The dealership quoted 6500 for the warranty, an extra 100 a month for the term of the loan, Covered oil changes and not much else. Felt like I was getting ripped and pushed our total remaining balance way over initial budget for the vehicle.

Granger Ford will warranty anything newer than 21 with a mileage limit. Not sure if they offer Mazda warranty’s.

 

[bucky]

With all the money I’ve saved not buying extended warranties I could buy a new car. I still remember buying a $12 keyboard at Best Buy and being asked if I wanted to pay $8 more for a 2 yr warranty. I said “I think I’ll gamble the $4”. Most warranties are worthless when you actually read the fine print.
I had the magnetron on a GE under cabinet microwave fail under warranty. The part was free but they wanted more than I paid for it in service fees. $80 for the part and a little time and I had it up and running myself.

 

[06TJ35's]

We looked again on Saturday and decided to pass on the Rav-4 due to the price and Miles. Additionally the first Rav-4 we drove was a little odd and had a wiggle that felt like it was coming from the Motor mounts when accelerating from 10-35 mph, could have been tires but it was enough to make us think something was off. We did drive a 2021 Hybrid with AWD to compare, however the OTD price was 34k which was nuts. We ended up loving a 2023 Mazda CX-5 Carbon edition with 30k miles, that was in the mid $20's and pulled the trigger on that. The overall experience was good, finance guy sold us hard on the Warranty, and we declined. Overall the numbers were good, They were able to beat the interest rate given to me by my bank/CU. Once our retirement accounts are funded for the year, we will pay extra to kill the note sooner, According to the amortization schedule this should save us quite a bit on interest over the length of the loan. I don't believe any one should finance a vehicle longer than 5 years so I was amazed when the sales guy told us they offered 12+ year loans with $0 down, that's damn near predatory IMO. (During my undergrad, I did a research project regarding car notes and the increasing delinquency rates, at that time the highest loan term was 9 years. which was still insane to me.)

I was very thankful that in SC they only additional that are added to a car deal are the dealer paying the IMF tax and registration fees. There were no hidden fees or BS that I have seen in GA and TX when we looked there last year.

Happy with the Gas mileage and safety rating, very happy that my Wife has her First Vehicle and that together we have a more reliable vehicle to take on the Highway. Surprisingly enough the insurance was cheaper on the Mazda than the Toyota, go figure.

Thank you everyone for your advice and insight, I greatly appreciate it! Feel free to keep it coming anytime.


View attachment 620464

I believe the cx5 and the RAV4 share the same motor.


I have a 23 rav4 gas motor. Perfect car. I bought it used 10k miles 28k OTD and it came with Toyota 10 year engine warranty.

 

[06TJ35's]

It now has a 2” lift kit from Dobinson, wheels and all terrain tires. It drives like a dream.

 

[bucky]

I believe the cx5 and the RAV4 share the same motor.


I have a 23 rav4 gas motor. Perfect car. I bought it used 10k miles 28k OTD and it came with Toyota 10 year engine warranty.

Not the same motor only the same displacement. My CX-5 turbo puts out 256hp on premium and 220hp on regular. I honestly can’t tell the difference in performance between the octanes. Getting up to highway speeds and passing is assume. Turbo lag is minimal. My daughter has a Rav4 and it’s more spacious in the back. Being a non turbo it’s a bit of a dog but she gets 10+mpg more than me. Can’t go wrong with either one. The Rav4 does need a vehicle specific oil filter tool.