Car Market going forward (9 Viewers)

[Instinctive]

Update, and a thank you to those who have offered takes so far! Has helped direct my research.

Today, we test drove:

• 2024 Subaru Forester: almost immediately a no for backseat room, unfortunately. For me to be ok driving (not even comfortable), seat was too close to carseat stuff (they aren't supposed to touch). Off the list!
• 2024 Subaru Outback: weirdly all the interior was super clunky - like the nav/screens/tech all felt no better than our 2016 Crosstrek. Turbo was good for highway merging, room was good enough. Overall ok, but just felt kind of clunky/old (for a brand new one too wtf). Off the list!
• 2022 Lexus RX350: Drove a 2022, liked it a lot - room was great, so it passed that test. Then found out the remote climate control was only within 10 feet remote start, so basically nonexistent. That led us to ask if the 2023 or even the 24/25 models had updated that feature...and apparently 2023 was basically a fully new model. So we tried one.
• 2023 Lexus RX350: best car of the day by far. She said she felt a little high up in it, but it had all the features we want, looked much more athletic than squat like the '22 mom-mobile (to be fair, she is a mom but w/e). Loved the center console, plenty of room, loved the screen and wireless yadda yadda, all the stuff we wanted. Only challenge is this is the priceiest of options - we would want the "Premium" or "Premium+" package, which looks like it would run anywhere from like $53k-60k on the range of Certified pre-owned '23 up to brand new '24 based on their inventory.
• Honda CRV Hybrid: liked it. This actually felt most like our current Crosstrek and our old Forester. Even down to the exact same leather with the neon orange stitching LOL. Drove fine, screen fine, room fine - this was just overall solid.
• Acura RDX: acceptable, but didn't feel much better than the CRV for her. I felt there was a clear difference in room for me in both seats vs the CRV, and only a tad less than the Lexus felt like. Probably off the list.

Based on feedback in here and further research, other list adjustments:

• Range Rover - removed. Entire internet confirmed lack of reliability
• Toyota 4Runner - added
• Toyota RAV4 - added, but we think based on today's drives it's probably too small like Forester
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - staying on the list, but really only if we don't like anything else. This was a finalist with the Lucid for us, so we know we pretty much like it, but don't think we want to commit to a 2nd EV.

That leaves us with contenders:

• '23/'24 Lexus RX350 (clear top spot for now, will depend on ~$15k vs difference in feel/features)
• '24 Honda CRV Hybrid (Touring or Touring Sport or something - already forget names but highest or 2nd highest trim)
• '24 Toyota 4Runner (to be tested)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 (but not at the top of the list)

Have really appreciated thoughts from folks so far, so very open to more!

One other question maybe anyone has good experience (I'll obviously keep doing research also) - new models tend to come out around October for most cars...is there a sweet spot to wait to get the best deal on "last year's" model? Like is it as soon as '25s come out? Or is it a month or two after? We have baby due end of year/first week of Jan, so we have time (and really could conceivably wait even longer because my car fits both) and don't need the new shiny thing. So a window of somewhere between now and maybe end of March is our buy window - when would y'all think to minimize price?

Mazda CX5 or other CX model not in the mix??

It was rated really low for car seat fit/room on the two sites I'd used (low like the Lexus and Acura got As and the Mazda has like a C) - is it roomier than that would indicate? I had it on my original checklist but those couple reviews took it off basically right away.

 

[steelerfan1]

We are in the market for a car. Got a bunch of test drives Monday. Basically our Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat (it's already too tight to drive with infant car seat but i can stuff into the passenger). Current list:

• Used Range Rover Sport
• Used Lexus RX
• Used Acura RDX
• New Subaru Forester
• New Honda CRV
• New Hyundai Ioniq 5

We know we like Subaru, we know an EV would work ok but with one already it's definitely not a priority, and above all we need enough room to fit a 6'2" dude in both front seats with rear facing child seats behind both seats.

Not sure if this even qualifies, but saw the new Santa Fe yesterday. Really nice looking vehicle. kind of had a Range Rover vibe to me.

I have the opposite opinion. It's ugly as heck. It's super boxy, terrible-looking front end, and the brake lights look ridiculous.

yeah, but other than that....

 

[steelerfan1]

We are in the market for a car. Got a bunch of test drives Monday. Basically our Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat (it's already too tight to drive with infant car seat but i can stuff into the passenger). Current list:

• Used Range Rover Sport
• Used Lexus RX
• Used Acura RDX
• New Subaru Forester
• New Honda CRV
• New Hyundai Ioniq 5

We know we like Subaru, we know an EV would work ok but with one already it's definitely not a priority, and above all we need enough room to fit a 6'2" dude in both front seats with rear facing child seats behind both seats.

Not sure if this even qualifies, but saw the new Santa Fe yesterday. Really nice looking vehicle. kind of had a Range Rover vibe to me.

I have the opposite opinion. It's ugly as heck. It's super boxy, terrible-looking front end, and the brake lights look ridiculous. But I see a ton on the road so people must like it.

Yeah we don't be getting a Santa Fe. I've had as rentals in CO before and...not a fan.

Wife did buy a 2023 new 4 runner and loves it. sits up high, all the bells and whistles. about 20k on it, so too early to say, but hear they are super reliable.

 

[Hawks64]

Update, and a thank you to those who have offered takes so far! Has helped direct my research.

Today, we test drove:

• 2024 Subaru Forester: almost immediately a no for backseat room, unfortunately. For me to be ok driving (not even comfortable), seat was too close to carseat stuff (they aren't supposed to touch). Off the list!
• 2024 Subaru Outback: weirdly all the interior was super clunky - like the nav/screens/tech all felt no better than our 2016 Crosstrek. Turbo was good for highway merging, room was good enough. Overall ok, but just felt kind of clunky/old (for a brand new one too wtf). Off the list!
• 2022 Lexus RX350: Drove a 2022, liked it a lot - room was great, so it passed that test. Then found out the remote climate control was only within 10 feet remote start, so basically nonexistent. That led us to ask if the 2023 or even the 24/25 models had updated that feature...and apparently 2023 was basically a fully new model. So we tried one.
• 2023 Lexus RX350: best car of the day by far. She said she felt a little high up in it, but it had all the features we want, looked much more athletic than squat like the '22 mom-mobile (to be fair, she is a mom but w/e). Loved the center console, plenty of room, loved the screen and wireless yadda yadda, all the stuff we wanted. Only challenge is this is the priceiest of options - we would want the "Premium" or "Premium+" package, which looks like it would run anywhere from like $53k-60k on the range of Certified pre-owned '23 up to brand new '24 based on their inventory.
• Honda CRV Hybrid: liked it. This actually felt most like our current Crosstrek and our old Forester. Even down to the exact same leather with the neon orange stitching LOL. Drove fine, screen fine, room fine - this was just overall solid.
• Acura RDX: acceptable, but didn't feel much better than the CRV for her. I felt there was a clear difference in room for me in both seats vs the CRV, and only a tad less than the Lexus felt like. Probably off the list.

Based on feedback in here and further research, other list adjustments:

• Range Rover - removed. Entire internet confirmed lack of reliability
• Toyota 4Runner - added
• Toyota RAV4 - added, but we think based on today's drives it's probably too small like Forester
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - staying on the list, but really only if we don't like anything else. This was a finalist with the Lucid for us, so we know we pretty much like it, but don't think we want to commit to a 2nd EV.

That leaves us with contenders:

• '23/'24 Lexus RX350 (clear top spot for now, will depend on ~$15k vs difference in feel/features)
• '24 Honda CRV Hybrid (Touring or Touring Sport or something - already forget names but highest or 2nd highest trim)
• '24 Toyota 4Runner (to be tested)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 (but not at the top of the list)

Have really appreciated thoughts from folks so far, so very open to more!

One other question maybe anyone has good experience (I'll obviously keep doing research also) - new models tend to come out around October for most cars...is there a sweet spot to wait to get the best deal on "last year's" model? Like is it as soon as '25s come out? Or is it a month or two after? We have baby due end of year/first week of Jan, so we have time (and really could conceivably wait even longer because my car fits both) and don't need the new shiny thing. So a window of somewhere between now and maybe end of March is our buy window - when would y'all think to minimize price?

Usually waiting until Dec can get you some great deals.

ETA - One thing to consider about the Honda. My son had a Honda HR-V, and he got in an accident in March. At the body shop the guy told us that we should hope they total it because Honda parts are back ordered 6mths out, with some parts being even longer than that. He also said that Acura has the same problem.

Not sure how long this will be an issue for them but it's a real issue right now.

 

[dkp993]

We are in the market for a car. Got a bunch of test drives Monday. Basically our Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat (it's already too tight to drive with infant car seat but i can stuff into the passenger). Current list:

• Used Range Rover Sport
• Used Lexus RX
• Used Acura RDX
• New Subaru Forester
• New Honda CRV
• New Hyundai Ioniq 5

We know we like Subaru, we know an EV would work ok but with one already it's definitely not a priority, and above all we need enough room to fit a 6'2" dude in both front seats with rear facing child seats behind both seats.

Not sure if this even qualifies, but saw the new Santa Fe yesterday. Really nice looking vehicle. kind of had a Range Rover vibe to me.

I have the opposite opinion. It's ugly as heck. It's super boxy, terrible-looking front end, and the brake lights look ridiculous. But I see a ton on the road so people must like it.

Yeah we don't be getting a Santa Fe. I've had as rentals in CO before and...not a fan.

Wife did buy a 2023 new 4 runner and loves it. sits up high, all the bells and whistles. about 20k on it, so too early to say, but hear they are super reliable.

4Runners built a reputation on being bulletproof. Because of this they were mostly unchanged for close to 20yrs (bones of the car, interior and bits were updated along the way). This year it’s all new so unproven, BUT being a 4Runner I’d bet it will be rock solid.

 

[urbanhack]

Update, and a thank you to those who have offered takes so far! Has helped direct my research.

Today, we test drove:

• 2024 Subaru Forester: almost immediately a no for backseat room, unfortunately. For me to be ok driving (not even comfortable), seat was too close to carseat stuff (they aren't supposed to touch). Off the list!
• 2024 Subaru Outback: weirdly all the interior was super clunky - like the nav/screens/tech all felt no better than our 2016 Crosstrek. Turbo was good for highway merging, room was good enough. Overall ok, but just felt kind of clunky/old (for a brand new one too wtf). Off the list!
• 2022 Lexus RX350: Drove a 2022, liked it a lot - room was great, so it passed that test. Then found out the remote climate control was only within 10 feet remote start, so basically nonexistent. That led us to ask if the 2023 or even the 24/25 models had updated that feature...and apparently 2023 was basically a fully new model. So we tried one.
• 2023 Lexus RX350: best car of the day by far. She said she felt a little high up in it, but it had all the features we want, looked much more athletic than squat like the '22 mom-mobile (to be fair, she is a mom but w/e). Loved the center console, plenty of room, loved the screen and wireless yadda yadda, all the stuff we wanted. Only challenge is this is the priceiest of options - we would want the "Premium" or "Premium+" package, which looks like it would run anywhere from like $53k-60k on the range of Certified pre-owned '23 up to brand new '24 based on their inventory.
• Honda CRV Hybrid: liked it. This actually felt most like our current Crosstrek and our old Forester. Even down to the exact same leather with the neon orange stitching LOL. Drove fine, screen fine, room fine - this was just overall solid.
• Acura RDX: acceptable, but didn't feel much better than the CRV for her. I felt there was a clear difference in room for me in both seats vs the CRV, and only a tad less than the Lexus felt like. Probably off the list.

Based on feedback in here and further research, other list adjustments:

• Range Rover - removed. Entire internet confirmed lack of reliability
• Toyota 4Runner - added
• Toyota RAV4 - added, but we think based on today's drives it's probably too small like Forester
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - staying on the list, but really only if we don't like anything else. This was a finalist with the Lucid for us, so we know we pretty much like it, but don't think we want to commit to a 2nd EV.

That leaves us with contenders:

• '23/'24 Lexus RX350 (clear top spot for now, will depend on ~$15k vs difference in feel/features)
• '24 Honda CRV Hybrid (Touring or Touring Sport or something - already forget names but highest or 2nd highest trim)
• '24 Toyota 4Runner (to be tested)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 (but not at the top of the list)

Have really appreciated thoughts from folks so far, so very open to more!

One other question maybe anyone has good experience (I'll obviously keep doing research also) - new models tend to come out around October for most cars...is there a sweet spot to wait to get the best deal on "last year's" model? Like is it as soon as '25s come out? Or is it a month or two after? We have baby due end of year/first week of Jan, so we have time (and really could conceivably wait even longer because my car fits both) and don't need the new shiny thing. So a window of somewhere between now and maybe end of March is our buy window - when would y'all think to minimize price?

Mazda CX5 or other CX model not in the mix??

It was rated really low for car seat fit/room on the two sites I'd used (low like the Lexus and Acura got As and the Mazda has like a C) - is it roomier than that would indicate? I had it on my original checklist but those couple reviews took it off basically right away.

I really only drive mine alone or with my lady. Very rarely do I have more than 2 or 3 people but it normally seems like there is good room.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

 

[Instinctive]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

 

[Orange&Blue]

Update, and a thank you to those who have offered takes so far! Has helped direct my research.

Today, we test drove:

• 2024 Subaru Forester: almost immediately a no for backseat room, unfortunately. For me to be ok driving (not even comfortable), seat was too close to carseat stuff (they aren't supposed to touch). Off the list!
• 2024 Subaru Outback: weirdly all the interior was super clunky - like the nav/screens/tech all felt no better than our 2016 Crosstrek. Turbo was good for highway merging, room was good enough. Overall ok, but just felt kind of clunky/old (for a brand new one too wtf). Off the list!
• 2022 Lexus RX350: Drove a 2022, liked it a lot - room was great, so it passed that test. Then found out the remote climate control was only within 10 feet remote start, so basically nonexistent. That led us to ask if the 2023 or even the 24/25 models had updated that feature...and apparently 2023 was basically a fully new model. So we tried one.
• 2023 Lexus RX350: best car of the day by far. She said she felt a little high up in it, but it had all the features we want, looked much more athletic than squat like the '22 mom-mobile (to be fair, she is a mom but w/e). Loved the center console, plenty of room, loved the screen and wireless yadda yadda, all the stuff we wanted. Only challenge is this is the priceiest of options - we would want the "Premium" or "Premium+" package, which looks like it would run anywhere from like $53k-60k on the range of Certified pre-owned '23 up to brand new '24 based on their inventory.
• Honda CRV Hybrid: liked it. This actually felt most like our current Crosstrek and our old Forester. Even down to the exact same leather with the neon orange stitching LOL. Drove fine, screen fine, room fine - this was just overall solid.
• Acura RDX: acceptable, but didn't feel much better than the CRV for her. I felt there was a clear difference in room for me in both seats vs the CRV, and only a tad less than the Lexus felt like. Probably off the list.

Based on feedback in here and further research, other list adjustments:

• Range Rover - removed. Entire internet confirmed lack of reliability
• Toyota 4Runner - added
• Toyota RAV4 - added, but we think based on today's drives it's probably too small like Forester
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 - staying on the list, but really only if we don't like anything else. This was a finalist with the Lucid for us, so we know we pretty much like it, but don't think we want to commit to a 2nd EV.

That leaves us with contenders:

• '23/'24 Lexus RX350 (clear top spot for now, will depend on ~$15k vs difference in feel/features)
• '24 Honda CRV Hybrid (Touring or Touring Sport or something - already forget names but highest or 2nd highest trim)
• '24 Toyota 4Runner (to be tested)
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 (but not at the top of the list)

Have really appreciated thoughts from folks so far, so very open to more!

One other question maybe anyone has good experience (I'll obviously keep doing research also) - new models tend to come out around October for most cars...is there a sweet spot to wait to get the best deal on "last year's" model? Like is it as soon as '25s come out? Or is it a month or two after? We have baby due end of year/first week of Jan, so we have time (and really could conceivably wait even longer because my car fits both) and don't need the new shiny thing. So a window of somewhere between now and maybe end of March is our buy window - when would y'all think to minimize price?

look into Mazdas. specifically cx-5. trying to find one around 10k for my 15.75 year old son.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

7-10k vs 2025 models. But that’s with no negotiating on the 2025. I also got them to throw in the cross bars for the roof rack. A 700-1000 savings

 

[Instinctive]

Ok I will do Mazda research for @Orange&Blue and @urbanhack . If FBGs like it, worth digging deeper.

 

[matttyl]

We are in the market for a car. Got a bunch of test drives Monday. Basically our Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat (it's already too tight to drive with infant car seat but i can stuff into the passenger). Current list:

• Used Range Rover Sport
• Used Lexus RX
• Used Acura RDX
• New Subaru Forester
• New Honda CRV
• New Hyundai Ioniq 5

We know we like Subaru, we know an EV would work ok but with one already it's definitely not a priority, and above all we need enough room to fit a 6'2" dude in both front seats with rear facing child seats behind both seats.

Not sure if this even qualifies, but saw the new Santa Fe yesterday. Really nice looking vehicle. kind of had a Range Rover vibe to me.

I have the opposite opinion. It's ugly as heck. It's super boxy, terrible-looking front end, and the brake lights look ridiculous. But I see a ton on the road so people must like it.

Yeah we don't be getting a Santa Fe. I've had as rentals in CO before and...not a fan.

Wife did buy a 2023 new 4 runner and loves it. sits up high, all the bells and whistles. about 20k on it, so too early to say, but hear they are super reliable.

4Runners built a reputation on being bulletproof. Because of this they were mostly unchanged for close to 20yrs (bones of the car, interior and bits were updated along the way). This year it’s all new so unproven, BUT being a 4Runner I’d bet it will be rock solid.

Keep in mind that the 4Runners are “body on frame” (like a truck is) rather than a “unibody” (like most cars and small SUVs are). Because of that it will drive and handle differently. The V6 that most had for the past 20 years was quite possibly Toyotas most reliable engine they ever produced, and that’s saying something. The newer ones are either 4 cylinder hybrid or turbo. No more V6 (and I remember a V8 being an option).

 

[the moops]

Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat

Can't the rear facing seat go on the opposite side of where you are? Like if you are driving put the seat on passenger side?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

 

[Instinctive]

Crosstrek is too small a cabin for me to drive it or be a passenger with the full rear facing childseat

Can't the rear facing seat go on the opposite side of where you are? Like if you are driving put the seat on passenger side?

two children. Both born this year. So at best I can delay the "need both sides" for about one year and then its a problem again. And even then, I can;t drive it with the infant carseat behidn the driver side, so I think i's still a problem immediately on birth #2.

 

[Instinctive]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

It seems the 4Runner is out. Test drove, and it "feels too big" for her. Oh well, I kinda liked that one.

 

[fruity pebbles]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

It seems the 4Runner is out. Test drove, and it "feels too big" for her. Oh well, I kinda liked that one.

They do feel big imo, more like driving a truck

 

[matttyl]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

It seems the 4Runner is out. Test drove, and it "feels too big" for her. Oh well, I kinda liked that one.

That’s the whole body on frame deal vs unibody. It feels differently. It’s not for everyone.

 

[culdeus]

I see a lot of Nissan pathfinders lately. Liked them at first but didn’t age well.

Selling a (manual) 2017 Nissan frontier SV 33k miles.
Buying something for the new driver. She’s short and drives like an old lady. Crazy cause she’s the most traveled, wildest kid we have. Polar opposite behind the wheel.

Leaning more towards a smallish SUV or sedan. Needs good visibility for her (and others!)

The choice for me has always been Honda or Toyota. I see them as the same but I always choose Honda because of the two, I just prefer Honda’s aesthetics.

Looking at low mileage Subarus.

Nissans are like Saturns. They look 5 year old styling wise off the lot.

 

[pollardsvision]

I see a lot of Nissan pathfinders lately. Liked them at first but didn’t age well.

Selling a (manual) 2017 Nissan frontier SV 33k miles.
Buying something for the new driver. She’s short and drives like an old lady. Crazy cause she’s the most traveled, wildest kid we have. Polar opposite behind the wheel.

Leaning more towards a smallish SUV or sedan. Needs good visibility for her (and others!)

The choice for me has always been Honda or Toyota. I see them as the same but I always choose Honda because of the two, I just prefer Honda’s aesthetics.

Looking at low mileage Subarus.

Nissans are like Saturns. They look 5 year old styling wise off the lot.

Nissan has a lot to figure out.
They are struggling as bad as Stellantis right now.
Outdated models, no innovation.

They are killing the Altima and Versa. The Altima will be missed for the "Big Altima Energy" jokes, and the Versa will be missed because the compact market has already lost way too many models.

But that they are going "full Ford", completely throwing in the towel on making cars because they know they can't compete seems troubling. They say it's to focus on EV's, but that's what they all say. Car market is shrinking, and if you can't compete with Toyota/Honda and the South Koreans, may as well get out of it.

But Nissan doesn't have F-150's and Silverados to live off of.

 

[culdeus]

I see a lot of Nissan pathfinders lately. Liked them at first but didn’t age well.

Selling a (manual) 2017 Nissan frontier SV 33k miles.
Buying something for the new driver. She’s short and drives like an old lady. Crazy cause she’s the most traveled, wildest kid we have. Polar opposite behind the wheel.

Leaning more towards a smallish SUV or sedan. Needs good visibility for her (and others!)

The choice for me has always been Honda or Toyota. I see them as the same but I always choose Honda because of the two, I just prefer Honda’s aesthetics.

Looking at low mileage Subarus.

Nissans are like Saturns. They look 5 year old styling wise off the lot.

Nissan has a lot to figure out.
They are struggling as bad as Stellantis right now.
Outdated models, no innovation.

They are killing the Altima and Versa. The Altima will be missed for the "Big Altima Energy" jokes, and the Versa will be missed because the compact market has already lost way too many models.

But that they are going "full Ford", completely throwing in the towel on making cars because they know they can't compete seems troubling. They say it's to focus on EV's, but that's what they all say. Car market is shrinking, and if you can't compete with Toyota/Honda and the South Koreans, may as well get out of it.

But Nissan doesn't have F-150's and Silverados to live off of.

Their best innovation was putting a hot girl in their ads and just keeping the camera on her.

 

[pollardsvision]

But I do trust that the Rogue will easily fill the void for BIg Altima Energy jokes.

We're getting close, but in a few years, you won't see a Rogue on the road that isn't beat all to hell.

 

[pollardsvision]

And please don't think I am or ever would knock on beaters. That's all I drive. My daily is a 23 year old Toyota with 300K miles and 1 hubcap.

But I take great care of it, and don't drive like an *******.

Folks tearing up beaters offends me because I buy a $3000 car planning to drive it another 20 years. The Altima just seems to attract people wanting to drive a cheap car until next month.

 

[Orange&Blue]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

It seems the 4Runner is out. Test drove, and it "feels too big" for her. Oh well, I kinda liked that one.

it's a bolt-on frame so it doesn't ride as smooth as your unibodies which are basically beefed up cars

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

Nissans had the frontier - prior to the remodle- they were likely the best bargain in all of small tucks. V6, 4WD, heated seats, and other bells and whistles for under $25k. IMO they were better than a Tacoma. They didn't looks cool but they had all the same options and were $15k cheaper. The seat alone is worth buying a frontier over a Tacoma.

It was about a 20 year run of the same model so all the kinks were worked out.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cheap truck and you can’t even put a full payload in the bed but they were great vehicles for what they were.

 

[ShamrockPride]

And please don't think I am or ever would knock on beaters. That's all I drive. My daily is a 23 year old Toyota with 300K miles and 1 hubcap.

But I take great care of it, and don't drive like an *******.

Folks tearing up beaters offends me because I buy a $3000 car planning to drive it another 20 years. The Altima just seems to attract people wanting to drive a cheap car until next month.

? I kinda wanna see it.

 

[Nugget]

And please don't think I am or ever would knock on beaters. That's all I drive. My daily is a 23 year old Toyota with 300K miles and 1 hubcap.

But I take great care of it, and don't drive like an *******.

Folks tearing up beaters offends me because I buy a $3000 car planning to drive it another 20 years. The Altima just seems to attract people wanting to drive a cheap car until next month.

I have bought 5 new cars since February of 2022. I have since sold them all, parting with my 2024 Maverick last week. Down to 2 company leases, no owned vehicles. Felt good to reduce my car insurance policies. Just deposited the refund on my registration this afternoon.

 

[stbugs]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

 

[stbugs]

For us the interiors of ythe Toyotas were smaller and less desirable.

My son wasn’t as big of a fan of the RAV4 compared to the CR-V when he test drove both. I do like the new CR-V looks, feel like I see them all the time. That said, I’ve always had broad shoulders and I loved driving my RX and our 2012 Highlander that my middle son still drives. Very comfortable and I sat in all kinds of similar SUVs that didn’t feel as comfortable, including a Range Rover Sport at Carmax that I felt like I was squeezing into the front seat because of the clutter in between the front seats.

 

[Instinctive]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

 

[BeTheMatch]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

 

[Instinctive]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

 

[BeTheMatch]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

 

[Instinctive]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Yeah idk anything beyond what I find out each day. Getting educated more and more as we dive into this! I'm certainly hoping the used car market is hot. We've got a great condition Crosstrek that's got pretty low mileage (I think we've averaged like 6500 miles/year) so hopefully not too hard to find someone in the neighborhood or otherwise nearby looking to get a good car for their high schooler.

 

[BeTheMatch]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Yeah idk anything beyond what I find out each day. Getting educated more and more as we dive into this! I'm certainly hoping the used car market is hot. We've got a great condition Crosstrek that's got pretty low mileage (I think we've averaged like 6500 miles/year) so hopefully not too hard to find someone in the neighborhood or otherwise nearby looking to get a good car for their high schooler.

I'm actually looking for a Crosstrek...

 

[Orange&Blue]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Yeah idk anything beyond what I find out each day. Getting educated more and more as we dive into this! I'm certainly hoping the used car market is hot. We've got a great condition Crosstrek that's got pretty low mileage (I think we've averaged like 6500 miles/year) so hopefully not too hard to find someone in the neighborhood or otherwise nearby looking to get a good car for their high schooler.

how much for the car. need something for my kid

 

[Orange&Blue]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Yeah idk anything beyond what I find out each day. Getting educated more and more as we dive into this! I'm certainly hoping the used car market is hot. We've got a great condition Crosstrek that's got pretty low mileage (I think we've averaged like 6500 miles/year) so hopefully not too hard to find someone in the neighborhood or otherwise nearby looking to get a good car for their high schooler.

I'm actually looking for a Crosstrek...

doh!!

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Almost zero difference on CPO prices where I live. Especially a car less than 6 months off the lot. I saved 7-10k on a new one and got the current special financing .99%. Only available on CPOs. I’m happy. And I got them to throw in a roof rack.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Honda has .99 financing on CPOs until 9/3.

 

[[icon]]

Still driving a 2008 LS460 with 170k. Love love love the car.

Lexus had a service bulletin over a sticky interior a couple years back and replaced all 4 door panels, dash, glovebox and center console… so car looks pretty new inside aside from leather seat wear.

Needs periodic light front suspension work (common with these) but have thus far avoided the ABS controller failure issue.

Averaging about 11-12k miles per year. Hoping to get another 3-5 years out of it.

May go with another used ~8-10yr old LS when the time comes.

 

[BeTheMatch]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Honda has .99 financing on CPOs until 9/3.

Toyota isn't budging on rates at all. I guess since they don't need to.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Honda has .99 financing on CPOs until 9/3.

Toyota isn't budging on rates at all. I guess since they don't need to.

0% on mirai and bx4x 1.9 on select tundras

 

[BeTheMatch]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Honda has .99 financing on CPOs until 9/3.

Toyota isn't budging on rates at all. I guess since they don't need to.

0% on mirai and bx4x

I don't know what those are. Which I'm guessing is why they're offering that rate.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Looking at another Subaru, have owned a few and relatively low cost of ownership even when I have bought them brand new
-Outback, Touring XT, have a couple in the 2022 model, under 20,000 miles, looking at around $32k used vs $45k+ brand new and then the difference in taxes, etc...

Test drove a Genesis GV70, nice ride and super luxurious, still around $40k+ used and not sure what they will be worth in 3-4 years vs the steady Subaru market.
Tried some other SUVs but by the time you get AWD and a turbo engine in most of them, you're paying at least what you would to acquire a Subaru

The high interest rates on used cars makes it harder to not just pay cash if you have that flexibility. Or pay them down/off faster than normal

We're looking at cars in this range as well after a falling tree totaled both of ours 2 weeks ago. Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rouge, and Mazda CX50 are the main contenders for now. I think we've decided that the front camera is necessary, which pushes us into higher trims.

Ended up with a 2024 Tiguan SEL R when VW was having their 0% financing in April. So far, I love it. Sad that the transmission on my Outback started going out and their deals weren’t/aren’t great on new models, but what can you do? I needed to dump my Outback. Really wanted a Wilderness Edition model fwiw. Next time.

Wilderness is really cool. I was pretty impressed with all of the features and details that go into the Subarus, but their MPG is pretty bad.

Not sure why Subaru has weaker gas mileage but the trade off in cars they sell is All Wheel Drive. No matter what Subaru you buy they all have it standard.
I've had a Subaru as at least one of our cars since 2010 when we bought our first Impreza Hatchback for less than $20k
Our 2nd one was in 2017, bought the Forrester and still have it. Just got the AC fixed in it, still worth about half of what we paid for it, I could easily sell that SUV for $15k, especially with the WRX under the hood and 3 different speed modes including "Shark" which is fun when you pair that with the paddle shifters that seem standard in all of their SUVs

My point was you forfeit some gas but you end up getting all that back and then some when you go to sell the car.
Insurance is pretty reasonable on most of their vehicles

 

[Ministry of Pain]

We just bought the crv hybrid sport L. Second highest tier. Love it. And it’s surprisingly big and the hybrid engine makes it quite quick

ETA: we buy barely used CPO. Ours had 6k miles on it

What discount did you get for that vs full new? We are looking at a lot of CPO for these.

Not sure I understand a CPO for a barely used car. You are paying a good amount for the CPO process and I know the extra 2 year Lexus CPO warranty would be useless.

I love my 2015 RX F-Sport and it still runs great. I’d highly recommend it and my oldest is selling his 2011 CR-V (got from his papa when he couldn’t drive anymore due to cancer). He’s had it for 7-8 years and bought a 2024 CR-V EX-L with 9k miles. Great price for a fully loaded almost new car at Carmax. I got my RX with 19k miles from Carmax as well. The CPO RXs were way more expensive at the time. The CR-Vs we saw online now were closer than the Lexuses were back in 2017. It really came down to Carmax having the exact color he wanted in the EX-L trim. It was priced $1k more than a 2023 with 27k miles with the same options. He even got lucky that the one that appeared when he made his mind up had the CR-V cargo tray/floor mats package and mud flaps. I’d highly recommend the 2023/2024 CR-V models as my son loves his car and he’s had a CR-V before.

One note on Carmax is that you need to test drive/narrow it down and be patient. The pictures are great and when I shopped for my RX, I could see the seat conditions and dash scratches, etc. You really could see differences and they deal in bulk so a well kept car is no different than the same model with some wear. Heck, we got a Sienna there years ago and I noticed that the parking sensors weren’t there and the model listed was supposed to and it had everything else a Limited should have. They discounted it $2k on the spot and it was only $25 or $27k. For $2k I was fine with no parking sensors since it had all other options like the backup camera.

Maybe we should look at Carmax. But part of me just says even when I was a kid my family has just bought a car new from a dealer and drove it 10 years minimum. If I can get a $5-10k discount on the car I want because the dealer used it as a loaner for a year and then certified it and is willing to extend the same warranty as new...that feels like a worthy tradeoff for the savings.

Where in the world are you getting a $10k discount for a car like that???

Well we sat down with the guys at Lexus and went through their inventory, and the '24 new of the trim we wanted is ~$61k, and the '23 CPO version is $53.5k. $7.5k is between 5 and 10.

I guess at that price point you can get a small discount. I'm seeing cars that are $35k new being sold for $34k used. It's insanity, especially given the difference in new-car interest rates vs used.

Honda has .99 financing on CPOs until 9/3.

Toyota isn't budging on rates at all. I guess since they don't need to.

0% on mirai and bx4x

I don't know what those are. Which I'm guessing is why they're offering that rate.

Mirai must be electric or close to it. Midsize car that gets 70+ miles per gallon BUT...
Starting price of $50k, likely closer to $65k at the lots...0% over 72 months? $800-$900 a month? You will never save enough money on gas to justify the price IMHO

 

[thecatch]

Looking at another Subaru, have owned a few and relatively low cost of ownership even when I have bought them brand new
-Outback, Touring XT, have a couple in the 2022 model, under 20,000 miles, looking at around $32k used vs $45k+ brand new and then the difference in taxes, etc...

Test drove a Genesis GV70, nice ride and super luxurious, still around $40k+ used and not sure what they will be worth in 3-4 years vs the steady Subaru market.
Tried some other SUVs but by the time you get AWD and a turbo engine in most of them, you're paying at least what you would to acquire a Subaru

The high interest rates on used cars makes it harder to not just pay cash if you have that flexibility. Or pay them down/off faster than normal

We're looking at cars in this range as well after a falling tree totaled both of ours 2 weeks ago. Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rouge, and Mazda CX50 are the main contenders for now. I think we've decided that the front camera is necessary, which pushes us into higher trims.

Ended up with a 2024 Tiguan SEL R when VW was having their 0% financing in April. So far, I love it. Sad that the transmission on my Outback started going out and their deals weren’t/aren’t great on new models, but what can you do? I needed to dump my Outback. Really wanted a Wilderness Edition model fwiw. Next time.

Wilderness is really cool. I was pretty impressed with all of the features and details that go into the Subarus, but their MPG is pretty bad.

Not sure why Subaru has weaker gas mileage but the trade off in cars they sell is All Wheel Drive. No matter what Subaru you buy they all have it standard.
I've had a Subaru as at least one of our cars since 2010 when we bought our first Impreza Hatchback for less than $20k
Our 2nd one was in 2017, bought the Forrester and still have it. Just got the AC fixed in it, still worth about half of what we paid for it, I could easily sell that SUV for $15k, especially with the WRX under the hood and 3 different speed modes including "Shark" which is fun when you pair that with the paddle shifters that seem standard in all of their SUVs

My point was you forfeit some gas but you end up getting all that back and then some when you go to sell the car.
Insurance is pretty reasonable on most of their vehicles

The Outback is the most boring car I've ever driven (well, tied with a Camry), but ours has been an absolute rock and is still worth 5 figures even though it's a decade old. Hard to go wrong with that one.

 

[Osaurus]

Looking at another Subaru, have owned a few and relatively low cost of ownership even when I have bought them brand new
-Outback, Touring XT, have a couple in the 2022 model, under 20,000 miles, looking at around $32k used vs $45k+ brand new and then the difference in taxes, etc...

Test drove a Genesis GV70, nice ride and super luxurious, still around $40k+ used and not sure what they will be worth in 3-4 years vs the steady Subaru market.
Tried some other SUVs but by the time you get AWD and a turbo engine in most of them, you're paying at least what you would to acquire a Subaru

The high interest rates on used cars makes it harder to not just pay cash if you have that flexibility. Or pay them down/off faster than normal

We're looking at cars in this range as well after a falling tree totaled both of ours 2 weeks ago. Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rouge, and Mazda CX50 are the main contenders for now. I think we've decided that the front camera is necessary, which pushes us into higher trims.

Ended up with a 2024 Tiguan SEL R when VW was having their 0% financing in April. So far, I love it. Sad that the transmission on my Outback started going out and their deals weren’t/aren’t great on new models, but what can you do? I needed to dump my Outback. Really wanted a Wilderness Edition model fwiw. Next time.

Wilderness is really cool. I was pretty impressed with all of the features and details that go into the Subarus, but their MPG is pretty bad.

Not sure why Subaru has weaker gas mileage but the trade off in cars they sell is All Wheel Drive. No matter what Subaru you buy they all have it standard.
I've had a Subaru as at least one of our cars since 2010 when we bought our first Impreza Hatchback for less than $20k
Our 2nd one was in 2017, bought the Forrester and still have it. Just got the AC fixed in it, still worth about half of what we paid for it, I could easily sell that SUV for $15k, especially with the WRX under the hood and 3 different speed modes including "Shark" which is fun when you pair that with the paddle shifters that seem standard in all of their SUVs

My point was you forfeit some gas but you end up getting all that back and then some when you go to sell the car.
Insurance is pretty reasonable on most of their vehicles

The Outback is the most boring car I've ever driven (well, tied with a Camry), but ours has been an absolute rock and is still worth 5 figures even though it's a decade old. Hard to go wrong with that one.

I’d still be driving my 2015 IF the transmission wasn’t starting to go. I had issues with the trunk leaking (common) and minor electrical fails over the years. The rear spoiler bolts came stripped from the factory. It was a solid car and felt like driving a tank most of the time which I loved being in FL

 

[the moops]

Still driving a 2008 LS460 with 170k. Love love love the car.

Lexus had a service bulletin over a sticky interior a couple years back and replaced all 4 door panels, dash, glovebox and center console… so car looks pretty new inside aside from leather seat wear.

Needs periodic light front suspension work (common with these) but have thus far avoided the ABS controller failure issue. Currently some faint popping up front is likely CV related.

Hoping to get another 3-5 years (or more) out of it,

Such an amazing car not one post would suffice!

 

[fruity pebbles]

Still driving a 2008 LS460 with 170k. Love love love the car.

Lexus had a service bulletin over a sticky interior a couple years back and replaced all 4 door panels, dash, glovebox and center console… so car looks pretty new inside aside from leather seat wear.

Needs periodic light front suspension work (common with these) but have thus far avoided the ABS controller failure issue. Currently some faint popping up front is likely CV related.

Hoping to get another 3-5 years (or more) out of it,

Such an amazing car not one post would suffice!

lol I thought I had read that before

 

[BeTheMatch]

Looking at another Subaru, have owned a few and relatively low cost of ownership even when I have bought them brand new
-Outback, Touring XT, have a couple in the 2022 model, under 20,000 miles, looking at around $32k used vs $45k+ brand new and then the difference in taxes, etc...

Test drove a Genesis GV70, nice ride and super luxurious, still around $40k+ used and not sure what they will be worth in 3-4 years vs the steady Subaru market.
Tried some other SUVs but by the time you get AWD and a turbo engine in most of them, you're paying at least what you would to acquire a Subaru

The high interest rates on used cars makes it harder to not just pay cash if you have that flexibility. Or pay them down/off faster than normal

We're looking at cars in this range as well after a falling tree totaled both of ours 2 weeks ago. Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rouge, and Mazda CX50 are the main contenders for now. I think we've decided that the front camera is necessary, which pushes us into higher trims.

Ended up with a 2024 Tiguan SEL R when VW was having their 0% financing in April. So far, I love it. Sad that the transmission on my Outback started going out and their deals weren’t/aren’t great on new models, but what can you do? I needed to dump my Outback. Really wanted a Wilderness Edition model fwiw. Next time.

Wilderness is really cool. I was pretty impressed with all of the features and details that go into the Subarus, but their MPG is pretty bad.

Not sure why Subaru has weaker gas mileage but the trade off in cars they sell is All Wheel Drive. No matter what Subaru you buy they all have it standard.
I've had a Subaru as at least one of our cars since 2010 when we bought our first Impreza Hatchback for less than $20k
Our 2nd one was in 2017, bought the Forrester and still have it. Just got the AC fixed in it, still worth about half of what we paid for it, I could easily sell that SUV for $15k, especially with the WRX under the hood and 3 different speed modes including "Shark" which is fun when you pair that with the paddle shifters that seem standard in all of their SUVs

My point was you forfeit some gas but you end up getting all that back and then some when you go to sell the car.
Insurance is pretty reasonable on most of their vehicles

The Outback is the most boring car I've ever driven (well, tied with a Camry), but ours has been an absolute rock and is still worth 5 figures even though it's a decade old. Hard to go wrong with that one.

Not as reliable as the Crosstrek according to Consumer Reports. We've had a couple Outbacks over the years. Liked them both, but they both had the same issue they're known for (can't remember now what it is) and it's a pretty expensive fix.

Plan to buy a Crosstrek before the snow flies this year.

And I don't know if it's true or not, but Subaru's always-on AWD feels more safe and reliable to me than all the AWD on-demand vehicles out there, of which I've had a few.

And, yes, you sacrifice mileage for that.