I'm shopping around for my first car. I want something that can seat 5, gets decent gas mileage, has the size of a crossover or suv, and is priced below $40,000. Suggestions?
Do not use common sense when making the purchase-- buy exactly what you want whatever that is. If you buy exactly what you want, you are far more likely to continue to drive it its whole life and maintain it properly.
If you buy a "practical" car, whatever that means to you, but sell it with <70,000 miles on it just because you want something new/different, well, you just undid the practical decision. Go for a car you have a passion for. For me, that's something like a Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger, Audi A4, etc.
14 Answers
I say this coming from being currently involved in drastic debt reduction, with the limited amount of information in your post, you may want to consider the following:
That's a long list for your first car, I would give some serious consideration as to what you want, and what you can live with. Assuming your not paying cash, financing even 13K of that price tag is going to run you upwards of 300-400 a month depending on your credit.
I would start with what you can afford, take a look at your budget and use some of the free calculators available on the internet to decide how much you want to finance. Then take a look at a site like carmax.com that can iron things down based on features and price ranges. Once you have a vehicle (new or used) in mind there are some great tips out there on negotiating a price for a new car, or you can scour your local market for certified / used vehicles to find the best deal.
Do yourself a favor and actually look at 10-15 cars before you decide on something. In my honest opinion I'd steer way clear of anything american made (sorry, but they're going under for a reason).
I'd say you should consider a "used" vehicle, maybe something that's certified pre-owned with a nice warranty. A 2006 infiniti fx35 with navi and a rear view camera can probably be had in the low 30s
Do not use common sense when making the purchase-- buy exactly what you want whatever that is. If you buy exactly what you want, you are far more likely to continue to drive it its whole life and maintain it properly.
If you buy a "practical" car, whatever that means to you, but sell it with <70,000 miles on it just because you want something new/different, well, you just undid the practical decision. Go for a car you have a passion for. For me, that's something like a Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger, Audi A4, etc.
There are plenty of cars out there that meet your criteria. I am also looking for the same and for me I'm looking for something that looks great also.
What I've been looking at that meet all your criteria is:
Audi Q5
Lexus FX300
Honda Pilot
Toyota 4Runner
Hope these help. I'm really leaning towards the Audi Q5.
Domestic Car - "Lincoln MKZ:http://www.lincoln.com/mkz/home.asp?intcmp=B_2010MKZLaunch_LincolnHome_MKZHome_20090401 is really nice. Lincoln has done a lot with this car over the years // 249 HP // EPA:18/27 // $34k
Import Car - Acura TL would be my choice. I know many people that drive this car and absolutely love it. Lots of features in/cluded on base model and high safety rating // 280 HP // EPA:18/26 // $35k
I think i read your different than the other people whom answered.If you have typically driven SUV's and are indeed looking to purchase a car under $40k Here is my response, if not disregard
I believe this current fad of "crossovers" is just a way of getting America slowly back to the dreaded "station wagon" moniker. Unfortunately, there are few car-based haulers for sale in the USA currently.
The Volvos, Audi A4/A6 Avant and VW Passat/Jetta remain the few. That said, You couldn't pay me to take on VW/Audi reliability problems and service costs, though.
If you need seating for 5 and only infrequently need the storage space of an SUV, do yourself a favor and buy a sedan or a wagon. There is zero reason for you to need to haul around an extra 1000 lbs of fat you don't need 99% of the time.
If you have to have the space for some unmentioned reason:
Acura MDX (Go for a fully loaded certified used MDX if the price creeps north of 40K for new)
Acura RDX (Nice turbo 4cyl keeps the mpg high and space for 5. An MDX in a smaller package)
Ford Flex (Splurge for the eco-boost V6. More grunt than just about anything for sale in its class for far less money and excellent mpg. Plus it has a lot of space for its size)
Honda Pilot (Plenty of car for sub 40K)
Chevy Traverse seats up to 7 adults without a problem, tons of storage room, even when seating 5. Gets a pretty good 17/24 Mpg. It has a long list of great features, and even better Chevy has tons of specials going on right now. MSRP starts at $29,900 but you should be able to get a nice and loaded one for $33,000.