[hema4saran]

Originally Posted by georgesraju

I have almost zeroed in on the 2018 Honda Odyssey EX-L. So if you have any specific advise or feedback on this particular model, that would be helpful too.

You can't go wrong with a Odyssey. 2018 version increased the desirability factor of the Odyssey a lot.

Originally Posted by rajushank84

I generally hear only great feedback from fellow Odyssey owners, but check out the seat recall. That would have me concerned. If there is no convincing fix for it yet, I would get something else (Sienna or Caravan).

+1. There is a safety recall on the third row seat belt system issue. Ensure that it is fixed by the dealership before taking delivery or your VIN number is not falling in the recalled batch.

If you want a cheaper alternative, consider the KIA Sedona.

Sienna is good but not better than Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica has messed up ergonomics in the rear seats.

Don't even think of the Caravan. It is one of the oldest, cheapest and mostly used in Rental fleets nowadays. The resale is also mediocre for the Caravan.

For 700 credit score, apply in DCU. Don't fall for the APR trap set by the dealership. They will initially provide low quote and jack up the price later. Negotiate on the Out the door pricing. General rule of thumb is minimum 10% below MSRP for these cars. Don't apply underbody quoting or PPF.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by georgesraju

I have almost zeroed in on the 2018 Honda Odyssey EX-L. So if you have any specific advise or feedback on this particular model, that would be helpful too.

I already have the following questions in mind

- Do we need to apply any paint protection coatings or under body coatings for new cars in the US?
- I understand that destination fees are always added to the price and are mostly non-negotiable. Is there any other fees that I should expect?
- What would be the best interest rate that I should expect for a 700+ credit score?

Thank you.

Can't go wrong with the good ol' Odyssey. I have one as well. My only suggestion would be that if you are going to keep it forever, then perhaps consider stretching your budget a little to go for the top end model.

[georgesraju]

Thank you all for your valuable inputs. Let me give an update on where I stand now. Got quotes from a few Honda dealers and the lowest I got was $33,800 which is $4,655 less than the MSRP and close to $1,000 less than what TrueCar and KBB shows. I am thinking it is a good deal, but this was what they quoted without much negotiation. Since this is lesser than whatever transaction price I could find, I am not sure on what basis I would negotiate. Any suggestions are welcome

I generally hear only great feedback from fellow Odyssey owners, but check out the seat recall. That would have me concerned. If there is no convincing fix for it yet, I would get something else (Sienna or Caravan).

Thank you for pointing this out.

When I moved from India I had to pay 9% initially (yeah, wow) but after a year when my credit score showed up (about 700 too), it was 4%.

When I bought my first used car in the US, I too started with 9%. But I paid off the entire amount in an year or so and never inquired about a car loan after that. With ever changing interest rates and credit scores, I was not sure what should expect now.

Sienna is good but not better than Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica has messed up ergonomics in the rear seats.

I liked Chrysler Pacifica and it was a very strong contender. But considering the fact that it is an entirely new model just an year or so old, I do not know how reliable it would be in the long run.

My only suggestion would be that if you are going to keep it forever, then perhaps consider stretching your budget a little to go for the top end model.

I haven't ruled out moving to the top model. There is a huge price difference between EX-L and Touring and many of the extra features for the price doesn't seem to be much useful for me. So the overall value is a big question for me.

[giri1.8]

Greetings guys!!! my non-bhpian friend, who is currently in the US, is looking for a manual four seater car. His budget is around 25-30K at max.

I suggested him Subaru WRX, Toyota 86 and Golf Gti, he is not happy with wrx's gas mileage, other two will be test driven soon, so the hunt is ON!!!

Is there any other option in this price range? Couldn't convince him to get a used one though.

[rajushank84]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Greetings guys!!! my non-bhpian friend, who is currently in the US, is looking for a manual four seater car. His budget is around 25-30K at max.

I suggested him Subaru WRX, Toyota 86 and Golf Gti, he is not happy with wrx's gas mileage, other two will be test driven soon, so the hunt is ON!!!

Is there any other option in this price range? Couldn't convince him to get a used one though.

I drive a GTI myself, its the best car for me, but I would suggest a post-2012 CPO 335i (F30). The N55 engine is almost the best I've had (second only to the mighty N54!), and its fairly tried and tested over the years. Make sure its one with the MSport package, because the suspension in the base / non-sport models is terrible.

Another option is a lightly used Golf R.

Or if he is into muscle, a lightly used Mustang V8!

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by rajushank84

I drive a GTI myself, its the best car for me, but I would suggest a post-2012 CPO 335i (F30). The N55 engine is almost the best I've had (second only to the mighty N54!), and its fairly tried and tested over the years. Make sure its one with the MSport package, because the suspension in the base / non-sport models is terrible.

Another option is a lightly used Golf R.

Or if he is into muscle, a lightly used Mustang V8!

He already rides a leased BMW, and is not willing to go for the German trio again(smaller ones might be okay, like Audi S1).


Muscle cars too are off his list, thanks to their thirst engines, he is interested in GTI and after my suggestion he is looking at Subaru WRX(non-sti). Golf R will interest him I guess, will pass on the suggestion to him.

Latest update is that he is okay with sparingly used,used cars too!

[hema4saran]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

He already rides a leased BMW, and is not willing to go for the German trio again(smaller ones might be okay, like Audi S1).


Muscle cars too are off his list, thanks to their thirst engines, he is interested in GTI and after my suggestion he is looking at Subaru WRX(non-sti). Golf R will interest him I guess, will pass on the suggestion to him.

Latest update is that he is okay with sparingly used,used cars too!

For 25k to 30k budget, it would be tough to get a Golf R. If he can extend his budget to Golf R, he can very well consider Civic Type R and Focus RS. Again Civic Type R just started selling here for MSRP and last I heard onroad price was touching 40k here in Texas.

If he wants new car in his budget, then GTI and Focus ST are best bets. One of my friend drives a Focus ST which he bought for $23k out the door and is blast to drive. He patiently waited for Civic type R and he was ready to pay $40k for that when launched but lost interest when the dealer quoted $7k over MSRP at that time.

He stayed away from Volkswagen clearly because of two things. 1. Diesel emission scandal and 2. Product being built in Mexico. But I have read somewhere that Golf production was moved back to Europe starting this year.

[giri1.8]

Originally Posted by hema4saran

For 25k to 30k budget, it would be tough to get a Golf R. If he can extend his budget to Golf R, he can very well consider Civic Type R and Focus RS.

If he wants new car in his budget, then GTI and Focus ST are best bets. One of my friend drives a Focus ST which he bought for $23k out the door and is blast to drive. He patiently waited for Civic type R and he was ready to pay $40k for that when launched but lost interest when the dealer quoted $7k over MSRP at that time.

Focus seems to be a good deal for 23K, will let him know and see how he likes it. Golf R was considered if was to get a used one, if he finds a good deal and quality specimen. Thanks for the input

[ScorpMan]

Hello House.
I am looking forward to pick up a Used Car in Toronto and most of the dealers strongly suggest picking a Gap Insurance along. On paper it does look good, but is there anything I am missing and is it really worth it?

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by giri1.8

Focus seems to be a good deal for 23K, will let him know and see how he likes it.

Does he intend to keep the car long term? Given Ford's indication to focus on SUVs (Focus doesn't make the cut in Ford's plans), buying a Ford sedan/hatch now might not be the best idea at the moment.

https://www.motor1.com/news/240320/f...vs-crossovers/

[mohit]

Originally Posted by ScorpMan

Hello House.
I am looking forward to pick up a Used Car in Toronto and most of the dealers strongly suggest picking a Gap Insurance along. On paper it does look good, but is there anything I am missing and is it really worth it?

Hi, What is this gap insurance cover? Never heard of such a thing.

[locusjag]

Originally Posted by ScorpMan

Hello House.
I am looking forward to pick up a Used Car in Toronto and most of the dealers strongly suggest picking a Gap Insurance along. On paper it does look good, but is there anything I am missing and is it really worth it?

Originally Posted by mohit

Hi, What is this gap insurance cover? Never heard of such a thing.

I had bought a 3 year-old used SUV back on Nov 2013 in Connecticut. I had in fact bought Gap insurance.

What it is, is an added benefit to the policyholder in the event he/she totals the insured vehicle while having an outstanding loan on the vehicle; where it kicks in is, if the depreciated Actual Cash Value (ACV) of the totaled vehicle is lesser than the money the car-owner owes to the bank. The insurance company would cover the delta and settle the loan with the bank.

My Progressive insurance policy had an add-on option for Gap insurance and I took it; having a $15,000 loan outstanding on a car was scary, especially when you tend to drive around in snowy highways a lot.

[Deo]

I am looking for a used car and given the choice of cars in US it is really difficult to narrow down. I have thought of everything from Mustang to Elantra.
After looking through few online sites, I am looking at used 2013/14 BMW 328i (there are lots of them), 2015 GLA 4matic, 2016/17 Mazda 6 Grand Touring or 2016/17 Ford Fusion Hybrid. I really like new Mazda, but wife is inclined towards something German, reason being its easier to get hands on these cars here than back in India. I am just worried about there reliability aspect. Anyone here has experience with used German cars in Michigan, with all the crazy weather here ? Really appreciate your inputs.

Here are few examples I am looking at ->
https://www.erhardbmw.com/used-Bloom...3B5C52DF597843
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WDCTG4GB3FJ033238

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Deo

I am just worried about there reliability aspect. Anyone here has experience with used German cars in Michigan, with all the crazy weather here ? Really appreciate your inputs.
]

BMW are generally considered pretty reliable cars in most of the Western world. I know quite a few people who have owned or still own BMW in the USA and are very happy with them.

Also BMW dealers tend to be very very good. So if there is a problem with a car they will typically fix it within a day, probably give you a free loaner for the day as well. It will cost some, but at least your problem will get fixed promptly.

So dealer experience in the USA tends to be very different from what I read on the forum about some Indian car dealerships.

There is just one thing you might want to bear in mind: They are rear wheel driven. Whereas that sounds great from the true petrol head enthusiastic point of view, it is a real PITA in snow and wet conditions!


My Jaguar XJR was next to useless on the snow in Kansas City and I would take my wife’s Ford Focus or better yet, my Jeep Cherokee.

So it is really about how much snow are you getting, do you live in an area where they deal adequately with snow? The problem is Kansas City was that after 4-5 days of continuous snow the council ran out of budget and no snow ploughs were to be seen from then on!

I assume Michigan is better prepared for snow than Kansas City. So if you can stand it and cope with it for some weeks you should be fine.

Irrespective of that, I support your wife; you are in the USA, make the most of it, get yourself something that you wouldn’t or couldn’t get in India

Good luck

Jeroen

[fusionbang]

I drive a BMW 330i xdrive here in Pennsylvania and I have had no issues till date (touchwood) with the car or the dealer. Dealer or the service team is very helpful and I have never waited for more than 2 hours during my regular service schedule. Apart from that never visited the service center.

If you live in a city where you have more snow, go with the xDrive and you should not have any issues in snow.

I was in the same boat to go with a Toyota or Nissan, but at the last moment decided that you live only once and you cannot afford a German in India, so go ahead with it when you can afford.

If you are looking for Sedan go with a 328i, and if you want an SUV go with X1 which give you a sedan experience when you drive (especially pre 2017 models).