What cars to look at when buying in 2017

Veeky Forums this is your time to provide valuable information to a less informed poster.

I am going to need to buy a car not too far from now. I make around $65K a year, have a credit score of 780 and have a car worth 3-4k on a trade in (hopefully). I have a budget of about $300-$600 a month for payments.

What kind of cars do you all recommend I look at? I am current in Central California. I want something I can keep for a good while.

I have no interest in racing or modding the car this will be my daily driver. It must be a car with 4 doors, no SUVs or cross overs. I have a preference toward full sized sedans.

Any and all advice will be appreciated.

I really don't know shit, I've loved my 2008 Chevy Impala while I have had it but it is on it's last legs and it only has 89k miles. Never worked on cars outside of headlight replacement and stereo replacement.

Only interested in buying not leasing.

Thanks again.

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Unless you stick with an American landyacht, you won't find many cars that are the same size as your Impala.
The biggest you'll find are the Honda Accord, Toyota Avalon, or Lexus ES/GS, which are in the 190-195 in. range.

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Also, Veeky Forums is a relatively slow board. You don't need to bump every 2 minutes.

Yeah thought so, I am kinda annoyed from my Impala crapping out so early that I am unsure if I even want to mess with American again. Although I absolutely love the Chevy SS. But I think it is more a guilty pleasure than an option right now.
When you say 190-195 in range do you mean monthly payments?

No, 190-195 inches long.

Compacts are typically 180", midsize are around 190", and full-size are around 200".
Width is 70-75"

You said you had a preference for full-size sedans. I'm saying that there aren't many options if you want to stick in that 200" range, and that large mid-sizes are your best bet.

Ah okay thanks for the clarification. Do you have any cars you recommend personally? My preferences are built solely on the one car I have only had which was the Impala. I have no specific need for a full sized.

It really depends on what you're looking for.

The upper trims of the Honda Accord with the v6 are quite nice.
It's comparable to entry-level luxury cars; nice interior, lots of room, and plenty of power.
The same can be said of the upper trims on the Toyota Camry.

Both are very reliable and economical and will easily last 100k miles on just basic routine maintenance like changing your fluids.
If you want to spend more, you can look at a Lexus ES. All of the above are true, but it's a little nicer inside and runs with a $20k upcharge.

You can go the German route, ala VW Passat or Audi A4/A6.
They'll run a premium cost and require more attention to maintenance.

Just get a Toyota Avalon. It's big, it's luxurious, it's comfy, and it will last forever. Plus it will be leagues ahead of that POS impala in terms of well...everything.

2010 used s550 I hear good things. Great cars

So in short move away from something American build and instead more of other countries entry level luxury cars.
That's kind of where I was leaning and I am glad to hear some people parroting that advice.

The Impala is a POS but I got a 2008 LS for $6K in 2008 with 36,000 miles and my father as the previous owner. Treated me very well so far, except for the axle exploding ball baring everywhere at around 60k miles. I pushed it hard when I got it in high school but still.

I would like a little performance if it doesn't break the bank. But I mean who wouldn't, I don't think I should expect it though at this price point.

>move away from something American
If you want a car that won't completely shit out on you after 90k miles? Yes.

>I would like a little performance if it doesn't break the bank
Upper trims of Accord and Camry, and all trims of the Avalon, have a 3.5L v6 and near 300hp and about the same for torque.

Anything more than that and you'll need to move into upper-trim Lexus or Audi territory and you'll need to spend closer to $60k on the car.

Looks like you helped me narrow my search down to those three. I will definitely check them out. Thank you for the advice fellow user.

Worst case scenario, visit different manufacturer's websites and check out the models they offer.
Most of them have a "specs" tab you can click to see dimensions of the car, the engine size and type, etc.
Find the ones that look appealing to you, then find a dealer in your city and take it for a test drive.

I dislike large cars, so I'm not really up-to-date on the offerings in the midsize/fullsize arena.
But the Accord and Camry have been staples in the US for decades, and they're renowned for their reliability (my father is on his 3rd Camry. The first two lasted over 300k miles before a major mechanical issue that forced him to get rid of them, and the current one is at 200k and running fine).

Grab a v6 Accord or Mazda 6. Former for power and latter for handling.

Get a 1 or 2 year old Audi A7

hold out for the 2018 camry

and get the hybrid

Don't listen to this badge whore OP
Get an Avalon

fuck the avalon, geezer car. the camry is the quintessential middle class car

Cadillac CTS

You can get the new generation ones for 20kish used

If you have a budget of payments for 300-600, I'd recommend leasing a CT6 or a Continental. Perfect cars for cruising

The new maxima is pretty good. Or you can look at the charger. Check out the new Lincoln if you're brave. You really need to up your budget or be open to other kinds of vehicles.