When we were back in St. Louis last week, we had rented a minivan. But because they didn’t have a Grand Caravan (which we drive at home), we tried a Toyota Sienna. Although there were some really nice things about it (outstanding acceleration and braking), there were also a handful of really irritating anti-conveniences that bothered us enough to make us not want one. This got me thinking about how useful it might be to discuss the things to check out or look for when shopping for a car because most of the time I think most of us don’t remember or even imagine all the things we should check that might be irritating (or nice) after we’ve already bought a car. So, let’s pool our collective knowledge and try to come up with a list of all the things to consider when buying a new (or used) car.Andrew's Checklist (with input from callers):
This list may be updated as people add their posted or emailed recommendations.
Toyota Sienna observations to learn from.
~Excellent power and braking, plus very quiet inside.
~Dash too bright, can’t figure out how to dim it.
~Very awkward gear shifter on the center console.
~Seats that don’t flip forward, at least I couldn’t figure out how.
~Very quiet compared to our Caravan
~Outstanding braking and acceleration.
~It locks the doors in drive.
~It unlocks the doors when you put it in park.
~Rear air controls very hard to work
~Armrest interferes with seatbelt.
~Non-power doors don’t always shut fully.
~When there are multiple colors on the dashboard, like the gear is green on a blue one.
~Cupholders with rubber insides that make Styrofoam cups almost impossible to use.
~When seat-belt is removed, the car dings at you for a few seconds, then dings urgently and loudly until you either replace the buckle or go insane.
Mini-van features
~Stow-and-go rocks! Get it if you can.
~Power side and rear doors on remote fob are excellent!
~When the rear door opens that it doesn’t hit your garage door. This is really a house problem, but it is annoying if it doesn’t fit.
Children
~Rear doors that have window locks (Probably standard)
~Latch Easy to use. Older cars had it buried but newer models have it pretty well exposed. I recommend installing a toddler seat to see what it will be like. Even just a centimeter makes a big difference.
~Leather seats are a big plus with kids and messes.
~Trunk holds your stroller and a larger one if you might have more kids.
~Be sure to test the AC in the back seats, especially on a hot day if you can, to make sure it blows well enough to keep the kids cool in a Phoenix summer.
~Front seat weight sensor to disarm airbag when a child is sitting in front seat. Ideal is to manually disarm it so that holding a child in an idling car is not dangerous.
DVD
~Although we have a VHS and we have used it about 10 times in the history of owning the car for 5 years. Also, having the thing makes it very inconvenient to go from the front seats to the back.
Stereo
~5 disc in-dash changer is very nice.
~Mp3 plug in is very nice if you use I-pod, eg
~Controls on the steering-wheel are much safer, and convenient
~Simple controls so eyes not off road.
Obvious considerations
~Braking
~Quality, maintenance.
~Crash-test results.
~Passing power and merging power at highway speeds.
~Brakes good.
~ABS
~Good gas mileage.
~AC blows hard and cold in summer conditions.
Not as obvious considerations
~Good sound system (Gets good AM reception, esp 1360, der!)
~Inside air for recirculation (We use this ALL the time).
~Cruise and easy to use.
~Intermittent (variable) wipers. Off, Int, Low, High is enough for me.
~Automatic door locks and windows (not manual, very annoying).
~Framed windows versus convertible style.
~Good headlights, brights.
~Normal headlights, not the ultraviolet ones that annoy other drivers.
~Speedometer you can easily read for five and single increments.
~Interior trunk release. And inside the trunk manual release if trapped.
~Gas tank lock that must be released from the inside.
~Smoker, burn spots in back seat or ashtray
~Black leather in Phoenix is a big no-no.
General recommendations
~Be sure to at least take a test drive at night. In fact, it might be more valuable to drive it at night rather than during the day.
~Ask them if they’ll let you take it home for the weekend or at least for a day to drive it around and get the feel for it.
Seats
~Comfortable seats for you and spouse/kids, including back seat.
~Lower back support.
~Head rest that doesn’t push my head forward.
~Armrests that are the right height and don’t interfere with the belt.
~Room in the back seat, headroom footroom.
~Going over bumps shouldn't mean back-seaters hit their heads on glass/ceiling.
~Avoid humps in the back bench.
General conveniences
~Quiet interior. The Sienna allowed me to talk to my son in the back row without yelling.
~One-touch windows down, at least.
~Keyless entry
~Tinted windows, a virtual must in Phoenix.
Driveability
~Road feel enough but not rough.
~Automatic that is decisive in shifting and smooth.
~Good visibility, changing lanes not having a big bar in your field of view.
~Quick steering response versus squishy power.
~Not having to steer it a lot, good alignment. Turns easily.
Other stuff
~Power windows on the side-doors.
~External temperature readout is nice.
~Calculates MPG is nice
~Compass
~Large trunk.
~Programmable garage door opener buttons.
~Push lights in the front, but not in the back .
~Plugs for appliances, camping.
Parking
~Will it fit in your garage lengthwise, sidewise (with room to get in and out of it), and is there enough vertical room to open your rear door (if there is one) without hitting the garage door?
~If you park in a parking garage, will it frustrate you every day or worry you that it will get dinged?
Seat belts
~Non-passive/automatic ones.
~Do they rub your neck/are they adjustable?
~What does the car do when you drive with it off?
Cup-holders
~Cupholders large enough and out of the way. Don't interfere with controls.
~Sturdy, won’t spill.
~Actually take a cup with you and put it in the holder when you take the test drive
~Convenient to use in and out.
~Won’t interfere with other devices such as shifter, stereo, etc.
Turn signal.
~I find ones that make no noise distracting.
~Some will ding at you if you leave them on too long, which is very annoying.
Visors
~The ideal are ones with some sort of extension on them so that you can actually block out all of the possible sun positions. Another thing to watch out for is a gap between the left side of the visor and the column that separates the windshield from the driver’s window.
How I test-drive a car
(Cliff recommends renting the car you want to buy for a day or two before you buy it.)
General stuff
~Fast, this is the only time I speed.
~Stereo off.
~At night.
~On the highway and on surface streets.
Extreme driving
~I abuse it in turns.
~I try to make it skid in a parking lot somewhere to find out how it will behave under extreme conditions.
~Brake as hard as possible (with no one behind you).
~Pretend you just saw something in the road and must swerve to avoid it.
Things to pay attention to when you test drive it
~Interior creaking and noise making.
~Smooth at idle without vibrations.
~Fiddle with EVERYTHING, especially if you’re changing car brands.
~Cruise
~Mirrors
~Interior lights
General to-do's before you buy
~CarFax--be sure it wasn't in a flood or totalled before.
~Good tires
~Mechanic checks it over for not defective.
~Contact the previous driver, if possible.
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