AIBU to loath needing to research and buy a "new" car

[RandomMess]

As in new to us car, I have comprehensive reasons so surely everyone should I agree I am not being unreasonable to loath the whole process?

1. Nearly new 2nd hand car prices appear to have doubled in the last 11 years (our salaries have not)
2. I don't want a new car but the current one seems to have reached the point of beyond economic repair so it no longer a choice, we've been putting it off for 5/6 years
3. All the major car groups/brands websites seem to have flashing/moving graphics that quite frankly give me a headache as soon as I open them so can't bear to explore them for the information I want
4. The fancy pants websites don't seem to have the information I want on them
5. The basic information I want is not easily found so I ending up resorting to AI to find eg. outer dimensions of the vehicle
6. Far too much choice it's utterly overwhelming
7. Choosing between part hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric, petrol, diesel - just too overwhelming
8. There is no information on "can my 6'4" husband with arthritic knees fit COMFORTABLY in the passenger seat without something digging into said knees
9. I can't go browsing without DH due said knees
10. Most cars don't tick the comfortable for DH box so it's an exhausting waste of time ruling out 95% of cars
11. When I do find a car that I think ticks the boxes I read various reviews and they score badly so no longer have them as an option
12. About 4/5 cars that I have really wanted over the years have been discontinued or they've changed the shape and/or size so I no longer like them or can't buy one only a few years old
13. Most of the dealers have closed near us so it's all a bloody trek to even sit in any.
14. The purchase options, sadly don't have the cash to buy outright so another then to read and digest and make a choice on
15. My absolute go to Car Review website "Honest John" has been shut down and you can no longer even view the historic reviews they did - seriously disheartened by this discovery.

I've probably listed a fair few rants so need to stop.

Was your previous car comfortable? If so, just get another newer and not dying one!

I had the same utter confusion about cars when I replaced mine last year and in the end I just bought the same car again but obviously newer so higher spec and in a different colour. It’s all jargon to me and there are so many bizarre features on cars that seem to cost more that I just wouldn’t use like air conditioned seats that loudly blow a gale up your bum as you drive or a “heads up” display which means the speed limit and your speed dance around in front of your eyes the whole time 😳

Yeah, getting a new car should be fun but it's just not.
Cars are expensive & depreciate quickly however you fund them.
You run the risk of them going wrong, even when brand new (looking at YOU Hyundai).
You can't really tell of you like them & whether they're truly comfortable from a 30 min test drive.

However, if you give us your budget and list of needs/wants/don't wants, there are some knowledgeable people on MN who may be able to help?

Pistonheads are a useful forum for good car advice. I hire the car I am thinking of buying. Feel like it’s a small ivestment to reduce the risk of buying something that doesn’t suit us. Also tall and with wonky backs and hips.

choosing a fuel type shouldn't be that hard - unless you do high annual mileage you don't need a diesel. If you don't have, or can't install, home charging facilities then I would rule out full electric or plug-in hybrid. Which leaves you with petrol or self charging hybrid.
Unless you're looking at something really small, I don't think your husband's height should be too much of an issue (my brother is that tall and used to drive a mini!!). I'd look mid-size / compact SUV sort of sized. Haters gonna hate but i think the higher seating position of the compact SUVs can be easier to get in/out of with dodgy knees or back, just don't go too high or you have to climb into them!
Find one of those second car supermarket / warehouse type places, they're great for trying a wide range of makes and models in one place to help you narrow down your search.
what have you really wanted or liked over the years, we might be able to make some suggestions?

I see from your point 13 it's not easy but sometimes going to look round the dealerships and talking to the salesperson is the best way.

I feel your pain! I looked at Volvo estates which I got in the end, also the large Jaguar saloon, name escapes me now XF possibly
good luck

Ugh I hate it, too.

I feel your pain, I’ll add needs to either not have electric gizmos that talk to you or at least you can permanently turn them off. Dh objects to cars that announce reversing caution or beep incessantly. All I require is a sat nav, parking camera and cruise control and petrol as we can’t charge

So many SUV he doesn’t fit in, they will have something on the dashboard or door that digs into his knees. He fits in the new corsa just fine but I can barely get in or out of it 🤣

This does sort of prove my point people think I have a lot of options open that I just don’t.

My car was discontinued a few years ago so can’t buy another and don’t want to nor do I need 3 adult seats across the back. Shall I mention the electric faults??

What car do you currently have? For knee problems you’re going to want cars that are higher off the ground normally like people carriers and suvs.

What’s digging in his knee? If he not moving his seat far enough back as well?

I would suggest finding a large second hand car dealer in your area and get in and out the cars to get a general feeling for them. There is one near us and all the cars are in a big warehouse style building.

We did this the last time we went looking for a car and it was very useful to rule out a lot of models we had been considering, and ruling in some we hadn't considered.

Once you have a couple of definitely models in mind you might have better luck negotiating the websites as you will know what you are looking for. Or you could just buy from the dealer.

I don’t want a large/huge car and most of the small SUV are no smaller than my current car 😭 I was looking forward to something that fitted much more easily in the parking bays. Can’t go city as the motorway driving is usually far from pleasurable.

We could home charge if wanted electric or plug-in hybrid.

Yes the seat is right back, can be the central console, the info screen, the door handle etc etc.

You can try one car think great then the newer version he no longer fits.

The more they fit passenger safety the smaller the leg space seems to get.

Wanted a Honda Civic, can’t even shut the door 🤣

He too has fitted well in certain mini models, I test drove one of them and hated it and the potholes and speed bumps were horrific.

I feel this and really never want to buy another car again since discovering that the trusty garage I used have closed down. I used to be able to walk in, tell them what I wanted, they told me what stock they had that would work and then let me test drive. The cars were always good condition, the mechanics were good honest people and the 1-year warranty on second hand cars wasn’t a whole load of small print that discounted actually ever fixing anything.

Now I’m back to having to research stuff myself and deal with possible con-men sellers.

how does the centre console dig in his knee?? leg length I can understand but not the centre or door handle! is he overweight?

Have you looked at Mercedes at all? The newer electric Skodas like the Enyaq I think was to me were relatively roomy but the Mercedes was very roomy. If you go m class is a couple of cm wider than the Skoda.

But I don’t have knee issues so he still
might find issues with them and they are wider cars.

The fact it’s door handles and console mean you’re needing a wide car unfortunately.

Well yes quite, most of the Skodas didn’t work. The old Fabia did but not the new one 🙄

It’s just where the various things touch his leg or knee whether they cause discomfort or not. If it’s a 4 hour trip to his parents it would not work.

This, all of this 😭

Do you have the width measurements on the cars that do work?

Ai might then be able to help

have you got an available car near you? When we’ve not known what car to look at it’s been really useful to have a huge forecourt to look around

I’m not explaining very well, you could take 30 cara with the same/very similar measurements. 20 will be a flat at no, 7 will be bearable, 3 will be decent. It’s the shapes of the car interior that cause the issue.

When you sit in your car do you have anything touching your leg/knees? I don’t.

There are a few a 30 minute drive away - we have tried Skoda, Renault, Dacia, Volkswagen, Toyota found 3 cars that were ok neither of which really suit - either huge and £30k and don’t have great expert reviews or the corsa which I really don’t want as so low.

chatGPT suggests
Volvo XC60 or XC90
Skoda Kodiaq
Kia Sportage or Sorento
Volkswagen Tiguan or Touareg
Citroen Berlingo
Hyundai Tucson or Sante Fe