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.

If it helps at all I have a Renault captur Automatic. It’s a small SUV so it’s got the higher seating, it’s roomy, it’s stupidly easy to drive, absolutely nothing fancy but does the job I need it to do. I got it because my spec was:

• 5 door
• plenty of boot space
• automatic due to dodgy left knee that hurts after 20 mins of using the clutch
• bigger than previous hatchbacks as now have a tall 12 year old with tall friends that regularly need chauffeuring
• big enough engine to manage occasional motorway driving but not so powerful it will be wasted when most driving is round town on 30 mile an hour busy roads
• Electric windows front and back (DDs requirement apparently it wasn’t fair that she had to wind hers down manually)

If the Corsa worked what about the Mokka?

I’d put all the requirements into AI and tell it what has been ok for fit before and what you don’t like and see what it comes up with. Then go look at them at a car supermarket place so you can get in and out and test drive a bunch of them to narrow it down. Then go find the perfect one of the ones you like.

so ai says.

Hyundai Ioniq 5
Honda cr v
Skoda superb
volvo xc60 / xc 90

when I asked it for cars for 6ft 4 men that needed lots of knee space in the passenger seat.

Doesn’t fit in superb!

Thanks for your assistance however it really is an AIBU to loath it!

Maybe the others will work 😬🫣 I don’t envy you though.

He fitted in the Tucson 7 years ago but not since they changed it.

It’s just so painful. He fitted in one Skoda it was nearly a year old and £30k 😭

I hear you. I’m a petrol head but we buy cars new/almost new and keep them till they die. It took me next to no time to choose a new car in 2010 and 18 months to find one in 2022.

Boot literage is no good to me, I need the dimensions. No manufacturer ever states them.

I don’t want anything beeping at me and I don’t want to have to turn all the safety stuff off every time I get in the car.

I don’t want it to have the suspension of a marshmallow.

I want a sunroof.

I don’t want hybrid, electric or diesel.

You forgot the stage where you turn up at the dealership having arranged a time and both taken time off work (to avoid bringing DC). You arrive and say 'we have an appointment at 3pm with Paul to see car X' and the receptionist says 'oh, I'm not sure where Paul is just now, he might be busy for a bit'. And this is for something we're spending over £10k on. In contrast to when I bought a new instrument recently (at about £1k); I turned up for a trial, and they were expecting me, had a room ready, offered refreshments.....

YANBU, I’m getting pressure to buy a new car from DH and family.

I have task paralysis when I think of electric vs petrol.

My current car (manual petrol) is old but indestructible and costs very little per year to insure.

Part of me thinks why replace something that works so well and is relatively environmentally friendly (complies with ULEZ and cheap to road tax) but then I see the benefits and mod cons of a new car (free electric charging at work, cameras, seat warmers, built in sat nav) and think why am I missing out.

Try this website (actually OP might also find it helpful)

https://www.ridc.org.uk/features-reviews/out-and-about/car-search/advanced-car-measurements

None of the Toyota were great, most were a no. I did not try the huge ones as I don’t want some massive thing.

I used to own the Sharan don’t want bigger than that and so many SUV are.

Skoda Karoq has tons of room for the passenger. SIL has one and BIL is 6’ 6”. They have 3 teenagers in the back (all at least 6’) and nobody has anything against their knees.

And the height is great for MIL who has quite extensive arthritis.

Thanks. I’m hoping not to need to replace this one for a decade or so. But I always carry a tape measure anyway!

Has anyone got a small SUV like the Vauxhall Mokka? My ideal would be a Japanese version of that.

Most built in sat nav is crap. Haven’t ever used it.

Personally I would get your existing car fixed up and just keep it going. That's cheaper and easy. Keeping you away from depreciation.

This is true. A built in screen that integrates with Apple Play would be good.

AI will not be able to assess the suitability of cars. That’s litres of water pissed up the walls pointlessly.

I hate to suggest it but have you tried ChatGPT? It’s the sort of problem it’s good at solving once you’ve got a few questions deep.

My friend is 6 foot 5 and drives a VW TROC if that helps any?

I agree about the price increases in the past few years, it’s absolutely insane. I am hanging onto my trusty 2014 Fiesta for as long as I can.

Definitely pick an after market installed screen over the manufacture one. Just hook up via car play.

I heard someone say their cars satnav built in was out of date and the brand wanted like £200 to up date it. Crazy when 99% of us have one on our phones anyway.

Thanks for the tip, I use sat nav a lot so this is helpful.

A Kodiaq is a 7 seater - it’s massive! Same size as the Touareg.

fuck AI.

Phone the local dealers and ask what’s on their forecourt - giving a guide to what you need - then check them out online
to add - most cars are pretty similar nowadays so shouldn’t be too hard

Someone else has done that on this thread and it’s fucked it.

It’s a text prediction machine. Stop giving it the label
of intelligence. It absolutely isn’t.