Here with another question. I'm in the market to buy a car ASAP. My wife and I are lucky enough that we came from families that provided us with decent cars to start out with. My wife's car is now 11 years old and starting to experience several problems at once. I'd rather get it off my hands and start putting that money towards a car note for a vehicle I actually want to drive than continue to sink money into repairs.

I'm a young buc with no experience at this. I've been looking online at places like cars.com and autotrader to get an idea of what is available in the market right now. I will soon start test driving my options. Are there any other easy paths I should be exploring for options? I have a strong credit score and I'm not looking to break the bank (looking at used cars in the $15,000-$20,000 range). I would like to get preapproved for a loan so that I can strike immediately when I find the car I want. What would be the best way to go about this? I know several companies offer approval online.

This post was edited on 4/20/16 at 8:41 am

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Posted by castorinho

13623 posts

Member since Nov 2010

82099 posts

Posted on 4/11/16 at 8:18 pm to tlsu15

penfed
lightstream
DCU
and whatever credit union you deal with in your area. Probably start with your bank. And if you're already looking to go to 20K, pay a little more and buy new, unless you're looking at SUVs. It's worth it

And of course read this thread

This post was edited on 4/11/16 at 8:21 pm

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Posted by bubbz

Baton Rouge

Member since Mar 2006

22842 posts

Posted on 4/11/16 at 8:35 pm to tlsu15

If you're local to BR, EFCU Financial has a First Time Buyer program.

LINK

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Posted by Jag_Warrior

Virginia

Member since May 2015

4181 posts

Posted on 4/11/16 at 9:58 pm to tlsu15

Unless you've already made a firm decision on the exact vehicle, and (especially) if you're not a car guy, Consumer Reports is your friend. Taking a look at J.D. Power also isn't a bad idea, in order to have a double check. And I'd definitely look at your local credit union, in addition to banks and online sources, for financing options... maybe even your insurance agent (State Farm had good rates a year or so back).

Good luck.

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Posted by LNCHBOX

70448

Member since Jun 2009

84535 posts

Posted on 4/12/16 at 9:50 am to tlsu15

What type of cars do yall like. Based on how long yall seem to keep cars, I'd lean toward buying new so that you have a full warranty and can pick the exact features you want.

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