Resources for car/van shopping

Suzibeck

Active member
The blower is out on my van again. It is getting to the point where keeping the thing running is costing so much we might as well buy something else. I'm leaning toward a Kia Sedona since the resale is lower so I hope to get a better deal. Does anyone know what year they started to be more reliable? I know the early ones had some mechanical issues, but the newer are better.

What resources do you use to find a vehicle? I've never done this before so I'm very much a newbie. I have no idea how we are going to afford this, probably eating cheap mac and cheese and beans and rice for every meal until it is paid for. Ick!
 
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southpawboston

New member
kia was bought by hyundai in the early 2000's (2000? 2001?). hyundai introduced major reliability improvements, but the bggest improvements came with the new models that debuted after hyundai bought kia... i.e., any *new* kia model that was introduced after around 2002 is pretty good, reliability-wise. i wouldn't touch an older kia...

some resources for reviews, specs, reliability, resale value, etc:

edmunds.com
kbb.com
cars.com

my fave is cars.com, since you can search for used cars by zipcode and put in all kinds of specific search criteria. edmunds has great reviews however.
 

Suzibeck

Active member
Thanks! We just got back from looking at a 2002 Kia Sedona that had one owner, a corporation, which means most likely highway miles and regular oil changes. I'm not ready yet to buy, have to do my research. Dh came with me to test drive on his lunch hour and he really liked it. We like that is is simple, no bells and whistles. Our current van, an Olds Silhouette, has been plagued by electrical problems so we are a bit gun shy of electric windows, doors, seats... Just more things to go wrong.

I got a good install of our MA quite quickly and feel confident that I could get a rock solid one easily with minimal practice. I did not try the LATCH because I've never installed with LATCH and didn't have the time to play with it today, dh had to get back to work. Never thought I'd even be able to consider a LATCH equipped vehicle before my kids were out of carseats. It is nice to have the last one be a peanut!
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
www.carfax.com is helpful to check on a specific used car's history (you'll need the Vehicle Identification Number for purchasing the history report), and www.informedforlife.org is handy for looking up safety ratings and crash test scores.

:happy-wavehello: Happy shopping.
 

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