Post #72516 by 8FT Tiki on Sun, Jan 25, 2004 10:33 PM

I've had good luck with my '92 Nissan. Would definitely but another Nissan. But right now I have my eye on the Toyota Matrix. It's the only car I know of that allows you to haul something up to 8 feet long without having it hang out of the tail or leaving the hatch up. It's because the rear seat folds flat but so does the FRONT passenger seat. How cool is that? You could haul poles for carving or bed rails or bamboo etc. etc.

Here's 2 bits of advice I would pass on to anyone car-shopping:

A.) Go to the closest Auto Show in a major city. Often held sometime in the first 3 months of the year. There you will be able to view an amazing range of makes and models up close and without the hassle you often get when you walk around a dealership lot. You can also pick up all the brochures you want and sit inside all the cars to get a feel for the controls and various options. Then you can arrange for test drives with the reps on hand. It really cuts down on the time you spend running around to car lots and you can stumble onto a make you never considered before which may be just what you need or want. It is definitely worth the admission cost.

B.) Consider hiring an Auto Broker to work for you. For a small fee they will arrange for the cars you want to test drive to be delivered to you and you can try as many as you want. If you find something you are interested in buying, they will do the negotiating for you. You tell them what you want and they search for it and let you know the best price you can get. Then if you agree, they hook you up with their contact at the particular dealership which has the auto. Then you go in to sign and drive. It's a low stress way of buying a car. If you're not the type who likes to haggle at a dealership, this may be right for you. I've done it twice and would again. Sorry for the long post. Best of luck to all the car shoppers out there!