New car needed

[TomK]

I need a new car. My faithful 2002 Ford Focus is starting to show its age as it approaches 200,000 miles and now any repairs cost more than the car is worth. I'm not sure whether to go with a new or second-hand car but I don't think I want to deal with a private seller. I'm wondering if anyone has had recent dealings with car dealerships and if they have recommendations or suggestions.

I'm not interested in a truck or large SUV, rather I'm looking for a decent hatchback, sedan or compact SUV.

Thanks!

[happygolucky]

I am in the market looking for something just you are looking for. If anyone has a car thats a 2104 or higher at a good price please do let me know. No trucks, vans or large SUVs please. Have dealt with car lots and the tax is what throws me off along with not trusting their word on cars. I purchased a 2016 from Nissan and the car is loaded with problems.

[leilanidude]

Buy a new car from Oregon via phone/email and ship it over. You will still save thousands over the cost of buying locally. Used car prices are way up and you will be better off buying new with the huge discounts combined with a new car warranty available through a mainland dealership.

[bgiles]

Tom...Honda Fit. Great gas mileage. And if you get sandwiched between two vans at Walmart, the wide-angle rear view camera sees oncoming cars. The CVT is a new feeling to me but I got used to it. Even the back seat is comfortable.

[dan_c]

You might try the rental car sale market.  Looks like a bunch of 2019 Chevy Cruze cars are being sold from Hertz on the Kona side.  A number still have a 2-3 thousand miles of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty left. The car gets decent MPG and has good reviews.  2019 was the last model year.  Plenty of other models available too.

https://www.hertzcarsales.com/used-cars-for-sale.htm?geoZip=96740&geoRadius=20

[Gus]

I've been looking for a Honda Fit and found the perfect one in Kona. While test driving it, my wife stayed behind and chatted with the seller who said she was moving to Northern California. Why would you want to do that??? It's a horrible place now full of oppresive heat and fires. You should stay here!. Thanks wifey. The seller texted me yesterday she is taking my wife's advice. Now looking for a late model Honda Fit....

[TomK]

Thanks, everyone. The Hertz rental car idea is something I had looked into in the past but didn't realize they were selling cars on the Big Island. They do have some decent deals but I've also seen reviews about the Cruze which say it's great to drive but doesn't last very long. Alternatively, the Honda Fit would be very similar to my Focus but obviously much more modern. The one thing that concerns me is that Honda is selling their Fits for way over MSRP while other dealers aren't. Anyway, I'll do a little more research and appreciate the responses so far.

[leilanidude]

Thanks, everyone. The Hertz rental car idea is something I had looked into in the past but didn't realize they were selling cars on the Big Island. They do have some decent deals but I've also seen reviews about the Cruze which say it's great to drive but doesn't last very long. Alternatively, the Honda Fit would be very similar to my Focus but obviously much more modern. The one thing that concerns me is that Honda is selling their Fits for way over MSRP while other dealers aren't. Anyway, I'll do a little more research and appreciate the responses so far.

Tomk - The Big Island's Honda dealer is selling the Fit for over MSRP - Simply phone and email a couple of Oregon dealerships and tell that what you want and that you will need it delivered to the port. They do that routinely. You will save thousands.

ps - Big Island Honda is not worth the effort. I have worked in dealerships and trust me on this - they are some of the biggest scammers you may ever come across.

[terracore]

If you buy a car from out of state, does the "DMV" here try to collect the use tax or report you to The Tax Man? A friend of mine on Oahu was registering a new vehicle and had to do something (I don't remember if it was filling out a form, checking a box, or whatever) to get off their tax collection radar.

https://files.hawaii.gov/tax/legal/tir/1...ir93-3.pdf

"Chapter 238, HRS, imposes and levies a use tax upon the landed
value of tangible personal property purchased from an unlicensed seller or
imported for a purchaser’s own use or consumption in Hawaii. The use tax
is imposed when the property is acquired by the purchaser or importer and
becomes subject to the taxing jurisdiction of this State. In the case of a
motor vehicle imported into the State for use, the tax is imposed when the
motor vehicle comes to rest in the State and ceases its character as an
article in interstate commerce.

Calculation of the Landed Value of a Motor Vehicle

The landed value of the motor vehicle is calculated as follows:

Add the followinq:
1. Cost of the motor vehicle (usually the invoice price paid by the
purchaser including any retail sales tax paid to another state or
local government);
2. Freight charges;
3. Insurance costs;
4. Any customs duty; and
5. Any other charges incident to landing the motor vehicle in Hawaii."

[kalakoa]

Per form G-27, no Use Tax applies to a vehicle purchased from "a person who is not in the business of selling vehicles".
I personally don't think it's "legal" for the State to impose taxes on a transaction which occurs outside its borders. This includes any online purchase (Amazon, etc) which fail the "Nexus Test" (does the entire transaction take place in Hawaii).