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dreesemonkey posted:Q: Should I buy a brand new car? Why not? If you can afford it there's nothing wrong with buying a brand new car. The problem is people that can't afford brand new cars go out and buy them. Everyone here in BFC acts like everyone should have 100 dollar a month food budgets, live off of rice and beans, and drive 1988 beater Honda Civics.
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Oct 20, 2009 16:36
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skipdogg posted:Why not? If you can afford it there's nothing wrong with buying a brand new car. The problem is people that can't afford brand new cars go out and buy them. We've yet to see someone who can afford one. Everyone who's told the above needs it. And leasing is NOT 'being able to afford' a new car.
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Oct 20, 2009 16:39
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skipdogg posted:Why not? If you can afford it there's nothing wrong with buying a brand new car. The problem is people that can't afford brand new cars go out and buy them. I'm sorry, but if you can't pay cash, you can't afford it. I don't think "I can pay $XXX a month" as being able to afford something. Borrowing money for things that go down in value is not smart. I took out a mortgage for my home, but at least that should in theory go up in value over time. Getting into a nice car isn't that tough if you're responsible with money. Yea, it takes some time and your precious rear end may have sit on cloth instead of leather for a while, but if you lose your job you won't have to poo poo yourself wondering how you're going to make your car payments. Buy a $1500 beater honda/toyota/mazda, typically these are very reliable cars that get you from A to B. If you "pay yourself" a $300 car payment each month for a year you'd have $3600 saved up, and let's assume maybe $600 for unplanned maintenance so make that an even $3k. After that year you can most likely sell your $1500 shitheap for very close to what you paid for it, but let's assume you'd sell it for $1200. That would give you $4200 to spend on a car for that year. You can buy a newer, nicer A to B car, rinse and repeat the process and by year two or three (assuming you weren't saving extra to upgrade your car) you could be easily driving a $10-15k paid-for car. Through the wonderful world of depreciation you could be driving a very nice used car for $15k. This is BFC after all, not "Joneses 101: Everyone else has nice things, I deserve them too! Nicer, even!"
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Oct 20, 2009 16:59
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skipdogg posted:Why not? If you can afford it there's nothing wrong with buying a brand new car. The problem is people that can't afford brand new cars go out and buy them. I think he's implying that the initial depreciation hit is stupid from a financial point of view, and should be avoided by the savvy buyer. I agree with him to a point, though as long as people understand the depreciation hit, can afford it, and are OK with it, I don't see the problem. It's like telling Ritchie Rich he can't grind up a few thousand dollars for no reason. Yeah there's no point to it, but if he can afford it and he knows what he's doing, whatever, its his money to do with as he pleases.
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Oct 20, 2009 17:02
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The initial depreciation hit is a lot more complex than most people think, and often a new car IS better than buying a 1-2 year old car. The reason cars depreciate so quickly isn't because their intristic value has suddenly dropped... it's because the market wouldn't pay anything else because if it was close to a new car price they'd just buy a new car. Why would the market be so wary of a 1-2 year old car? Well it's because there are only a few options why someone is selling it: Option 1: They don't like driving a car more than a year old. Option 2: They ran into troubled times and need money fast. Option 3: The car is a piece of poo poo/lemon. If the seller is part of option 1 or 2, then yes it is a good deal to buy a 1-2 year old car, but often enough it is option 3 and a new car is a much better deal. Don't depend on the seller to let you know (or at least truthfully) which of the above is the reason why he's selling. And since option 3 is more common, the price MUST drop, because the risk of lower quality has increased dramatically. In fact, the reason why quality cars don't drop in price as quickly is because it isn't often that they are pieces of poo poo, so less people sell them at 1-2 years. That being said... this doesn't apply to buying a 10 year old Honda or anything. Vomik fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Oct 20, 2009 |
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Oct 20, 2009 22:15
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Vomik posted:but often enough it is option 3 and a new car is a much better deal. ... And since option 3 is more common I don't know of any studies that show that in the one to two year market, more than half the cars are huge lemons and basketcases.
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Oct 20, 2009 22:47
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dreesemonkey posted:
This is bullshit. I was looking around for a car recently and the only ones even close to this price range were cars from the late 80's. These aren't super reliable cars and there's a decent chance you're a turn away from a $2000 repair bill. In fact re-reading your post again, I can't believe you actually think it's a decent plan. Harry fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Oct 20, 2009 |
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Oct 20, 2009 22:49
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Harry posted:This is bullshit. I was looking around for a car recently and the only ones even close to this price range were cars from the late 80's. These aren't super reliable cars and there's a decent chance you're a turn away from a $2000 repair bill. I just ran a search on autotrader for toyotas/hondas/mazdas under $2000, they all had salvage titles and have one foot in the grave ("minor transmission issues!"). I bet you could get a early/mid 90s W-body that might be ok for a while. Or a Taurus... Toyotas/Hondas don't seem to go much bellow $3k-4k in value.
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Oct 20, 2009 23:07
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hobbesmaster posted:I just ran a search on autotrader for toyotas/hondas/mazdas under $2000, they all had salvage titles and have one foot in the grave ("minor transmission issues!"). True. I have a 2000 Civic with 125K on it. Well taken care of, all scheduled maintenance done, etc etc. I could get 3K for it tomorrow on craigslist. 3500+ if I was willing to wait a week or two to sell it. Only cost 11,500 brand new 9 years ago. A few years ago I paid 1900 dollars for a 98 Dodge Neon in pretty reasonable condition. I put 900 bucks into it (with my buddy being the mechanic and cutting me a deal) and drove it for 2 years before I got rid of it. The only thing I had to fix was a busted starter for about 250 bucks. 3050 bucks for 2 years of transportation wasn't bad, but gently caress, the A/C didn't work, the red paint had faded to a faggoty pinkish red, it had a leaky valve seal that made it smoke on startup and taking off from a stop light and it was a crapshoot if the thing was ever going to break down. Never drove more than 4 miles from my house in it. It got me from point A to B, but that was it.
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Oct 20, 2009 23:40
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So what do people think the "sweet spot" for a broke-rear end who needs inexpensive transport is? $3000? $5000? Roughly how much should someone expect to spend these days on a "beater" without getting a POS that's too unreliable to get them to work/Sam's Club/an interview for a better job?
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Oct 21, 2009 00:52
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Neophyte posted:So what do people think the "sweet spot" for a broke-rear end who needs inexpensive transport is? $3000? $5000? Unfortunately its sort of on a car by car basis. You can look at autotrader, between $2500 and $5000 you pay a little bit more and you can get a lot more car. $2500-3000 gets you a 1990ish Japanese Sedan or '93-95ish coupe, $5000is gets you closer to a 2000 sedan or coupe. All vehicles of these ages can have serious problems due to neglect, whether they're a Toyota or a Chrysler. You need to be careful, there are some incredible bargains out there, but there are also some massive money pits. I've whined in threads before (this one too?) about how my 2000 Accord has absurdly priced OEM parts, all Japanese cars are going to have that to some extent (Honda is the worst though). A domestic will have cheaper parts, and every mechanic will have worked on a mid 90s panther or W-body but thats not be a good thing.
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Oct 21, 2009 01:27
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Neophyte posted:So what do people think the "sweet spot" for a broke-rear end who needs inexpensive transport is? $3000? $5000? I thought you decided to keep your car? It depends. Do you know anyone that works on cars? Are you capable of doing some work yourself? Are you willing to put any money into the car? or does it need to run perfect from the start?
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Oct 21, 2009 01:28
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dreesemonkey posted:Q: Should I buy a brand new luxury car or truck? A year and a half ago I was in the process of purchasing a car and was looking at the Mazda3. I could buy a 1-2 year old Mazda3s hatchback for ~16-18K+TTL and after my trade in end up with ~12-13K loan at 5-6% on a used car. Instead I found a car dealership willing to cut a deal, $1000 below invoice, and got a brand new one for $18K+TTL, and got the dealership to cut me a check for $500 for an accessory I wanted the car didn't have (I ended up pocketing the $500 instead of buying overpriced dealer parts). $14K financed after my trade in. The kicker, 2.9% financing. In the sub-$20K market more often than not brand new is going to be more financially sound if you can work out a good financing deal. The whole point for me was to never be upside down on the car and not get raped in finance charges. I'm paying $1,000 over 60 payments to finance the car, got a base price very similar to a 1-2 year old car, and have 1-2 years of additional warranty versus a used model. I will always be able to "afford" this car despite the financing, as I will never be upside down on it. Worst case scenario is I sell it and buy a beater with the meager proceeds.
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Oct 21, 2009 05:40
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Harry posted:This is bullshit. I was looking around for a car recently and the only ones even close to this price range were cars from the late 80's. These aren't super reliable cars and there's a decent chance you're a turn away from a $2000 repair bill. his idea is a good idea in general though. Yes in your area a mid 90's beater costs 3-4k, so your first beater is 3-4k. Save $300 per month for a year add that to the 4k from selling your 4k beater (cause in a year it isn't going to drop much if any in value)and drive a paid for $7k car. Save for 2 or 3 and repeat. Yes stuff like wrecks or major engine failure can stop or slow this down, but the goal is YOU DO NOT HAVE A CAR PAYMENT. Neophyte posted:So what do people think the "sweet spot" for a broke-rear end who needs inexpensive transport is? $3000? $5000? This can depend on your area alot. Around here (Indiana) $6000-$7000 will get you an early to mid 200x car like a taurus or a focus or a civic with on avg 75,000 miles. The big things you can do to get the price lower is try not to deal with a dealership and bring cash. If you are standing in front of a random person saying I will hand you (asking price - ~$500) right now for your car, most of the time they will jump on it. The big thing is taking your time to find a solid car. Ask questions like how often was the oil changed, has the timing belt been changed, etc. Look at things like the color of the oil(if the owner say changed last week and its dark black he is full of poo poo or ask for receipts showing they did it regularly), how clean the air filter is (easy in most cars to get to and if it looks like its never been changed you know the owner didn't do easy stuff, then he sure as gently caress didn't do hard stuff), what condition are the tires in (big difference in wear lvl or all tires are way low on pressure), what color the coolant is (is it clean or full of crap). These are all things that are pretty easy to take care of and can quickly give you an idea of if the car has been taken care of. Are they going to tell if the transmission will blow up in 10k miles, no, but its a starting spot. Some people like getting it checked by a mechanic but this can be harder to do depending on how many hoops the owner is willing to jump through/how much demand the car has. Also if you are car shopping don't be afraid to travel to go get a car. In some areas going just 100 miles can drop car prices a ton. If you go to AI and ask nicely odds are some one lives near the car you are looking at and would be willing to go check it out for you for a beer or gas money. Backno fucked around with this message at 07:59 on Oct 21, 2009 |
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Oct 21, 2009 07:27
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Neophyte posted:So what do people think the "sweet spot" for a broke-rear end who needs inexpensive transport is? $3000? $5000? Here's my thoughts on this: Find out how much you can afford, and buy a car thats about $1,000 less than that. Use that thousand dollars to fix the major things wrong with the car (or, if its perfect, give it a good tune-up). I think this is better than spending the entire amount on a car because now you're driving a car with new parts and nothing major broken. Take the Volvo we got: Paid $2500 for it, and with the extra grand, I've replaced the broken odometer gear, gotten the ABS/traction control fixed, oil change/all filters, entire ignition system replaced, and replaced the PCV system. (Granted the car is sitting in the parking lot with the engine half disassembled, but that's another story  )Backno posted:Also if you are car shopping don't be afraid to travel to go get a car. In some areas going just 100 miles can drop car prices a ton. If you go to AI and ask nicely odds are some one lives near the car you are looking at and would be willing to go check it out for you for a beer or gas money. Agreed. I live in South Bend and I went to Chicago for my last car. Looking on Autotrader and Craigslist, there's very little in my area that I would even consider buying. Arzakon posted:
This is why I ended up buying a new car rather than used in '03. Looking back I shouldn't have financed anything at all, but hindsight is 20/20. I got a brand new Altima for 2.9%; I don't remember that the used cars were but they were plenty more than that, something like 8-9% at least I think. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Oct 21, 2009 |
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Oct 21, 2009 12:29
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Vomik posted:If the seller is part of option 1 or 2, then yes it is a good deal to buy a 1-2 year old car, but often enough it is option 3 and a new car is a much better deal. Don't depend on the seller to let you know (or at least truthfully) which of the above is the reason why he's selling. And since option 3 is more common, the price MUST drop, because the risk of lower quality has increased dramatically. That is all totally incorrect, a huge percentage of the ordinary 2-3 year old cars on the market are ex-lease and therefore still under warranty and certified. This applies even more for luxury cars, a CPO off lease BMW is always going to be a more prudent choice than a new one. Would you buy a new Chrysler shitbox over a lightly used Corolla or Camry? sanchez fucked around with this message at 14:21 on Oct 21, 2009 |
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Oct 21, 2009 14:19
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skipdogg posted:Everyone here in BFC acts like everyone should have 100 dollar a month food budgets, live off of rice and beans, and drive 1988 beater Honda Civics. That's because people rarely post a thread that goes like this: "Hey Guys. I just got another big raise at work and I've been married to my Wife, a nerdy trust fund girl who doesn't have expensive tastes, for a year. Her trust fund is 1.6m dollars and we're buying a 400,000 dollar house, but her Dad wants her to buy a 450,000 dollar house which has hardwood floors and other rich person shiny poo poo that we don't really care about. We're currently making 116k a year before taxes, of which 52k is from her trust, so it's available even if I lose my job. We have no kids and are using 2 types of contraceptives even though we rarely have sex. I think the extra 50k cost is overboard, particularly since my Wife is unemployed and only gets money from her trust. Any advice?" But people frequently post a thread that goes like this: "Hey Guys. I just got another fired at my job delivering pizzas in my Mini and I'm living with my girlfriend, a financially inept girl with a debt of only 16,000 dollars. We're buying a 450,000 dollar house, but her Dad wants her to buy a 400,000 dollar house which doesn't have the hardwood floors and other rich person shiny poo poo that we really want. We're were making 61k a year before I got fired, and I think I'll get rehired at the same payrate. My girlfriend has 25k a year from her fast food job, so it's available even though I lost my job. We only have 1 kid. My wife is having morning sickness again, but we think it's nothing. I think I can afford the extra 50k cost since my wife is still working. Any advice?"
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Oct 21, 2009 14:21
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hobbesmaster posted:I just ran a search on autotrader for toyotas/hondas/mazdas under $2000, they all had salvage titles and have one foot in the grave ("minor transmission issues!"). I wouldn't look on autotrader for cheap cars, craigslist is where you'd go for cheap cars.
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Oct 21, 2009 14:47
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Backno posted:his idea is a good idea in general though. Yes in your area a mid 90's beater costs 3-4k, so your first beater is 3-4k. Save $300 per month for a year add that to the 4k from selling your 4k beater (cause in a year it isn't going to drop much if any in value)and drive a paid for $7k car. Save for 2 or 3 and repeat. Yes stuff like wrecks or major engine failure can stop or slow this down, but the goal is YOU DO NOT HAVE A CAR PAYMENT. Car payments aren't the end of the world. If you guys think you can find a decent car for $4-5k then go for it, but from what I saw you're opening yourself up to a broken heap of a car which you won't get anything back from.
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Oct 21, 2009 15:05
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dreesemonkey posted:I wouldn't look on autotrader for cheap cars, craigslist is where you'd go for cheap cars. you better not bet one of those people that told CH to list his Mini on Autotrader then <  :>Seriously though, CL over a wider net is probably better for finding a cheap car in a short time. You can use tools like Crazedlist to sweep over several area CLs at once, if you're willing to go far for your beater. Ex: http://crazedlist.org/index.cgi?are...8&submit=Search (you have to set some option in FF to get that to work) If it means getting a good deal on the car, putting in the extra search effort is obviously worth it.
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Oct 21, 2009 16:43
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kimbo305 posted:you better not bet one of those people that told CH to list his Mini on Autotrader then < For the mini autotrader is probably a decent idea. Anything $5k and under my mind automatically thinks about CL, for whatever reason. Crazedlist is pretty cool, I have some searches set up as a feed in google reader that update automatically for me, it's great! Harry posted:Car payments aren't the end of the world. If you guys think you can find a decent car for $4-5k then go for it, but from what I saw you're opening yourself up to a broken heap of a car which you won't get anything back from. You can buy a new car and have it be a lemon and end up trolling around in dealer loaners for six months (It's happen to my friend who only buys new more than one time - both cars were bought back under lemon law). Buying new doesn't automatically mean no worries. Seriously though, with some hunting you can find some great cars for $2-5k.
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Oct 21, 2009 17:17
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dreesemonkey posted:You can buy a new car and have it be a lemon and end up trolling around in dealer loaners for six months (It's happen to my friend who only buys new more than one time - both cars were bought back under lemon law). Buying new doesn't automatically mean no worries. Seriously though, with some hunting you can find some great cars for $2-5k. Yes but you have guarantees, unlike the "great" cars with "only a few problems" you get from craigslist.
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Oct 21, 2009 17:21
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Harry posted:unlike the "great" cars with "only a few problems" you get from craigslist. Maybe this hasn't been emphasized enough, but to buy a good car cheap, you have to arm yourself with knowledge. No, you don't have to be a shadetree mechanic, but you should be well versed with the general workings of all aspects of a car and familiar with specific issues of the model you're looking at buying. Basically, you should never be taking the seller's word for anything. Inspect the car yourself and crosscheck the maintenance records against known problems for the model.
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Oct 21, 2009 17:27
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kimbo305 posted:Maybe this hasn't been emphasized enough, but to buy a good car cheap, you have to arm yourself with knowledge. No, you don't have to be a shadetree mechanic, but you should be well versed with the general workings of all aspects of a car and familiar with specific issues of the model you're looking at buying.
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Oct 21, 2009 18:01
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Michaelos posted:That's because people rarely post a thread that goes like this: For what it's worth, people on the SA forums come from all walks of life and not everyone is some hybrid of Zaurg and CH. A lot of us are financially sound and don't have sob stories to post but do browse these forums to get a better understanding of things that we don't know very much about - like cars, for example, or stocks - as well as to give advice on things we do have a grip on. It's helpful to say "Don't buy a new car because X, Y, Z" like CH did in the OP. It's not very helpful to just post "Don't ever buy a new car" without giving the reasons why - whether it's simply due to the fact that many people can't afford it, due to the depreciation of the car, or some other reason. If he meant people shouldn't go into debt over a vehicle, then he should say that specifically (there are plenty of used cars people can't afford as well) and explain WHY it's a dumb idea. That kind of stuff makes this thread useful for readers, blanket statements with no explanations really don't.
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Oct 21, 2009 18:24
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Harry posted:Yeah. I'm just trying to stop this mantra I've been seeing here where every $4000 car works 100% fine and it's easy to find and buy one off of CL and never have a major repair. Cars with over 130k miles can run great if they're well maintained, but let's face it that's not the norm. Yeah. That point is so important, it should be edited into the OP.
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Oct 21, 2009 18:38
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KarmaCandy posted:A lot of us are financially sound and don't have sob stories to post.
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Oct 21, 2009 19:23
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Michaelos posted:For instance, technically the question "Okay, I want a Bugatti Veyron, but I want to be financially savvy about it. How much do I need in assets and income to make owning one be reasonable?" would fit this thread, but not a lot of people ask that question on the internet. Sure, there are also less extreme examples. I am currently reading this thread because I know I will need a new car eventually and when I do, I want to know something about it. I'm 28 and still using my first car from high school (which was used to begin with and which I've had a billion problems with since I first got it though it keeps on surviving) so I don't have any real experience with car shopping. I wouldn't normally post a thread about myself and my situation specifically, I would just browse, read what people have to say and learn from here, along with reading other sites. I have about $27k earmarked in a car fund right now and should have $28k to spend when the car finally dies thanks to interest. I can obviously afford to buy a new car without any car payments, I'm a little risk adverse due to how many problems I had with my current car right from the start, but since I'm not a car enthusiast, my leanings would still be towards a used car and saving the money for something else. I'm sure there are plenty of other people who have saved up about $15k and are thinking new Civic vs. used car. It's just more helpful if things aren't dumbed down as though all readers are poo poo poor, and actual real advice with reasons are given (which it has been for the most part). CH's OP is great, but obviously, additional opinions are great. Personally, I would love to see more people talk about which cars they think are the best value, which cars people have really good experiences with, which cars suck, and so on.
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Oct 21, 2009 20:57
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KarmaCandy posted:CH's OP is great, but obviously, additional opinions are great. Personally, I would love to see more people talk about which cars they think are the best value, which cars people have really good experiences with, which cars suck, and so on. The 90s-era Geo Prizm is functionally equivalent to the Toyota Corolla (same factory, most of the same parts), but because it's badged a Geo it doesn't have the same automatic price markup. We're at 150k on a '97 and the only major repair so far was replacing the starter.
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Oct 21, 2009 21:27
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Harry posted:Car payments aren't the end of the world. If you guys think you can find a decent car for $4-5k then go for it, but from what I saw you're opening yourself up to a broken heap of a car which you won't get anything back from. No they are not...but for alot of people they only think "this car is only $250 per month, I can afford that!" When in reality they should be driving a much cheaper car. I actually have a car payment atm because my old car (93 plymoth sundance) had a cracked block and was going to die at any moment and I didn't have enough saved up to replace it. I had my dad co-sign and I have gotten to the point where I could pay the car off at any time, but I dont want to because I want teh regular payments to help my credit. One of the reasons I am big on the no car payment thing to alot of people is that alot of the people who are asking are in bad shape money wise. They need quick, harsh advise that is easy to follow to get them started. Once they have done that for a bit and have a better handle on things they can move to more advanced advice. Telling a person "well a car payment is ok if you make X and have Y debt and if cars in your area cost Z and, and, and..." is harder to follow then "sell the car, buy a beater with cash, save the car payment for another car/car repairs".
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Oct 21, 2009 22:33
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Engineer Lenk posted:The 90s-era Geo Prizm is functionally equivalent to the Toyota Corolla (same factory, most of the same parts), but because it's badged a Geo it doesn't have the same automatic price markup. We're at 150k on a '97 and the only major repair so far was replacing the starter. I've got a 99 Camry and while I can't think of a more boring car to drive, it's been extremely reliable. My fuel pump was acting funny (but the car still was driving) so I replaced it. ~$60 and 30 minutes of labor was all it took. The 4 cylinder models have a huge engine bay and just about everything is easy to take apart/replace. Oil changes take about 10 minutes from start to finish, too!
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Oct 21, 2009 22:46
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Backno posted:No they are not...but for alot of people they only think "this car is only $250 per month, I can afford that!" When in reality they should be driving a much cheaper car. I actually have a car payment atm because my old car (93 plymoth sundance) had a cracked block and was going to die at any moment and I didn't have enough saved up to replace it. I had my dad co-sign and I have gotten to the point where I could pay the car off at any time, but I dont want to because I want teh regular payments to help my credit.
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Oct 21, 2009 22:48
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KarmaCandy posted:Personally, I would love to see more people talk about which cars they think are the best value, which cars people have really good experiences with, which cars suck, and so on. I think cars with an enthusiast following is one way to go. You have to be willing to do some basic work and torubleshooting yourself, though, so there is a slight cost there. However, you get enormous online resources, and websites that cater directly to you. For instance, if I need parts for my BMW, I can go to five or six different websites for parts, a number of forums and DIY sites for advice, and even here for exploded parts diagrams for every single component of my car. The Volvo is similar. Naturally most enthusiast cars are going to be sporty and sometimes not as reliable as a Camry. But there are a number that are both reliable and have a following... unfortunately, Civics come to mind. Mazda Protege's come to mind too. Even Neons, especially the first generation. But a car like a Sebring, not so much. Heck even Bonnevilles and Grand Prixs have web forums, though they tend to be not frequented much and the people that do, are morons. If this isn't something you're interested in, yeah you'll get your standard Corolla/Camry/Accord/Civic replies. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Oct 22, 2009 |
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Oct 22, 2009 00:17
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CornHolio posted:If this isn't something you're interested in, yeah you'll get your standard Corolla/Camry/Accord/Civic replies. I'm a girl with no propensity or interest in fixing cars so I'm honestly probably not down for that. I'm just sort of curious, with something like $27 - $28k saved up, is it better to get something like a new Camry, get a used Camry and save the rest of the money or would it be at all worth it to move up a level and get a used vehicle that is a bit above the standard Camry/Accord? And if so, is there a general consensus on that next tier of reliable cars?
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Oct 22, 2009 00:31
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CornHolio posted:If this isn't something you're interested in, yeah you'll get your standard Corolla/Camry/Accord/Civic replies. Can't speak for the Toyotas, but all Hondas seem to have at least some web presence. It'll commonly be on a separate section of the "JDM civic tuner" crowd, but its there.
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Oct 22, 2009 00:31
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KarmaCandy posted:I'm a girl with no propensity or interest in fixing cars so I'm honestly probably not down for that. I'm just sort of curious, with something like $27 - $28k saved up, is it better to get something like a new Camry, get a used Camry and save the rest of the money or would it be at all worth it to move up a level and get a used vehicle that is a bit above the standard Camry/Accord? And if so, is there a general consensus on that next tier of reliable cars? I'd just get a slightly used Camry or Accord, and save up the money for a similar luxury car. If you like your Camry or Accord, you can move up to a Lexus (made by Toyota) or an Acura (made by Honda) or an Infiniti (made by Nissan), all are 'premium' versions of their regular cars (for instance, an Acura TL is a premium version of the Accord). And after just a few years you'll probably be able to easily afford a used/CPO model. There's of course the entry-level European cars like BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, Audi, etc... and American cars like, uh, well I guess Cadillac is it, but really if you're not interested in the 'DRIVING EXPERIENCE (tm)' I wouldn't worry about any of those. Also, and this goes for everybody, if you're a girl, bring a guy friend with you when shopping for cars. Even if you're very much into cars. Salesman assume girls don't know poo poo and will try their best to con you in any and every way they can. Yes, what you've seen on 20/20 is true. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Oct 22, 2009 |
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Oct 22, 2009 00:37
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CornHolio posted:and American cars like, uh, well I guess Cadillac is it, but really if you're not interested in the 'DRIVING EXPERIENCE (tm)' I wouldn't worry about any of those. Lincoln. They're just really comfy Fords; but then again Caddys are really comfy Chevys. Also: EcoBoost.
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Oct 22, 2009 00:43
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hobbesmaster posted:Lincoln. They're just really comfy Fords; but then again Caddys are really comfy Chevys. Also: EcoBoost. Yeah there's Lincoln, but honestly I just see them as trim levels for Ford (same with Mercury). At least every Cadillac model (I think) is unique. It's not like the CTS is a fancy Malibu or something.
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Oct 22, 2009 00:45
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KarmaCandy posted:I'm a girl with no propensity or interest in fixing cars so I'm honestly probably not down for that. quote:is it better to get something like a new Camry, get a used Camry and save the rest of the money or would it be at all worth it to move up a level and get a used vehicle that is a bit above the standard Camry/Accord? There's 2 independent factors here: - do you want / need to spend most of that money on a car? If not, it's pointless to minimax what you can get for your full budget. - what do you rank as your priorities in a car? All the AI posters rank performance and driving feel pretty high compared to the average car buyer. Your tastes and preferences are completely valid and subjective, but you have to be honest with yourself on what you want in the car. Take your question above -- picture a run of the mill Camry. When you think of a car a step above it, what features are coming into play? Leather interior? More comfortable seats? More powerful engine? All wheel drive? A ride that is softer/sharper/whatever? If you can't decisively pick those things out, then maybe the Camry is right for you. Or, maybe you have to go out and drive a ton of cars. Anyways, my point is, no one can tell you what the 3-year old best buy alternative to a brand new Camry is. It depends entirely on what you're expecting in the car. It is possible that you like something like an Audi A6. At that point, you'll be warned about maintenance and reliability issues. It's a stereotype but it's also true. Do your homework and decide if paying less to buy is worth an extra hit over the years.
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Oct 22, 2009 00:46
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CornHolio posted:Yeah there's Lincoln, but honestly I just see them as trim levels for Ford (same with Mercury). At least every Cadillac model (I think) is unique. It's not like the CTS is a fancy Malibu or something. Same thing for Lexus and Acura.
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Oct 22, 2009 00:47
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