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The Prius is a very solid car, but I don't think the poster can find a lightly used one within the given budget. The only Prius' (or is it Prii?), around me under 16K are all 5+years old with 100K+ miles on them.
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May 22, 2012 06:38
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http://www.cars.com/for-sale/search...ORM&enableSeo=1 Base model Prius MSRP started at around $20k new in 2008. You'll spend a bit more than a regular economy car but a 3 or 4 year old one is perfectly doable for $16k. Automatic AC standard.
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May 22, 2012 07:06
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skipdogg posted:The Prius is a very solid car, but I don't think the poster can find a lightly used one within the given budget. The only Prius' (or is it Prii?), around me under 16K are all 5+years old with 100K+ miles on them. The new prius did a number on old prius resale values. Also, quite frankly, the prius is probably the most reliable car Toyota makes, so one a bit older than average wouldn't scare me. The 2004 that the 2008 replaced was perfect until someone ran a red light. As noted above, a base model comes with everything you need like ac, radio, power windows, some years even a backup camera. The higher tiers, which really don't command much more money (except the tourings), just have stuff you might want. nm fucked around with this message at 07:28 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 07:26
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I was about to sit here and swear that my '07 Mazdaspeed3 feels huge on the inside compared to my dad's '12 Prius, but according to FuelEconomy.gov they're within one cubic foot on passenger volume, and the Prius actually has more cargo space.
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May 22, 2012 07:34
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You might get a base my2010 outback for close to 16k. They started at 22000. Carseats fit very well. Rear facing ones can be tight in Mazda 3s.
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May 22, 2012 13:06
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skipdogg posted:The Prius is a very solid car, but I don't think the poster can find a lightly used one within the given budget. The only Prius' (or is it Prii?), around me under 16K are all 5+years old with 100K+ miles on them. If we're following Latin, it should be "Priora" for the plural. Prius just means earlier, before. Probably they mean the adverb version, which doesn't change between singular and plural, but if they meant the adjective version (earlier thing), priora would be the plural (earlier things).  What's all this B segment C segment D segment business? You all keep using those words but they mean nothing to me. Perhaps you could explain them and I could throw it up in the OP or something.
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May 22, 2012 14:09
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Eggplant Wizard posted:What's all this B segment C segment D segment business? You all keep using those words but they mean nothing to me. Perhaps you could explain them and I could throw it up in the OP or something. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_size_class#Europe It's...not very rigorous.
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May 22, 2012 14:24
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Also, take your car seat with you when you go buy a car and test fit it.
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May 22, 2012 14:41
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Edmunds does a very serious long term testing fleet. They typically hold on to a car for close to a year. Granted, that really doesn't get into reliability for modern cars, but it does form a real daily driving impression. Several editors with different tastes and preferences will say what they do and don't like about it, and put the car through various practical tests, like fitting a bike inside. They also track fuel economy and see how it stacks up to what's advertised. I subscribe to the feed, even though I'm only intrigued by a couple of cars at a time. http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2012/05/our-next-long-term-cars-are-coming.html
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May 22, 2012 15:19
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kimbo305 posted:Edmunds does a very serious long term testing fleet. They typically hold on to a car for close to a year. Granted, that really doesn't get into reliability for modern cars, but it does form a real daily driving impression. Several editors with different tastes and preferences will say what they do and don't like about it, and put the car through various practical tests, like fitting a bike inside. They also track fuel economy and see how it stacks up to what's advertised. Edmunds was key in deciding my purchase of a Mazda2, and I agree with pretty much everything they've said about the car. It's a very, very good resource about what to expect when owning a specific car that they have in their fleet.
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May 22, 2012 15:39
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Eggplant Wizard posted:If we're following Latin, it should be "Priora" for the plural. Prius just means earlier, before. Probably they mean the adverb version, which doesn't change between singular and plural, but if they meant the adjective version (earlier thing), priora would be the plural (earlier things). Here's a quick primer for North America: A Segment (micro-cars): Smart, Scion iQ B Segment (subcompacts): Honda Fit, Mazda2 C Segment (compacts): Toyota Corolla, Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus D Segment (mid-size): Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord E Segment (full size): Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala Note: like the other poster said, it's not very strict as it's based on cargo volume rather than set vehicle lengths/sizes. You get situations where the Chevy Sonic and Hyundai Accent are both "subcompacts" but are nearly as big as the last generation of compacts.
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May 22, 2012 16:19
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This is great information; thanks! I'm interested in the Prius, but they're hard to come by in my price range. It also seems like people buy those and then drive the crap out of them, so the ones I'm finding tend to have a lot of miles. I was hoping that by the time I needed a new car, there would be more hybrids or all-electrics out.  I loathe even paying The Man for gas at ALL when I feel so strongly about the horrors of fossil fuels.  Realistically, I have to get around somehow, money is tight and I can't afford some fancy eco-car. I'm worried about car seats and cargo space in the smaller hatchbacks, but we'll be bringing the seat (and possibly the baby) with us when we test drive. Rear-facing seat accommodation is a must, and my husband is over 6 feet tall. The car I'm replacing is a Saturn coupe, so I'm sure pretty much anything is a space upgrade. (I did have the 3rd door, though, and that was nice.) Our mechanic buddy recommended the Matrix, but I wasn't thrilled about the fuel efficiency. Any thoughts about the Scion XD?
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May 22, 2012 16:35
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My wife wants a new forester, but I was thinking she's just married to the Subaru name brand. I was wondering what is comparable in the market space to test before she makes a decision. There is a Hyundai and a Nissan that looks comparable, but I have no experience with anything like this. Any ideas/suggestions? I really want her to try other types instead of just relying on brand loyalty.
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May 22, 2012 16:36
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The Young Marge posted:This is great information; thanks! I'm interested in the Prius, but they're hard to come by in my price range. It also seems like people buy those and then drive the crap out of them, so the ones I'm finding tend to have a lot of miles. I was hoping that by the time I needed a new car, there would be more hybrids or all-electrics out. If you want a matrix, buy the pontiac vibe instead. Its the same car but with a cheaper pontiac badge. Also dont take the baby with you if you can. You dont need the baby to fit the car seat.
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May 22, 2012 16:40
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LorneReams posted:My wife wants a new forester, but I was thinking she's just married to the Subaru name brand. I was wondering what is comparable in the market space to test before she makes a decision. There is a Hyundai and a Nissan that looks comparable, but I have no experience with anything like this. Any ideas/suggestions? I really want her to try other types instead of just relying on brand loyalty. Well, that really depends on what about the Forester she likes. Is it the wagon style (related to cargo room)? Or is it the AWD? Or is it just the cross-over feel of an SUV that drives like a car? Is it Subaru's attempt at conveying itself as highly reliable?
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May 22, 2012 16:50
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Thwomp posted:Well, that really depends on what about the Forester she likes. Is it the wagon style (related to cargo room)? Or is it the AWD? Or is it just the cross-over feel of an SUV that drives like a car? Is it Subaru's attempt at conveying itself as highly reliable? Cargo room, AWD, and the driving "height". She likes sitting up, as opposed to being low to the ground like in a car.
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May 22, 2012 16:59
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LorneReams posted:Cargo room, AWD, and the driving "height". She likes sitting up, as opposed to being low to the ground like in a car. Then the Forester may be the best fit. I was going to recommend a Toyota Venza and (to a lesser extent due to proportions  ) the Honda Crosstour, both of which have 4WD options but they are generally more expensive than the Forester (and slightly larger). They would be the closest comparisons to the body style of the Forester though. Most comparable vehicles to it are usually small SUVs (at which point you'd get into looking at Ford Escapes, Mazda CX5, and Honda CRVs).
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May 22, 2012 17:12
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I was thinking of having her try a hyundai tucson or a nissan murano before she decided.
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May 22, 2012 17:17
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If you want to steer her towards more traditional SUVs, you've got a lot to look at. Tucson - Hyundai is doing really well at the moment so I'd highly recommend checking it out. Murano - More of Nissan's mid-size CUV offering. If you are looking for something smaller, check out the Rogue. Otherwise, Nissans are hit-or-miss. Other small SUVs to consider: Honda CRV - Recently redone. Always a good choice but I find the interior kinda meh and they didn't change it much with the new model. Mazda CX5 - Newly redone and gets excellent gas mileage. Cargo room is always an issue with Mazdas though. Dodge Journey - I love the space you can get out of the Journey and driver comfort is seriously nice. Reliability is yet to be seen with post-bankruptcy Chrysler vehicles. Toyota Rav4 - It hasn't been refreshed in years and its showing its age. But some people swear by its reliability. Ford Escape - The new Escape rolls out this summer and offers a more sporty ride. Not quite Mazda but not CRV in sportiness. Also boasts excellent fuel economy.
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May 22, 2012 17:28
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LorneReams posted:Cargo room, AWD, and the driving "height". She likes sitting up, as opposed to being low to the ground like in a car. What's weird about the Forester is that the way the seat vs. floor is arranged, it's like sitting really low to the ground, high off the ground; in other words more like sitting on a floor with the legs in front than in a chair with the legs below.
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May 22, 2012 18:45
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The Young Marge posted:This is great information; thanks! I'm interested in the Prius, but they're hard to come by in my price range. It also seems like people buy those and then drive the crap out of them, so the ones I'm finding tend to have a lot of miles. That's partly because to make a hybrid pay off, you need to drive a lot of miles, and partly because the car is really, really reliable. High mileage on a car is not the death knell it used to be. There's a $3500 first-gen Prius for sale near me with over 220k on the clock. It looks like hell (every panel has some serious dents) but I would be shocked if someone couldn't squeak another 80k out of it with no major maintenance at all. Edit: Re the xD or however they capitalize it...it's still a Toyota and will probably run until the heat death of the universe. If you like everything else about it (mileage, space, how it drives, etc) then it's hard to say it would be anything but a good buy.
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May 22, 2012 19:06
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Let's chat about miles for a second. A lot of people (me included) pay close attention to how many miles are on a used car when considering the price. That makes some kind of sense of course. But: not all miles are equal. Generally, highway miles put a lot less stress on the mechanical components of a car. City stop-and-go miles put a lot more stress on them. So you can easily find that a car with 40,000 miles mostly done on a 50-mile-a-day freeway commute would have an engine in much better shape than a car with 40,000 miles done over a longer period of time, all short in-town trips, with maybe ten times as many cold startups and a hell of a lot more time idling the engine (which of course adds to its wear without incrementing the odometer at all). I always look at the exterior condition of the vehicle when considering miles. A car that does mostly freeway miles will have little chips in the front (you can't help but get them from rocks on the road) but not as much in the way of dings and dents on the doors and bumpers (from curbside parallel parking). It's also useful when buying private party to just ask the owner. You can also compare the age to the mileage. A 2009 car with 60,000 miles in it was either driven a lot in town, or (much more likely) a 5-day-a-week distance-commute vehicle, because it did 20,000 miles a year. (In the US a more typical average is 10k to 12k miles a year.) The other thing to understand is that generally car engines are just massively more reliable and long-lasting than they were even 20 years ago. Yet, "common wisdom" about cars tends to lag around 20 years or so. That's why there's still people who spout the following incorrect "common wisdom" things: -"change your oil every 3,000 miles or three months." This is badly out of date. Most cars need to change natural (non-synthetic) oil no more than every 5k to 8k miles, and synthetic oils last perhaps twice as long at least. -"Just buy a toyota or honda, they're the best for reliability." This reputation was well-earned throughout the 80s and 90s. Both brands are still good for reliability, but several other makers have vehicles that are just as good, if not better in specific cases. Toyotas and Hondas still command a large premium on the used market due to that reputation and as a result I often feel it's better to recommend another brand for a used car, just to avoid paying that "perception tax." -"Never buy a car over 100k miles, it'll cost too much to maintain." With the exception of some specific lemons, the engine in a gasoline-engined car can be expected to last at least 200k miles these days. Often more. A diesel engine can go at least 300k, perhaps a lot more. And maintenance costs for a car out of warranty are really just not that bad. Check the service schedule (they're mostly available online) and we can give you a ballpark figure for most vehicles. "Lightly used" these days really just means anything under maybe 6 years and perhaps 100k miles, unless you live in a roadsalt winter area in which case rust can be a big factor.
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May 22, 2012 20:00
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LorneReams posted:My wife wants a new forester, but I was thinking she's just married to the Subaru name brand. I was wondering what is comparable in the market space to test before she makes a decision. There is a Hyundai and a Nissan that looks comparable, but I have no experience with anything like this. Any ideas/suggestions? I really want her to try other types instead of just relying on brand loyalty. Here's a comprehensive comparison. The one notable omission they didn't test was the VW Tiguan. http://www.cars.com/go/crp/buyingGuides/Story.jsp?section=SUV&story=29familyOverview&subject=stories&year=New The results are fairly uncontroversial compared to most other reviews. The Chevy Equinox is the pick of the litter at this point. Last time I checked GM was running the Equinox plant at full capacity and still struggling to meet demand. As for the Forester, we had one of the last gens before we replaced it with a Dodge Journey. They are all AWD, so if you don't need AWD you have no choice, the 4 speed automatic models are "on-demand" or "part time" AWD, which helps fuel economy to be somewhat equal to the 5 speed manual model, which has an extra gear ratio but is a "full time" AWD. I'm putting quotes around those terms because car makers use the terms to mean whatever they like and there is no industry wide standard. Basically the 'part time" ones have a clutch that engages the rear wheels when slip is detected electronically, and most of the time the rear wheels are free wheeling, while "full time" means there is an actual differential delivering power to all 4 wheels all the time. Anyway the big problem with the Forester is that is still uses an ancient 4 speed automatic transmission that gives it relatively poor fuel economy compared to other cars that mostly have 6 speeds. The manual is also only a 5 speed, plus the "full time" AWD reduces fuel economy to the same level as the 4 speed auto. Subarus are known for being very safe in a crash, due to judicious use of high strength boron steel in the car bodies. The current model is an IIHS "top pick". However the other marques have not stayed complacent in this respect, the Equinox is also a "top pick" and scores very well in the 2011 revised NHTSA crash tests too (the Subaru has not yet been tested by the NHTSA for 2011), same goes for the Dodge Journey and Hyundai/Kia models. The one glaring problem I've seen with the current generation Subarus is that their paint seems to be extremely thin and it's apparently common to see 1 or 2 year old Subaru with huge swathes of rust and bubbling paint on the body, I've seen this on cars in Alberta where they don't put salt on the roads. IIRC you are in Ontario, so it would be much worse. It's a common issue and you can do a search to read up on it. Other than that, the car is average or mediocre in most other respects. If you are going to look at the Forester I would urge you to also consider the Subaru Outback as well. It is prices similar (a little higher maybe) to the Forester with the same engine, but because it's based on the platform of the larger Legacy, it has more room, a longer wheelbase and is all around a better car. The Outback is about 20cm longer than the Forester and similar in other exterior dimensionsr. The Legacy/Outback is lower in height (but ground clearance is the same) and has a longer wheelbase and wider track, all of which make for better driving dynamics. The base model Outback also uses a CVT transmission which delivers significantly better fuel economy than the outdated 4 speed auto in the Forester despite being a heavier vehicle. Here are the current NHTSA crash test results for both: Legacy: Front Driver: 4/5 Front Passenger: 4/5 Driver side: 5/5 Rear passenger side: 4/5 Rollover: 4/5 For the Forester: Front Driver: 4/5 Front Passenger: 5/5 Driver side: 4/5 Rear passenger side: 2/5 Rollover: 4/5 We could really see no reason to pick the Forester over the Outback. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 23:45 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 23:42
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Thanks for all this info, this is a big help. I'll check out the cars link...when she went to buy the Forester, I saw that the warrenty was only 36K compared to the 60K for the Hyundai, so I got her to old off until I looked into it. Also, the thing that sucks is she likes the size of the the Forester, and the Tucson is slightly small, but the Santa Fe is slightly too big I look in the Chevy Equinox, but it seems to be more like the Outback, which she dosen't really like. Again, thanks for all that info! EDIT: Looking at the Equinox, that might be good! It looks pretty sharp and the shape is misleading...it looks smaller then it is. LorneReams fucked around with this message at 23:59 on May 22, 2012 |
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May 22, 2012 23:55
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Here is something for the first post. Crash safety is something that people in AI often overlook but the average car buyer should consider. Cars today are much safer than they were, say, 10 years ago and are getting safer with every generation. In addition to protecting you in a crash, how well a car holds up in a crash is a good indication of how well the car is built in general and the level of technology within the vehicle and the marque. The safest cars also tend to be the best cars in other respects as well. There are 2 major safety testing organizations in the US, IIHS and NHTSA. They test cars using slightly different testing and scoring methods that also change over time, so old test scores aren't really comparable to new ones. The NHTSA scores changed completely for cars past 2011, and the IIHS added a roof crush test somewhere around 2008 or so. Without going on more about it, the best source for information is informed for life. There are good explanations for how safety and testing works, and also a comprehensive ranking table that aggregates both the IIHS and NHTSA test scores for a car. They also do some funky math to come up with a combined score but you don't need to worry about that.
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May 23, 2012 00:04
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LorneReams posted:Thanks for all this info, this is a big help. I'll check out the cars link...when she went to buy the Forester, I saw that the warrenty was only 36K compared to the 60K for the Hyundai, so I got her to old off until I looked into it. Also, the thing that sucks is she likes the size of the the Forester, and the Tucson is slightly small, but the Santa Fe is slightly too big 36k is pretty normal for a mass market brand, Hyundai/Kia and Mitsubishi are the exceptions to the rule and have much better warranties, however note that they are limited to the first owner, and if you sell the car the second owner doesn't get the big 10 year 100k powertrain warranty. quote:I look in the Chevy Equinox, but it seems to be more like the Outback, which she dosen't really like. I'm not sure if you are getting confused here. Both the Equinox(iirc) and the Outback are longer and larger than the Forester. Are you thinking maybe of the Outback Sport? That's a completely different car.
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May 23, 2012 00:10
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Throatwarbler posted:36k is pretty normal for a mass market brand, Hyundai/Kia and Mitsubishi are the exceptions to the rule and have much better warranties, however note that they are limited to the first owner, and if you sell the car the second owner doesn't get the big 10 year 100k powertrain warranty. I went looking at the outback and they were shorter and about the same length as the forester. They were right next to each other at the dealership.
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May 23, 2012 02:33
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LorneReams posted:I went looking at the outback and they were shorter and about the same length as the forester. They were right next to each other at the dealership. I have also done this and I'm afraid you are mistaken. http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/outback/static/compare.html Height 65.8" length: 188.2", wheelbase 107.9". http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/forester/static/compare.html Height 65.9" length: 179.5", wheelbase 103". The Equinox is 187" long. You must be confusing the Legacy Outback with the Outback Sport, the Outback Sport is indeed a smaller car than the Forester. In fact it looks like for 2012 they've removed the outback name and are just calling to the Impreza Sport, to avoid this sort of confusion. EDIT: Here's a thing. http://www.tricitysubaru.com/forester-vs--outback-side-by-side.htm Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 03:05 on May 23, 2012 |
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May 23, 2012 02:57
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So, I just bought a 2012 Prius. Driving this thing feels kind of like steering a whale. Also bummed that I got it for $1k under invoice and find the same model advertised the next day for $600 less. Anyways! Now I have a 2010 Honda Accord EX for sale. What's the best way to sell a car? My craigslist ad only seems to be getting spammers, even though I took the blue book private party price ($19,856) and discounted it by $1k. e: I took it to CarMax and they lowballed me
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May 26, 2012 08:35
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Mandalay posted:So, I just bought a 2012 Prius. Driving this thing feels kind of like steering a whale. Also bummed that I got it for $1k under invoice and find the same model advertised the next day for $600 less.
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May 26, 2012 08:55
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Mandalay posted:Now I have a 2010 Honda Accord EX for sale. What's the best way to sell a car? My craigslist ad only seems to be getting spammers, even though I took the blue book private party price ($19,856) and discounted it by $1k. For a car that new, I'd seriously consider bargaining with the dealer on trade-in value. Yes they will stack the whole deal against you, but it doesn't mean you won't get a decent deal for the amount of time invested compared to selling on CL.
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May 26, 2012 11:54
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Wandered into a Toyota dealership, wandered out with a black 2009 Prius. It's awesome, and really, it's everything I want in a vehicle, hands down. Thanks again for the comments and advice! Funny that I really already knew what I wanted, but it was great to get further input.
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May 26, 2012 21:13
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Great thread! I am looking for a new(to me) car. I have had a 1999 Infiniti I30-t for the last 5 years, and put about 100k miles on it. I have loved it, but have been waiting for it to die, since last May when the AC died, and I was quoted over $1200 to fix it by two different places. I have stubbornly managed to slog through a full year in Central Texas without AC until a few weeks ago when the radiator blew. It cost only $400 to get fixed the next day (B&M Transmission and Auto Repair in San Marcos was super awesome), but I took that as a sign that it was REALLY time to start looking. Price Range: 7K-11K cash Wants(in rough order of importance): AC that can stand up to Texas summers 4 Doors Feels "sporty" I guess. (I drove a friend's Altima and going 70 felt like I was in a school zone. It was infuriating.) Roomy, but not a land yacht "Nice" on the inside (Loved the Infiniti, love VWs, hate Scions) Good MPG for my 50 mile a day highway round trip to/from work Leather seats/interior Looks nice on the outside Ease/affordability of service Automatic transmission Any tips on where/how to buy would also be great, general(stay away from Craigslist/There are some great deals on Craigslist if you are careful!) or specific to Austin. My car is currently in working order, so I am not on a pressing timeline. 11k is my hard upper limit. My credit is terrible, but I have the option of paying in full up front. Is there any way to have payments/credit improvement, without getting a heinous interest rate due to current credit? Would a dealership even consider having something like an escrow account setup on a payment schedule, guaranteeing them money, thereby qualifying for lower interest, but still reporting for credit purposes? Thank you all very much. I have never purchased a car from anyone but immediate family, so I really have no idea how this all works.  Edit: Also, what should I do with my old car? It's a 13 year old black car with leather seats and no AC in Texas, with no power steering and interior/exterior in mediocre condition. Doom Rooster fucked around with this message at 05:38 on May 27, 2012 |
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May 27, 2012 05:36
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You might be shocked at what you could fix the AC with with junkyard parts. AC in Texas is one of the few things I'd probably fix before selling partciularly as I'll bet you can do it for under a grand. A no AC car will be virtually unsellable. Of course if you fix the AC, you might not need a new car. Check out a last gen G35, maybe an IS300, but those are a bit pricy for what they are still. Depending on what you define as nice or sporty, you have more options. 2002-2005 Subaru WRX (sport but iffy interior) 2005+ NAs as well if you don't need the power. I'd recommend a newer NA if you don't need the power. 2005+ Subaru Legacy 2.5i (NA motor -- they drive well, but they certainly aren't quick. The interior is fine though. The GT [turbo] is at the high end of the price range, but I wouldn't buy an automatic one and they can be temperamental.) Mazda 3 (good to drive. Not a lot of power Don't know how you feel about the interior) Mazda 6 (See Mazda 3, but bigger) I'd avoid VW like the plague, though reliability and cheap service excepted, a MKV Jetta would be right up your alley. nm fucked around with this message at 07:56 on May 27, 2012 |
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May 27, 2012 07:49
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Well, I've been struggling to figure this out on my own for too long. Time to post in the megathread!  Proposed Budget: Up to $8k New or Used: Used Body Style: 4-door; Compact Sedan How will you be using the car?: I'm an undergrad right now, so its primary use will be driving to class, work, grocery store, restaurants, etc. It's all in town, so highway MPG doesn't mean a whole lot to me. Every few weeks I might be doing a 2.5 hour drive to visit the parents, but that's about it. What aspects are most important to you?
On a side note, my parents recently bought a 2010 Chevy HHR, and I'm liking it quite a bit. I don't know if that means poo poo to anyone, but thought I'd throw it in here. Thanks for the great thread! I'll try to respond to any replies as soon as I can. It's a busy week.
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May 27, 2012 08:27
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Doom Rooster posted:Price Range: 7K-11K cash I think you want a BMW. They're more reliable than a VW. They're relatively common on the used market (because well-off people like to trade up to a brand new BMW pretty regularly). They have very nice interiors, are widely available with leather, and are sporty and fun to drive (most/all of them are rear wheel drive "drivers" cars). You can get one in auto. They look nice on the outside. They're roomier than typical for Japanese makes. I think a 3-series. For your budget you should be able to get a nice example with well under 100k on the clock. It will cost a little more to maintain than a domestic, but as long as you avoid the high-end models, it will probably be similar to your Infiniti. That said, I agree with nm... your Infiniti probably has another 100k miles in it if it is maintained, so unless it's really trashed I'd put the money in to fix the A/C on the cheap and then either keep it, or sell it as a running beater for a couple thou.
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May 27, 2012 08:29
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broken pixel posted:Proposed Budget: If you like the HHR, it's pretty much the same as a Cobalt of the same year, which I think fits your other criteria decently.
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May 27, 2012 08:44
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Leperflesh posted:I think you want a BMW. I think a last gen (2003-2006) G35 gives you much better bang for the buck in this price range though because of some pretty serious deprecation. A comedy option would be the 2003-2004 Infinti M45. I've never heard anything bad about them, and they're pretty big inside, but the styling is very love-hate. The cooled seats would be awesome in Texas. It is a V8 though, with the expected fuel economy. You can pick one up for well under $10,000.
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May 27, 2012 08:53
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nm posted:
Are you saying this because you know someone who is selling one? Or just that the book value is around $10,000? Because I don't think they sold more than a few thousand of them in total. A search on cars.com turns up 22 in the entire country, none are in Texas and half of them seem to be wrecks being parted out. I've never seen on in real life. You might as well be talking about W8 Passats. Try a 2003-4 Acura RL. 04 was the last model year before they switched body styles, of the most expensive car Honda sold. It was the last car to use the old longitudinal 90* iron block "C" engine, SOHC, no VTEC, should last forever as long as the timing belt is fresh. They are well equipped as standard from the factory with pretty nice interiors. "Roomy, but not a land yacht" and much more reliable than a loving BMW. I never recommend anyone buy a Honda/Acura because they typically have high resale values, but the RL was always sort of an orphan model with relatively low resale values compared to their MSRP new.
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May 27, 2012 12:12
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No, because it is cheap. I know they are rare, that is why they are the comedy option. I wouldn't even make a w8 a comedy option, that thing if a loving nightmare. Don't early 2000s v6 acuras and hondas have massive automatic transmission issues?
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May 27, 2012 21:58
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