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A Proper Uppercut
Sep 30, 2008

Just want to post where I'm at right now in the car buying process, which isn't all that far really. I've decided on the car, a 2012 Mazda 3. The particular one I'm looking at, MSRP is around $20.5k, invoice is around 19k.

Now, I'm going back and forth in emails with a couple dealerships, just trying to establish some early interest. They both offered me around 18k initially, which is way too high, I think. The ones I'm looking at are a lower trim, manual transmission, and leftover 2012 models. I can't imagine they're in high demand. They asked what I would want to pay, and I said in the neighborhood of 16.2k. Do you think this is unreasonable?

Also, I hope this is appropriate for this thread!

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KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Invoice is what the dealer pays for the car. I'm not going to say that 16,2 is unreasonable, because if you're really looking at 2012s, there's a massive incentive for the dealer to move them off the lot.

It's not like the dealer is going to walk away from you for lowballing them. They want to sell the car. However, I wouldn't be surprised if you had to come up to the $17K range, especially since there weren't significant changes to the 2013s.

A Proper Uppercut
Sep 30, 2008

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

especially since there weren't significant changes to the 2013s.

USB connectivity for the radio! Ha.

Yea, I figured around 16 was a good area to start around where they wouldn't just scoff and not take me seriously. Though, if you look at this page - http://www.quirkmazda.com/specials/quirk-mazda-new.htm, you see there's am advertised price for the same trim level I'm looking at, at $16.3, with an MSRP of the same car I'm looking at (I want the hatchback). I understand this is probably due to some incentives Mazda has on that particular model, but I was hoping there was maybe some hidden factory incentives I could take advantage of.

Trans Ferdinand
Oct 24, 2005
Take Me Out Of Gear
A friend of mine is looking for a car, and I've been enlisted to help her out.

Proposed Budget: up to 16k
New or Used: 2010 or newer
Body Style: Hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Commuting and daily driving
What aspects are most important to you? Manual transmission strongly preferred

So far I've been looking at the Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen Golf. She expressed a liking for the Chevy Sonic, but it's pretty new and I don't know how easy it is to find one in stick.

Any suggestions would be strongly appreciated.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.

Trans Ferdinand posted:

A friend of mine is looking for a car, and I've been enlisted to help her out.

Proposed Budget: up to 16k
New or Used: 2010 or newer
Body Style: Hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Commuting and daily driving
What aspects are most important to you? Manual transmission strongly preferred

So far I've been looking at the Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen Golf. She expressed a liking for the Chevy Sonic, but it's pretty new and I don't know how easy it is to find one in stick.

Any suggestions would be strongly appreciated.

You should be able to swing a brand new Sonic for that, and I've seen lots of positive buzz about the Sonic with a stick.

The 3s are great cars, but the ones with the new engine designs are so much better that you should only look at 2012 Model year or newer Mazda 3s with the 2.0 engine. It's branded as Skyactiv.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Unless you really love superior German adhesives (and interiors), don't get the Golf.

King of False Promises
Jul 31, 2000



My girlfriend bought a brand new base model Sonic hatchback, and even though it's not the turbocharged engine and it's an automatic, it's still a decently fun car to drive for the money. The interior is nice, and it's comfortable for long drives. During the buying process I drove a turbo manual, and that's definitely the way to go, but the base isn't bad at all.

Trans Ferdinand
Oct 24, 2005
Take Me Out Of Gear

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Unless you really love superior German adhesives (and interiors), don't get the Golf.

Have you owned one? I've owned my 2008 GTI since new and only really had one issue (the door lock wouldn't deactivate the alarm anymore) which was fixed under warranty. The Mark 4 Golfs were known for iffy reliability, but I think they've improved since then.

Friar Zucchini
Aug 6, 2010

Trans Ferdinand posted:

A friend of mine is looking for a car, and I've been enlisted to help her out.

Proposed Budget: up to 16k
New or Used: 2010 or newer
Body Style: Hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Commuting and daily driving
What aspects are most important to you? Manual transmission strongly preferred

So far I've been looking at the Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen Golf. She expressed a liking for the Chevy Sonic, but it's pretty new and I don't know how easy it is to find one in stick.

Any suggestions would be strongly appreciated.

If you're looking at the Mazda3, the 2012+ Ford Focus is excellent in every respect as long as it doesn't have the automatic transmission or touchscreen gadgetry - none of which appear to interest her. Good interior, fun to drive, reliable, all that jazz. Supposedly its back seat is a little small, but at least it's not a Subaru BRZ. The 2011 and older models really aren't that great in comparison to others though.

Isko
May 20, 2008
So I am about to get my first car. In high school I basically just shared a family car and in college I relied on public transportation. The thing is, I live in Hawaii and I plan to leave in a year and a half so the car that I get will only be temporary. I would like to sell it near the end of that. The car would just be used for basic transportation and I just want to get the best out of my money within the 1.5 year period that I would have it before I sell it.

Proposed Budget: Probably under 15k but I'm actually very flexible with this.
New or Used: Either one, but if used I would prefer something still fairly new with under 20k miles on it.
Body Style: 4 door compact/midsize
How will you be using the car?: Just daily driving
What aspects are most important to you? The main importance that the car should be reliable and not have a high cost of ownership.

I don't really know too much about cars so if people could give me opinions on what I should look for that would be great.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Do you need reliability for a purpose or for convenience? Because I'd be tempted to buy a car for a thousand bucks and then as soon as something goes wrong with it that costs money or whatever to junk it and then move on to the next. You probably wouldn't have to do that too many times in the time period (if at all). If you buy something with less than 20,000 miles on it, it'll depreciate substantially.

oRenj9
Aug 3, 2004

Who loves oRenj soda?!?
College Slice

Isko posted:

I don't really know too much about cars so if people could give me opinions on what I should look for that would be great.

I agree with Kyoon Griffey Jr on this, but to expand a bit. I'd pick up the best condition you can get for a few thousand bucks. Cheap cars tend to have thing wrong with them, for this reason, you need to do two things: point out ever single flaw in the car when you're buying it and keep some money in the bank to fix them.

The great thing is that you can use flaws as negotiation points to drive the purchase price down, while using the fix for them as a selling point when you get rid of the car. For example, if the car even remotely needs new brakes and tires, point it out during the sale and try to get a few hundred bucks off for it. Then, when you go to sell the car, mention that it has brand new tires/brakes/maintenance.

I've used this tactic for the last three cars I've bought and managed to sell two of them for at least what I bought them for after a few years.

Edit:

100% Dundee posted:

What aspects are most important to you?: Available in a manual gearbox(6-speed if possible) is one of my top priorities and preferably the car will have good handling characteristics/be fun to drive. Since I do the majority of my families maintenance and car care, cost of ownership and reliability isn't a huge concern to me. I figure most of the cars that fit my needs in my price range are going to be relatively close in this category anyhow. At least mid 20's for MPG would be ideal and hopefully something that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to insure as a 24 year old male with no accidents/tickets in the last 4 years.

I know this is from the last page, but I can't let people convince you to get a 3 series when there are better cars out there for you. I'd recommend a Celica GT-S. Its light-weight (~2600lbs) combined with a short wheelbase make it extremely fun to toss through the corners. The 1.8L 2ZZ motor in them is a super high-revving and makes 180HP. It features a two-stage cam profile setup similar to Honda's VTEC that increases the valve lift after 6200 RPMs which dramatically increases power. The gearing in the six-speed is perfectly matched to the motor; when you shift at the 8200RPM redline in any gear, the next gear will bring you to 6000 RPMs.

Leaving the best for last: these cars are stupidly cheap. They never really had a huge following among the sport compact crowd, I suspect it is because of their slightly feminine styling, but they just don't seem to carry the same premium that most other fun sports cars do. Additionally, they are cheap to run. Insurance for me costs around $55/mo and it consistently gets 29-33MPG per tank.

oRenj9 fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Jan 7, 2013

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

I'm just gonna throw in that everything in Hawaii rusts, and also that nobody ever drives over 45mph anywhere ever. At least based on my limited time on Hawaiian roads.

This might affect the purchasing decision. I guess I'd say, don't buy a car that is already showing signs of cancer in the important areas, and also assume all miles are city miles and price accordingly.

Also also gas in hawaii is really loving expensive, but I think it's OK because everything is within 10 miles.

Isko
May 20, 2008
Thanks for the replies, everyone. I think I will look for cars within the price range of a couple thousand then. Looks like I'm going to have to do my research, though, since I don't know much about cars at all. I'll check out the AI subforum and try to educate myself on some of the basics so I can avoid getting screwed when buying.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

oRenj9 posted:


I know this is from the last page, but I can't let people convince you to get a 3 series when there are better cars out there for you. I'd recommend a Celica GT-S. Its light-weight (~2600lbs) combined with a short wheelbase make it extremely fun to toss through the corners. The 1.8L 2ZZ motor in them is a super high-revving and makes 180HP. It features a two-stage cam profile setup similar to Honda's VTEC that increases the valve lift after 6200 RPMs which dramatically increases power. The gearing in the six-speed is perfectly matched to the motor; when you shift at the 8200RPM redline in any gear, the next gear will bring you to 6000 RPMs.

Leaving the best for last: these cars are stupidly cheap. They never really had a huge following among the sport compact crowd, I suspect it is because of their slightly feminine styling, but they just don't seem to carry the same premium that most other fun sports cars do. Additionally, they are cheap to run. Insurance for me costs around $55/mo and it consistently gets 29-33MPG per tank.

This could be geographical. I could never find them for a good price where I live and as you would expect for a car mostly bought by women the ones for sale are all automatics.

100% Dundee
Oct 11, 2004

oRenj9 posted:

I know this is from the last page, but I can't let people convince you to get a 3 series when there are better cars out there for you. I'd recommend a Celica GT-S. Its light-weight (~2600lbs) combined with a short wheelbase make it extremely fun to toss through the corners. The 1.8L 2ZZ motor in them is a super high-revving and makes 180HP. It features a two-stage cam profile setup similar to Honda's VTEC that increases the valve lift after 6200 RPMs which dramatically increases power. The gearing in the six-speed is perfectly matched to the motor; when you shift at the 8200RPM redline in any gear, the next gear will bring you to 6000 RPMs.

Leaving the best for last: these cars are stupidly cheap. They never really had a huge following among the sport compact crowd, I suspect it is because of their slightly feminine styling, but they just don't seem to carry the same premium that most other fun sports cars do. Additionally, they are cheap to run. Insurance for me costs around $55/mo and it consistently gets 29-33MPG per tank.

Thanks for the suggestion but I have driven a few Celica's and they were never that enjoyable(granted I have never driven a manual one). There's also a few things about the styling on them that have just never sat right with my personal taste and for some reason I just find them to be quite ugly. Almost like they are trying too hard to look "aggressive" or something(namely the hoodscoop and the headlights on the 7th Gen ones). There's also the fact that 90% of the ones in my area are riced to death and as Throatwarbler mentioned, primarily automatics. Maybe this has jaded my view of them a bit.

I've been exploring the E46 3-Series option for sure, but not that seriously. Right now I am still heavily leaning towards the 05-06 RSX Type-S, unfortunately the first few that I have test driven have been pretty bad examples. I'm waiting to see if any nice, relatively low mileage examples pop up around me so I can give a proper one a test drive. I'm also going to go test drive a 2011 Hyundai Genesis 2.0T with 34k miles on it tomorrow and see how that drives, they have it listed for $15.9k which is a little high for my budget but I would easily be able to swing it if I end up falling in love with the car or something. My ideal goal is to own whatever car I end up buying for the next ~4years and then sell it and get a nice used Subaru BRZ or Scion FR-S. I would love to get one of those right now but I can't really justify or afford the $25k+ that they seem to be selling for.

100% Dundee fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Jan 7, 2013

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
I think I may already have posted this, but you should really look around for a G35 Coupe too. You should be able to find one for your budget and it seems to fit pretty well into the spread of cars your already looking at.

100% Dundee
Oct 11, 2004

powderific posted:

I think I may already have posted this, but you should really look around for a G35 Coupe too. You should be able to find one for your budget and it seems to fit pretty well into the spread of cars your already looking at.

Oh yeah, I definitely took notice when you originally posted it. It was added to my daily car searchings shortly thereafter since I have always loved the look and sound of the G35. Unfortunately I have not driven one yet, but I imagine they are not much different(maybe a bit cushier/softer) than similar model year 350z's with the same engine right? I have driven a few of those and they were very nice. There are a few nice G35's that have piqued my interest locally. They all seem to be towards the higher end of my budget but that's okay, I just need to get out and drive one.

You said you owned one correct? Are the general wear and tear items on them pretty costly(tires, rotors, etc)? Most of the ones I have been looking at have large(18"+) wheels and some have the Brembos. I'm not sure I want to be dealing with $1500 sets of tires and $400 rotors if that's the case.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Yeah, I had a 2003 model with the 18" wheels and brembos. The tires were expensive but not crazy. I think I spent $600 on a set of 4 Continental DWS's and there are definitely cheaper all season options if you don't need snow performance. I'm not sure on replacements for the brakes as I didn't own it long enough to replace rotors. They're pretty much a 350z with a nicer ride/interior and a small but useable back seat.

marsisol
Mar 30, 2010
Proposed Budget: up to 16k
New or Used: 2006 or newer
Body Style: Small or mid size pick up. Extended cab would be nice as well
How will you be using the car?: Commuting, daily driving, occasional hauling for work
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, good MPG

Saltin
Aug 20, 2003
Don't touch

100% Dundee posted:

Oh yeah, I definitely took notice when you originally posted it. It was added to my daily car searchings shortly thereafter since I have always loved the look and sound of the G35. Unfortunately I have not driven one yet, but I imagine they are not much different(maybe a bit cushier/softer) than similar model year 350z's with the same engine right? I have driven a few of those and they were very nice. There are a few nice G35's that have piqued my interest locally. They all seem to be towards the higher end of my budget but that's okay, I just need to get out and drive one.

You said you owned one correct? Are the general wear and tear items on them pretty costly(tires, rotors, etc)? Most of the ones I have been looking at have large(18"+) wheels and some have the Brembos. I'm not sure I want to be dealing with $1500 sets of tires and $400 rotors if that's the case.

A G is more expensive to own than an average car, obviously, but they are very reliable in general, so you'll have less emergency poo poo and more basic maintenance. Brakes and good tires get expensive but are essential in a car that performs as well as the G. Oil, filters, etc are easily done yourself. A G35 is going to be older, so you can expect things like starter/alternator/sensors, etc at some point.

The 350Z is more nimble and generally stiffer than the coupe, as you'd expect. The coupe is no slouch though.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.

marsisol posted:

Proposed Budget: up to 16k
New or Used: 2006 or newer
Body Style: Small or mid size pick up. Extended cab would be nice as well
How will you be using the car?: Commuting, daily driving, occasional hauling for work
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, good MPG

How often are you hauling and how much stuff? If you really want to spend that much up front, a Toyota Tacoma could be exactly what you're looking for. If you're never off-roading, need a quality passenger compartment more than a rugged bed, the Honda Ridgeline could be perfect for you.

The only other small truck option that's good is a Ford Ranger or a Mazda B-Series, but you can get a 2010 or 2011 Ranger for well under $16k. If you're hauling lots of stuff and really need that good MPG, you can pick up a full-size truck for really cheap and get a comfortable commuter car on the side pretty easily with that budget. Small trucks aren't super popular in the US because full-size trucks are so accessible.

canyoneer
Sep 13, 2005


I only have canyoneyes for you

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Literally millions of people drive a manual transmission vehicle in traffic on hills every day without rolling back in to the people behind them so unless you think you're in the third percentile in terms of "ability to use your feet" I think you should be OK on this one.

When I learned to drive a manual, I was taught to use the handbrake when starting from a stop on scary uphills if you're worried about rolling back. It surely diffused a lot of stress for me, and kept me from feeling like I needed a third foot.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
My Subaru has something that locks the brakes for a second or so on hills to keep it from rolling back and it still weirds me out every time.

Sarcophallus
Jun 12, 2011

by Lowtax
I've narrowed my car search down to 2 choices, and I'd like advice for which to take, how much to offer, potential problems the model's faced or even if there are perhaps better cars within the price range. [Keeping in mind that my small town has a relatively limited pre-owned car selection.]

  1. 2007 Volkswagen Passat Wolfsburg Edition - link
    • $12,950 list price
    • 71811 miles
  2. 2012 Mazda3 i Touring HB [SKYACTIV] - link
    • $16,900 list price [An initial offer from the dealer - ignore the website price]
    • 12466 miles

The Passat I believe has had a recall for the brake power assist - I'm not sure if this one has had the issue fixed, but it should be free to fix if not [or so I'm led to believe].
This is for a first car and I'm looking for something in-between affordable and fun to drive. $16K pre-taxes & fees is more or less the most I'm willing to spend.

Sarcophallus fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Jan 8, 2013

marsisol
Mar 30, 2010

Weinertron posted:

How often are you hauling and how much stuff? If you really want to spend that much up front, a Toyota Tacoma could be exactly what you're looking for. If you're never off-roading, need a quality passenger compartment more than a rugged bed, the Honda Ridgeline could be perfect for you.

The only other small truck option that's good is a Ford Ranger or a Mazda B-Series, but you can get a 2010 or 2011 Ranger for well under $16k. If you're hauling lots of stuff and really need that good MPG, you can pick up a full-size truck for really cheap and get a comfortable commuter car on the side pretty easily with that budget. Small trucks aren't super popular in the US because full-size trucks are so accessible.

I'll be hauling a few times a week but mostly smaller things like shovels, buckets, and other similarly sized equipment so I don't think a full size truck is necessary. I love the style of the Tacoma but drat is it expensive used. I'm hoping it's a "you get what you pay for" rather than paying for the name.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Unfortunately I think it's a little of both.

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

Is there a reason he should avoid an s-10?

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.

Leperflesh posted:

Is there a reason he should avoid an s-10?

He specified 2006 or newer, and I think that S-10s stopped being made sometime in the mid 2000s. I'm not positive though. I always got the impression they were a little crappier than Rangers, but I don't have anything substantial to back up that feeling.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Get a 4.0 Ranger, pickup guy. The gas mileage is hardly worse than the 2.3 and it's a lot better. Plus parts exist everywhere on earth.

Knyteguy
Jul 6, 2005

YES to love
NO to shirts


Toilet Rascal
Sup Goons going back to college and I need to buy a car before the 28th since my school schedule either conflicted with my work schedule, or my wife's work schedule no matter what. We currently share a 2004 F150 5.4L Lariat so we want something pretty drat economical on gas. I was really hoping we could get some rear end in a top hat cheap hybrid. Don't want a Cruz eco we already had one (wife loved it but I'm not buying another). Not within budget even if we did but that kind of gas mileage is what we want.

Proposed Budget: ~$5,000-$6,000
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Doesn't really matter but a 4 door would probably be cheapest on insurance.
How will you be using the car?: No hauling we have a truck for that. This car will get pretty much exclusively city miles with a little light highway. Will be our roadtrip car but even the truck isn't terrible for that.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Yes but it won't affect our decision heavily either way.
What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style): Just overall cost is most important. I want reliable, low maintenance, and good MPG at a low price (I know it's asking a lot but we can't really up our budget anymore.)

Knyteguy fucked around with this message at 00:48 on Jan 11, 2013

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
For your money you're looking for Focus/Protege/Civic/Corolla/Sentra etc etc. If you can tolerate a little cosmetic damage that can go a long way towards getting something cheap.

Knyteguy
Jul 6, 2005

YES to love
NO to shirts


Toilet Rascal

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

For your money you're looking for Focus/Protege/Civic/Corolla/Sentra etc etc. If you can tolerate a little cosmetic damage that can go a long way towards getting something cheap.

Thanks I was looking at a dealership earlier there's some cars in that range. There's a Camry with low miles and a newer Civic also with low miles.

What do you think about getting an older Camaro/Charger or something and throwing a crate motor in there? I've got some friends who could help with putting a new engine in there. If I keep the displacement low I can probably get semi-decent gas mileage, right? Also if I got a brand new crate motor from Summit it would be well within budget I think.

Something like this: http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/3497400070.html or older of course...

Leperflesh
May 17, 2007

You go from "I want a hybrid" 40+ MPG to "let's do an engine swap on a camaro!" ~20mpg. It sounds to me like you aren't married to the idea of a cheap econobox after all.

Leaving that aside, if you want a reliable car for commuting, that's different from a project car for wrenching on. The two are basically mutually exclusive. Project cars are weekend drivers, not your must-have-to-get-to-work vehicle.

MrMoose
Jan 4, 2003

Happy Happy Joy Joy
Unfortunately, I just got word that, after my 3rd accident in the past 90 days (two of which were beyond my control, the third of which was my fault), my 06 Mercury Montego is being totaled. I loved that car :( Anyways, given that, I need to look for another car. Likely used. Going by the requested info from the OP:

Proposed Budget: $7,500-$15,000, some possible wiggle room. I'd like to stay lower, but if there's a good option near the upper end of the range... Yes, I know the range is wide, I'm not sure what it'll take to get the features I want.
New or Used: Prefer used
Body Style: Full size sedans are nice, but a roomier smaller car would be good. Longer legs and all. Would like to avoid a full size SUV, but smaller ones can work (currently driving a Chevy Traverse as a rental -- too big. Had a Mazda CX7 before that I liked)
How will you be using the car?: I drive around 15 minutes to and from work 5 days a week, sometimes in heavy snow/ice conditions (live in Wisconsin). I occasionally (once a year or so) road trip to North Carolina. Other than that, there's a good chunk of city driving.
What aspects are most important to you? Automatic is necessary -- I don't really know how to drive a stick. All wheel drive is a very nice to have feature for me. Steering wheel audio controls are important. Having heated leather seats would be nice, but isn't essential. What's most important is a roomy driver's side seat -- I'm a bigger guy and like to have a good bit of room.

My first instinct was to look for a Subaru Outback -- I've heard very good things about reliability. But if there's another good option with solid MPG, that'd be nice too.

I'll check in frequently to answer any other questions. I was hoping to avoid having to buy another car, but it looks like that won't be happening.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
While I love Subaru's, I don't personally care for any of their automatic options. If you like the Cx-7 you can probably find a used one within your budget without too much trouble. Your requirements aren't super specific or anything so you may just want to poke around at vehicles in a similar class, read some reviews on edmunds, etc.

soy
Jul 7, 2003

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Proposed Budget: $10-19K
New or Used: Used is fine so long as it's a lease return/good condition/certified/warranty etc.
Body Style: 4 door, possibly SUV, Compact SUV, or other.
How will you be using the car?: Daily Driver. My commute is not terribly long. Would also like a good touring car that can handle off-road/inclement weather. I do not tow, but would haul cargo regularly including furniture. Kid inbound, so that too.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, safety, practicality, MPG, versatility.


I am currently and have been drooling over a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon for about 4 months now. I still think that I would very much enjoy this car. Sadly it is a bit out of my budget range at the moment.

Currently I commute on a Motorcycle part time and share a car with my wife, which works fine but I would really like my own actual car.

powderific
May 13, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Rubicon Unlimited is a Serious Business offroad machine. Are you really going to be using it for such things? Because the off road capability of that style vehicle means compromises in a lot of other areas. You said it's out of your budget anyway, but if your drooling included a desire to do that serious business off roading, you could always get a normal commuter vehicle *and* a beater Jeep Cherokee or similar.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

This avatar brought to you by the 'save our dead gay forums' foundation.

soy posted:

Proposed Budget: $10-19K
New or Used: Used is fine so long as it's a lease return/good condition/certified/warranty etc.
Body Style: 4 door, possibly SUV, Compact SUV, or other.
How will you be using the car?: Daily Driver. My commute is not terribly long. Would also like a good touring car that can handle off-road/inclement weather. I do not tow, but would haul cargo regularly including furniture. Kid inbound, so that too.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, safety, practicality, MPG, versatility.

Your best bet with the important aspects as well as ability to haul are going to be a Subaru Outback or Forester. Also, if you want a real off-road jeep you had better cross MPG off your desired aspects. How often and how large will you be hauling furniture? Maybe rent a van for those days and get a smaller AWD car for your DD?

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KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Knyteguy posted:

Thanks I was looking at a dealership earlier there's some cars in that range. There's a Camry with low miles and a newer Civic also with low miles.

What do you think about getting an older Camaro/Charger or something and throwing a crate motor in there? I've got some friends who could help with putting a new engine in there. If I keep the displacement low I can probably get semi-decent gas mileage, right? Also if I got a brand new crate motor from Summit it would be well within budget I think.

Something like this: http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/3497400070.html or older of course...

dude you want/need a daily don't be an idiot

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