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photomikey
Dec 30, 2012

Warchicken posted:

Hello thread - I am currently looking at a 1999 Honda Civic LX with 137k miles on it. I've gotten it looked at and the issues are as follows:

rack and pinion need replacing - steering fluid leaks to the tune of a bottle every week-ish
dent on right rear fender
scratch on right rear door
dent on front rear fender

lesser:

due for an oil change
due for tire rotation

I looked up the carfax report and there have been 3 minor accidents with the car, in 2000, 2005, and 2008. The car has been driven about 60,000 miles since the last of these. The aforementioned dents are the result of them.

KBB.com has this at ~2700. Does that sound right?
At one time, I was trying to sell a 1996 Chevy S-10 Blazer that blue booked at about $4500 - it had over 200,000 miles. I put it on craigslist at $4500, didn't get a single call. Dropped to $4000, nothing. $3500 and got myself a bright pink sign to put in the windshield, parked it at the grocery store 12 hours a day - few calls, nobody came to look at it. One day some guy called, came to drive it. Arrived and told me the top of his budget was $2500. He drove it, his mechanic looked it over, a lot of haggling took place, and eventually the guy paid (close to) $2500 for it - about half book value.

The moral of the story is that I had a car with 200,000+ miles that was "worth" $4500, but in reality, it wasn't "worth" anything, because nobody in their right mind would buy a car with 200,000+ miles, much less for $4500.

IMHO, a car (even a Honda) with 140k miles that is using a bottle a week of power steering fluid is an unsellable car. If you are interested in buying this car, you have the seller by the balls - like the buyer of my S-10 had me. I don't know if you have the luxury of time, but I would point out the power-steering thing to him, offer him about half of what he's asking, and wait. If he takes it (or makes a counter close to it), but it. If not - give it a month. Remind him you're still around. It won't sell for book value, not anywhere close.

I would also want to know more about this power steering leak, what it was going to take to fix, and what that would cost.

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Amphion
Jun 10, 2012

All we know is... he's called The Stig.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Nissan XTerra if you want something a little tougher

Is this thing ever going to get updated? The current one is from 2005 which seems like a really long time for a generation to last.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Amphion posted:

Is this thing ever going to get updated? The current one is from 2005 which seems like a really long time for a generation to last.

I highly doubt it. The Rogue kind of superseded it for 70% of the buyers.

mik
Oct 16, 2003
oh

Throatwarbler posted:

:words: about Mitsubishi cars

So it would be a horrible financial idea to buy an Evo? :v:

Let me follow the format of the thread first...

Proposed Budget: Looking around $30-$40k, fairly flexible.
New or Used: Would prefer new, but I'm happy with sub-20,000 mi used. I have been looking at low-mileage cars on OVE, Manheim, Adesa, etc. since my father-in-law is a dealer so that's a likely source for a car as well.
Body Style: 4-door Sedan / Hatch
How will you be using the car?: I don't drive to work so primarily weekend fun, trips with the dog/bike. Two or three times a year I do a 2500km round-trip across eastern and Atlantic Canada, including the winter time... so no real-wheel drive please. My good friend is big into autocross so I've been thinking of getting into it as well, I don't have space for 2 cars so this has to really do everything.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Not a big concern. As long as I can somehow play music and podcasts off my iphone or a USB/SD device then I'm happy. I don't need any fancy navigation devices, I can read a loving map.
What aspects are most important to you?:

- Not an SUV
- Something new-ish. Let's say 2010+.
- Something with some juice, good handling, well balanced, etc
- 4-door
- Since I don't need to commute in the car, fun is also a primary requirement, but with a caveat: I was originally set on a Ford Focus ST, but my wife is 100% against a manual (I know, get rid of her), so I'm stuck trying to find a "fun" automatic. As such, something with reasonably decent paddle-shifing would be ideal.
- As I said above I don't want an RWD car as I live in Canada, I've driven an M3 around town in the winter and it was a pain in the butt. So I want something FWD or with a good AWD system.
- Mileage doesn't matter all that much due to the type of use the car will be getting. I'll suck up the cost of gas for a 25MPG car for my semi-annual 2500km trips.

I mean other than that, since I have a generous budget, there's an overwhelming amount of choices. I really had (have?) my heart set on a Lancer MR. I know the usual issues, lovely interior, bad mileage, will Mitsubishi exist in N.A. much longer, etc. But I just love the look, and as far as I've heard it's a riot to drive. I sat in one last week (at a car show so I couldn't drive it) and I could easily make-do with the interior. How much if a mark-down from MSRP could I get an Evo for? I see ~10-20k mi cars going for $30k - a new one runs about $39k on the website. If I could get that to $35k, then it would be hard to pass up.

Some other cars I've been looking at:
- Audi A3/A4 or higher-mileage S4 (an Avant would be amazing)
- Volvo S60 T6
- C300/C350
- BMW 328/335 (is x-drive terrible?)

What are my other options? Optima? Altima/Maxima? CTS (though I don't like the look all that much)? Too many options...

I don't need a new car, but I want one, so I have time to really think and find something and can afford to be picky (unless something perfect comes up at auction and I have to make a snap decision).

Tell me what to look for, goons!

mik fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Feb 3, 2013

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
X-Drive is pretty good, but if you want an Evo, get a fuckin Evo.

mik
Oct 16, 2003
oh

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

X-Drive is pretty good, but if you want an Evo, get a fuckin Evo.

Yeah I guess it's pretty obvious what I really want from my post.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

mik posted:

Yeah I guess it's pretty obvious what I really want from my post.

There will be some support system in place for the Evo even if/when Mitsu exits the market.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin
Your entire post is a horrible financial idea but Evos are great and you should buy one. I love all Evos and just want to hug all of them.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin
The other one you haven't got on your list are the Infinitis, either the G37x, or for $40k you could get into probably the first year(2011) of the facelifted M56x with the big ol 5.6l V8, well theoretically anyway if you can find one, they didn't sell that many of them.

Citizen Z
Jul 13, 2009

~Hanzo Steel~


Citizen Z posted:

Goons, your assistance please

Proposed Budget: $24,000 hard limit.
New or Used: New
Body Style: Hatchback compact, 2 or 4 door. Very small is not a deal breaker.
How will you be using the car?: Daily driver for my wife Plan to keep it for at least 5 years, provided hail doesn't take it out
What aspects are most important to you? Fuel economy, reliability, fuel economy, style(Mostly in the form of loud colors from factory). Also, Bluetooth and a moon roof are pretty high up on the priority list, though not essential. She does want an automatic due to the stop and go traffic.

Right now, the top of my wife's list is the Prius C, the Ford Fiesta and the Mini Cooper. None have been test driven yet.

So we spent all day test driving everything in the segment and the end list of stuff she liked ended up completely different than what we thought it would. She's narrowed it down to a Scion xB, A Mazda 3 hatch, and a Chevy Sonic LTZ hatch.

The xB is sort of an oddball, but she found it to be comfy and nice despite the less than stellar fuel economy. The Mazda 3 seems like the right choice, and it's nice, but she isn't wild about it. It really seems like she's leaning towards the Sonic, but I'm nervous about buying a Chevy. Everyone I know with a Cobalt has had nothing but pain and suffering. Can I get some opinions on the Sonic?

Edit: I will say that my vote was for her to take my Camry, and I buy an Impreza wagon.

Citizen Z fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Feb 3, 2013

StevoMcQueen
Dec 29, 2007
Proposed budget: About £3000 (£3500 hard limit)
New or Used: Used
Body style: 4 Door Hatchback
How will you be using the car? Commuting to and from work every day (100 mile round trip), averaging ~25k miles a year.
What aspects are most important to you? Fuel economy (~60mpg combined), reliability, low tax (band A-D/insurance costs (Groups 1-4)

I'm looking looking at moving another 30 miles away from work, and my 2000 Ford Mondeo 1.8 diesel just isn't worth the cost of getting through it's MOT again. Also, I've never particularly liked it in the first place (it was bought because a car was needed for work, it was close by, and within budget), and the only thing it's seemed to do well in the time I've owned it is survive the various hits/knocks/crashes with nothing more than cosmetic damage. So, time for something new and improved!

Initially I was considering one of the 1 litre superminis, such as the Aygo/C1/107, or the Nissan Pixo, but despite low tax/insurance, and combined mpg of around 60mpg, I'm not so keen on the loss of practicality in something so small, and potentially lower comfort considering the increased time I'll be spending in it. Also, considering the number of miles I'm going to be doing, I was worried about the engine coping.

So, with that in mind, I've narrowed my search down to small engined diesels:
'06+ Citroen C4 1.6
'04+ Skoda Fabia/VW Polo/Seat Ibiza 1.4 (lumped 'em together as they're the same platform)
'06+ Ford Focus 1.6

I like the style of the Citroen C4, and they look like a pretty decent spec, with used 06/07 models going for around £2.5k, but I have concerns about the reliability. ('Ford, Fiat, French' mentality)

The Fabia/Polo/Seat, depending on the badge and year, seems to range from £2.8-4k. While I'm a little more reassured by the build quality and reliability ratings, I think it'd be best to describe the styling as functional and conventional.

The Focus fits the bill in economy/practicality, and I quite like the facelifted models, but again falls into the 'Ford, Fiat, French' trap, and my experiences with the Mondeo haven't exactly sold me on the prospect of buying another Ford.

My friend is a mechanic and will be accompanying me if/when we get round to narrowing down the options and going for a test drive, looking out for potential issues that someone less technically minded like myself might miss, but I'm open to advice/suggestions/experiences that others have regarding what I should look for/at with the above models, plus other alternative suggestions.

Tyro
Nov 10, 2009
My job just moved so I need a commuter car. A coworker just scored a 2001 Volvo wagon (not sure if it's a V40 or V70, I haven't seen it) with 110K miles for $1500. It was purchased from one of his customers who was getting rid of it because they got a new car from us, and they were the only owner.

According to my coworker, KBB is around $4500 and he plans to flip it on craigslist. Assuming it checks out mechanically, I am considering offering him $2500 for the car - quick profit for him, no dealing with flakes from CL, and I get a sound commuter car for cheap. Anything specific to those cars I need to keep an eye on? My best friend has a S60 that's up to 180K miles or so now (frankly near the end of its life) and I'm familiar with the issues and costs he has had throughout the life of that car, so I assume the wagons will be fairly similar.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Citizen Z posted:

So we spent all day test driving everything in the segment and the end list of stuff she liked ended up completely different than what we thought it would. She's narrowed it down to a Scion xB, A Mazda 3 hatch, and a Chevy Sonic LTZ hatch.

The xB is sort of an oddball, but she found it to be comfy and nice despite the less than stellar fuel economy. The Mazda 3 seems like the right choice, and it's nice, but she isn't wild about it. It really seems like she's leaning towards the Sonic, but I'm nervous about buying a Chevy. Everyone I know with a Cobalt has had nothing but pain and suffering. Can I get some opinions on the Sonic?

Edit: I will say that my vote was for her to take my Camry, and I buy an Impreza wagon.

The Sonic and the xB are like total opposites, in that one is a really good car and one is a really not good car. The Sonic is the good one. The Cobalt was a not phenomenal car but that's another generation older. I've heard nothing but good things about its replacement, the Cruze, and also nothing but good things about the Sonic.

Citizen Z
Jul 13, 2009

~Hanzo Steel~


KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

The Sonic and the xB are like total opposites, in that one is a really good car and one is a really not good car. The Sonic is the good one. The Cobalt was a not phenomenal car but that's another generation older. I've heard nothing but good things about its replacement, the Cruze, and also nothing but good things about the Sonic.

Thanks for the opinion. I think most of my problem with the Sonic is probably an irrational prejudice about American cars(and absolute hated of the Impalas and Malibus I keep getting as rentals). The xB was a total oddball that we weren't even looking at, but happened to sit in while waiting for the salesman to find some keys. We both liked it a fair bit despite it basically not meeting any of our criteria other than price. The Sonic met all the criteria and was also comfortable.

Sounds like I just need to get over my Toyota snobbery.

sticksy
May 26, 2004
Nap Ghost
crossposting from the vag thread but I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a CPO '11 A4 (Prestige) with about 18k miles on it. Obviously they're trying to sell us on all the service bells and whistles and with VAG not exactly known for their reliability want to make sure I spend money now that will save me lots later.

I live in Phoenix so I was curious if the "ClearPlate" is worth it, since there is nothing but rocks and crap on all the highways around here that get kicked up to ding the front. I know the clear paint protection ("Appearance Protection Plus") is notoriously a ripoff but we don't have a garage at our house and some rather messy birds around...are either of these worth it at all? I do think we'll end up pre-emptively paying for the scheduled maintenance.

Any other considerations or things to be aware of? Or just the usual "LOL you're a dumbass buying an expensive unreliable German moneypit?"

sticksy fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Feb 3, 2013

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Citizen Z posted:

Thanks for the opinion. I think most of my problem with the Sonic is probably an irrational prejudice about American cars(and absolute hated of the Impalas and Malibus I keep getting as rentals). The xB was a total oddball that we weren't even looking at, but happened to sit in while waiting for the salesman to find some keys. We both liked it a fair bit despite it basically not meeting any of our criteria other than price. The Sonic met all the criteria and was also comfortable.

Sounds like I just need to get over my Toyota snobbery.

The Impala and Malibu aren't any good at this point (the Impala wasn't really any good in the first place), and are being replaced like Right Now for the Malibu and for MY14 for the Impala, if I recall correctly.

Toyota hasn't made a truly outstanding car for decades, though I would argue that the Tacoma, Camry and RAV4 are all pretty darn good.

Citizen Z
Jul 13, 2009

~Hanzo Steel~


KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

The Impala and Malibu aren't any good at this point (the Impala wasn't really any good in the first place), and are being replaced like Right Now for the Malibu and for MY14 for the Impala, if I recall correctly.

Toyota hasn't made a truly outstanding car for decades, though I would argue that the Tacoma, Camry and RAV4 are all pretty darn good.

I really like my 09 Camry. Hardly an exciting car, but it's been comfortable and reliable. I've considered replacing it for something a bit more interesting, but I've put 80K miles on it 2 years in fairly unpleasant conditions without a single problem. Reliability counts for a lot to me.

But my wife isn't going to be putting 40K miles a year on her car and the Sonic does seem to be the better car.

Thanks for the advice.

canyoneer
Sep 13, 2005


I only have canyoneyes for you

Citizen Z posted:

So we spent all day test driving everything in the segment and the end list of stuff she liked ended up completely different than what we thought it would. She's narrowed it down to a Scion xB, A Mazda 3 hatch, and a Chevy Sonic LTZ hatch.

The xB is sort of an oddball, but she found it to be comfy and nice despite the less than stellar fuel economy. The Mazda 3 seems like the right choice, and it's nice, but she isn't wild about it. It really seems like she's leaning towards the Sonic, but I'm nervous about buying a Chevy. Everyone I know with a Cobalt has had nothing but pain and suffering. Can I get some opinions on the Sonic?

Edit: I will say that my vote was for her to take my Camry, and I buy an Impreza wagon.

Wife drives an '08 Honda Fit automatic in the sport trim and she absolutely loves it. (and I like it much more than my previous Mazda 3 :ssh:). The bright red and deep blue paint colors look pretty fantastic in person, also.

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003
I WILL CUT OFF BOTH OF MY ARMS BEFORE I VOTE FOR ANYONE THAT IS MORE POPULAR THAN BERNIE!!!!!
Proposed Budget: $7k to $12k
New or Used: Used, preferably certified
Body Style: 4 door sedan
How will you be using the car?: Mostly just driving around town. I have a ridiculously short commute: I drive 5 minutes to a bus stop and take the bus another 10-15 minutes to work (university hospital). Some weekends I drive an hour to visit my parents or friends in another city, but rarely more than that. (I'm in a LTR, but I prefer to take Amtrak or bus rather than drive several hours into a major city.) I could actually live without a car, but public transport in my city isn't much good for anything besides getting to work and back, so I need a car for it to be practical for me to go for a big load of groceries, visit friends, and participate in sports.

What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, low maintenance cost, and enough space to transport friends and/or a huge load of groceries. I care very little about aesthetics as long as it isn't a Wienermobile. Oh, and I'd like it to be sturdy enough to save my life if I hit a buck doing 75 down I-64.

Here are some things I'm considering, which I put in a spreadsheet because I'm a big nerd, but one who knows nothing about cars:



The cars in the top group are all from the same dealership; I didn't finish calculating the KBB price vs. the list price for some of the cars listed at the bottom because I'm not sure if the dealer's cleanup process is as good as the one at the top (Harrisonburg Hyundai/Auto Mall). I'm not certain I've got the KBB values right in general, as I may have missed some extra options. It looks like some of the better cars are listed at above their KBB value, though, and I don't know the first thing about talking down car prices.

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin
I think you are needlessly limiting yourself to tiny cars, which don't cost that much less than bigger cars and the models you listed are all older which means worse crash safety. The only real reason to get a small car is for marginally better fuel economy which isn't really an issue for you.

For $12k you can get into a 2009-10 Ford Taurus, which is loosely based on Volvo engineering back when Ford owned Volvo and consequently one of the safest cars on the road even today. It should cost less to insure than all those other tiny boy racer cars and it's a huge car with a huge trunk perfect for your needs.





Note that these NHTSA frontal crashes are done by crashing the car into a wall, so a larger car with the same ratings as a small car is still safer because the larger car is absorbing a larger impact force due to having more weight, and will be safer than the smaller car when crashing into something that isn't a wall.

Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Feb 5, 2013

Citizen Z
Jul 13, 2009

~Hanzo Steel~


canyoneer posted:

Wife drives an '08 Honda Fit automatic in the sport trim and she absolutely loves it. (and I like it much more than my previous Mazda 3 :ssh:). The bright red and deep blue paint colors look pretty fantastic in person, also.

One of our conditions was that I had to be able to fit comfortably into and be able to comfortably drive the car. I'm 6'7" and did not fit into the Fit very well. We ended up buying the Sonic tonight, which has very spacious front seats. I think I broke the salesman's knees when he didn't slide over during my test drive, though.


Throatwarbler posted:

I think you are needlessly limiting yourself to tiny cars, which don't cost that much less than bigger cars and the models you listed are all older which means worse crash safety. The only real reason to get a small car is for marginally better fuel economy which isn't really an issue for you.

For $12k you can get into a 2009-10 Ford Taurus, which is loosely based on Volvo engineering back when Ford owned Volvo and consequently one of the safest cars on the road even today. It should cost less to insure than all those other tiny boy racer cars and it's a huge car with a huge trunk perfect for your needs.


I agree. You can get a 4cyl midsize that gets decent gas mileage and doesn't feel terribly sluggish, these days.

Also, don't buy a Corolla. They're awful little cars.

necrobobsledder
Mar 21, 2005
Lay down your soul to the gods rock 'n roll
Nap Ghost
I dunno, I fit a lot of the guy's descriptions and I'm totally fine with my '05 Corolla. It's transported me, my double bass, and a bunch of really heavy dudes in there without a complaint. It's travelled across the country a few times now moving my life with me each time. Maintenance has been stupid easy and I've only ever had a slightly recurring issue with the serpentine belt glazing for reasons I can't quite fathom, and that's something I might have to change every 50k miles it seems - my #1 priority was just plain reliability and minimal maintenance, which it's delivered quite well. However, the possibilities now compared to what I had available when I bought it in '06 make things complicated. Yeah, I'd try branching out a bit more than the trifecta of Japanese manufacturers for starters. Hell, might want to take a look at Kias and Hyundais if you're going to stick with an image of a generic compact car in mind. I swear there's more Hyundais on the road than Toyotas in the DC area now.

photomikey
Dec 30, 2012

Halloween Jack posted:

I'm not certain I've got the KBB values right in general, as I may have missed some extra options. It looks like some of the better cars are listed at above their KBB value, though, and I don't know the first thing about talking down car prices.
The KBB price you've listed is the price most people in your position will pay for that car. So, as your "price / KBB" category (clever, btw) indicates, <1 good, >1 bad.

I assume you are using the KBB "dealer" price for this. Go through and run the prices again, but use "trade-in" price. Presumably, this is what the dealer paid for the car they are trying to sell you. It will look something like this:

KBB "trade in" price: $8000
KBB "dealer" price: $10000
Dealer asking price: $9800

(I pulled these particular numbers out of my rear end - they don't represent any car on your list.)

The "dealer" price (or, the one that you are currently using) means nothing to you - it is the price that suckers pay for cars. The "trade in" price is the price you are working with.

The dealer paid $8000 for this car. Decide what a fair profit for the dealer will be for this deal. Some people say 10% (here, $800), some say $500 or $1000. Start low.

Once you've decided this is the car for you, go in the little office, drink a free coffee, and tell them you've done your homework, and that trade-in value for this car is around $8000. Tell them you don't expect to pay trade-in price - because you're not a dealer, you're just a humble serf. You know what hard work they've put in to this car (:rolleyes:) and you feel a fair profit for this work is $500. You are prepared to offer $8500 (eight thousand for the car and a five hundred dollar profit for the dealer) for this car. Then, keep your trap shut while the guy explains that they actually paid $15,000 for this car and they are taking a huge loss and a ton of other bullshit. And when he stops, repeat your $8500 piece. Repeat this until he takes the offer to his manager. When he comes back, he should have a price very close to $8500 - maybe $8750 or $9000. Depending on how important to you $250 or $500 is, you can play this game all day where you threaten to walk. However, if he comes back with a price that is much closer to their asking price than to your "fair" price, walk.

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003
I WILL CUT OFF BOTH OF MY ARMS BEFORE I VOTE FOR ANYONE THAT IS MORE POPULAR THAN BERNIE!!!!!
Thanks for that advice, Photo. I'm the kind of person who gets nervous about the whole idea of haggling, but to save a few hundred bucks I can locate my balls.

Any opinions on CarMax in general? They have some 2011 Chevy Aveos for right around $11k, with mileage in the 40-50k range. I wonder if their certification process is different from what's considered standard, i.e. if it's worth what KBB says a certified pre-owned car is worth.

Not to keep going back to the well, but...





There are what looks like some great values on a couple Taurus Xs around, but that's just bigger than I want. Every day I have to parallel park on a street with a bunch of students who leave 3/4 of a car length between vehicles.

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

CarMax is pretty hassle free, but they don't have very good financing rates and their prices are high. If you can put up with some crap and shop around you can get a better deal.


Certified Pre-Owned cars are just cars that come with an extended warranty baked into the price. They're really not any different than the same car at a different dealer. There are certain guidelines the CPO car has to hit to be labeled CPO, but most cars that can be labeled CPO will hit those guidelines regardless.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

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

skipdogg posted:

Certified Pre-Owned cars are just cars that come with an extended warranty baked into the price. They're really not any different than the same car at a different dealer. There are certain guidelines the CPO car has to hit to be labeled CPO, but most cars that can be labeled CPO will hit those guidelines regardless.

Along further notes, some dealers are willing to play ball and sell you a CPO car without the warranty for cheaper. The Mazda 3 is the best deal among those cars, but lackluster on fuel ecomony compared to 2012 Mazda 3 or any other car of a similar size.

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

Proposed Budget: 20-25k
New or Used: New
Body Style: 4 door sedan
How will you be using the car?: Commuting
What aspects are most important to you? Comfort, comfort and comfort.


My mom's looking to get rid of her 2008 Volkswagen Beetle for something a big bigger (she doesn't like commuting in such a small car) and her biggest thing is "comfort". She'd like to stay away from Volkswagen for her next car.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Halloween Jack posted:

There are what looks like some great values on a couple Taurus Xs around, but that's just bigger than I want. Every day I have to parallel park on a street with a bunch of students who leave 3/4 of a car length between vehicles.

There's nothing wrong with CarMax, but the Aveo isn't as good as the Fit, Yaris, Fiesta or Versa.

What about something in the Ford Fusion / Mazda6 size range?

Halloween Jack
Sep 12, 2003
I WILL CUT OFF BOTH OF MY ARMS BEFORE I VOTE FOR ANYONE THAT IS MORE POPULAR THAN BERNIE!!!!!
Nothing against it, I just haven't seen any good deals on either type in my area. There was an older (2007) Fusion I was considering, but their price turned out to be not that great, the dealer's financing was loving awful, and my bank didn't want to do anything good for me on it either.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

Halloween Jack posted:

Thanks for that advice, Photo. I'm the kind of person who gets nervous about the whole idea of haggling, but to save a few hundred bucks I can locate my balls.

Any opinions on CarMax in general? They have some 2011 Chevy Aveos for right around $11k, with mileage in the 40-50k range. I wonder if their certification process is different from what's considered standard, i.e. if it's worth what KBB says a certified pre-owned car is worth.

Not to keep going back to the well, but...





There are what looks like some great values on a couple Taurus Xs around, but that's just bigger than I want. Every day I have to parallel park on a street with a bunch of students who leave 3/4 of a car length between vehicles.

Out of this list, the Sebring, Aveo, Galant, and Focus will be unpleasant considering the other options out there.

I would stick with either the Mazda 3 or the Camry.

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

Google Butt posted:

Proposed Budget: 20-25k
New or Used: New
Body Style: 4 door sedan
How will you be using the car?: Commuting
What aspects are most important to you? Comfort, comfort and comfort.


My mom's looking to get rid of her 2008 Volkswagen Beetle for something a big bigger (she doesn't like commuting in such a small car) and her biggest thing is "comfort". She'd like to stay away from Volkswagen for her next car.

How much bigger? Mid size or full size sedan?

Google Butt
Oct 4, 2005

Xenology is an unnatural mixture of science fiction and formal logic. At its core is a flawed assumption...

that an alien race would be psychologically human.

skipdogg posted:

How much bigger? Mid size or full size sedan?

I'd say mid size

edit: Just talked to her again and she said she was looking at the Kia Optimia, Hyundai Sonata and the Subaru Legacy.

Google Butt fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Feb 6, 2013

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Google Butt posted:

I'd say mid size

edit: Just talked to her again and she said she was looking at the Kia Optimia, Hyundai Sonata and the Subaru Legacy.

There aren't any bad midsize sedans out there at this point with the possible exception of the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger.

If she prioritizes comfort, the new Malibu and the Camry are good choices.

Agronox
Feb 4, 2005

A Proper Uppercut posted:

I'm looking for a manual myself, but what do you think of the car? I know it's what I'm getting, I'm just looking for the right price.

Sorry for not responding earlier.

I like the car quite a bit, though personally, if all things were equal, I would've gone with the Honda Fit. But all things weren't equal and the 3 was thousands of dollars cheaper. What they say is true, though, about it being pretty fun to drive for a compact.

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

Google Butt posted:

I'd say mid size

edit: Just talked to her again and she said she was looking at the Kia Optimia, Hyundai Sonata and the Subaru Legacy.

The Optima/Sonata siblings are very good choices in the mid size sedan segment. The new Fusion is very nice and the Camry is popular for a reason. You can't really go wrong, have her test drive each one and see which one she likes the best.

Wax Dynasty
Jan 1, 2013

This postseason, I've really enjoyed bringing back the three-inning save.


Hell Gem
What should I know about third-party car leasing companies (I'm not even sure if this is the right name)? I mean a company that's not a dealership that will find and arrange a lease on pretty much any make and model. Examples here in the DFW area include Autoflex and D&M Leasing. Although my current car is (barely) holding up, it's old enough that nearly any serious repair is going to be more than the car's worth. And due to uncertainty about my job situation and where I'll be living next year, should I need a replacement vehicle I'd prefer to get a two-year lease on a new(ish) vehicle rather than buy used or lease for a longer period. After some test drives I find myself really liking the Mazda 3, but the problem is that my local Mazda dealership won't offer a two-year lease (admittedly, I haven't called around to other shops). Would it be stupid to go through a place like Autoflex to get a two-year lease?

Another option, I guess, would be to ditch the Mazda and just take a Dart since Dodge is offering 24 month terms.

wa27
Jan 15, 2007

The latest car I've been eyeing is a 2008 Mazda3 GT with a ton of options (GPS and Bose sound system, in addition to the standard GT options). Not really stuff I need, but cars with loaded options do appeal to me. And I do at least need the touring trim level for the cruise control. I haven't had a chance to drive it because it's out of town.

They're asking ~$11,000, but the biggest downside is the mileage: 83k. The immediate reactions of the couple people I've sought advice from seems to be "that's way too many miles, you should look for something with 40k on it". So I'll ask here: should I really look for something with lower miles? How reliable are Mazda3s? The carfax is pretty comprehensive, showing one owner with regular maintenance. The engine mounts and power steering pump were replaced at some point. I drive about 7k miles per year. So, is it a dumb idea to spend that much on a "high" mileage car? My previous car was a 94 Camry that I drove from 130k to 190k over 7 years but I wouldn't expect this to have the same lifespan.

Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

Recorded, regular maintenance is far more important than miles and will have a much bigger impact on the condition and longevity of a vehicle. There's absolutely no reason that a well-maintained Mazda 3 wouldn't make it to 200k miles. Virtually every car sold in the past few years in the US is capable of making it to 200k with proper, scheduled, preventative maintenance. Even "unreliable" cars.

The definition of "reliable" has enormously changed in the past few decades. In the 1970s getting a car to 100-150k miles was an achievement. Now there are many cars on the market that aren't even due for their first major service interval until nearly 100k miles.

Twerk from Home
Jan 17, 2009

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

wa27 posted:

The latest car I've been eyeing is a 2008 Mazda3 GT with a ton of options (GPS and Bose sound system, in addition to the standard GT options). Not really stuff I need, but cars with loaded options do appeal to me. And I do at least need the touring trim level for the cruise control. I haven't had a chance to drive it because it's out of town.

They're asking ~$11,000, but the biggest downside is the mileage: 83k. The immediate reactions of the couple people I've sought advice from seems to be "that's way too many miles, you should look for something with 40k on it". So I'll ask here: should I really look for something with lower miles? How reliable are Mazda3s? The carfax is pretty comprehensive, showing one owner with regular maintenance. The engine mounts and power steering pump were replaced at some point. I drive about 7k miles per year. So, is it a dumb idea to spend that much on a "high" mileage car? My previous car was a 94 Camry that I drove from 130k to 190k over 7 years but I wouldn't expect this to have the same lifespan.

83k is not excessive mileage for a 2008 car, especially if the owner realized that cars need attention. If anything, it's room for a good buy because many people will be scared away from a perfectly reliable car.

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Apollodorus
Feb 13, 2010

TEST YOUR MIGHT
:patriot:
Is there a good guide to make/mileage, like a max. mileage for any given make/model/year of car above which a used car purchase is almost always a bad idea?

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