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Ciaphas posted:
Maybe I'm wrong, but I figure cap cost reductions like that are a bad idea from a "time value of money" perspective. Putting that "down payment" on the lease doesn't actually change the total amount of money you spend over the whole lease term so you're better off just holding onto it and making the monthly payments as you go. That money is more useful to you now in the present than in the future.
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May 22, 2014 20:59
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Traitorous Leopard posted:Maybe I'm wrong, but I figure cap cost reductions like that are a bad idea from a "time value of money" perspective. Putting that "down payment" on the lease doesn't actually change the total amount of money you spend over the whole lease term so you're better off just holding onto it and making the monthly payments as you go. That money is more useful to you now in the present than in the future. It depends. Financing charges are part of almost any lease, too, and they can change the equation dramatically (just like it's silly, given the option, to choose 15% interest over cash, but also silly to choose cash over 0% interest). This is one part of why leases tend to be bad deals - they have a ton of moving parts, and even if you get a good deal on everything but one, it can screw you in the final calculation. Car salespeople tend to be experts at negotiating leases, and individuals leasing aren't.
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May 22, 2014 21:17
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Traitorous Leopard posted:Maybe I'm wrong, but I figure cap cost reductions like that are a bad idea from a "time value of money" perspective. Putting that "down payment" on the lease doesn't actually change the total amount of money you spend over the whole lease term so you're better off just holding onto it and making the monthly payments as you go. That money is more useful to you now in the present than in the future. This is one good reason. The other is if something happens to the car, say it's totaled or stolen, you don't get that down payment money back. You don't technically own the car, you're renting it from the lease agency, insurance pays them and makes them whole, they don't do poo poo for you. If you put 3K down on a lease and the car is stolen 3 months later, you won't get that money back. Generally you want to put Zero dollars, or as close to Zero as possible down when negotiating a lease. In a perfect world you walk out making only the first payment. Space Gopher posted:It depends. Financing charges are part of almost any lease, too, and they can change the equation dramatically (just like it's silly, given the option, to choose 15% interest over cash, but also silly to choose cash over 0% interest). I don't feel there are any more moving parts than a standard vehicle purchase that's financed. You have the cost of the car, taxes, fees, interest rate you're borrowing money at, and all that creates your payment. Some of the nomenclature is different (ie money factor vs. interest rate/ cap cost vs purchase price) but I will say purchaser education is lacking when it comes to leases as the end result is very monthly payment focused.
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May 22, 2014 21:55
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Is there a technical/financial reason they go for money factors instead of interest rates? Is there more to it than APR / 2400, or do they just do it to confuse poor bastards like me? 
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May 22, 2014 22:01
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Ciaphas posted:Is there a technical/financial reason they go for money factors instead of interest rates? Is there more to it than APR / 2400, or do they just do it to confuse poor bastards like me? Yes and Yes. Here's some decent reading about it https://www.alphaleasing.com/resources/articles/MoneyFactor.asp
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May 22, 2014 22:17
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gp2k posted:Hi BFC/AI, I refer you back to my post from a few pages ago. Currently the trucks in this segment that get IIHS TSP+, meaning they get a good rating on the difficult small overlap front crash test, are the Forester, CX5, Rogue, Equinox/Terrain and Mitsubishi Outlander. You didn't specifically mention safety as being important but it's a good indicator for the quality and "freshness" of the rest of the vehicle. In this case all these vehicles are very new except for the Equinox/Terrain. This is not to say the Cherokee won't also ace the test, it probably will, but hasn't been tested yet. Honestly there is little reason to consider the RAV4 or CRV these days unless you are getting a very good deal on them. The RAV4 redesign in particular has been kind of disapointing.  Objectively speaking you are probably better off with the Forester/CX5 if you live somewhere without a lot of salt/rust, or the Rogue/Equinox if you do. Mazdas and Subarus have weird issues with rust protection that are a concern for long term owners. If you like the Jeep then you like the Jeep, the interior's pretty nice, the Uconnect infotaimnment system is well regarded, the cargo room is quite small relative to the others, historically Jeep reliability has been uneven and the infusion of Italian design probably hasn't helped it much. If you don't need the offroad capabilities of the Cherokee chassis then you are living with the compromises in fuel economy and on-road performance for no good reason, and the Forester with standard AWD is almost certainly better offroad than the FWD Jeep anyway. EDIT: When people refer to an evngine as a V6 they mean it has 6 cylinders arranged in a "V" configuration. 4 cylinder versions generally have their cylinders arranged in line, so are referred to as "Inline 4"s or "I4"s, or "Flat 4" in the case of the Subaru. Some people with Aspergers get twitchy when you call them "V4"s. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 05:18 on May 23, 2014 |
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May 23, 2014 05:11
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skipdogg posted:Generally when someone has requirements similar to yours I point them towards the Ford Edge. One in SEL or Limited trim checks all your boxes. They won't get close to 31 mpg though. Just a reminder for all Ford apologists that the Edge debuted in 2006, back when George Bush was still president and Lehman Bros still in business. Crash test ratings are pretty terrible (3 stars front NHTSA) compared modern cars and you would be better off to look at virtually anything else on the market.
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May 23, 2014 06:17
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Throatwarbler posted:I refer you back to my post from a few pages ago. Currently the trucks in this segment that get IIHS TSP+, meaning they get a good rating on the difficult small overlap front crash test, are the Forester, CX5, Rogue, Equinox/Terrain and Mitsubishi Outlander. You didn't specifically mention safety as being important but it's a good indicator for the quality and "freshness" of the rest of the vehicle. In this case all these vehicles are very new except for the Equinox/Terrain. This is not to say the Cherokee won't also ace the test, it probably will, but hasn't been tested yet. Honestly there is little reason to consider the RAV4 or CRV these days unless you are getting a very good deal on them. The RAV4 redesign in particular has been kind of disapointing. This is extremely helpful. Thanks Throatwarbler! What website did you get this screen cap from, btw? I had no idea re: the I4 vs. V4.
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May 23, 2014 17:09
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I have a question regarding the Edmunds.com "True Market Value" calculator. Is this useful/accurate information? For some vehicles (example: 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, yes I'm still on that drat thing) it seems significantly less than KBB/NADA prices. For my Honda, though, the TMV is remarkably close to KBB/NADA values. Still doesn't stop dealers/private parties from asking the KBB/NADA value (or higher).
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May 23, 2014 17:53
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Should I be watching for a trap if a dealer offers to make the remaining three payments on my lease? Just finished testing the Mazda 3, really like it, dealer mentioned that along the way when we were taking about my current car. (edit phone posting is hard) Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 18:17 on May 23, 2014 |
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May 23, 2014 18:13
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Throatwarbler posted:Objectively speaking you are probably better off with the Forester/CX5 if you live somewhere without a lot of salt/rust, or the Rogue/Equinox if you do. Mazdas and Subarus have weird issues with rust protection that are a concern for long term owners.. I am curious about the rust issues on a Subaru. They are basically a huge go to car in Colorado (I just bought an Impreza actually) and seem like they last forever. We pummel our roads with mag chloride which eats just about anything given time. The dealers in the area talk a lot about the Subaru corrosion protection and give a lot of pictures and such explaining it. I would think if it was a huge issue Subaru would be pushed from the market here.
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May 23, 2014 18:15
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Ciaphas posted:Should I be watching for a trap if a dealer offers to make the remaining three payments on my lease? Just finished testing the Mazda 3, really like it, dealer mentioned that along the way when we were taking about my current car. There might be some cash back incentive that you won't be getting instead, check on that.
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May 23, 2014 18:37
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Ciaphas posted:Should I be watching for a trap if a dealer offers to make the remaining three payments on my lease? Just finished testing the Mazda 3, really like it, dealer mentioned that along the way when we were taking about my current car. I'm 100% sure that you will wind up paying for those lease payment somewhere in the deal.
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May 23, 2014 18:55
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Uncle Jam posted:There might be some cash back incentive that you won't be getting instead, check on that. Checked, there don't seem to be any I'm not already getting. Need to check on my disposition fee for the end of the current lease though. Edit yeah he'll get the disposition too. About a 1750 incentive, grand total cap cost 26250, .00064 factor, 60% residual at 10k miles/year (more than I need) for 3 years. Mazda 3 hatchback, I grand touring, new, 2014. Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 19:26 on May 23, 2014 |
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May 23, 2014 18:55
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New question since it'll affect that cap cost. Are window VIN etching or desert paint protectant worth getting, or no? (I suspect no)
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May 23, 2014 19:36
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Ciaphas posted:New question since it'll affect that cap cost. Are window VIN etching or desert paint protectant worth getting, or no? (I suspect no) Window VIN etching is totally unnecessary. A lot of times the dealer's already done it and if you insist on not wanting it they'll just give it to you for free. But it's a totally, utterly worthless thing to do. "Desert paint protectant" is like 95% likely to be a scam, and even if it's actually something you'd want, you can probably get it from a 3rd party for less than what the dealer wants to charge you for it. It's basically the desert-region equivalent to dealer-applied "undercoating."
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May 23, 2014 19:53
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Leperflesh posted:Window VIN etching is totally unnecessary. A lot of times the dealer's already done it and if you insist on not wanting it they'll just give it to you for free. But it's a totally, utterly worthless thing to do. Thought as much on both accounts. Thanks, I will go back and see how that changes the cap. 
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May 23, 2014 20:05
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What would even be the point of etching the vin into the window?
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May 23, 2014 20:15
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VIN_etching Basically: to make it worth less to a thief. But if the cost of the etching is significantly close to what you'd pay your insurance company to replace your stolen window, it's pointless. And if your car is at the point in a chop shop where they're stealing the windows, you're well past your deductible because they're also stealing the rest of your parts too, and they already stole your whole loving car. And there are tons of parts in a car that don't have the VIN stamped on them, so I don't really understand why they focus on the windows. If you really want it (or can get an insurance discount for having it, which wikipedia claims is possible although that sounds like BS to me too), you can get a kit or have someone do it for like $20. e. jesus I mean imagine a car thief going along the street or a parking lot deciding what car to steal today. "Oh, hey, a <your nice new car>!" And then, wait, NO... the WINDOW'S BEEN ETCHED! My god, that could reduce the chop-shop value of this car from $20k to $19.9k! NOOOOOO! I guess I'll steal a different car instead! Leperflesh fucked around with this message at 20:27 on May 23, 2014 |
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May 23, 2014 20:24
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Don't you know, all car thieves walk around with one of those little jeweler's magnifying glass dealies to make sure they never jack the cars with etched windows.
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May 23, 2014 21:08
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Well now I just feel a bit of a doofus for even having to ask about it
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May 23, 2014 21:31
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spwrozek posted:I am curious about the rust issues on a Subaru. They are basically a huge go to car in Colorado (I just bought an Impreza actually) and seem like they last forever. We pummel our roads with mag chloride which eats just about anything given time. The dealers in the area talk a lot about the Subaru corrosion protection and give a lot of pictures and such explaining it. I would think if it was a huge issue Subaru would be pushed from the market here. Me too. I live in Vermont and Subaru is basically the state car manufacturer. They use enough salt around here that I need to remember to not wear leather shoes in the winter.
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May 23, 2014 22:08
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I'm comparing 3 cars. Comments or things to watch out for? 2011 Jaguar XT Premium 30,000 miles, $30,000 2012 Acura TL Advance 20,000 miles, $27,000 2012 Infiniti G37 Journey 25,000 miles $27,000 Budget: $25,000 - $33,000 ($US) New/Used? Used: looking for around 2 or 3 years old with under 30K miles. Style: 4 doors. A little sporty, a little upscale. Occasionally (10% of the time) have rear seat passengers How use the car: 75% of driving will be to/from work. 15 miles each way, medium rush hour, Texas weather (hot hot in summer). No towing. Very rare lugging anything large. No kids riding. I drive about 8,000 miles/year. What aspects most important? Something fun and a little sporty and and little upscale and looks good. I'm in Texas so a good A/C and maybe cooled seats would be nice. Good stereo is a plus. Navigation is nice but not necessary. There are a ton of BMWs and Mercedes around my neighborhood and even though I'm sure they are nice cars I can't bring myself to get one. Total cost of ownership isn't the driving factor, but I'd like to get a handle on how the Jaguar differs from the other two cars. About me: Male, single, 6'2", age 50, not particularly mechanically inclined. [I can change air filters and light bulbs and the oil on my motorcycle, but not much more than that.] So I'm looking at these 3 cars and have test driven all three. TL Advance was my leading candidate. It has tons of features and cooled seats. Then I drove a G37 and thought it was a bit sportier and had a better interface touch screen. And if I go Japanese, it looks like a coin flip between those two, with maybe an edge to the TL due to the features. But my heart is with the Jaguar. It looks great inside, and I'm never owned a cool car: I've had a series of non-exciting cars ( Ford Fairmount, Two Ford Taurus, currently a Lexus IS300) so I'd like to get something cool. And I'm a single guy, so something that looks nice would be good. But I don't want be bad reliability, does that rule out the Jaguar? My last two cars I've held on to for about 9 years each, so I don't have a lot of car turnover. Current car is a 2001 Lexus IS 300 with 130,000 miles. It is holding up OK, but small things are starting to crop up, and I'd like to get something new in the next couple of months. And since I hold on to cars for a while, a ex-girlfriend pointed out that I might only buy 2 more cars in my life: from age 50 to 60 (now) and then from 60 to 70. So I might as well get something that I like and that spending $5-$10K more on a onetime thing won't kill me. So first order of business: Tell me about Jaguar. My heart says Jaguar, but my head can overrule that. And then if no Jag, is there a compelling reason to go G37 or TL? Is there a BMW or Mercedes that I have to have, even though I'm not fond of the concept of owning one? WorldTravelerX fucked around with this message at 03:07 on May 24, 2014 |
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May 24, 2014 03:03
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I wouldn't want to own a jag, even a newer one, without a warranty. The G37 should be sportier than the acura. RWD to start with. Reliability wise, it is probably a wash, should I'd buy the one you like better among the japanese. Also, if you want something bigger, the M35 is a steal, generally thought of as the most reliable in its class and era, comes with a ton of toys, and dynamically is pretty good. nm fucked around with this message at 03:28 on May 24, 2014 |
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May 24, 2014 03:25
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WorldTravelerX posted:But I don't want be bad reliability, does that rule out the Jaguar? Yes. 2012 Cadillac CTS is around that price range and can be had with cooled seats. I like the 2012 Hyundai Azera too.
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May 24, 2014 04:58
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Thanks for feedback so far. No surprises, I guess.
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May 24, 2014 07:32
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Jags are garbage at this point and haven't been "cool" for a long time now. Your other choices aren't either, but cool and reliable/practical are often to usually at odds. Have you considered just getting a not too old Miata for your cool impress the ladies car and keeping whatever it is you have?
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May 24, 2014 19:10
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IRQ posted:Have you considered just getting a not too old Miata for your cool impress the ladies car  I love the Miata as much as anyone but just Also pretty much the only people impressed by any sort of car or motorcycle are other dudes.
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May 24, 2014 19:36
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Guinness posted:
He's in his 50s, I was trying not to be a dick about it.
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May 24, 2014 19:51
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I'd actually just keep the is300 until you die if it is stick and in a good color. If anything breaks engine wise, you can shove a 2jz in the engine bay and be a cool old dude.
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May 24, 2014 20:23
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Thanks for feedback. I need something that will occasionally seat 4. And I'm not a big fan of convertibles, so no Miata. But not a bad suggestion. [EDIT: I see that you said to hang on to current car. Still I'm 6'2" and not sure that Miatas are my thing.] I like my IS300 and it runs OK, but after having it for about 10 years it is time to move on. I agree that keeping it is the cheapest option. This isn't solely a financial decision. And I'm not trying to go all mid-life crisis here. I'm looking to replace a 10 year old car that is starting to have reliability issues with something that is entry level upscale for about $30K as apposed to something crazy. I think the Jaguars look cool. But I respect that others don't. WorldTravelerX fucked around with this message at 21:00 on May 24, 2014 |
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May 24, 2014 20:58
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I'm in/around the Central Texas area and BMW's and MB's are a dime a dozen, especially in the Austin area, but I'll tell you that the new Jags still catch my eye every single time. I think you should get your Jag, just buy it from CarMax. http://dougdemuro.jalopnik.com/why-your-next-unreliable-luxury-car-should-come-from-ca-814250605
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May 24, 2014 21:14
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skipdogg posted:I'm in/around the Central Texas area and BMW's and MB's are a dime a dozen, especially in the Austin area, but I'll tell you that the new Jags still catch my eye every single time. I think you should get your Jag, just buy it from CarMax. This was going to be my suggestion as well. Get the warranty. Get a supercharger. Have fun.
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May 24, 2014 21:37
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Thanks for idea about CarMax. And I see a 2011 XF in a CarMax out of state. Same price as local non-dealership, but 10K more miles. I've send a email to CarMax HQ asking for some warranty quotes. I've heard a lot of issues with the 2009 XFs with weird electrical issues. I guess I'm hoping that if I get a 2011 that A) some design issues would have been addressed from 2009 to 2011 and B) that prior owner would have fixed obvious issues.
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May 24, 2014 21:43
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Absolutely everything I have heard about current Jags is that they are a barrel of trouble. If you can get a great warranty, and you clearly seem in love with them, go for it, what you want is the most important thing. If your current car is paid off, albeit old, and in good condition (it is a Toyota after all), you might look at how much it will cost to keep it minimally insured, and at that point just say gently caress it and buy your Jag with a backup car tarped or in the garage.
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May 24, 2014 23:32
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I transferred the registration on my car from CT to MA when I moved but apparently the title didn't get transferred since I didn't submit it. The woman from the bank with a lien on my car called to tell me that the title wasn't transferred and I'd have to go submit it blah blah blah, but then she said apparently MA would allow me to just keep using the old title. Is there any reason to bother changing it? It'll take probably half a day and I think $75 and it's not obvious to me what the advantage is.
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May 25, 2014 01:30
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 Well you've got all the best choices so fat, here's a few more lower down on the list that you could also look at: 2012+ Charger/300: Can have cooled seats and pretty nice overall but probably larger than you need if you only occasionally have passengers. The exterior styling is...distinctive. 2011+ Acura RL: Like a nicer TL with a more nifty drivetrain. No idea how much you would actually have to pay to get one since they sold less than 1000 of these per year towards the end of the run and are rarer than Ferraris. Lincoln MKZ: Think these have had cooled seats for a while. I remember that because that was literally the only reason to get one over a Fusion. 2011+ Hyundai Genesis: I guess it's kind of like the Jag on paper but man they are not very good looking inside or out. I would prefer the Azera. 2011+ Buick Lacross: Bleh. The Regal is a million times better looking but does not have cooled seats IIRC.
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May 25, 2014 05:33
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Can anyone recommend a (new) car buying guide? My current idea is to just get quotes from multiple different dealers and see which is best, but I have a feeling they're all going to be pretty close to each other. Is there any way to know what the dealer is paying for a particular car (i.e., what their profit is)? The last time I spoke with a salesman and tried to talk him down in price, he just told me to buy the next trim level down. He had a point; if I was really that constrained by price, why would I insist on bells and whistles? I seem to be undercutting my negotiating position from the beginning by wanting one of the nicer trim levels (in this case the Mazda3 i Grand Touring).
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May 25, 2014 14:53
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Oaks posted:Can anyone recommend a (new) car buying guide? My current idea is to just get quotes from multiple different dealers and see which is best, but I have a feeling they're all going to be pretty close to each other. Is there any way to know what the dealer is paying for a particular car (i.e., what their profit is)? Just contact as many dealers as you can, don't even care about how much the car costs the dealer. Find the guy who really needs to move a car for holdback or bonus for selling x cars this month reasons, and get a car well under invoice. Use Truecar to ballpark a cost, and realize you can still beat it with a little work. You'll also have better results dealing with their internet or fleet sales guys, and this works better for brands that have a huge presence in your city. I've gotten insane deals on Fords because there are 12 Ford dealers in town, just pick whichever dealer is the most common.
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May 25, 2014 15:43
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BFC questions for this thread: 1. We're in a position to buy a car in all cash. Is there any reason we should not just sit down at the dealer and cut them a check? Or would financing part of it allow us to weasel our way into a better deal? 2. Would we get more money out of our old car if we sold it to Carmax for cash first instead of doing a trade-in? Or would using it as a bargaining chip at the dealer be more advantageous for us? Assuming we don't hate it on a test drive, looks like we're getting a Subaru Forester. The salt chat from earlier in this thread has me a little worried about the Subaru since we're in the mid-west where it snows a lot.
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May 25, 2014 18:56
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