|
-Blackadder- posted:I did briefly consider a Miata, but I don't really like the look of the body. Thanks, though. Get a Pontiac GTO. By far the fastest, especially if you get an 05/06 model. Also the most practical, it handles very well, looks awesome without being too in your face. Only real reliability issue is that certain OEM suspension parts wear out fairly quickly.
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 06:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 10:47 |
|
|
IRQ posted:Versas are woefully, tragically underpowered and feel pretty cheap inside to me. For not a hell of a lot more you can get a new Focus/Fiesta if new is now your target. Maybe a Mazda 2 if you're ok with how small it is, but it's also pretty underpowered, but you hate driving, so really any of those are probably fine. The Prius recommendation is probably still the best though. Don't get an automatic transmission 2. I'm sure it is reliable, but it isn't good. I say this as (a manual) Mazda 2 owner. If you're ok with a stick, it is a fun car, but it really is aimed more at fun than gizmos. The versa is really, really, really cheap for a reason. It is reliable, but it an the Mirage seem to be the only cars sold new in the US worthy or the term penalty box.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 11:44
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: up to ~15k. Maybe could stretch it a little but prefer not to. New or Used: 2-3 years?? Body Style: Small to midsize SUV, hatchback (prius?), sedans are OK too. 4 doors only. How will you be using the car?:Daily driver for my wife, about 50-60 miles a day commuting to and short drives for work. Safety rating is important, and comfort too. We'll be doing a few long road trips in it, and also transporting a dog. If it can be fitted with a small tow hook (motorcycle trailer +/- 1200lbs?) that would be handy and would definitely want ability to mount roof racks. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? A nice interior would be preferred - leather seats, decent radio. Does not need to be a luxury brand or have over the top stuff like air conditioned seats though. What aspects are most important to you? safety, reliability, utility, mileage/cost of ownership probably. Performance/aesthetic isn't really that important. We both like the Prius, Mazda CX-5, subaru crosstrek and I like the subaru wagons (my wife does not)
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 14:11
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: Around $20k New or Used: Either Body Style: Crossover How will you be using the car?: Commuting, occasional highway trips. around 20k miles/year total Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Don't care, as long as it has an automatic transmission What aspects are most important to you?: Low total cost of ownership, reliability, comfortable seat height for old people to get into / out of. My in laws are getting well into their 60s at this point, and want to replace one of their compacts with a small crossover for comfort reasons. They don't care at all about luxury, prestige, or driving well, and drive quite a bit. They will be replacing either a 2006 Civic with 170k miles or a 2009 Elantra with 120k miles. I'm advising them that the Civic is probably a better one to replace because the resale market for 8th gen civics seems to be overvalued to me. They understand that they will be paying a premium for a crossover over another econobox, but it's worth the hit in fuel economy and depreciation to them to have the comfort of ingress / egress and ease of loading compared to an economy car. Is the decision as simple as "Buy a CRV?" It seems to be the cheapest in class to own, and the only problem is $20k doesn't stretch to a new one and it looks like they barely depreciate at all in the first couple years. I can persuade them to stretch the budget to a new stripped CRV, but I'd appreciate some reasons why that would be the way to go. Edit: Their impulse is to keep the Civic because it had a full engine replacement under Honda warranty when it was 7 years old, and they think the new engine means it'll go forever. I was floored to hear that Honda pays to replace cracked blocks on 7 year old cars. I bet that once they find out that old ratty Civic is worth more than the 50k mile less Elantra they'll sell it and keep the Elantra though. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 15:10 on Aug 21, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 15:06
|
|
|
GanjamonII posted:Proposed Budget: up to ~15k. Maybe could stretch it a little but prefer not to. It sounds like you want a wagon or light SUV with some towing capacity, but having the Prius in there is throwing me way off.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 19:18
|
|
|
I would bet a Prius can tow a measly 1200lb motorcycle trailer, though apparently the official word from Toyota is they don't recommend towing with a Prius. Maybe all the hybrid business complicates things, but also just as likely it's an American lawyer-state liability thing. That said, it's a distinctly American opinion that you need an SUV/Truck if you want to tow anything at all. Go to anywhere in the rest of the world and people tow small trailers with compact cars all the time. Not horse trailers, 30 foot boats, and huge fifth wheel campers, but small trailers yes. Some guys here say they've towed ~1500lb motorcycle trailers with a Prius no problem: http://priuschat.com/threads/prius-towing-capacity.39695/#axzz3B3K5aygG Guinness fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Aug 21, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 19:27
|
|
|
Guinness posted:That said, it's a distinctly American opinion that you need an SUV/Truck if you want to tow anything at all. Go to anywhere in the rest of the world and people tow small trailers with compact cars all the time. Not horse trailers, 30 foot boats, and huge fifth wheel campers, but small trailers yes. Isn't it illegal to tow beyond the tow rating of your vehicle? As I understand it, you can be ticketed for towing excessive loads, and lots of smaller North American cars manuals explicitly say "Can tow up to 1000lbs in Canada, do not tow in USA" even if the same thing is rated to tow 1000 kg in Europe.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 19:51
|
|
|
Guinness posted:I would bet a Prius can tow a measly 1200lb motorcycle trailer, though apparently the official word from Toyota is they don't recommend towing with a Prius. Maybe all the hybrid business complicates things, but also just as likely it's an American lawyer-state liability thing. OK, well, if you're happy with the towing capacity of a Prius, then why consider SUVs? Buy pretty much any car... My point isn't that a Prius is necessarily a bad choice, it's that it's a different class of vehicle (by a lot) from a SUV or AWD wagon. If someone says "what should I buy, an LED TV or a Kindle Fire," then my response is that I'm confused about what you're trying to do or what your needs really are.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2014 20:22
|
|
|
So I am down to about 3 cars that I wanna buy and I am really stuck. First is a 2012 Toyota Matrix, the drive is not bad, even if the steering is a bit loose. I like the practicality of the hatchback but I'm not sure I like the look of it. Second is a 2011 VW Jetta. I love the look of this thing, interior and exterior, and like how it drives. The biggest turnoff is the horrible things people say about it's reliability, but I definitely like being in this thing the most out of the three. As a result, I spent the most time scrutinizing it and it's already beginning to rust in the rear passenger door. They have a 10 year rust warranty but I feel like this isn't a good sign if its already rusting (is it the cars fault or the owner)? Third I haven't looked at yet but possibly a 2010/2011 Honda Civic. This seems like the responsible thing to do but I've driven one and didn't really love it or hate it, it was just a bland experience. These are all about $12,000 CND, within 10,000km of each other (~60,000km don't remember off the top of my head), and are accident free and all that. I drive a lot so enjoying the ride is a big thing, and if I were buying it new I would get the Jetta in a heartbeat. But on the big journeys I tend to bring a lot of cargo, so the Matrix would make that easy, even if it's probably doable in the other two. But then again, no one ever went wrong with a Honda Civic so should I just play it safe? A Jupiter fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Aug 22, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 01:20
|
|
|
I've been reading and enjoying this thread for a while, so I thought I'd chime in with a bit of an off-the-wall question: what would you recommend for a good rallycross car? Budget: up to $5k Usage: Going to rallycross events or light off-roading / hauling rear end down dirt roads. Local independent Subaru shop recommended a 98 Outback turbo; I've also considered a 2.5RS from the same era, but those are more pricey and I don't want to beat up someone's beloved collector's item. AWD preferred, but not mandatory- I'd also considered a Miata or 944, but a little bit of research seemed to indicate that they may not hold up to the abuse.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 21:55
|
|
|
^^^^^^^^^^^^ Neon. Guinness posted:I would bet a Prius can tow a measly 1200lb motorcycle trailer, though apparently the official word from Toyota is they don't recommend towing with a Prius. Maybe all the hybrid business complicates things, but also just as likely it's an American lawyer-state liability thing. I will say this, Toyota of UK tells you not to tow with it. You can tow with almost anything in the UK. I wouldn't do it. You also, expose yourself to civil and potential criminal liability in an accident.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 22:43
|
|
|
Artemis J Brassnuts posted:I've been reading and enjoying this thread for a while, so I thought I'd chime in with a bit of an off-the-wall question: what would you recommend for a good rallycross car? Nissan Sentra SE-R. Alternatively, if you want a dose of America, nobody likes SN95 Mustangs and I've seen them take a beating on dirt tracks. That sure would be a hoot.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 22:47
|
|
|
I need a car, but only for the next 2.5-3 months and was wondering if anyone has suggestions. I looked at short term leases, but I only found websites to take over someone else's lease, which is fine, but the leases had 9-12 months remaining, so they were not ideal. I also looked at rental car companies, but I live in an urban area and need the car registered and insured under my name in order to get parking. I've also reached out to some friends and family so something might pop up there. I'm not opposed to buying and then selling the car after the job ends, and presumably taking a loss of up to $1,000, but that may be over complicating things and might mean I get a less reliable car. I have $5,000 in cash to spend, again if I can get my money back out of it, and I have good credit so I could presumably get financing if that made sense. I also need this thing on the road 7 days from now. I need it to be reliable. I won't have time to deal with breakdowns or other issues. Proposed Budget: $5,000 or $500 per month New or Used: Either Body Style: Any, better on gas preferred. How will you be using the car?: Probably average driving 50 miles per day, 7 days per week over the next 3 months. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? Nope What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, gas mileage.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 01:10
|
|
|
Artemis J Brassnuts posted:I've been reading and enjoying this thread for a while, so I thought I'd chime in with a bit of an off-the-wall question: what would you recommend for a good rallycross car? Comedy option:  Slow, but fun as hell. RallyX owns so hard.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 01:27
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: ~30-35k New or Used: New Body Style: Anything, leaning towards hatchback if possible How will you be using the car?: Work and back, < 10k miles a year, will likely buy a second car 2 years after for pleasure Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?) More stuff is better What aspects are most important to you? Technology, mileage, warranty. High engine power is superfluous I'm going to be finishing my PhD at the end of next year and want to save some extra money and have a less expensive car payment. My current car is very expensive (a merc SLK55 amg) and is out of warranty so I'm strongly considering selling it. For the next year my driving will increase a bit but this year I only drove 4k miles so gas mileage (an awful 23 mpg highway) and maintenance were not a concern. So far from the looking that I've done the top model Mazda 3 hatchback with the tech package looks the best. It manages to tick all my boxes with bi-xenon lights, nav, leather seats, adaptive cruise control and others. It's also a plus that it gets 38 mpg. Are there any cars like this in this price range that can match the tech/looks of the Mazda 3? I'm having a hard time thinking of any and would appreciate any suggestions. I am specifically looking at new cars as I am also strongly considering leasing this time instead of buying, and would like a full warranty during the entirety of ownership. I have car ADD and usually switch cars every 2-3 years. Selling them is a pain in the rear end and it would be nice to be able to just turn the car over to the dealership at the end of the lease, or buy it outright if the value is above residual. Is there really any issue with this? I drive pretty low miles a year most of the time so a mileage limit is not an issue for me. From my looking at the Mazda 3 model specifically, the residual is decent at 59% for a 3 yr 15k/yr lease with a low money factor, bringing the payment in the range of ~$300-350. I have USAA and will probably use their car buying service as they seem to have negotiated pretty good deals with extra incentives for many manufacturers. On that note, has anyone ever used USAA's car selling service? I might give it a try just to see what places are willing to offer on my current car.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 03:58
|
|
|
Fuzzie Dunlop posted:I need a car, but only for the next 2.5-3 months and was wondering if anyone has suggestions. I looked at short term leases, but I only found websites to take over someone else's lease, which is fine, but the leases had 9-12 months remaining, so they were not ideal. I also looked at rental car companies, but I live in an urban area and need the car registered and insured under my name in order to get parking. I've also reached out to some friends and family so something might pop up there. For that amount of time you could very easily buy an oldish Honda/Toyota whatever and resell it for the same or better/a little bit less cash, for not a ton of effort for 5 grand. If the effort isn't a problem, try to do exactly that. Something stupid common that holds its value like crazy very reliably is what you want if you can't get away with renting or a very short term lease.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 04:04
|
|
|
Guinness posted:I would bet a Prius can tow a measly 1200lb motorcycle trailer, though apparently the official word from Toyota is they don't recommend towing with a Prius. Maybe all the hybrid business complicates things, but also just as likely it's an American lawyer-state liability thing. As I understand, the hybrid gearbox isn't that great at handling the continuous high torque involved with towing anything of significant size (Toyota's hybrid Highlander is rated to tow 3500 pounds versus 5000 for the regular Highlander.). Even if it appears to work decently, I'd be concerned with the long-term effects on the drivetrain. Especially with something like this: http://priuschat.com/threads/prius-towing-travel-trailer.127797/#axzz3BAwAUshi
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 04:16
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: $2500 (could stretch to $3000 but would rather not) New or Used: Used Body Style: sedan (mpg big concern) How will you be using the car?: Work and school (15 mile trips at the most, nothing crazy) Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?) No What aspects are most important to you? Reliability and mpg I'm sure this has been answered a million times before but basically I'm looking for the cheapest and most reliable point A to B car. In my search so far Toyota Corolla's have been highly recommended. I'm looking in the 99-02' era and they seem to fit a lot of the requirements I'm looking for. They get amazing mpg (41 highway, probably 37) and are reliable. These cars sometimes have a problem with running through oil pretty quickly but it's an issue I'm not 100% educated on yet or how widespread the problem is. Body styling and things of that nature are of absolute zero importance to me. I just want something that is going to be cheap to drive and own. I really want to stay in this price range if I can at all. My question is basically, is this the right car to be targeting here? Other things in this price range that pop up are Volkswagen golfs and Toyota Camry's. I like both of those options but Golf's are going to be a little more expensive to own (especially diesel variants right?) and Camry's are commanding more of a premium than Corolla's in my area (Denver, Colorado). If their is anything that I'm missing I'm open to suggestions. The other thing worth mentioning is would I even fully realize the costs of saving on a corolla vs a golf if I'm driving under 5k-8k miles per year (high high end estimate sub 5k more realistic). I'm planning on owning this car for 2-3 years and spend under $600 on major repairs (not including tires, oil changes, etc...)
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 07:11
|
|
|
Stealth Like posted:Proposed Budget: ~30-35k A Prius has all of those features, but if you don't drive much the hybrid fuel savings are probably not worth the price premium. Other than that the only hatchbacks available in the US other than the Mazda3 are the Focus (IIRC no adaptive cruise), Impreza (does have a camera system which might have adaptive cruise?) or Golf (No adaptive cruise). If you are willing to step up to a midsize sedan the new Chrysler 200 and the Buick Regal both have all that poo poo. The Accord too, but only on the very top spec trim which starts at $33k. By comparison you can get a 200 with adaptive cruise for like $28k. Your choices really open up if you are willing to just give up adaptive cruise and control the brake pedal manually. Also, yes do lease the car.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 08:05
|
|
|
Chocolate posted:Proposed Budget: $2500 (could stretch to $3000 but would rather not) I was in this same position a few years back. Here's what I found out. The Corolla is a fine car, if a bit boring. Avoid the Golf if you're looking for reliability, especially at your price range. Civics have the same issues as Toyotas (overpriced because of reputation), but if you can find one that hasn't been modified, and the timing belt/water pump has been changed recently (as these engines ARE interference, the belt should be changed every ~60k miles), they're a good option as well. Be on the lookout for rust though. At your price range, you're going to have some, but it can get really bad on civics. Consider a Focus with the Zetec DOHC engine. Parts are super cheap, pretty reliable, and you're not paying the toyota tax (or the oil burning tax, these engines run reliably forever). They're also really easy to work on if you're going to do your own work. MPG's a little worse than the Corolla, but at your level of miles, it hardly matters (and it's not catastrophically bad, I've gotten 35 highway, but that's on the higher end of what it does). They come in sedans or hatchbacks. I know you said sedan only, but if your reasoning is for gas mileage only, the hatches have the same MPG rating, and are a little more useful for hauling/moving. The 3 doors can be a bit annoying to get into and out of the back seat though. Timing belt should have been changed around 100000 miles, but the DOHC isn't interference, so it's not the end of the world if it goes, you'll just be by the side of the road. Make sure you aren't getting the SOHC engine though, those suck. All the hatchbacks have the DOHC. It was an option on the sedans, but a lot of them have it. EDIT: A Mazda3 is probably out of your price range, but it's worth checking craigslist to be sure. Lastly: An obnoxious grammar nerd reminder that there shouldn't be apostrophes in car names (Golf's), unless you're dealing with possession. [/obnoxious] Grumpwagon fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Aug 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 13:23
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: 10-13K New or Used: Most likely Used Body Style: 4 door compact, 4 door mid sized How will you be using the car?: commuting 15 mins to work, hauling 4-5 people a couple nights a week for fun, loading up the trunk with golf bags Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?: Would like working A/C and a nice stereo system What aspects are most important to you? good MPG, fun to drive, and reliability I'm planning to move to Arizona in a couple of weeks and will need a car to drive to work about 15 minutes away from where I plan to live. Also would be driving some friends around town for some entertainment. Looking for a fun car to drive with good mpg while being really reliable. Also would like working and reliable a/c especially in the desert heat! I was looking at these cars online: 2011 Mazda 3 Sport 2011-2012 Honda Fit 2011 Toyota Camry I know this gets brought up in the thread a lot especially regarding Leperflesh's post on buying a car used, but would you just walk into an authorized dealership saying before you buy the car you want to bring it to the mechanic for an inspection? Is it cool for me to just straight up say that? I'm always thinking that buying a certified used car is the best option provided the car isn't a rental. But I'm starting to think that if I can find a good deal without the certified taglines if I do my homework, I would be as happy buying it certified. I'm also the type of person who just wants to pay it as soon as possible though. I was willing to put $6000 down and try to pay it off within two years.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 16:11
|
|
|
Twerk from Home posted:Isn't it illegal to tow beyond the tow rating of your vehicle? As I understand it, you can be ticketed for towing excessive loads, and lots of smaller North American cars manuals explicitly say "Can tow up to 1000lbs in Canada, do not tow in USA" even if the same thing is rated to tow 1000 kg in Europe. It's mostly a warranty thing - they can deny warranty coverage if they find evidence of you towing loads based on the warnings in the manual. The legal liability comes in if you exceed the GVWR of your vehicle. (IANAL) corgski fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Aug 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 16:54
|
|
|
Throatwarbler posted:A Prius has all of those features, but if you don't drive much the hybrid fuel savings are probably not worth the price premium. Wow I would have never even considered a Chrysler given their previous track record of boring terrible cars. Looks like they've really really stepped up their game for the new model version. I think every review I've read has had them questioning why they didn't change the model name. AND it has full stop ACC as opposed to the Mazda. It looks like it has a much better sound system which is also a plus, though it doesn't look nearly as cool to me. I'll have to take a look at Buick as well and see what they have to offer these days. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 18:54
|
|
|
This is for my dad. Proposed Budget: 20k or so New or Used: Used or New Body Style: 4 Door sedan How will you be using the car?: My dad is an exec who has been driving a 1999 Passat since he bought it used at the end of 2000. It now has >200k miles on it, has peeling paint, and he wants to replace it. He's mainly going to be using this to commute to work about 24 miles/day, with the occasional, 2-3x/year road trip of 600 miles or so. What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style): Mainly reliability, comfort, and mpg. He can do a lot of his own maintenance if needed. Manual transmission preferred but not required. He's lately been looking at slightly used/new Mazda 6s and Infiniti G37s, but he's up for pretty much anything as long as it's not more than a few years old. Budget is around 20k, give or take.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 21:15
|
|
|
Weirdly specific question, but what's the best way to quickly and painlessly unload a 2005 Toyota Sienna converted to be a wheelchair van without getting hosed over and what should it fetch? It has the hydrolic junk that lowers it and the auto-deploying ramp stuff. 115k miles, well maintained, lived indoors. We no longer need it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 22:32
|
|
|
I drove a rental Mazda6 recently and found it quite impressive.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 00:57
|
|
|
Proposed Budget: <$20k New or Used: Used Body Style: 2 or 4 door midsize or smaller How will you be using the car?: ~20 mile daily work commute What aspects are most important to you?: Sustainable maintenance, mpg, slightly less boring than average My '95 626 is giving death rattles. Got a prospect but just got cold feet before signing: a 2010 Subaru Impreza automatic with 17k miles and some change. Down from dealer's listed price of $17000 to $15000 and I can make a $5000 down payment to put monthly over 6 years well within my means. 60 or fewer months is not out of the question either. Stop the search and pull the trigger? Try to do better on my priorities (I've seen better than 20/27 mpg) for the money?
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 01:30
|
|
|
Don't take out a 72 month or a 60 month loan on a used car.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 01:57
|
|
|
If I give up philanthropy this winter I could do it in 12, but I'm caught between my current vehicle becoming too much of a drain and not having enough saved to just pay cash. Reduce the number of payments then? Sorry Corals fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Aug 24, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 02:09
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Don't take out a 72 month or a 60 month loan on a used car. Sometimes you gotta, but don't for the love of crap plan to pay it off for that long. I have one that I'm on track to be done with in 24. If you have poo poo credit you have poo poo credit.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 08:47
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Don't take out a 72 month or a 60 month loan on a used car. Generally, I'd say on all cars, unless it is a way below market rate like 0%, don't have a note on a car longer than the B2B (ideally) or at least the powertrain. poo poo happens, but a note should mean no repair bills.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 12:26
|
|
|
IRQ posted:Sometimes you gotta, but don't for the love of crap plan to pay it off for that long. Oh, yeah, of course. nm posted:Generally, I'd say on all cars, unless it is a way below market rate like 0%, don't have a note on a car longer than the B2B (ideally) or at least the powertrain. poo poo happens, but a note should mean no repair bills. Transmission and engine is covered by the dealer's certified pre-owned gimmick but the rest is part of an extended warranty. You'd recommend that if I'm rolling it into financing? Was thinking of leaving it off 'cause the ledger-sized list they showed me is 3/4 bullshit items like center console hinges. It also sounds like you're saying a $0 deductible on something like that is preferable, even though it's more in the long run if I fail to have major problems.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 16:46
|
|
|
Sorry Corals posted:Proposed Budget: <$20k It looks like you're paying a premium for a "low-mileage" car there. Sure, when all things are equal a car with fewer miles is generally better, but the odometer isn't a magic condition gauge. A car that's seen 12,000 mi/yr as a suburban commuter probably isn't in any worse shape than one that's seen 3,000 mi/yr as a city errand runner. Aside from that and the financing issues, a Subaru probably isn't the right choice for you. All wheel drive is nice and all, but the AWD system is less efficient than plain old front wheel drive, and from the reliability angle it's one more thing to go wrong. Unless you have a reason for wanting it, get something that's not an Impreza. You might want to look at newer compacts. The Honda Fit would be a very good fit for you, but they hold resale value like crazy. The 2012 and newer Ford Focuses are also really good cars, and while they're not too bad at holding value, at least you don't have to pay the Honda tax. Finally, of course, there's the thread standard recommendation of a Prius, although it doesn't do a great job with your "not boring" requirement unless you really like power flow diagrams on LCD screens. Or, just take that $5000 down payment and go Craigslist hunting. You won't find anything perfect, but there are lots of solid older cars out there once you get out of the $2000 "it runs, what more do you want?" beater doldrums. The other $10,000+ of payment money will pay for a lot of maintenance, gas, and repairs.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 17:25
|
|
|
Sorry Corals posted:Oh, yeah, of course. Don't do an extended warranty. They always have holes that you can drive a truck through.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 17:40
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Don't do an extended warranty. They always have holes that you can drive a truck through. It makes me wonder if the circlejerk jalopnik/demuro give to Carmax is warranted in any way.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 18:08
|
|
|
Residency Evil posted:It makes me wonder if the circlejerk jalopnik/demuro give to Carmax is warranted in any way. I see what you did there. The...uh...warranty seems to be as good as they describe, going by reports from other parts of the internet, it's just that carmax already marks their prices up significantly compared to other sellers, so you're paying more up front. It only make sense (kind of) if you are exclusively buying just-out-of-warranty V12 AMGs or Range Rovers or E60 M5s *and* keep them for at least a few years. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Aug 24, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 18:12
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Don't do an extended warranty. They always have holes that you can drive a truck through. Wilco Space Gopher posted:It looks like you're paying a premium for a "low-mileage" car there. Sure, when all things are equal a car with fewer miles is generally better, but the odometer isn't a magic condition gauge. A car that's seen 12,000 mi/yr as a suburban commuter probably isn't in any worse shape than one that's seen 3,000 mi/yr as a city errand runner. Solid advice. I'm not at all attached to the make/model -- I was just led to this by a tip from a friend who is a former employee of the dealership. Sure falls short of an insider connection kind of deal, looking it over. This is why I gave myself the weekend. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 18:43
|
|
|
While I agree that awd is a fuel suck, I really don't think it is something you need to worry about reliabilitywise. The awd systems on subarus are generally very reliable. Very few complaints about failures and most involve old cars or tracked cars. On the VLSD models, when it does fail, it generally just becomes an open diff anyhow.Throatwarbler posted:I see what you did there. Yeah, the carmax extended warranty is great on expensive to repair kind of unreliable car that is low volume enough that they haven't properly adjusted the prices. The w8 passat warranty back in the day was priced exactly the same as a V6 passat. The v6 was the most reliable passat and the w8 was extremely unreliable, including cam adjusters that WOULD fail before 100k mi and cost five figures to replace. Now, the warranty companies have caught on, but you could get an extended warranty for a few grand that would save you an almost certain 10k+ repair. Generally, for volume cars, they are a ripoff. My view is that if the car is out of warranty, you should be buying cash or as cheap as possible while still be reliable. nm fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Aug 24, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 20:43
|
|
|
In light of some recent hilarious life decisions by AI posters, I find it amusing that according to (previous G-wagen owner) Doug Demuro, Carmax categorically refuses to deal with any G-wagens whatsoever as a corporate policy. That's how bad they are.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2014 03:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 10:47 |
|
|
Man that car has more red flags than May Day in Moscow.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2014 14:22
|
|