Listerine posted:Ok, all things that I don't care about. Well, I'll go ahead and give them a test drive, but looking through that list, I'm definitely going to follow up on some of those others- the Honda Fit looks pretty and is still in my price range. Thanks again for the help. Just a heads up from someone who just reserved one after digging deep into just about every single "what did you pay?" thread on the internet: 2015 Honda Fits are basically going for MSRP with very little room (a few hundred bucks at most) for negotiation. They didn't make a 2014 model promising the redesign which held over demand a bit, the 2015 was delayed for a few months, and they are having trouble shipping the things to most of the country because they go via rail through Texas and Texas railways are clogged with oil shipments. Supply might be a bit better in CA but it looks like people are reporting that an EX automatic will still be ~$20.5k and an LX auto will be ~$18k.
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# ? Nov 19, 2014 17:02 |
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# ? Apr 29, 2024 07:37 |
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APOLLO OHNO-UDIDNT posted:I can't believe I'm in this thread again so soon, but we have to let go of the 09 Challenger SRT8 (damaged, not our fault). So I'm looking for a sporty replacement, coupe, with a manual for sure. I could replace it with another Challenger and try out the new model, but honestly the 2015 Mustang GT seems pretty appealing to me. Looking at the trim levels, I don't really see why I'd need to spring for a premium over the base GT, but I'm admittedly not knowledgable about these. Go try to drive an FRS (basically the same). It is going to be a polar opposite from the challenger. Also, I'd avoid a 1st year mustang. New fords seem to have quite a few teething issues.
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# ? Nov 20, 2014 03:03 |
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Girl Friend found a 2011 Jeep Compass( Base Trim, 2L 4 cylinder, CVT) with 29k miles on it for $13900. It is close to kbb fair purchase price of $14100.
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# ? Nov 20, 2014 06:40 |
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APOLLO OHNO-UDIDNT posted:I can't believe I'm in this thread again so soon, but we have to let go of the 09 Challenger SRT8 (damaged, not our fault). So I'm looking for a sporty replacement, coupe, with a manual for sure. I could replace it with another Challenger and try out the new model, but honestly the 2015 Mustang GT seems pretty appealing to me. Looking at the trim levels, I don't really see why I'd need to spring for a premium over the base GT, but I'm admittedly not knowledgable about these. According to cars.com you can get 6 speed manual F10 550is with under 40k miles for less than 40k all day. Find one with the most worn out factory tires, point out the worn out tires and haggle the price down, them dump the runflats and get real tires, could be interesting.
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# ? Nov 20, 2014 13:53 |
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Anyone care to comment on an 2004 Audi A4 with 133,000 for 7k? It seems like a beautiful car for the price but I'm nervous the cost of maintenance will be too high. I definitely cannot afford to spend 3k a month of upkeep. He has had a few things done that should make it good to go for some time (air suspension done at 115400 miles, head gasket replaced at 94500 miles, timing belt with waterpump and all stuff done at 98600 miles) but I don't want to buy a car Im going to need to work on constantly a year or two down the road. Any advice?
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 02:23 |
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hobbez posted:Anyone care to comment on an 2004 Audi A4 with 133,000 for 7k? I definitely cannot afford to spend 3k a month of upkeep. Keep looking...
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 02:52 |
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That's the tail end of the really dark era of reliability for Volkswagen/Audi. Unless you're quite handy with a wrench and don't mind troubleshooting electrical gremlins, I wouldn't touch an early-2000s VAG product with a 10-foot pole. IMO the A4 isn't a special enough car to put up with that much headache.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 02:58 |
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hobbez posted:Anyone care to comment on an 2004 Audi A4 with 133,000 for 7k? It might not blow up right away but what's the point? B6 A4s just look like generic FWD sedans, what does it do for you that would make it worthwhile to put up with it being an unreliable poo poo heap? If you like that kind of car find an Acura TSX from the same era.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 03:37 |
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After a nice run, I'm probably going to retire my 02 Hyundai Elantra with 200K. Proposed Budget: Was hoping around $15K. Can go higher for a deal. New or Used: Best Value Body Style: Compact Sedan, 2 or 4 door How will you be using the car?: Everyday life. Going to work. City and highway. What aspects are most important to you?: Reliability, Price, Longevity. I need some degree of room to carry around a bass cabinet when need be (the back seat of my Elantra currently does this). USB port for tunes would be great. MPG is good. I do not care about being a speedster or having the best acceleration. I want something reliable that will get me from A to B. I'm currently down to two options, a 2015 Hyundai Elantra or a Honda Civic. I haven't finalized Civic prices yet but I'm seeing some very good incentives on Elantras that lower the price to about 16K new. 2014 and 2013 models are barely cheaper at all. I think both cars will serve my purpose well. My Elantra has been very reliable to me and that's why I'm willing to go with them again- and the 2015 model feels very similar to the 2002 so it feels right at home to me. I have not yet put my feet into a Civic but I plan to this weekend. I'm also considering going used with either model, but the used prices don't seem low enough to make it a better value. Still haven't decided. So... these two choices seem pretty even to me, with the civic having slightly better options but also being more expensive. Anyone have a strong opinion on either one?
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 03:55 |
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NarkyBark posted:So... these two choices seem pretty even to me, with the civic having slightly better options but also being more expensive. Anyone have a strong opinion on either one? Which options? At that price you're looking at base models, and the Elantra has alloy wheels, sat radio, and 6 speakers that the Civic doesn't.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 04:35 |
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Sent out my emails requesting pre/post out the door prices for the car I want to all local dealerships. I decided on a new 2014 Ford Focus ST with the mid option package. I'm going to have some trouble getting the courage to pull the trigger because I haven't purchased a car in over 10 years. So far, none of the dealerships have emailed me back, but it's only been 2 days. Assuming they do eventually return offers, my plan is to consider the lowest unless it's trivially different from a dealer closer to me. Sound like a decent plan? I'm using Truecar.com to ballpark what I'm expecting to see as reasonable prices, what else should I be doing to ensure I'm in the right price point? I don't have any delusions of scoring a sweet deal below dealer cost or anything, I just want to make sure I've done the proper research before I fork over the money.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 18:55 |
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Do you have your financing already arranged? The purchase price of the car is the easy part. Finance and your trade in valuation is where they get you. Honestly if you do your homework you don't have to be scared of the dealer. Find a fair price for the car (I shoot for invoice +500 - rebates and incentives), find a dealer that has the one you want in stock, take the sales person to the car, and say "I'll give you 22,300 for this car right now and take it home today". If they say yes, congrats, you bought a car. If they say no, thank them for their time and leave.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 19:15 |
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Throatwarbler posted:According to cars.com you can get 6 speed manual F10 550is with under 40k miles for less than 40k all day. Find one with the most worn out factory tires, point out the worn out tires and haggle the price down, them dump the runflats and get real tires, could be interesting. I'd tell Apollo to avoid the 2011-2012 models and go for at least a 2013. There are significant steering and throttle control "issues" in those years that were worked out starting in 2013. Also, everyone needs to realize that having an MT in this big, heavy car does not makes it more sporty. It's a small 7 not big 3. I own a 2013 535 MT
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 19:33 |
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skipdogg posted:Do you have your financing already arranged? The purchase price of the car is the easy part. Finance and your trade in valuation is where they get you. I have pre-approval with my bank ready. Financing through Ford seems to offer some cash back or credit incentives. If possible, I'd like to take advantage of those incentives (after determining the purchase price of course) and just pay off the loan shortly after. Ford's website lists several incentive packages for financing. I'd need to read through all the details before knowing if that's actually a good way to go or not. Financing isn't necessary for me, but if it results in additional credits I'd be willing to do it. Also, regarding invoice price, is the invoice price on a website like edmunds.com good enough? Or do you find that salesmen will actually show you the dealer invoice if you ask? Sorry if that's a stupid question. The Ferret King fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Nov 21, 2014 |
# ? Nov 21, 2014 20:19 |
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Ganon posted:Which options? At that price you're looking at base models, and the Elantra has alloy wheels, sat radio, and 6 speakers that the Civic doesn't. Base models on both (Elantra SE and Civic LX). The options are actually pretty similar. Civic has backup camera, spare tire. Elantra has variable speed wipers, heated mirrors, 4-disc brakes as opposed to 2 on civic, sat radio. Everything else is really minor to me. The cars are so similar I guess I'm looking to see if anyone has a strong opinion for or against either of them. I'm already driving an Elantra so I know what to expect there.
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# ? Nov 21, 2014 22:12 |
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Proposed Budget: 22,000 absolute top dollar New or Used: either Body Style: Truck, single or extended cab How will you be using the car?: This is for a friend of mine. She's going to be moving to Hawaii and she does a lot of hiking trail work etc, several times a week, and she needs a vehicle that can navigate sketchy unpaved roads. Towing doesn't matter so much, it's mostly going to be used to move (she moves a lot) and haul surfboards and dumb poo poo. Yes I know she should buy an SUV but she doesn't like SUV's for some reason. She wants a small truck. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?): She doesn't mind them, but not at the sacrifice of a better truck. What aspects are most important to you? Reliability > suspension > cost of ownership > fuel mileage > * I know absolutely nothing about trucks. I told her to pull a couple thousand more out of savings to buy an f150 ecoboost (she has it) but her dad's a toyota fanboy and wants her to buy a used tacoma or some poo poo. On paper the tacoma looks horribly outdated but again I know nothing about trucks. HEY VAPER fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Nov 21, 2014 |
# ? Nov 21, 2014 22:25 |
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HEY VAPER posted:Proposed Budget: 22,000 absolute top dollar Buy a Tacoma because they're loving everywhere in Hawaii.
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# ? Nov 22, 2014 01:52 |
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Reposting my question, we're going to start looking over Thanksgiving week and any advice is appreciated.CubsWoo posted:We're about to have our first kid in February and would like a second car to make sure we both have transportation. We currently have a 2005 Scion xB with ~110k miles on it and would preferably like something a bit larger so it can also double as the vacation hauler a few times a year.
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# ? Nov 22, 2014 06:58 |
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Regarding car shopping via email. What do you do when you send out emails to multiple dealers looking for prices on a specific car and absolutely none of them email back? I'd been counseled to communicate with dealers in this fashion to get an idea of who would work with me but it doesn't appear to be effective at all.
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# ? Nov 22, 2014 17:15 |
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The Ferret King posted:Regarding car shopping via email.
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# ? Nov 22, 2014 23:58 |
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The Ferret King posted:Regarding car shopping via email. You're looking at a car they can sell in their sleep is the problem. You'll probably have to engage more directly to get any response. If it's a car that will move regardless they don't care about you unless you're there.
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# ? Nov 23, 2014 06:22 |
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Makes sense. Looks like I'll need to cover some ground on my next days off. My current offer from the local dealer is $2400 above edmunds.com dealer invoice and $600 above MSRP, before rebates. Ford.com itself shows this vehicle cheaper than he's trying to sell it at.
The Ferret King fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Nov 23, 2014 |
# ? Nov 23, 2014 13:34 |
I bet they get hundred of emails from people not actually interested in buying. Go by the dealer but be "in a rush" so just chat real quick and get a business card from a salesperson. They take you much more seriously once you've established a face to face connection like that. Also Ford's website should have a "build this car" option with a "get a quote" button at the end, they usually follow up on those.
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# ? Nov 23, 2014 15:50 |
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CubsWoo posted:Reposting my question, we're going to start looking over Thanksgiving week and any advice is appreciated. Chrysler T&C
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# ? Nov 23, 2014 16:15 |
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Shifty Pony posted:Just a heads up from someone who just reserved one after digging deep into just about every single "what did you pay?" thread on the internet: 2015 Honda Fits are basically going for MSRP with very little room (a few hundred bucks at most) for negotiation. They didn't make a 2014 model promising the redesign which held over demand a bit, the 2015 was delayed for a few months, and they are having trouble shipping the things to most of the country because they go via rail through Texas and Texas railways are clogged with oil shipments. Supply might be a bit better in CA but it looks like people are reporting that an EX automatic will still be ~$20.5k and an LX auto will be ~$18k. Thanks for the heads up, I gave the Fit a test drive and I liked it- I think the Fiat was zippier and more maneuverable, but I'd prefer not to have the steering wheel impale me during a collision, so I think I'm going to go with the Fit. I actually get a discount as a UCLA employee at a local Honda dealership so we'll see how much lower that price will go. I did see the Carfax report for my current Xterra, and it has an accident on it dated May 2009. I absolutely did not get in an accident that year- I even checked with my insurance company in case for some reason my memory was off. Anyone have any experience with errors on a Carfax? I submitted a request to their website for them to check on that entry, but I'd like to know how much of a hassle this is going to be to fix. I'd prefer to buy the new vehicle within the next month and this entry is affecting my trade-in value.
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# ? Nov 24, 2014 11:15 |
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Listerine posted:but I'd prefer not to have the steering wheel impale me during a collision The actual effective difference in safety between the 500 and the Fit is very small. The 500 performed poorly in the small overlap test, whereas the Fit performed "average." Small overlap type crashes are very rare. If you liked the 500 better, I'd buy it. You can get a much better deal than you could on a Fit, and it's important to like what you drive. Don't base your purchase decision on an extremely marginal increase in safety.
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# ? Nov 24, 2014 13:32 |
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The actual effective difference in safety between the 500 and the Fit is very small. The 500 performed poorly in the small overlap test, whereas the Fit performed "average." Small overlap type crashes are very rare. I thought it was zippier and more maneuverable, but I was also satisfied on both counts with the Fit, and there are a number of other things about the Fit that I preferred; chief among them being that the back seats can fold down, and that there was more legroom for passengers. The fiat was just a little too small.
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 03:15 |
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Listerine posted:I thought it was zippier and more maneuverable, but I was also satisfied on both counts with the Fit, and there are a number of other things about the Fit that I preferred; chief among them being that the back seats can fold down, and that there was more legroom for passengers. The fiat was just a little too small. For the same amount of money as the Fit you could get for example a FIAT 500L, which has 4 doors and is substantially larger, or any number of larger cars.
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 03:23 |
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Throatwarbler posted:For the same amount of money as the Fit you could get for example a FIAT 500L, which has 4 doors and is substantially larger, or any number of larger cars. While good in theory, you would then have to drive a Fiat 500L Personally, I like the fit, but it's hard to justify when you can get a whole sedan for the same price.
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 13:14 |
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Listerine posted:I thought it was zippier and more maneuverable, but I was also satisfied on both counts with the Fit, and there are a number of other things about the Fit that I preferred; chief among them being that the back seats can fold down, and that there was more legroom for passengers. The fiat was just a little too small. That's fair. The Fit is a great car but you are paying a tremendous premium for it.
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 14:48 |
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Proposed Budget: $10k New or Used: Used Body Style: Hatchback preferred How will you be using the car?: Hauling band equipment, everyday driving, and long-distance road trips Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? No. What aspects are most important to you? MPG is important. Since we moved to the mountains where it's rainy a lot, AWD and traction control are pretty dang important. I've been considering the Subaru Forester, it seems to have a lot of what I'm looking for. Are there any alternatives that I should consider that have AWD?
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 20:31 |
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You don't need AWD in the rain and you will pay a very nasty fuel economy penalty. Congratulations, you, like most people in this thread, are a perfect 2nd gen Prius owner!
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# ? Nov 25, 2014 23:24 |
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Really, even in the mountains? Why does anyone need AWD, then? I'll just stick with my little Kia forever if that's the case, but it's not fun at all to drive up and down curvy hills right now and I was hoping a more suitable car would make it better =/
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 00:04 |
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moana posted:Really, even in the mountains? Why does anyone need AWD, then? Most people don't. It's a common misconception that AWD will improve handling and braking in low-traction conditions. That's not what it does. http://www.popularmechanics.com/_mobile/cars/news/industry/the-myth-of-the-all-powerful-all-wheel-drive-15202862
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 00:18 |
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Snow, off-road. What's the issue with the Kia? If it's traction/grip, it's new tires time! If it's power to climb hills, can't do much about that, but the Forester is also slow.
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 00:18 |
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Power, mainly. It's a Kia Forte which is great on highway but total poo poo between 2nd and 3rd gear which unfortunately is most of the driving I'm doing now. We have an old Elantra that handles the curves and hills much better, I was hoping for something nicer to replace my Kia with.
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 00:39 |
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moana posted:Really, even in the mountains? Why does anyone need AWD, then? If your car has so much power that the traction of just two wheels is regularly overwhelmed, AWD will let you put the power to the ground instead of just spin the tires. AWD for me mostly just means I can get stuck further in the ditch or hit the guardrail at a higher speed. That being said the AWD systems in most current cars don't really have a significant fuel economy penalty vs the same car in 2WD, so if it makes you feel better just buy one.
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 00:48 |
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moana posted:Power, mainly. It's a Kia Forte which is great on highway but total poo poo between 2nd and 3rd gear which unfortunately is most of the driving I'm doing now. We have an old Elantra that handles the curves and hills much better, I was hoping for something nicer to replace my Kia with. The Prius is nice because it doesn't have gears. Lots of smaller cars also have CVTs now, which eliminates actual gear changes. edit: for actual recommendations, I'd suggest the Prius, Mazda3, Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe. Maybe a slightly used Focus hatchback, although the automatic transmission is weird and unreliable. All of those cars are about as powerful as your Forte, but they may feel better based on gearing and such. KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Nov 26, 2014 |
# ? Nov 26, 2014 02:43 |
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Currently driving a 1998 Buick Lesabre. This is my third Buick in a row, after a 2002 Regal and a 1997 Lesabre. I really, really dig my car. It's very comfortable, nice to drive, it's beautiful and it has white wall tires to help me pick up the ladies. The issue is that it's absolutely poo poo on gas considering how far my commute to work is. It isn't THE WORST, but I'm looking to get more than 20mpg and have a tank of gas last more than a week. My dad is turning the title over to me sometime soon and by his estimate (mechanic for 30+ years, in the auto industry now for almost 40 .. just saying, he knows what he's talking about) the car is worth about $3500 in an as-is state. KBB gave me around the same, and Auto Trader gave me .. $2000. When I get the title, I will put some time and maintenance into it to try to get the value up. and hopefully put that money towards a "new" car. Proposed Budget: New job affords me a few extra hundred a month, plus whatever I get from selling the car I have now. New or Used: Used, unless there's a cheap new option. Body Style: 4 door, compact to sedan. No trucks, no SUVs, no cross-overs. Cars. How will you be using the car?: Every day driver, to and from work as well as to my parents' house on some occasions. They live about 30 minutes away by interstate. I want to say I do mostly highway driving, but I think it's probably equally divided. What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, cost of maintenance (I prefer GM since my dad technically works for them and it makes parts easier to get and cheaper to afford), good MPG, smaller, and sporty and/or good-lookin'. TIA
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 04:06 |
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# ? Apr 29, 2024 07:37 |
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I would carefully consider your fuel costs versus your costs of acquiring a new vehicle. It sounds like you'd be using the car as down payment money with a couple hundred a month for a used car note. Accurate?
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# ? Nov 26, 2014 14:44 |