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Alfalfa posted:Speaking of Mitsubishi would a Lancer 2012-2015 be a decent car for my original goals? Hope this post isn't too old to reply to. Mistubishi isn't exactly known for reliability. I think the biggest problem with your list of cars is that they're all over the place. You have a luxury car, a sporty luxury car, a compact, and then a few midsize cars. I'm assuming you mean a Mazda 6 and not a MX6. The MX6 is Mazda's midsize car from the 90's. I think you need to narrow down more of what you want. If you want a reliable, daily driver, I would look more at the Fusion, Mazda 6, and Altima. The 6 might be more of what you want since it's supposed to be more fun to drive. The Lexus is a fine choice but possibly out of your price range or will have more miles than you want. The gap between "normal" and "luxury" cars has closed considerably. An upper model of the Fusion, 6, or Altima may have enough luxury features that you're looking for. You may want to look at the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry too.
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Mar 28, 2017 04:31
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It's one of those things that costs maybe $25 in components per car to implement but is trimmed out in such a way where you have to spend like $5,000 more to get it, either a trim of the car or a more upscale model in the same brand. Infuriating but clever ways to open people's wallets just a bit wider.
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Mar 28, 2017 04:32
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Michael Scott posted:It's one of those things that costs maybe $25 in components per car to implement but is trimmed out in such a way where you have to spend like $5,000 more to get it, either a trim of the car or a more upscale model in the same brand. Infuriating but clever ways to open people's wallets just a bit wider. I honestly wonder what would happen if a car maker only had luxury interior specs to minimize the overall costs. Just every car has three colors of interior, and all the whistles. Tesla is close, sorta, but even they have multiple trim levels and they're not really known for feeling very luxe.
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Mar 28, 2017 06:48
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Wasabi the J posted:I honestly wonder what would happen if a car maker only had luxury interior specs to minimize the overall costs. Just every car has three colors of interior, and all the whistles. This is pretty much why you can't get a car with crank windows anymore (there's probably a few exceptions). It is more expensive to put them in the poverty spec cars than electrics given the needed changes and lack of volume.
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Mar 28, 2017 07:19
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Which is why you only notice that happen with features that already had very high take rates. When you have a low purchase rate on a given feature, you're more likely to leave it off so you can advertise a lower price on the base spec. Lumping it in with other features more than makes up for the incremental uptick in labor for offering different choices there. But once nearly every car you build has X feature on it, it's the "low cost" feature that starts costing you more, so you drop the cheap version and advertise it as a new standard feature.
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Mar 28, 2017 07:25
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Ok, so I have my eye on a 2015 Mazda3 hatch that has 23,000km on it, basically looks brand new except for a few dents the dealer is going to take out Tuesday or Wednesday, probably from car doors opening into the side or something. One owner, accident free. The sticker price on the window was $16,995 and he agreed to 15k with some free junk thrown in, then I went home to sleep on it. Does it sound like a good deal to you guys? The brakes failed on my beater and I really need a car.
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Mar 28, 2017 08:20
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Wasabi the J posted:I honestly wonder what would happen if a car maker only had luxury interior specs to minimize the overall costs. Just every car has three colors of interior, and all the whistles. This is typical of a few things for US spec models. I recently bought a Toyota Land Cruiser for my wife and there is exactly one trim level with zero options other than color. US spec Land Rovers are pretty close to the same "you get luxobarge interior, there are no options left to add."
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Mar 28, 2017 15:09
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Kafka Esq. posted:Ok, so I have my eye on a 2015 Mazda3 hatch that has 23,000km on it, basically looks brand new except for a few dents the dealer is going to take out Tuesday or Wednesday, probably from car doors opening into the side or something. One owner, accident free.
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Mar 28, 2017 16:18
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Kafka Esq. posted:Ok, so I have my eye on a 2015 Mazda3 hatch that has 23,000km on it, basically looks brand new except for a few dents the dealer is going to take out Tuesday or Wednesday, probably from car doors opening into the side or something. One owner, accident free. If it's mechanically sound, I'd go for it. It's a relatively cheap price for a decent and reliable vehicle.
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Mar 28, 2017 18:05
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Motronic posted:This is typical of a few things for US spec models. I recently bought a Toyota Land Cruiser for my wife and there is exactly one trim level with zero options other than color. US spec Land Rovers are pretty close to the same "you get luxobarge interior, there are no options left to add." me: pffft yeah I'm sure there's still a few boxes to check for the ---   
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Mar 29, 2017 01:34
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Wasabi the J posted:me: pffft yeah I'm sure there's still a few boxes to check for the --- I think you can add a longer subscription for Sirius or Toyota Safety Connect at the dealership if you really want to call bullshit on me  (edit: also ended up paying extra for blizzard pearl as a paint color........but it has a fridge in the center console so whatever) Motronic fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Mar 29, 2017 |
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Mar 29, 2017 02:53
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Wasabi the J posted:I honestly wonder what would happen if a car maker only had luxury interior specs to minimize the overall costs. Just every car has three colors of interior, and all the whistles. Honda/Acura kind of does this, they have far fewer standalone options than most other marques especially the luxury ones, it saves them a bunch in mfging costs. On a different level, Hyundai/Kia kind of does this in a way by offering more stuff for the same price. Options are pretty much pure profit, so if you are trying to move upscale, "At Hyundai we give you for free these memory seats that Toyota charges you $1,000 extra for! You just saved $1,000 by going with Hyundai!" is a better plan than "Here's a car without memory seats. We saved $35 in cost per car.". Oops, no one wants our cars, guess it's time to slap $1,500 on the hood because we can't afford to pay the UAW to not build cars. Maybe one day GM will figure it out too.
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Mar 29, 2017 03:07
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Throatwarbler posted:Maybe one day GM will figure it out too. Somehow I doubt that. I seriously tried to justify a $38k GMC Acadia against a Volvo XC-90. Whether I tried to add enough stuff to the GMC to be optioned as well as the XC-90 Inscription package ($45k) or Momentum ($57k) it ended up costing nearly the same but with much more disappointing build quality and interior materials. And still fewer features. Obviously from my recent posts we went with something larger than that, but still....when the thinking was mid sized I really, really tried to make this work. They simply couldn't compete unless you're looking for a strip model.
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Mar 29, 2017 03:38
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I am looking to buy my first car ever. Lemme preface: I don't know poo poo about cars. I'm an engineer but have literally never owned a car at the ripe age of 28. I'm sure I can figure out an oil change but beyond that I'm useless. Also I'm paranoid that getting under a car that is jacked up will result in me getting smashed when the jack fails. That said, I'm looking for a car and AI seems to be the best place to find info about it. Some info: Proposed Budget: $10,000 or so but am hoping to lease CPO New or Used: Used Body Style: (e.g. 2 door? 4 door? Compact/Midsize/Fullsize Sedan? Truck? SUV?): Literally does not matter at all. The only important thing is leg room since I'm a loving giant. A Smartcar with legroom works for me. How will you be using the car?: (Do you tow things? Haul more than 5 people on a regular basis? Have a super long commute? How are you going to use this vehicle?: It will literally be me driving this thing and only me. I will be driving 5 miles to and from work but in traffic (Los Angeles commute). No towing or super long commute, HOWEVER, I will be driving this thing 200 miles each way from Los Angeles to my hometown probably 1-2 times a month. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?): I would prefer a car that works and gets me from A->B. If it doesn't have a door and the floorboard is rusted through I really don't care, as long as I can get to the places I need to go. What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style): Reliability above all else. Also I would strongly prefer a stick shift. That said, the BIGGEST issue is that I am 6'7" and 330lbs so I am a literal giant. LEGROOM is the most important thing of all, only manual transmission is second. Also I want to do certified pre-owned since my parents are willing to put their name on the lease. So I would prefer to go that route, where all maintenance is covered, etc. 3. If you do not live in the U.S. you should probably say so because what's available can vary a lot. As mentioned I live in Los Angeles. I looked at a few cars, the NIssan Versa Note (2015) seems to be a pretty good deal all things considered; I can drive it and work the clutch/pedals just fine without bashing my knees on the steering wheel. But legroom is the most important thing here, as said, I would drive a clown car if I could work the clutch without breaking my ankles. I would personally prefer a generic car that is easy to service, and a cheap one too. Hyundai/Kia is 100% fine with me. Question: is it possible to (even if illegally) modify a drivers seat so that it goes back further? IE drill a new hole or modify the rails under the seat to give me an extra 3" of room? If so that would be fantastic. Only talking about manual seats here, I'm too poor for fancy automatic. I'm not really sure what to say because I have never owned a car before, so am looking for any general suggestions that can help me in my quest to find something that will replace riding the loving bus in Los Angeles late at night. edit: for reference here is me driving a normal car: 
du -hast fucked around with this message at 18:59 on Apr 1, 2017 |
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Apr 1, 2017 18:44
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Leasing a used car doesn't sound like a good idea. Others can discuss the economics of it better than I can. You might try a Honda Civic. They are reported to have be good for tall drivers. The main issue is whether or not you feel comfortable in the driver's seat, so test fit a bunch until you know what you like. Then you can zero in on a model/year combination that fits your budget. Reliability is almost a red herring these days. All new cars are quite reliable on the average. There are differences to be sure, but they are comparatively small. Get a car you like and feel comfortable in. The rest will take care of itself.
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Apr 1, 2017 18:56
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^^^^^ I disagree re-reliability as some cars have newer technologies that fail expensively. Nissan CVTs, subaru turbos, ford dcts (cue incoming defender), and VW and FCA products will just break everywhere. You are too big for a prius, which would otherwise be the perfect car. I seem to recall the chevy cruise having a seat that went back really, really far. Buicks do as well. Dunno about the reliablity of either though. VW golfs are also suprisingly huge inside. And yes, extended seatrails are a thing as well. Google that exact term. You need to make sure there is toom to go back though. My mazda seat all the way back basically touches the rear seat, so that's a she's got. nm fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Apr 1, 2017 |
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Apr 1, 2017 19:17
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You are correct to be paranoid about a car falling on you. If anything more people should be terrified of that. It's going to depend on the specifics of your body construction but VWs usually have good room for larger drivers, look into a 2 or 3 year old Passat right around your price range. Yeah VWs aren't Toyotas or Hondas but the cheap basic ones are certainly no worse than GM or Ford.
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Apr 1, 2017 20:41
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du -hast posted:Proposed Budget: $10,000 or so but am hoping to lease CPO I'm gonna jump on this part. Why in the world would you want to lease a car, and a used one at that? There are specific situations where leasing makes sense, but it's almost never for individuals/private vehicles. And for a used car? The money factor (read: interest) is going to be nuts. Yes, there are banks that will lease anything to anyone, but you're gonna pay for it dearly. If you want some better suggestions let's talk about what kind of cash you have to spend on a car right now, how much you think you can handle per month (payments, insurance, gas, maintenance...the whole deal) and just how quickly you actually need a car every day. FYI, talking payments with a dealer is a huge bullshit red flag that you should never ever do, but I'm bring it up because it seems you're thinking that way, and nobody here is trying to sell you something so we can use it as a baseline.
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Apr 1, 2017 22:16
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It's pretty clear he means to buy a car with a loan, not lease. The terminology is confusing if you've literally never owned a car before.
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Apr 1, 2017 22:22
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We bought the Civic. Thanks, thread! 
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Apr 1, 2017 22:31
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CloFan posted:We bought the Civic. Thanks, thread! Nice congrats man
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Apr 1, 2017 22:33
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Throatwarbler posted:It's pretty clear he means to buy a car with a loan, not lease. The terminology is confusing if you've literally never owned a car before. It wasn't to me, but the bulk of the questions still stand from a financial perspective....this is the BFC part. e: CloFan that looks pretty nice. Congrats.
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Apr 1, 2017 22:55
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Can you even lease a CPO car from a dealer? I thought the whole point of a lease was that you're paying depreciation + profit. I just assumed he meant finance as well. Anyway, don't lease unless you're planning on trading it in at the end of the lease and don't mind paying extra to not have to deal with selling the car. And also don't mind mileage limits. There are situations where leasing kinda makes sense but yours isn't one. I'm really short and find my wife's '08 Civic fairly uncomfortable, so maybe for tall drivers it would be better? Mazda3 comes up a lot in this thread but I've heard it's terrible for tall drivers. Hyundai Sonata is supposed to be pretty roomy up front.
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Apr 2, 2017 00:37
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CloFan posted:We bought the Civic. Thanks, thread! Nice car man
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Apr 2, 2017 01:21
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Proposed Budget: 23,000. I'll go higher if I absolutely fall in love with the car, but 23k is a good soft limit I think. New or Used: New Body Style: 4 door sedan, maybe a hatchback? I drive a 2008 Dodge Caliber right now and like it. How will you be using the car?: Short commute -- I walk in the summer, and no family to haul around, but I do take a 500 mile trip every 3 weeks or so. What aspects are most important to you? Smooth and comfortable drive, decent interior and good sound (the sound on my caliber is real good, even though it's a base model). So I drove a Mazda 3 4-door Grand Touring at two different dealers today. Goons have been guffawing universally about it but idk I wasn't really in love with it. The ride felt a little too sporty -- like it'd be fun if I were taking it around a track, but for point A to point B driving I think I'd prefer something a little smoother. Am I crazy here? I travel a decent amount, and the only rental I think I've really enjoyed was the Ford Fusion, but I have no idea what the engine configuration or anything like that on the one's I've driven. It just felt good and easy to handle. Any recommendations on the newer models? I don't think I can resign myself to buying a Prius. It is hella ugly (like I don't care too much about appearance but come on), and the one time I drove one as a rental I hated the interior. It was doing some MPG eco-gamification with progress bars and poo poo like wtf no toyota, just no. Are there any other cars beyond the fusion that I should look at?
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Apr 2, 2017 01:26
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GenJoe posted:Proposed Budget: 23,000. I'll go higher if I absolutely fall in love with the car, but 23k is a good soft limit I think. I sound like a broken record here but if you want a quiet and soft ride with plenty of space for a very low price, try the Passat. VW's reputation is in the dumps and they can't give them away. Interior of the Passat is...eh, at least as good as the Fusion before the last facelift anyway.
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Apr 2, 2017 01:45
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Throatwarbler posted:I sound like a broken record here but if you want a quiet and soft ride with plenty of space for a very low price, try the Passat. VW's reputation is in the dumps and they can't give them away. Interior of the Passat is...eh, at least as good as the Fusion before the last facelift anyway. friend I appreciate your input, but with an avatar like that, can you make the case for the passat a little more?
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Apr 2, 2017 02:15
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Well if the 3 is too sporty maybe look at the 6? It's a good car too, but softer and bigger.
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Apr 2, 2017 02:20
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GenJoe posted:friend I appreciate your input, but with an avatar like that, can you make the case for the passat a little more? http://www.sheehyspringfieldvw.com/...-anchor-model-7 You said you want something softly sprung and quiet for $23k new, with a decent interior. You can get a brand new Passat for like $17k, they are quite large, much larger than the Mazda3 or Caliber. With the 1.8T engine fuel economy and acceleration are both OK, not as good as a Honda Accord but a Honda Accord would be $10k more. The Passat is fairly quiet and softly sprung compared to a Mazda6, the interior is probably about on par with a Camry or a last gen Fusion, not as good as an Accord or Mazda6. Go check one out and see if you like it?
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Apr 2, 2017 02:57
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Thermopyle posted:Well if the 3 is too sporty maybe look at the 6? It's a good car too, but softer and bigger. The 6 is still on the sporty side, and at least the pre-facelift versions were not great for road and wind noise, although they might have improved that in the facelift.
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Apr 2, 2017 02:58
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Throatwarbler posted:http://www.sheehyspringfieldvw.com/...-anchor-model-7 FYI: Add 1.5k to any Sheehy price.
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Apr 2, 2017 03:26
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GenJoe posted:Proposed Budget: 23,000. I'll go higher if I absolutely fall in love with the car, but 23k is a good soft limit I think. There's a bazillion cars that fall in that category. The Fusion is certainly a good car. Other cars that seem to fit your criteria: Toyota Camry Nissan Altima Honda Accord Subaru Legacy Mazda Mazda6 Chevy Malibu Hyundai Sonata Buick Verano Mostly it's a matter of driving some and finding the one you like best. Almost every manufacturer has something in the price range and style you're considering, so visit some car lots and have fun.
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Apr 2, 2017 03:36
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What's a good pickup truck with full size rear seats that can be had for about $5000 and last a couple of years with appropriate maintenance? Short commutes, towing at most 4-5000 pounds, don't need a huge bed. I don't expect to find something super reliable but at least cheap parts/labor, I guess.
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Apr 2, 2017 04:53
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GenJoe posted:Are there any other cars beyond the fusion that I should look at? It will be a stretch on the budget for new, but maybe check the crossovers too? Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V are both fantastic for what they are, and crossovers are always going to be aimed more at cushy than sport. internet inc posted:What's a good pickup truck with full size rear seats that can be had for about $5000 and last a couple of years with appropriate maintenance? Short commutes, towing at most 4-5000 pounds, don't need a huge bed. I don't expect to find something super reliable but at least cheap parts/labor, I guess. Yeesh. You're going to be pretty heavily constrained at that price, I think. True full size rear seats weren't really common until somewhat recently, and they tended to inflate the new price of the truck a lot too.
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Apr 2, 2017 05:17
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IOwnCalculus posted:Yeesh. You're going to be pretty heavily constrained at that price, I think. True full size rear seats weren't really common until somewhat recently, and they tended to inflate the new price of the truck a lot too. That's what I thought at first but it looks like I can find mid 2000's Dakotas and Frontiers (and some F150s) at that price. I don't know if their rear seats qualify as full sized but they look big enough to accommodate baby car seats/convertible car seats. I would have preferred seating comparable to modern F150s Supercrew (the big 4-door) because it was a pain to get baby seats in and out of a Supercab but my budget is limiting so I'll have to settle for smaller, I guess. Basically, off the top of your head, what early-to-mid 2000s trucks offered roomy/full size rear seating?
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Apr 2, 2017 12:58
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prom candy posted:Can you even lease a CPO car from a dealer? I thought the whole point of a lease was that you're paying depreciation + profit. Yes. And how does being used make that any different, other than less depreciation? It's not a typical arrangement but it most definitely is a thing, so I'm not sure why everyone is assuming he's talking about financing. A simple google of "lease used car" will confirm this.
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Apr 2, 2017 15:52
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prom candy posted:Can you even lease a CPO car from a dealer? I thought the whole point of a lease was that you're paying depreciation + profit. If you show up and offer to pay them the equivalent payments of a 0% APR loan for 2-3 years, guarantee the condition of the car, and then give it back to them at the end of those 2-3 years, yes they will gleefully take your money.
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Apr 2, 2017 17:40
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internet inc posted:That's what I thought at first but it looks like I can find mid 2000's Dakotas and Frontiers (and some F150s) at that price. I don't know if their rear seats qualify as full sized but they look big enough to accommodate baby car seats/convertible car seats. I would have preferred seating comparable to modern F150s Supercrew (the big 4-door) because it was a pain to get baby seats in and out of a Supercab but my budget is limiting so I'll have to settle for smaller, I guess. I've got a 2004 Frontier. The back seats will not comfortably fit a full sized adult. It'll fit carseats and kids no problem, but anyone over like 5ft will be pretty cramped. Otherwise, I love the truck-- my one complaint is the cabin space. I wish I had gotten a king cab, because as-is the back seats are fairly useless. Here's my truck : http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f102/red-baron-133841/
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Apr 2, 2017 17:48
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CloFan posted:Here's my truck LOL. Do you think there are forums where people gush about and accessorize their Kenmore Hi-Efficiency Front Load Steam Washer with matching pedestal base that they modded to spin dry their clothes at twice the RPMs? BFC: Car Buying -- most cars are just appliances that don't need to reflect your personal identity.
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Apr 2, 2017 18:19
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goku chewbacca posted:LOL. Do you think there are forums where people gush about and accessorize their Kenmore Hi-Efficiency Front Load Steam Washer with matching pedestal base that they modded to spin dry their clothes at twice the RPMs? For most people cars are just appliances. For some people they are more. There's nothing wrong with that.
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Apr 2, 2017 18:29
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