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The post about the PHEV got me thinking more generally about car buying, especially when "there are deals to be had!" You should only replace a car when you want or need to replace a car. The primary driver of replacement should not be driven by the relative magnitude of the deals you are seeing. Why? Because the least expensive car is the one you already own. You might save a thousand bucks, or two thousand, or maybe a bit more on your purchase. But for most people, that means tying up cash or taking on debt on a new vehicle. In the end, you're almost never going to save money buying a car Right Now vs keeping the car you own for an incremental time period. The exception might be if your car is in very dire straits, but in that case you should already be planning to replace it! Now, if you wanted to buy a new car anyway and can afford it and take advantage of it, sure. But I have seen a few posts and been asked by a lot of friends who seem to be looking due to perceived deals. If you weren't going to buy a car anyway, I don't think the cost savings is worth it. Quick comparison using Crosstrek vs PHEV from the example above, some numbers made up but fairly reflective of reality. Driving habits: 1K mi/mo, assuming same insurance for each. Current car: Crosstrek, paid off, 27mpg. $100/mo in maint/repair accruals. Future car: Crosstrek PHEV, $15k down (assuming you trade in current crosstrek and it's worth about $15k), $20k/60 note at 0.9%. 17mi "free" per trip, 35mpg thereafter. The current car costs you $100 in maintenance and 170 bucks in gas at $4.50/gal, total $270/mo. The future car costs you $340/mo to the bank and $85 in gas (assuming you get 1/3 of your total miles off of EV only), total $425/mo. Now, HOV access for the low low price of $155/mo could be a pretty good deal for many Angelenos, but if you're not commuting I question the utility. tl;dr: There are plenty of reasons to buy a car - but taking advantage of Deals Right Now To Save Money is not going to actually save you money unless you were planning to buy a car anyway.
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May 28, 2020 16:25
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What can this thread tell me about the modern FJ Cruiser?
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May 29, 2020 09:22
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Hello! I'm moving from the city out to a pretty rural area within the next few weeks, so I need to buy my first car. Proposed Budget: <$10k, but this is flexible. I might be selling the car in ~3 years, although a used car is a pretty terrible place to park money if I don't want it to devalue. New or Used: Used Body Style: I'm not picky, but a sedan or small SUV/crossover would be fine How will you be using the car?: My commute will be ~15 minutes, once work starts up again. This is mostly for commuting and errands in coastal New England, but a couple times a year I'll probably drive to the mountains for skiing or hiking. I also have large musical instruments that don't fit comfortably into the trunk of most sedans that I have to transport, so the more cargo space the better. A couple times a month I'll be driving 1-2 hours on the highway as well. What aspects are most important to you?: Reliability and the cost of maintenance.
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May 29, 2020 22:41
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ppppppppppp rrrrrrrrrrrr iiiiiiiiiiiiiii uuuuuuuuuuu sssssssssss
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May 29, 2020 22:45
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Red_Fred posted:What can this thread tell me about the modern FJ Cruiser? I’ve never driven one but the visibility seemed terrible riding in it
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May 29, 2020 22:58
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:ppppppppppp
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May 29, 2020 22:58
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Motronic posted:
Thirded. Or a Honda Fit.
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May 30, 2020 13:25
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FistEnergy posted:If you like the Kona but (like me) you think it looks a bit too weird due to the prominent plastic wheel wells, the Thunder Gray paint matches the plastic very well. I'm very happy I went with this option. This looks cool and I think you are cool too 
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May 31, 2020 19:06
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Chunjee posted:This looks cool and I think you are cool too 
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May 31, 2020 19:26
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I kind of glanced over those pictures few days ago. But now, I'm noticing konas on the road, and factory black plastic looks terrible by comparison. Kudos for making it look so nice. It really changes things
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May 31, 2020 23:12
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I've been meaning to get a pickup (or similar) for some time now and this one is right up my alley. Shame it's on the diagonally opposite end of the country. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-201...bgAAOSwhClezBwr Edit: Actually let's take the opportunity to ask you folks for a recco on something similar, either used or new. I'm in the UK. Features I'm after, in priority order: pre:- Cargo space - Enough for an 8x4ft sheet of e.g. plywood laid flat - Ideally not via a roofrack - More ideally covered - Even more ideally part of the main passenger area so more delicate things could be transported - Ride comfort (motorway driving) - Driving assists - Cruise control - Ideally adaptive - More ideally lane following - Even more ideally some level of autodriving - Parking assists - Minimum good visibility - Ideally with parking sensors - More ideally with parking cameras - Even more ideally with autoparking - Fuel efficient - Petrol is fine - but diesel would be good - and electric would be ideal - Decent ride height - At least enough to give good visibility and clear kerbs & speed bumps - Not horrendously difficult/expensive to maintain - Possibility for infrequent towing of moderate loads pre:- Top speed above 90mph - Acceleration - Handling - Appearance (to a point) - Compensating for a tiny dick Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 16:34
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:ppppppppppp Also worth looking at the Hyundai Ioniq.
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Jun 1, 2020 18:14
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Jaded Burnout posted:I've been meaning to get a pickup (or similar) for some time now and this one is right up my alley. Shame it's on the diagonally opposite end of the country. This is basically just a minivan?
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Jun 1, 2020 18:46
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Throatwarbler posted:This is basically just a minivan? With less focus on carrying lots of people, yes, possibly so. Edit: I'm not really familiar enough with that type of car to know where the lines are drawn between estate (wagon), people carrier (minivan) (5 vs 7 seater), SUV, crossover etc. Edit 2: Also I often have a lot of trouble figuring out the actual interior dimensions of vehicles without having to track down dealers with a tape measure and pen. For example the Ford Galaxy (which I vaguely know of as a flagship-ish minivan) has specs for the OD of the vehicle and cargo capacity in litres, but no way to know whether there's 4 ft free between the inner wheel arches, and how deep the cargo space goes in different configurations: https://www.ford.co.uk/content/dam/guxeu/uk/documents/feature-pdfs/FT-Galaxy.pdf 
Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 19:19
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you're in the UK. you want a tradie van. buy a Renault Trafic. the only thing it truly does not meet is visibility but that is because all vehicles that can carry a 4x8 have poo poo visibility You won't get any of the following unless you have a budget well above that Ford Stranger that you posted: ACC, lanekeep, or any kind of autodriving; autoparking; electric powertrain
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Jun 1, 2020 20:03
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Also worth looking at the Hyundai Ioniq. what ioniq are you finding for ten thousand us dollars
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Jun 1, 2020 20:05
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:you're in the UK. you want a tradie van. buy a Renault Trafic. the only thing it truly does not meet is visibility but that is because all vehicles that can carry a 4x8 have poo poo visibility I think you'd be spot on if I was a bit further over into the trade, but I'm really after something more middle ground for when I'm not carting things about (which unlike a proper trade would be more often than not). I like the convenience of not having to gently caress around with trailers or home delivery, but that's the sort of vehicle I'd be putting through my company if it got to that point. The main trouble I'd have with that sort of vehicle as you've mentioned is difficult to park, not very comfortable or convenient for long drives, and that long distance travel is half of what I'm after, the other equal half being the cargo space.
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Jun 1, 2020 20:22
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Jaded Burnout posted:I think you'd be spot on if I was a bit further over into the trade, but I'm really after something more middle ground for when I'm not carting things about (which unlike a proper trade would be more often than not). Anything that can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood is going to be large and difficult to park by definition. Minivans are generally comfortable and very convenient for long drives. You're going to have to resolve for yourself your contradictory wants. I believe Honda sells Odysseys in Britain. Take a look at one.
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Jun 1, 2020 20:41
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Deteriorata posted:I believe Honda sells Odysseys in Britain. Take a look at one. Well this is certainly a suggestive image.  Still infuriating that even with that they still only provide volume measurements for the cargo area. Edit: not sold in the UK Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 20:44
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Deteriorata posted:You're going to have to resolve for yourself your contradictory wants. thread title when edit: you might be able to get away with a loving Big Wagon. 508, Insignia, Passat/Superb, Optima, e-class something like that. you won't be able to tell until you take a look with your own plywood though. edit2 fixed some recs. KYOON GRIFFEY JR fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Jun 1, 2020 |
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Jun 1, 2020 21:31
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:thread title when Alright. Some helpful pointers, I'll scope out the local Dealership Alley with a tape measure once the cov has passed over.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:00
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Is Chrysler Town & Country van available in England?
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Jun 1, 2020 22:07
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Nitrox posted:Is Chrysler Town & Country van available in England? No Chrysler at all.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:08
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Nitrox posted:Is Chrysler Town & Country van available in England? Some older ones were in the DCX era (badged as dodges, i am pretty sure) but please do not subject the man to DCX product without local parts availability.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:09
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US brands that don't really exist here include: - Chrysler - F150s - Any GM - Lincoln - Dodge - RAM Really the only ones that *are* sold here are Ford, Jeep, and Tesla, and I think the Ford lineup is quite different.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:26
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Plenty of GM-related stuff exists, you just know it as Vauxhall. Mondeo Estate would be an OK choice too, perhaps. The Superb is the biggest though.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:31
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Plenty of GM-related stuff exists, you just know it as Vauxhall. Ah.
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Jun 1, 2020 22:59
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I'm looking to buy a farm and will need a truck to go along with it. This would be for hauling a livestock trailer, general cargo like importing feed or tools or construction materials or timber, utility farm poo poo. Commuting sometimes if offices are a thing again, but if that's a long term problem I would probably do the math on buying a reasonable honda or another commuter bike. I haven't had a car in a few years and just used motorcycles and public transportation, so I just have absolutely no idea what the market is for 4 wheeled stuff. I can drive stick. I do my own bike maintenance so would try to do the same for the truck as well to the extent possible. Thinking I would want the capacity to pull a livestock trailer with up to 3000-4000 lbs of animals - about 10 hogs or a couple large cows. I don't have a need for lots of passenger space like the 4 door crew cabs, I think having a full size bed would be more useful. I don't offhand have a preference between diesel or gas. I think 4wd would be pretty important to be able to be used out in the field. Something fairly rugged and reliable with as much time left on it as possible. Basically what's the right capacity, which manufacturers to favor or avoid, are there any bad years like don't buy GM 20XX-20XX? I'm thinking in the $15-20k range? I want to save money obviously but if it's important or if thats just too low for reality I could go a bit higher. HAMAS HATE BOAT fucked around with this message at 05:52 on Jun 5, 2020 |
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Jun 5, 2020 05:48
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Is this a Stardew Valley type situation where you're uprooting from a city job and becoming a farmer? Just curious, I'm not sure it has bearing on the answer.
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Jun 5, 2020 17:43
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How much are you driving? Diesel has better towing capabilities and is cheaper to run in terms of fuel, but generally more expensive to both acquire and repair.
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Jun 5, 2020 18:22
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In that price range you can find early 2000s f250 / f350, manual transmission single cab with long bed. Those things are tanks and loved by farmers everywhere. Casual 300k miles are common occurrence. Doesn't matter if diesel or gas, you're nowhere near the limits of towing capacity. Most farmers I know have a designated farm truck, something that spends most of its time on property. Then something else to take on long drives. Is look into that if I were you
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Jun 5, 2020 18:58
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Nitrox posted:you're nowhere near the limits of towing capacity. That REALLY depends on the trailer. All that was mentioned was 3-4000 lbs of animals. So something that can handle that weight and have space for a couple cows or 10 hogs is going to be at minimum 4500 lbs. And that's with a decent aluminum one. They can easily approach 7500 lbs empty with your typical used steel trailer. All of a sudden we're ABOVE the towning capacity of some years/models of F-250s and within 1000 lbs of a new one. Keep in mind, towing livestock really requires extra power, and at that scale, preferably a dually. You have a bunch of potentially moving weight, and you really need to be able to drive smoothly or you're gonna have massive problems ever trailering those animals again. Horses are THE WORST for this, but cows aren't much better.
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Jun 5, 2020 19:14
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It depends on how far you would be needing to trailer them. I bet you could get by with a consumer grade pick up if you were staying relatively local, but if you needed to travel a long distance you might need to bump up to a commercial grade truck.
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Jun 5, 2020 20:21
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Nitrox posted:In that price range you can find early 2000s f250 / f350, manual transmission single cab with long bed. Those things are tanks and loved by farmers everywhere. Casual 300k miles are common occurrence. Doesn't matter if diesel or gas, you're nowhere near the limits of towing capacity. Thanks, this helps. I'm planning on taking small numbers at a time on a one-way trip from a small organic outdoor farm. Maybe up to 3-4 hours based on the facilities available in the area I'm looking at. I kinda got a little spooked when I was looking around on craigslist and seeing 100k+ miles everywhere, but if that's just broken in then great, I know what to look for.
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Jun 6, 2020 04:30
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Proposed Budget: $50k or so New or Used: New and/or gently used Body Style: (e.g. 2 door? 4 door? Compact/Midsize/Fullsize Sedan? Truck? SUV?): Wagon or SUV How will you be using the car?: My wife's new commuter. She commutes 50 miles each way, so 100 miles round trip each day. It's all highway at 70-80 mph with essentially zero traffic. Currently, she's doing it in a 2017 Macan that we bought brand new in October 2016 that's just about to hit 100k miles. This car needs to be decent for road trips and have enough space to hold a 50 pound dog and a baby seat (hopefully next year). What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style): Primarily total cost of ownership/luxury for my wife's commute. She loves the Macan and it's been rock solid, but I'm wondering if we could decrease the maintenance (PDK flushes every 40k, etc) and risk of a giant expensive repair, especially since we destroy factory warranties pretty quickly with her mileage. Her car is just about to hit 100k miles, and I'm planning on picking up something new for her in the next 3-12 months or so. The Macan would become my car/the car she would drive, say, 2 days/week, so hopefully any new car we have its mileage increase a bit more slowly. Things we're considering: 1. Toyota 4Runner: She's always wanted one (although she's never driven one). Yes, I realize that maybe commuting 100 miles/day in one is silly, but plugging things in to fueleconomy.gov makes it pretty much identical since it's premium vs regular fuel. Everyone seems to love theirs/I see them everywhere. I hear these ride terribly but if my wife really wants a Toyota I'm not going to put up too much of a fight. 2. Audi A4 Allroad: We have a beater Volvo wagon that we both love the practicality of, and she wants a wagon. Concerned about reliability with this option somewhat, but we've had relatively good luck with the Macan, so maybe this wouldn't be too bad? 3. Volvo V60/V90 wagon: Pretty much identical to the Audi. 4. Maybe a Lexus SUV or something? I dunno. Open to buying new and/or used. Honestly, I realize we have a pretty unique use case with respect to mileage, so I'm all about picking up something used or figuring out some sort of good CPO warranty.
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Jun 7, 2020 20:50
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Residency Evil posted:
It would be terrible as a commuter car but the low depreciation from new means it's probably not *that* bad of a choice if total cost of ownership is your concern. If that's the aesthetic she likes try to steer her towards the new Highlander if you happen to be at the Toyota store? It's going to be a lot more practical for your purposes while still being a similar looking Toyota. EDIT: Or the new Venza, because that's a thing now.
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Jun 7, 2020 21:39
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the new venza sounds like it's fairly well aligned with your needs
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Jun 7, 2020 22:07
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HAMAS HATE BOAT posted:Thanks, this helps. I'm planning on taking small numbers at a time on a one-way trip from a small organic outdoor farm. A one-way trip? To a petting zoo where they can live out the rest of their days at peace? 
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Jun 7, 2020 23:19
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Residency Evil posted:Proposed Budget: $50k or so High spec Highlander hybrid?
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Jun 8, 2020 01:01
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:the new venza sounds like it's fairly well aligned with your needs Ultimate Mango posted:High spec Highlander hybrid? These are fantastic suggestions. I brought these up to my wife who doesn't like either of them because of "the look of it."  Obviously I'll have her drive them and maybe her opinion will change about driving a BOF SUV on the highway. I think it boils down to her living in Denver at one point and wanting to relive those days. How about the A4/V60? They're more car-like at least, although I'm not sure how they'd compare reliability wise to something like a 4Runner.
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Jun 8, 2020 01:28
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