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Sidesaddle Cavalry
Mar 15, 2013

Oh Boy Desert Map
All right, let's try this again with less spastic word salad

Proposed Budget: I've put together a budget for myself, with plenty of disposable income leeway, to attempt to finance a $50,000 vehicle over 5 years. If things go sideways and my credit doesn't look as great as I think it will at the dealer, we'll probably want to knock that down to $40,000 (or I just suck it up and go for a 3-year loan).

New or Used: I think a new model that's more in-stock in and around my IL suburban area would be something I could go for. Within my means, I could probably go for a good example of a lightly-used luxury and/or sports brand.

Body Style: I'll only need to carry one other person in the car, and he's not a very tall guy. However, we will occasionally be transporting firearms in the vehicle to and from competitions and classes around twice a month, so nothing that stands out too much would be a plus. This commute is anywhere between 60-90 minutes depending on location, and it will be done rain or shine. Ideally, I'd also like to put down the requirement for something that's 3,500 pounds or less, because I'd prefer a smaller vehicle for ease of parking in various other situations where wide lots aren't a given. After realizing that late-models Outbacks are actually 4,000-pound mid-size SUVs and not the station wagon I remember from my high school days, the late-model Civic Hatchback is starting to seem more my speed since it's around 3k pounds and has a longer 5th door, but again I'm very naive about those things. I'm open to options that are either 2/3-door or 4/5-door, as long as the size and weight are still economical.

How will you be using the car?: Mentioned up above, but tl;dr it's a car to get me & a friend around places for our other hobby, my own enthusiasm for going 6/10s on the highway will have to come as a secondary objective instead :(

What aspects are most important to you? I spend enough time wrenching on my competition gear, I'd prefer low-maintenance/reliability. I won't be too scared of bills as long as I can get service with reputable shops, same thing regarding fuel prices so I'm open to turbochargers or other high-compression engines or what have you (though I understand pushing engines harder typically comes with the territory of high maintenance). A nice-to-have would be something that could get going on the highway well enough to get into faster traffic, something like 220+ horses given the weight I asked for above.

I prefer *not* to live in my car like some of my terrible friends, so I keep relatively little stuff in it and I don' t get it messy when I'm not transporting hobby things. I won't have too much of a preference for interiors and electronics, as long as their aren't too distracting from my drive (or better yet, can help me with my drive like with automatic braking sensors, etc.)

So yeah -- I like peppy non-SUV cars, but would like a convenient hobby shuttle that won't get more attention than maybe say, an earlier-model Miata (?) I hope this was more helpful

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got off on a technicality
Feb 7, 2007

oh dear
Mazda3 turbo, and I say this as someone who's owned a current gen non-turbo. Great refinement for commuting, practical enough for your hobby, good power and enjoyably tossable at 6/10ths, well under your max budget.

Comedy option: Audi S3

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


You could get a lot of fun cars in your budget but they would be loud and attention grabbing (Civic Type R, Focus RS, Veloster N) and also mostly suck on the highway so yeah Mazda 3 is a good choice. Maybe a 1 series BMW? There's also the Genesis G70, but it's a hair over 3500 in its lightest spec. Great car though

Edit: Just remembered the Golf R exists for people who want to feel like kids but look like adults..

KillHour fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Jun 4, 2021

got off on a technicality
Feb 7, 2007

oh dear

KillHour posted:

Edit: Just remembered the Golf R exists for people who want to feel like kids but look like adults..
Ooh good one. Now that you mention it I'd probably pick one over the S3

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


got off on a technicality posted:

Ooh good one. Now that you mention it I'd probably pick one over the S3

It's available in both manual and automatic, but you're basically a monster if you don't get it with 3 pedals.

taqueso
Mar 8, 2004


:911:
:wookie: :thermidor: :wookie:
:dehumanize:

:pirate::hf::tinfoil:
F-150 Lightning

Sidesaddle Cavalry
Mar 15, 2013

Oh Boy Desert Map
Thanks. I was hoping someone would recommend an Audi or 1- or 2-series too. The TT almost fit the bill but I don't live in a video game :negative:

wow, that is a lot of used Golf Rs near me, what the

Sidesaddle Cavalry fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Jun 4, 2021

knox_harrington
Feb 18, 2011

Running no point.

Golf R.

GD_American
Jul 21, 2004

LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AS IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!

Loan Dusty Road posted:

You’d want to look at the super charged SRT6 version. The base version handles decent enough but isn’t fast with only 220 HP. I believe the supercharged one is 330. It shares the same engine and drivetrain as the Mercedes SLK 300.

hol-ee poo poo. I had no idea, and this is right up my alley. Thank you

Jaded Burnout
Jul 10, 2004


And so it is I've bought my first brand new vehicle, to accompany my 17 year old honda civic.



It's a company vehicle (on paper, at least), so actual purchase cost to me personally is much lower, because taxes.

Thanks for your help, folks.

Edit: Also thanks to an unannounced email showing up with a bunch of forms pre-filled out by someone at the dealership (but reads like I did it) I now know what gap insurance is and why I won't be taking them up on the offer.

Jaded Burnout fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Jun 4, 2021

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
I am going to go against the grain and advise you that if you are carrying around firearms you should have a trunk. Sure, it doesn't really stop anyone, but it means people can't peek in and see your poo poo. Yes there are covers etc, but trunks are very much more out of sight and out of mind.

Jaded Burnout
Jul 10, 2004


KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I am going to go against the grain and advise you that if you are carrying around firearms you should have a trunk. Sure, it doesn't really stop anyone, but it means people can't peek in and see your poo poo. Yes there are covers etc, but trunks are very much more out of sight and out of mind.

It's fine tax law here says that vans have to have opaque cargo areas so no pigs gonna spy my gat

zedprime
Jun 9, 2007

yospos

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I am going to go against the grain and advise you that if you are carrying around firearms you should have a trunk. Sure, it doesn't really stop anyone, but it means people can't peek in and see your poo poo. Yes there are covers etc, but trunks are very much more out of sight and out of mind.
I think Illinois is a stored out of cabin state so if you are in a hatch, crossover, or SUV you need to spring for the partition anyway if it's not standard. At least I remember the Kentucky rednecks on the border being really sour they were supposed to take their truck cabin gunracks down if they were going to Illinois.

Sidesaddle Cavalry
Mar 15, 2013

Oh Boy Desert Map
On that advice, what's the consensus on non-STI WRXs?

Sidesaddle Cavalry
Mar 15, 2013

Oh Boy Desert Map

zedprime posted:

I think Illinois is a stored out of cabin state so if you are in a hatch, crossover, or SUV you need to spring for the partition anyway if it's not standard. At least I remember the Kentucky rednecks on the border being really sour they were supposed to take their truck cabin gunracks down if they were going to Illinois.

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/hunting/Documents/TransportYourFirearmLegally.pdf

Looks like that's not a problem if your firearm is stored in a case and not immediately accessible. Apparently terrible gun racks are fine, but they are indeed stupid.

Anyways, yes there are considerations to make for keeping firearms out of sight from prying eyes and hands. I should be able to work with most car models in setting up their storage spaces for transport (and not just sloppily throw in naked long guns sticking out into the cabin)

Gangringo
Jul 22, 2007

In the first age, in the first battle, when the shadows first lengthened, one sat.

He chose the path of perpetual contentment.

KillHour posted:

It's available in both manual and automatic, but you're basically a monster if you don't get it with 3 pedals.

A computer controlled AWD car like the Golf R is noticably faster with the dual clutch, and Volkswagen manual transmissions are pretty poo poo as far as feel and feedback.

Also radar cruise control is life-changing on long trips and you need an auto for that to work.

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


Gangringo posted:

A computer controlled AWD car like the Golf R is noticably faster with the dual clutch, and Volkswagen manual transmissions are pretty poo poo as far as feel and feedback.

Also radar cruise control is life-changing on long trips and you need an auto for that to work.

Yeah but he said he's not tracking it and it's going to be a highway onramp puller anyways, so you may as well get to do something while you go up that onramp other than put your foot down and wait.

I'd normally agree with you on the cruise control, but 90 minutes is barely worth putting it on for (and VW's adaptive cruise with full start/stop tried to kill me the last time I used it, which happened to be in a Chicago traffic jam).

DildenAnders
Mar 16, 2016

"I recommend Batman especially, for he tends to transcend the abysmal society in which he's found himself. His morality is rather rigid, also. I rather respect Batman.”
Don't be lame and try to talk people into the VW DSG. It's much much more expensive both short- and long-term, and it's probably a lot less fun.
On a similar note, from my knowledge I'd stay away from any Subaru boxer. I'm still spooked by all the head gasket, overheating and oil consumption problems.

LittleFuryThings
Jan 11, 2012
Proposed Budget: ? (see below) i'm looking at cars in the 20-30 range, but don't know if that's smart, may need to limit myself to 25K or even less than that
New or Used: Not sure 100%, the idea of having a new car with no history that I can take care of sounds really nice to me, but also not sure if I can afford it. If springing for a new car over used is the smart decision to do right now, then I would like to do that
Body Style: a car, 2 or 4 door. I for some reason don't really like the look of the hatchbacks that this thread seems to like
How will you be using the car?: Small drives in the city mostly, I've been using my car ~2 times a week recently and trying to walk, but now that it's gotten hot and humid, gently caress that. I visit my parents in the burbs or visit Costco every couple weeks (30 minute one-way). 100% WFH currently but will potentially start going into the office once a week (30 minutes one way). Will probably take weekend trips or road trips to places up to 300 miles away in too since I have never had a car I felt comfortable doing that in. I'm a single guy and rarely have more than one passenger and do not care about cargo space, so small (or no) back seat or small trunk does not bother me
What aspects are most important to you? Something economic and money smart, but maybe also looks cool. I've driven poo poo cars my whole life and it would be nice to have something I enjoy. I live in the humid south and having ventilated seats sounds pretty nice to prevent the swamp-rear end and back sweat. Remote start sounds super nice too for getting it cooled up before I hop in. I'm currently in a 2001 Escape, so any recent car is going to be such a step up for me in features.


What is the BFC/GWM method to determine your budget for buying a car? I've seen the 20/4/10 rule, but that seems very restrictive. Have also seen the 35% - 50% of your annual salary as the max you should get financed. Are people typically putting down much less than 20% in this thread?

Also I'd be a first time car purchaser. I've had a credit card since I graduated college 5 years ago and have used it for all my purchases I could and never payed interest. Have knocked down my student loans at a decent pace and have a remaining 10K at ~6% whenever the federal deferment ends (supposed to be September). My credit score has gotten into the "excellent" range according to Mint but I've heard that doesn't mean much for car purchases. For these 0.9% financing incentives, what would I realistically be looking at?

I like the look of the Kia K5, and it seems to check my boxes.
Accords and Camrys are solid and I could do.
I see Mazda3 recommendations, I took a road trip in one and it seemed pretty average? Though I didn't drive it. Is it just more fun to drive than comparable cars?
I don't want a Miata.
I don't think I drive enough for a hybrid to be worth it.

Bouillon Rube
Aug 6, 2009


Nomyth posted:

On that advice, what's the consensus on non-STI WRXs?

Subaru interiors are pretty dogshit and the infotainment/tech is ancient. Your options are either a 6 speed manual or CVT, which would probably suck any engagement out of driving it.

I don’t see any compelling reason to choose a WRX over a GLI/GTI; the main reason that people avoid VW’s seems to be reliability concerns and Subaru is no better in that regard

GD_American
Jul 21, 2004

LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY AS IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!

Gangringo posted:

A computer controlled AWD car like the Golf R is noticably faster with the dual clutch, and Volkswagen manual transmissions are pretty poo poo as far as feel and feedback.

Also radar cruise control is life-changing on long trips and you need an auto for that to work.

My Accord has radar cruise and it's a manual. If VW couldn't do it, that's just their failure

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



Gangringo posted:

Also radar cruise control is life-changing on long trips and you need an auto for that to work.

My dad's XC60 is very much a manual 6-speed and very much has adaptive cruise control.

So mad that Subaru doesn't do the same.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Bouillon Rube posted:

Subaru interiors are pretty dogshit and the infotainment/tech is ancient. Your options are either a 6 speed manual or CVT, which would probably suck any engagement out of driving it.

I don’t see any compelling reason to choose a WRX over a GLI/GTI; the main reason that people avoid VW’s seems to be reliability concerns and Subaru is no better in that regard

the compelling reason is the AWD system

nitsuga
Jan 1, 2007

GD_American posted:

My Accord has radar cruise and it's a manual. If VW couldn't do it, that's just their failure

My brother has a manual Golf with ACC and says it works surprisingly well. It doesn’t look like they offer it on the current year Golf, GTI, or R though.

Bouillon Rube
Aug 6, 2009


LittleFuryThings posted:

Proposed Budget: ? (see below) i'm looking at cars in the 20-30 range, but don't know if that's smart, may need to limit myself to 25K or even less than that
New or Used: Not sure 100%, the idea of having a new car with no history that I can take care of sounds really nice to me, but also not sure if I can afford it. If springing for a new car over used is the smart decision to do right now, then I would like to do that
Body Style: a car, 2 or 4 door. I for some reason don't really like the look of the hatchbacks that this thread seems to like
How will you be using the car?: Small drives in the city mostly, I've been using my car ~2 times a week recently and trying to walk, but now that it's gotten hot and humid, gently caress that. I visit my parents in the burbs or visit Costco every couple weeks (30 minute one-way). 100% WFH currently but will potentially start going into the office once a week (30 minutes one way). Will probably take weekend trips or road trips to places up to 300 miles away in too since I have never had a car I felt comfortable doing that in. I'm a single guy and rarely have more than one passenger and do not care about cargo space, so small (or no) back seat or small trunk does not bother me
What aspects are most important to you? Something economic and money smart, but maybe also looks cool. I've driven poo poo cars my whole life and it would be nice to have something I enjoy. I live in the humid south and having ventilated seats sounds pretty nice to prevent the swamp-rear end and back sweat. Remote start sounds super nice too for getting it cooled up before I hop in. I'm currently in a 2001 Escape, so any recent car is going to be such a step up for me in features.


What is the BFC/GWM method to determine your budget for buying a car? I've seen the 20/4/10 rule, but that seems very restrictive. Have also seen the 35% - 50% of your annual salary as the max you should get financed. Are people typically putting down much less than 20% in this thread?

Also I'd be a first time car purchaser. I've had a credit card since I graduated college 5 years ago and have used it for all my purchases I could and never payed interest. Have knocked down my student loans at a decent pace and have a remaining 10K at ~6% whenever the federal deferment ends (supposed to be September). My credit score has gotten into the "excellent" range according to Mint but I've heard that doesn't mean much for car purchases. For these 0.9% financing incentives, what would I realistically be looking at?

I like the look of the Kia K5, and it seems to check my boxes.
Accords and Camrys are solid and I could do.
I see Mazda3 recommendations, I took a road trip in one and it seemed pretty average? Though I didn't drive it. Is it just more fun to drive than comparable cars?
I don't want a Miata.
I don't think I drive enough for a hybrid to be worth it.

Mazda is going away from their old “sporty” image and trying to rebrand as a near-luxury marque. While the current 3 is a great car (I have a 3 turbo), I think the Civic has livelier handling these days. The 2022 Civic will be totally redesigned and the interior will probably be a bit nicer than the outgoing 10th gen, but even the outgoing Civic is quite good in nearly all aspects.

You mentioned the Accord, K5 and Camry, which honestly seems like a but more car than you need (these are midsize sedans, so a step bigger than the Civic/Mazda3). The main advantages of a midsize vs compact car are rear seat legroom and trunk space; up front there is little difference between the two classes.

But really all of the cars that you mentioned are quite good, I would just test drive all of them at this point and see which ones you like the most.

zedprime
Jun 9, 2007

yospos

LittleFuryThings posted:

What is the BFC/GWM method to determine your budget for buying a car? I've seen the 20/4/10 rule, but that seems very restrictive. Have also seen the 35% - 50% of your annual salary as the max you should get financed. Are people typically putting down much less than 20% in this thread?
20/4/10 is a good rule if you don't want to get into capital depreciation analysis. A lot of people's monthly payments probably violate the 10 part of it without being a big deal. 20% down is not negotiable: there is too high a risk of going underwater with any less.

Total cost at 50% of your (pretax) yearly salary is another benchmark I like as an absolute ceiling. This violates the 10 part by a large margin but is budgetable if you are a carfan.

The correct way to look at it is related to capital depreciation. Whichever way you buy and finance, if you're getting a new car you are burning 90% of that money in the next 10 years of that cars life. This makes it really easy if you want to drive a car into the ground even without getting into monthly or yearly depreciation because you can basically budget your next decade as burning that money completely. If you want to chase new cars every 3-5 years you need to get more serious about the curve to consider ideal trade in times etc. to figure out your total burning of money to the car god.

But basically look at your next 5-10 yearly budget. What money can you live with never seeing again over that time range? Because that's what the sticker price is on a car, used or new.

It's much easier to buy new right now if you can afford it. Certified pre owned disappear the day they hit the lot and used car sellers are selling faster than you can get a prepurchase inspection.

Anyway for your car recommendations,you entered the thread during a strange dad-car tilt so don't pay too much attention considering what you're looking for isn't that. if you have no serious preferences (all your asks are pretty baseline or universal options for new cars now) congratulations on your new Prius. Don't think too hard about the hybrid, it's just the easiest to recommend Car brand Car.

in a well actually
Jan 26, 2011

dude, you gotta end it on the rhyme

zedprime posted:

20/4/10 is a good rule if you don't want to get into capital depreciation analysis. A lot of people's monthly payments probably violate the 10 part of it without being a big deal. 20% down is not negotiable: there is too high a risk of going underwater with any less.

Total cost at 50% of your (pretax) yearly salary is another benchmark I like as an absolute ceiling. This violates the 10 part by a large margin but is budgetable if you are a carfan.

The correct way to look at it is related to capital depreciation. Whichever way you buy and finance, if you're getting a new car you are burning 90% of that money in the next 10 years of that cars life. This makes it really easy if you want to drive a car into the ground even without getting into monthly or yearly depreciation because you can basically budget your next decade as burning that money completely. If you want to chase new cars every 3-5 years you need to get more serious about the curve to consider ideal trade in times etc. to figure out your total burning of money to the car god.

But basically look at your next 5-10 yearly budget. What money can you live with never seeing again over that time range? Because that's what the sticker price is on a car, used or new.

It's much easier to buy new right now if you can afford it. Certified pre owned disappear the day they hit the lot and used car sellers are selling faster than you can get a prepurchase inspection.

Anyway for your car recommendations,you entered the thread during a strange dad-car tilt so don't pay too much attention considering what you're looking for isn't that. if you have no serious preferences (all your asks are pretty baseline or universal options for new cars now) congratulations on your new Prius. Don't think too hard about the hybrid, it's just the easiest to recommend Car brand Car.

Or corolla hybrid for the small 3-box since you don’t like hatches.

Internet Explorer
Jun 1, 2005





Bouillon Rube posted:

Subaru interiors are pretty dogshit and the infotainment/tech is ancient. Your options are either a 6 speed manual or CVT, which would probably suck any engagement out of driving it.

I don’t see any compelling reason to choose a WRX over a GLI/GTI; the main reason that people avoid VW’s seems to be reliability concerns and Subaru is no better in that regard

For a slightly different opinion, I really liked my 2014 WRX interior compared to the other stuff I test drove at the time. It was simple, where others were cluttered and overwhelming. The infotainment on mine is non-existent, just a radio you can hook Bluetooth up to, so no idea what the new ones look like. I'll probably be swapping it out for an Android Auto head unit soon.

The rest is all true, just wanted to share a different perspective on the interior.

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

LittleFuryThings posted:

Proposed Budget: ? (see below) i'm looking at cars in the 20-30 range, but don't know if that's smart, may need to limit myself to 25K or even less than that
New or Used: Not sure 100%, the idea of having a new car with no history that I can take care of sounds really nice to me, but also not sure if I can afford it. If springing for a new car over used is the smart decision to do right now, then I would like to do that
Body Style: a car, 2 or 4 door. I for some reason don't really like the look of the hatchbacks that this thread seems to like
How will you be using the car?: Small drives in the city mostly, I've been using my car ~2 times a week recently and trying to walk, but now that it's gotten hot and humid, gently caress that. I visit my parents in the burbs or visit Costco every couple weeks (30 minute one-way). 100% WFH currently but will potentially start going into the office once a week (30 minutes one way). Will probably take weekend trips or road trips to places up to 300 miles away in too since I have never had a car I felt comfortable doing that in. I'm a single guy and rarely have more than one passenger and do not care about cargo space, so small (or no) back seat or small trunk does not bother me
What aspects are most important to you? Something economic and money smart, but maybe also looks cool. I've driven poo poo cars my whole life and it would be nice to have something I enjoy. I live in the humid south and having ventilated seats sounds pretty nice to prevent the swamp-rear end and back sweat. Remote start sounds super nice too for getting it cooled up before I hop in. I'm currently in a 2001 Escape, so any recent car is going to be such a step up for me in features.


What is the BFC/GWM method to determine your budget for buying a car? I've seen the 20/4/10 rule, but that seems very restrictive. Have also seen the 35% - 50% of your annual salary as the max you should get financed. Are people typically putting down much less than 20% in this thread?

Also I'd be a first time car purchaser. I've had a credit card since I graduated college 5 years ago and have used it for all my purchases I could and never payed interest. Have knocked down my student loans at a decent pace and have a remaining 10K at ~6% whenever the federal deferment ends (supposed to be September). My credit score has gotten into the "excellent" range according to Mint but I've heard that doesn't mean much for car purchases. For these 0.9% financing incentives, what would I realistically be looking at?

I like the look of the Kia K5, and it seems to check my boxes.
Accords and Camrys are solid and I could do.
I see Mazda3 recommendations, I took a road trip in one and it seemed pretty average? Though I didn't drive it. Is it just more fun to drive than comparable cars?
I don't want a Miata.
I don't think I drive enough for a hybrid to be worth it.

Unpopular take time:

Money is cheap to borrow right now. I don't put anything down these days. I can borrow someone else's money at like 3% or less. Zero down on my last vehicle lease, Zero down on my mortgage (No PMI). I should probably be in the BWM thread, but I just don't see the point when money is so cheap to borrow. I can borrow someone else's money for almost nothing and let my money do other things. 20/10/4 made a lot of sense when interest rates were 8% and vehicles lasted 75K miles. Now with almost any new car you buy being capable of getting to 150K to 200K miles by following the factory maintenance schedule, longer loans aren't a terrible idea. I draw the line at 6 years though, there are some places doing, 7,8,9 or even 10 year loans on vehicles and even I think that's just bonkers.

Do you have an established banking relationship with preferably a credit union? They're much more flexible when it comes to vehicle financing. With a thin credit file you might not get the best rates from the dealer financing people, but you should always have your own financing in place anyway.

Buying new makes sense in this market. I'm not paying basically MSRP for a car that someone else got the best 20 to 40 thousand miles out of. It's not worth it. I'll buy used when the discount makes sense, but the world is nuts right now.

I have no idea what car to recommend to you. You can't go wrong with an Accord or Camry. I'm not a Mazda fan personally, but they're a thread favorite. Not sure what the balance of economic/moneysmart versus cool looking/fun to drive you're looking for. I mean a Toyota Corolla is basically one of the most economical driving appliances you can buy, but I don't think they're cool looking or fun to drive.

Personally I'm interested in your parking situation (are you street parking in the city?), what you can comfortably spend a month on a vehicle all in, etc. Insurance rates should play a huge part of your purchasing decision. Everything can work out great with the car, but then you find out they want 300 a month for insurance. Budget depends on how much you want to spend on a car. When I was younger I loved cars and spent a really dumb amount of my income on cars. These days it's a more reasonable percentage.

skipdogg fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Jun 4, 2021

nelson
Apr 12, 2009
College Slice

LittleFuryThings posted:

Proposed Budget: ? (see below) i'm looking at cars in the 20-30 range, but don't know if that's smart, may need to limit myself to 25K or even less than that
New or Used: Not sure 100%, the idea of having a new car with no history that I can take care of sounds really nice to me, but also not sure if I can afford it. If springing for a new car over used is the smart decision to do right now, then I would like to do that

I like the look of the Kia K5, and it seems to check my boxes.

When I was in your situation I got a Kia Rio. It was a great car for someone who was single and didn’t want to spend too much. The first was 2006, the one I have now is 2013. I never had to worry about maintenance other than oil changes, battery and tires. I imagine the recent ones are good too.

bird with big dick
Oct 21, 2015

Empress Brosephine posted:

Hi goons instead of bugging the AI stupid questions thread I figured I'd ask in here.

I'm getting a injury settlement with a okay amount of money, and I kinda wanna get a truck and camper with the money after I pay off all my dumb debt that isn't a student loan. The AI thread has helped me tremendously in selecting a Tacoma but now the financial stuff comes into play.

I currently have a 2017 Toyota Corolla XSE with 71050 miles on it. I love it and it's been, knock on wood, clean and mostly babied besides a slight amount of rust near the door and some scratches from a dog (I live in new england). I am considering trading in or selling this corolla towards the Tacoma and making that my daily driver, since I had a 2015 Tacoma and really enjoyed it before getting this. I do roughly 15k a year in miles, with the bulk of that being basically one round trip to Florida from northern NH a year. Otherwise I drive maybe 30 miles a day in New Hampshire.

I guess wherey situation comes up is in the following: I have bad credit (624). I probably won't be able to get a insane loan like I did on this Corolla (I think it's like 3% APR with a $359mo payment). I owe roughly 11.6k on it So I'm not sure what my best course of action would be. I've juggled these options:

1. Just buy the Tacoma with cash and watch most of that settlement go away. But I'd keep the Corolla and the Tacoma would just be a weekend warrior vehicle.
2. KBB says I could probably get ~11k on a trade in for the Corolla, CarMax says ~12k, so I'd be upside down in the former. In that case, would I be better to just use some of the settlement payment and just pay off the rest of the Corollas loan and then have that as a down payment of roughly 12k and then probably have a monthly cat payment of ~600 month? My regular job I could pay that monthly np, especially with the elimination of all CC debt.
3. Just keep the Corolla but get it detailed and a full mechanical tune up somehow. I don't hate the Corolla.
4. Some other option? Not opposed to used trucks, but I just would want android or apple audio and backup camera.

I have real bad FOMO. So I'm hoping you folks can lead me on the right path. I also have a extreme fear of cars breaking down etc after a while from having a dad born in 1930 and a mother who would be too afraid to drive a hour away while growing up.

The Corolla isn't our only car. We have two Volvo XC90 a from like 2008 that run, I just would never take them on a drive to Florida as they are Volvos and mechanically poo poo (plus no heat or ac). But they would do fine with the local driving I do.

Thanks goons !!

Get a Ford Raptor

Keyser_Soze
May 5, 2009

Pillbug
throw some maintenance money and some dumb upgrades or something at that Corolla, drive it into dust, and worry about a second vehicle around April 2023 and then maybe get a Raptor.

CodfishCartographer
Feb 23, 2010

Gadus Maprocephalus

Pillbug
Heya goons, I'm looking for something that is okay at rough roads:

Proposed Budget: 25-30k, can wiggle a bit above that but 35 is pushing it
New or Used: Used so I can get more value, but honestly no real preference
Body Style: Probably a crossover SUV
How will you be using the car?: I want to be able to take it on rough dirt roads, service roads, etc in Nevada / California. So maybe a little snow, but not much - more dirt and rocks. I like going hiking and camping a lot, and being able to access the less-used roads is a priority. Overall I'd like to be able to not have to worry about going down some lovely dirt road too much, and I most likely wouldn't be doing extreme offroading or anything. That being said, this'll also be my primary car so being convenient for every day driving is important too.
What aspects are most important to you?: From the above, AWD (maybe 4WD?) is important. Aside from that, I would really like some of the very modern tech features, and something that'll last a long time. Adaptive cruise control is high on my list cus I love cruise control, as is android auto support. Right now it's just my wife and I, but kids will likely eb coming in a few years so plenty of room would be nice, though I suspect everything in this category will have plenty. I'm also the type to hold onto a car for like a decade, so ideally I'll get something that'll last me a long time. Having a bit of towing strength would be nice for small trailers, but is low on the priority list. If we're talking dream wish list then I'd also like push button start, automatic locking and unlocking as I approach / leave the car, and lane assist, though those are more just nice-to-have stuff.

Some cars I've looked at are Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek/Forester/Outback (I honestly am not sure of the differences between these three lol), and Rav 4, though I'm not beholden to any of these specifically and am more than willing to look at other options. But honestly since I only buy a car like every 10 years, I'm pretty inexperienced with this kinda stuff and boy are the amount of options overwhelming!

CodfishCartographer fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Jun 5, 2021

MOVIE MAJICK
Jan 4, 2012

by Pragmatica
A friend of a friend is offering to sell me their 2010 Ford Escape for $4500. It has 115000 miles but the air conditioner has stopped working. Is the air conditioner a sign that its gonna need a major repair?

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


The air conditioner IS a major repair. Or do you mean another one?

MOVIE MAJICK
Jan 4, 2012

by Pragmatica
I mean another one.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Not really, at least by itself. That's old enough that sometimes parts in the AC system will just poo poo the bed, and there's nothing you can do in terms of preventative maintenance. The best you can hope for is to catch a small leak before the system runs out but that's hardly the only way you can end up with no air conditioning. So it's not really a red flag for whether or not they maintained it well.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

CodfishCartographer posted:

Heya goons, I'm looking for something that is okay at rough roads:

Proposed Budget: 25-30k, can wiggle a bit above that but 35 is pushing it
New or Used: Used so I can get more value, but honestly no real preference
Body Style: Probably a crossover SUV
How will you be using the car?: I want to be able to take it on rough dirt roads, service roads, etc in Nevada / California. So maybe a little snow, but not much - more dirt and rocks. I like going hiking and camping a lot, and being able to access the less-used roads is a priority. Overall I'd like to be able to not have to worry about going down some lovely dirt road too much, and I most likely wouldn't be doing extreme offroading or anything. That being said, this'll also be my primary car so being convenient for every day driving is important too.
What aspects are most important to you?: From the above, AWD (maybe 4WD?) is important. Aside from that, I would really like some of the very modern tech features, and something that'll last a long time. Adaptive cruise control is high on my list cus I love cruise control, as is android auto support. Right now it's just my wife and I, but kids will likely eb coming in a few years so plenty of room would be nice, though I suspect everything in this category will have plenty. I'm also the type to hold onto a car for like a decade, so ideally I'll get something that'll last me a long time. Having a bit of towing strength would be nice for small trailers, but is low on the priority list. If we're talking dream wish list then I'd also like push button start, automatic locking and unlocking as I approach / leave the car, and lane assist, though those are more just nice-to-have stuff.

Some cars I've looked at are Mazda CX-5, Subaru Crosstrek/Forester/Outback (I honestly am not sure of the differences between these three lol), and Rav 4, though I'm not beholden to any of these specifically and am more than willing to look at other options. But honestly since I only buy a car like every 10 years, I'm pretty inexperienced with this kinda stuff and boy are the amount of options overwhelming!

You want the highest trim package CX5 you can get. The market is turbofucked right now, might as well buy a new one if you can because used pricing is insane.

You will likely be paying MSRP.

All that being said, do you REALLY need to buy a car right now? I think the smart money is on this entire market being screwed up until the 2023 model year.

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



CodfishCartographer posted:

Subaru Crosstrek/Forester/Outback (I honestly am not sure of the differences between these three lol)

The Crosstrek is a compact CUV. It's a bit underpowered with a 150 HP 2.0 liter flat-4. The Crosstrek sport has a 180 HP 2.5 liter flat-4 and there is no turbo version of either. Subaru sells approximately a gajillion of these in California.

The newer Outbacks are a CUV that's a bit bigger than the Crosstrek and there's been a bunch of different versions with various engines. The current has a choice of 180 HP 2.5l naturally aspirated and a 260 HP 2.4 liter turbo, both 4-bangers. The 3.6 liter flat-6 died out with the 2019 model.

The Forester is a normal-sized SUV. I got one of these as a loaner for a bit, you sit a lot higher and the things gigantic compared to a Crosstrek. It has the exact same engine as an outback but it's bigger and heavier so eh.

Don't buy an Ascent.

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LittleFuryThings
Jan 11, 2012

Bouillon Rube posted:

Mazda is going away from their old “sporty” image and trying to rebrand as a near-luxury marque. While the current 3 is a great car (I have a 3 turbo), I think the Civic has livelier handling these days. The 2022 Civic will be totally redesigned and the interior will probably be a bit nicer than the outgoing 10th gen, but even the outgoing Civic is quite good in nearly all aspects.

You mentioned the Accord, K5 and Camry, which honestly seems like a but more car than you need (these are midsize sedans, so a step bigger than the Civic/Mazda3). The main advantages of a midsize vs compact car are rear seat legroom and trunk space; up front there is little difference between the two classes.

But really all of the cars that you mentioned are quite good, I would just test drive all of them at this point and see which ones you like the most.
No ventilated seats on the compacts, but otherwise yea, very little difference up front. If that's really the only reason I'd want a midsize, then I can live without and get a small I think. Civic looking good.

zedprime posted:

20/4/10 is a good rule if you don't want to get into capital depreciation analysis. A lot of people's monthly payments probably violate the 10 part of it without being a big deal. 20% down is not negotiable: there is too high a risk of going underwater with any less.

Total cost at 50% of your (pretax) yearly salary is another benchmark I like as an absolute ceiling. This violates the 10 part by a large margin but is budgetable if you are a carfan.

The correct way to look at it is related to capital depreciation. Whichever way you buy and finance, if you're getting a new car you are burning 90% of that money in the next 10 years of that cars life. This makes it really easy if you want to drive a car into the ground even without getting into monthly or yearly depreciation because you can basically budget your next decade as burning that money completely. If you want to chase new cars every 3-5 years you need to get more serious about the curve to consider ideal trade in times etc. to figure out your total burning of money to the car god.

But basically look at your next 5-10 yearly budget. What money can you live with never seeing again over that time range? Because that's what the sticker price is on a car, used or new.

It's much easier to buy new right now if you can afford it. Certified pre owned disappear the day they hit the lot and used car sellers are selling faster than you can get a prepurchase inspection.

Anyway for your car recommendations,you entered the thread during a strange dad-car tilt so don't pay too much attention considering what you're looking for isn't that. if you have no serious preferences (all your asks are pretty baseline or universal options for new cars now) congratulations on your new Prius. Don't think too hard about the hybrid, it's just the easiest to recommend Car brand Car.
Very helpful post.
How about Insight versus Prius? Seems like a tossup, and I'd def go Insight just based on having a nicer looking body.

skipdogg posted:

Unpopular take time:

Money is cheap to borrow right now. I don't put anything down these days. I can borrow someone else's money at like 3% or less. Zero down on my last vehicle lease, Zero down on my mortgage (No PMI). I should probably be in the BWM thread, but I just don't see the point when money is so cheap to borrow. I can borrow someone else's money for almost nothing and let my money do other things. 20/10/4 made a lot of sense when interest rates were 8% and vehicles lasted 75K miles. Now with almost any new car you buy being capable of getting to 150K to 200K miles by following the factory maintenance schedule, longer loans aren't a terrible idea. I draw the line at 6 years though, there are some places doing, 7,8,9 or even 10 year loans on vehicles and even I think that's just bonkers.

Do you have an established banking relationship with preferably a credit union? They're much more flexible when it comes to vehicle financing. With a thin credit file you might not get the best rates from the dealer financing people, but you should always have your own financing in place anyway.

Buying new makes sense in this market. I'm not paying basically MSRP for a car that someone else got the best 20 to 40 thousand miles out of. It's not worth it. I'll buy used when the discount makes sense, but the world is nuts right now.

I have no idea what car to recommend to you. You can't go wrong with an Accord or Camry. I'm not a Mazda fan personally, but they're a thread favorite. Not sure what the balance of economic/moneysmart versus cool looking/fun to drive you're looking for. I mean a Toyota Corolla is basically one of the most economical driving appliances you can buy, but I don't think they're cool looking or fun to drive.

Personally I'm interested in your parking situation (are you street parking in the city?), what you can comfortably spend a month on a vehicle all in, etc. Insurance rates should play a huge part of your purchasing decision. Everything can work out great with the car, but then you find out they want 300 a month for insurance. Budget depends on how much you want to spend on a car. When I was younger I loved cars and spent a really dumb amount of my income on cars. These days it's a more reasonable percentage.
More money to put into retirement (assuming what you were doing too) at a low-interest rate sounds good, but like zedprime recommended, putting 20% down makes sense for me as I do worry about being underwater. 5 year loan is what the dealer incentives I'm seeing are, so that's looking likely to me.

I use a regional bank, not a credit union, that I have never gotten a loan from. But I am going to go ahead and look into financing options with them and other local credit unions.

I park in a reserved spot in a very narrow parking lot, fenced in behind my apartment. Backup camera will be very helpful there. I don't park in a garage, and EV hookup isn't going to be doable where I live currently, if that's why you're asking.
Got some insurance quotes, and they are definitely not as high as I was expecting, so that is good. I'll be comfortable with the cars I'm looking at on monthly costs.

I'm definitely much more towards being moneysmart than sporty the more I think about it and look at costs.
I think the Civics are enough of the "sporty" I'm looking for. Will probably be test driving those, but with the MPG of the Insight, I may end up going with it.

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