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Hi, I know NOTHING about cars. I've never wanted one. I passed my test nine years and haven't driven since. I'm 30. I've decided, gently caress public transport, I'm getting a car. Now, again, I couldn't tell a Ford from an Audi. Where do I go to educate myself on stuff I need to know? I'll fill in this little thing right here. Oh yeah, I live in Scotland, if that has any bearing on anything. Proposed Budget: Zero. No, I dunno, depends on payment schemes etc. £1000? I don't even know if it's better to get a loan and buy outright or finance. New or Used: Doesn't matter, as long as it didn't look beat up and ran properly. Body Style: 2 door I guess. How will you be using the car?: Short frequent journies to work (2 miles) to city centre from home (6 miles I guess). What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, cost (original and ongoing), maintenance, environmental impact (I want my vehicle to be as eco-friendly as possible). These answers are obviously vague, again as I'm a complete novice, but I'd really appreciate any imput you can give. Thanks.
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Feb 18, 2015 21:36
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Throatwarbler posted:The F body is better than anything else you could possibly get for that price if you want handling, except for the Corvette? Two trailing arms and a panhard rod is a pretty good way to set up a live axle. KBB on a 1998 Corvette is like $9k. There's exactly one 97+ corvette with a manual at 10k max price on autotrader. I'll have to research F-bodys more but I was under the impression they were fast in a straight line and kind of boaty otherwise.
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Feb 18, 2015 22:59
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ICHIBAHN posted:Hi, I know NOTHING about cars. I've never wanted one. I passed my test nine years and haven't driven since. I'm 30. I've decided, gently caress public transport, I'm getting a car. Now, again, I couldn't tell a Ford from an Audi. Where do I go to educate myself on stuff I need to know? I'll fill in this little thing right here. Oh yeah, I live in Scotland, if that has any bearing on anything. You should probably wait until you can afford more. A budget of zero is not going to get you a car, and starting off on that foot makes me think you're not in a position to pay for maintenance, or insurance, or indeed gas, isn't gas stupid expensive over there? Also never shop on payments. Comedy answer: Reliant Robin.
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Feb 18, 2015 23:15
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Larrymer posted:There's exactly one 97+ corvette with a manual at 10k max price on autotrader. Who still uses autotrader?
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Feb 18, 2015 23:33
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ICHIBAHN posted:Body Style: 2 door I guess. I would advise getting a 4 door; in this market a 2 door typically is purchased for style and it sounds like you are looking for cheap and practical. 4 door typically costs the same, weighs the same (+/- 100kg) but provides loads more utility which you say you don't need right up until that day when you realize it's a good idea. If your girlfriend or SO has a dog(s) you will see the practical benefit immediately. Especially if said dog is muddy and wet from the beach. There's a reason why 2 doors are reserved for the absolute cheapest cars and high end sports cars.
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Feb 18, 2015 23:43
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Thanks, i appreciate that advice. Also, the zero answer up there wasn't serious. I've not decided yet how much I'm willing to put into this.
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Feb 18, 2015 23:51
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The short answer to your loan & buy outright vs financing question is they're the same thing. Whether it's a car loan from your bank, or dealership financing (which I think they usually farm out to one or more banks) they're both loans, so you need to compare APR, loan terms, read and understand all the fine print, and try to get one where you can potentially avoid interest by paying it off sooner. What I did was secure pre-approval on a car loan through my credit union, then went shopping. That way I knew the worst case interest rate I was facing, that I had a source of X dollars without predatory terms, and if the dealer offered better financing I'd take that.
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Feb 19, 2015 00:15
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Again, helpful, thanks. I plan on speaking to my credit union soon about this.
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Feb 19, 2015 00:18
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tesilential posted:So the thread title says "no rentals." But how do you all feel about leased vehicles? Want to jump in this and hope it's not too late. Off lease was a great place to buy a car 10 years ago, good value, honest, etc... My grandfather used them to buy cars for pretty much all his children and grandkids. Something changed and they aren't the same, my grandfather (who has a temper in his own right) said he went there and had a bad experience and will never go back, I chalked it up to him losing his cool. My credit union however told me straight up when I got pre-approved that they would not write a check to OffLeaseOnly, they didn't mention any other exclusions, just them. After doing some research they seem to be hyper aggressive and in some cases straight up liars.
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Feb 19, 2015 02:29
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ICHIBAHN posted:Thanks, i appreciate that advice. Also, the zero answer up there wasn't serious. I've not decided yet how much I'm willing to put into this. The 1000 ukfunbux answer was about the same to be honest. If you don't want something barely held together with duct tape and about to explode you need to budget more overall. Cars aren't cheap or always a good idea. Especially if you can currently get around ok on PT.
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Feb 19, 2015 02:43
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VideoTapir posted:Who still uses autotrader? Ugh. It's an easy way to see cars all over the country without having to search a billion craigslists. For local poo poo, sure, use CL.
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Feb 19, 2015 03:09
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Well in typical GM practice V8 F-bodys are pretty fast once you replace the glass rear end and put in real suspension, but they didn't sweat the minor details too much like "make doors and dashboard not literally fall off the car after a few years". I mean, on paper, a 4th gen LS1 F-body pretty much trounces a MK4 TT Supra, a similar style of vehicle of the same era, in every benchracing metric you can think of, right down to the T-tops, and for significantly less money new, so why would anyone buy anything else? Blame the liberal media and their relentless anti-domestic bias I guess. Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 03:21
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I've had a look at my budget and updated my answers here. Cheers. Proposed Budget: £2, 000 New or Used: Doesn't matter, as long as it didn't look beat up and ran properly. Body Style: 2 door I guess. How will you be using the car?: Short frequent journies to work (2 miles) to city centre from home (6 miles I guess). What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, cost (original and ongoing), maintenance, environmental impact (I want my vehicle to be as eco-friendly as possible).
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Feb 19, 2015 10:05
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ICHIBAHN posted:I've had a look at my budget and updated my answers here. Cheers. Have you consider a bike or a scooter?
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Feb 19, 2015 15:34
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ICHIBAHN posted:I've had a look at my budget and updated my answers here. Cheers. Seriously, just ride a bike. You have hardly any distance to cover, your budget is low, and your important aspects are completely counter to what you will get with that budget.
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Feb 19, 2015 16:06
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Proposed Budget: 28K pre tax New or Used: New Body Style: Compact SUV (flexible on this) with AWD and leather interior How will you be using the car?: Around town with only very occasional long distance towing of 1800 lbs (motorcycle trailer) What aspects are most important to you?: Comfort, fuel economy, reliability, tow capacity (for MC) AWD only. Any thoughts? I have no idea but have been looking at the Escape, CX-5, and Sportage.
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Feb 19, 2015 16:36
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Have you looked at the XV Crosstrek. Love it or hate it looks though
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Feb 19, 2015 16:53
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Proposed Budget: 5-10k New or Used: Used Body Style: Compact How will you be using the car?: A commute vehicle. I will be driving a lot, so I'm going with used as I don't want to worry about the milage limits that come with leased cars What aspects are most important to you? (reliability, avoiding huge maintenance costs, high fuel economy, and it's silly but I absolutely need an auxiliary port.) Right now I'm mulling over nabbing a 100k milage 2008 Civic LX from a used car place in Brooklyn vs. a 2013 Nissan Sentra with 42k miles from a Hertz dealership (former rental car I'm assuming). The Civic is 5k and the Nissan is 10k. I'm leaning towards the Nissan but the civic seems like the smarter choice, assuming the mechanic gives it the OK.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:06
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Larrymer posted:Ugh. It's an easy way to see cars all over the country without having to search a billion craigslists. For local poo poo, sure, use CL. But it's such a small fraction of the cars available, particularly private-party, that using it as a measure of the general availability of a model is just stupid. On Craigslist, I found 3 corvettes meeting those criteria just in my area.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:19
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Nierbo posted:Have you looked at the XV Crosstrek. Love it or hate it looks though Crosstrek has a towing max of 1500 lbs.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:22
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Radio Talmudist posted:Proposed Budget: 5-10k Can we put "just buy a prius" back in the thread title?
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Feb 19, 2015 19:29
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IRQ posted:Can we put "just buy a prius" back in the thread title? The title can only be so long  Throatwarbler posted:Well in typical GM practice V8 F-bodys are pretty fast once you replace the glass rear end and put in real suspension Yeah, the problem with that is that clean LS1/T56 fourthgens are getting to be just about as rare (perhaps more so) as a manual C5, and they really aren't a huge amount cheaper. It'd probably be much more expensive once you do a rear-end / K-member swap to make it live and handle, versus just freshening up worn-out components on the C5. Even starting with a V6 car won't help much price-wise since a big chunk of the value is tied up in that drat six-speed transmission. I've actually seen some 2004 GTOs for the same price or less than LS1 F-bodies, and they at least have IRS (though they can't run a tire anywhere near wide enough). Outside of that... E30/E36 BMW?
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Feb 19, 2015 19:40
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IRQ posted:Can we put "just buy a prius" back in the thread title? I'm all for getting a Prius, but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing anything wrong. Finding a Prius that isn't a piece of poo poo is hard in my area. I've just about given up. The 'holy grail' Prius I was looking at fell through at the PPI. The vehicle had been parked for a while (spiderwebs and mud dauber nests all over the thing) and the mechanic said it needed transmission work (cha-ching) among other numerous maintenance items. Right now, all I see are swathes of salvage titles and high-dollar-high-miles-super-nasty entries. All the good ones at dealerships get bought out before they even hit the lot.
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Feb 19, 2015 19:50
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What do you consider "high miles" on a Prius? (For me it would be 150,000+ miles, and even then, I'd expect that car to go to at least 250k with only the scheduled maintenance and maybe $500 to $1k a year in wear-parts replacements.)
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Feb 19, 2015 21:42
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IRQ posted:Can we put "just buy a prius" back in the thread title? Are you being flippant? I'm seriously asking because I know nothing about cars. Also, does Nissan have the same reputation for reliability that other japanese automakers have?
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Feb 19, 2015 22:42
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Radio Talmudist posted:Are you being flippant? I'm seriously asking because I know nothing about cars. Also, does Nissan have the same reputation for reliability that other japanese automakers have? No, 100% serious, and yes it did used to be in the thread title. I apologize if that came off dickish. Tons of people come in here asking for recommendations and a prius is very frequently the best car for them, as it sounds like it would be for you. If you read back a few pages you'll see it mentioned a lot. Same reputation? No. Honda and Toyota are on a pedestal as far as reputation goes. Nissans are fine though, just not one that was a rental.
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Feb 19, 2015 22:49
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Radio Talmudist posted:Are you being flippant? I'm seriously asking because I know nothing about cars. Also, does Nissan have the same reputation for reliability that other japanese automakers have? http://www.truedelta.com/car-reliability-by-brand?min=2000&max=2014
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Feb 19, 2015 23:36
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I didn't realize the Prius was so highly regarded. In my earlier post I mentioned I was trying to decide between a Lexus CT200h and Audi A3 (selling an Infiniti EX35). I think the CT200h has everything I want, but my only apprehension is that it's a gussied up Prius (and would be incredibly unfun to drive compared to the 300hp EX35). I've never driven a CT200h or Prius, and I know it's not going to be fast, but does it feel as slow as 134hp should? Does the electric motor's instant torque make it feel any quicker than it actually is? Also, does anyone know how the CT200h would perform in snow (I live in Wisconsin)? It's FWD (which is probably better than AWD since my wife will be driving), but I'm wondering if it would have the same sort of traction control that my RX has (which is excellent). Also the ground clearance looks very small and it might scrape snow on anything but perfectly plowed roads.
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Feb 20, 2015 00:11
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Mr Executive posted:I didn't realize the Prius was so highly regarded. In my earlier post I mentioned I was trying to decide between a Lexus CT200h and Audi A3 (selling an Infiniti EX35). I think the CT200h has everything I want, but my only apprehension is that it's a gussied up Prius (and would be incredibly unfun to drive compared to the 300hp EX35). I've never driven a CT200h or Prius, and I know it's not going to be fast, but does it feel as slow as 134hp should? Does the electric motor's instant torque make it feel any quicker than it actually is? The CT is marginally faster and slightly more lively than a Prius IIRC but you are not getting anywhere near the fuel economy of the Prius though, so it's kind of a dumb car and why no one buys them. If you put snow tires on it it's no worse than any other FWD compact car in snow. You may as well go test drive a bunch of cars I guess since your criteria is so vague and generic that any number of boring beige cars could potentially fulfill them. Maybe Buick Encore? BMW X1? Throatwarbler fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Feb 20, 2015 |
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Feb 20, 2015 01:36
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Throatwarbler posted:The CT is marginally faster and slightly more lively than a Prius IIRC but you are not getting anywhere near the fuel economy of the Prius though, so it's kind of a dumb car and why no one buys them. If you put snow tires on it it's no worse than any other FWD compact car in snow. I mean, you could just say you don't know anything about the car, or not post. Or you could be an indignant dick about it.
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Feb 20, 2015 02:12
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Mr Executive posted:I mean, you could just say you don't know anything about the car, or not post. Or you could be an indignant dick about it.  Somebody's excitable!
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Feb 20, 2015 02:14
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disheveled posted:
Literally shaking right now
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Feb 20, 2015 02:16
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Man, for a thread that's not even in AI, some people sure are angry about cars. 
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Feb 20, 2015 02:45
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Wiggly posted:Crosstrek has a towing max of 1500 lbs. Yeah I was just going to say. Any other ideas?
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Feb 20, 2015 04:49
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I've moved the dealer from MSRP down to $22,633 for a 2015 Prius Two. I'm going to see if I can move that further, but does that sound like a terrible price? From what I've seen in some places that's below average for this car but I'm not sure if that's true.
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Feb 20, 2015 05:49
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Hmm. Maybe I should aim for a Prius then. The fuel economy IS amazing....but could I get a decent one for under 10k?
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Feb 20, 2015 15:59
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Leperflesh posted:What do you consider "high miles" on a Prius? I'm with you there: 150,000 miles or higher is what I start considering "high". I suppose as long as it passes a PPI then there's (hopefully) not too much to worry about, but the maintenance history is rarely available. My selection is still discouraging at times. e: Radio Talmudist posted:Hmm. Maybe I should aim for a Prius then. The fuel economy IS amazing....but could I get a decent one for under 10k? This is also my challenge!
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Feb 20, 2015 16:04
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There's like a zillion Priuses around 100k going for $6-8k asking price in the DC/Baltimore area on craigslist alone, how are you guys not finding anything?
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Feb 20, 2015 16:26
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IRQ posted:There's like a zillion Priuses around 100k going for $6-8k asking price in the DC/Baltimore area on craigslist alone, how are you guys not finding anything? I found 8 Priuses in the  e: I don't live in the Southwest area anymore. 
NO BROS FOR HOES fucked around with this message at 17:43 on Feb 20, 2015 |
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Feb 20, 2015 17:21
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Do you guys have any tips/advice/warnings about financing & car loans? EDIT: Obviously it varies with the dealer, but is it better typically to finance via a bank or with a dealership? Radio Talmudist fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Feb 20, 2015 |
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Feb 20, 2015 18:04
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