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KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


LionArcher posted:

In general avoid 2010's. They're the only real lemon year that I'm aware of, because of common oil leakage issues. That being said, Cadillac converters are being cut off of them at a high rate. So if you do get one, have a body shop weld a metal cover over it to discourage thieves.

i dont think op was planning on converting their prius into a cadillac so it shouldnt be a problem

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the tingler
Jul 15, 2009

LionArcher posted:

Cadillac converters

SSJ_naruto_2003
Oct 12, 2012



So, yall have gotten me pretty convinced on a Prius. I know the markets crazy right now, so what is a general "decent price" for a used prius?

I see some around 40k miles, current gen ('18 or 19) for nearly $20000, the same amount of miles on a 2012 model for $18500. All of those cars have a great service history afaict


This is is a little out of our price range, we have about 5k in cash and planned on financing around 10k, but we could go a little higher if this is the best we can expect.

I guess I could look at higher mileage offers, but even one with 70k miles only knocks off a thousand or so, and I like that records of recommended maintenance has been kept, so I know where to pick it up. The main reason we wanted to keep financing down is that our credit scores suck - - we both have unpaid medical debt from 4 to 6 years old.

SSJ_naruto_2003 fucked around with this message at 08:48 on May 14, 2021

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
a cadillac converter would be pretty rad, so i can see why people want to steal them

other people
Jun 27, 2004
Associate Christ
Just drove home a new VW T-Roc and managed to park it in the tiny as gently caress basement parking deck space (on the third try lol) without hitting anything. I'm never going to drive again but at least I can say we own a car.

The dealer couldn't get the car to register my vw account after a dozen attempts and eventually we just gave up. Apparently the SOS button won't function until that is sorted out. Lol at needing to register some online account to use an SOS feature.

The big sunroof is neat though.

other people
Jun 27, 2004
Associate Christ
Also we ordered this car so long ago I almost forgot about it. I think it was last august.

Brain Curry
Feb 15, 2007

People think that I'm lazy
People think that I'm this fool because
I give a fuck about the government
I didn't graduate from high school



Loan Dusty Road posted:


Where is the sweet spot for year / mileage / model for me? Things I've been looking at:

Charger R/T
300 C
Lexus LS 460
Taurus SHO

I've also considered some things like a v6 Camry or Lexus. I haven't been considering European cars due to maintenance costs. I've also considered some coupes like a Mustang or Camaro.


V8 Genesis sedans are in your price range around where I live. Theyre around 5 seconds 0-60 depending on year. I dont have any numbers on safety or reliability, but they meet those criteria.

FLIPADELPHIA
Apr 27, 2007

Heavy Shit
Grimey Drawer
Anyone have any advice on the Kia Niro E/V ?

We have a short daily commute and thinking of an EV for our primary commuter would be great. We had a sportage several years back and loved it, but not sure how it compares in terms of build quality etc

Hotbod Handsomeface
Dec 28, 2009
I currently have a 2017 single cab 4x4 F150 with the v8. The market right now is crazy and there is an opportunity for me to get rid of this for more than I payed for it (~31k), cool. I am interested in downsizing my vehicle/consolidating into something that is more realistically engaging/useful for my life. I am in the Portland Oregon area if that matters.

Things that I like about the truck:
1. Power is great. It feels super quick/fast for what it is.
2. Cruising on the highway is great, super comfortable.
3. Low road noise
4. Feels like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland in the best way
5. I've used the 4x4/ground clearance on some forest roads.
6. v8 noises.

Things I don't like about the truck:
1. It's huge, even though it is the smallest truck that Ford sold when I got it is still huge. (I didn't fit in similarly sized competition.)
2. Fuel economy is bad. sure it will get 20mpg highway, but most of the time I am at 14-15mpg.
3. I don't use it to it's full capability.
4. Single cab limits passenger space.
5. It's more than I need.
6. I don't actually use the bed much. Thought I would but I don't and renting a truck/cargo van is under $50 a lot of the time.
7. Headlights suck.

Proposed Budget: 10-30k This is pretty loose. I'd like to end up with some extra cash here, but if something speaks to my heart then I would be ok to just use around the trucks value.
New or Used: Either
Body Style: Open to options. I want more passenger space and more daily usable storage space that is out of the elements. A smaller footprint than the truck would be great.
How will you be using the car?: My daily commute right now is under 10 miles round trip. I also like to go on small road trips on the weekends. Those might take me to a beach or up a mountain or to a trailhead. Sometimes I go down some forest roads. I'd like to be able to fit more than one other adult in this. Maybe also a medium sized dog on some road trips. I'm looking for one car that can do most things right now. I don't have ready access to charge an electric car.
What aspects are most important to you? I need to fit comfortably in this thing. I am 6'8, I think my torso is long. Decent fuel economy for the vehicle size/class. I want enough power and handling capability for this to be engaging, but I also want to just eat up the highway in relative comfort. I can do oil changes and regular maintenance but I don't want to have to baby it all the time or be left stranded. I care about safety in that I don't want to be maimed or die in an accident.

Some of the things I have been looking at or thinking about. This is a wide net and I don't even know if I will fit comfortably in these:
1. Manual Transmission Subaru Forester or Outback. (or turbo/ 6 cylinder)
2. GTI
3. Focus ST
4. Honda Accord Sport
5. Mazda 3 hatchback
6. Golf Alltrack
7. Buick Regal TourX? How bad of an idea would that be?

What else should I be looking at?

nm
Jan 28, 2008

"I saw Minos the Space Judge holding a golden sceptre and passing sentence upon the Martians. There he presided, and around him the noble Space Prosecutors sought the firm justice of space law."
At 6'8", fitting is going to be a major concern. I think you need to get some butt in seat time, which will help narrow things down.
Please note that if you have headroom, but not leg room, there are companies that make seat rail extenders. They are car specific, so you'll need to research whether that is an option.

I will say, on average, German and American cars tend to fit big people better, but there are all sorts of exceptions.

That said, you should buy a 1996 Buick Roadmaster wagon with the LT1 and wood trim.

bird with big dick
Oct 21, 2015

My wife has a Honda Accord sport manual 2.0t and its a great car and Im 65 and fit in it well.

Cicero
Dec 17, 2003

Jumpjet, melta, jumpjet. Repeat for ten minutes or until victory is assured.
So are there only specific car models that are being targeted by catalytic converter thieves?

Rexxed
May 1, 2010

Dis is amazing!
I gotta try dis!

Cicero posted:

So are there only specific car models that are being targeted by catalytic converter thieves?

There are definitely more targeted vehicles due to ease of removal and higher prices for selling the cats (like the Prius). Trucks are also targeted because it's easy to get under them (also the Honda Element, apparently). You can kind of get a sense based on the product lines of catalytic converter guards:
https://getcatsecurity.com/
https://catshield.com/
https://catclamp.com/shop/#model-specific-maxx-kits-for-commonly-targeted-medium-duty-trucks
There are others coming to market seemingly daily. EricTheCarGuy installed one recently and that's when I first heard of it being a thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbce8m2KykU

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/auto-loans/5-ways-to-foil-catalytic-converter-thieves

Guinness
Sep 15, 2004

There's also an element of extremely common cars being targeted because they are common and thieves know how to quickly cut out the cat and be on their way, they've got it down to a 30 second job for Priuses and such

Why bother figuring out how to steal some weirdo car's cat when there's 5 Priuses on the same block that you already know how

fknlo
Jul 6, 2009


Fun Shoe
I need to bag my Prius to make it too hard to get to the catalytic converter. Seems like a good use case.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

FLIPADELPHIA posted:

Anyone have any advice on the Kia Niro E/V ?

We have a short daily commute and thinking of an EV for our primary commuter would be great. We had a sportage several years back and loved it, but not sure how it compares in terms of build quality etc

EV thread in AI will be your friend, there are a few Niro EV owners in there.

PittTheElder
Feb 13, 2012

:geno: Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

Maybe this is more of a general finance question, but does anyone happen to know of a calculator to tell what the value of a dealer zero percent finance loan actually is? I'm sure I could write one myself in excel or something but :effort:

I'm trying to evaluate the difference in taking a new car at zero percent, vs a two year older used for a few thousand less (which would probably have to be a cash buy, since as near as I can tell no bank offers low interest car loans around here :canada:).



Also, said car dealership also offered me an interesting scheme where in lieu of the zero percent offer they would finance it through their bank at 5.99%, receive some sort of kickback (from the bank? From the OEM? Unclear), and pass some out that on to me in the form of a $2,200 discount off the purchase price. The loan could apparently be bought out 7 months after purchase for no penalty. The increase in payments over the zero percent scenario is about $17, so over six months that's nothing. Sort of inventing a bonus cash incentive, except my bullshit detector is screaming and it seems like there's free money being created. Anyone ever heard of something like this before?

got off on a technicality
Feb 7, 2007

oh dear

PittTheElder posted:

Also, said car dealership also offered me an interesting scheme where in lieu of the zero percent offer they would finance it through their bank at 5.99%, receive some sort of kickback (from the bank? From the OEM? Unclear), and pass some out that on to me in the form of a $2,200 discount off the purchase price. The loan could apparently be bought out 7 months after purchase for no penalty. The increase in payments over the zero percent scenario is about $17, so over six months that's nothing. Sort of inventing a bonus cash incentive, except my bullshit detector is screaming and it seems like there's free money being created. Anyone ever heard of something like this before?
The dealership receives incentives for originating loans; these incentives typically scale up by interest rate and can be many thousand dollars. For 5.99% it's probably quite high. There may also be performance incentives for hitting a certain number in a given month/quarter. As long as your loan paperwork and purchase price calculation all check out and you confirm with your own eyes that the loan can be prepaid without penalty after the 6 month mark and there aren't any other gotchas, I wouldn't hesitate

Unsinkabear
Jun 8, 2013

Ensign, raise the beariscope.





Got a Carvana quote for my current car, so here we go:

Proposed Budget: Up to $12k but would love if I could do it for $10k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Compact hatchback or small SUV
How will you be using the car?: I work from home, so this is mostly a grocery getter that will also double as an adventure mobile once a month or so. I would like to put kayaks on the roof of it eventually, but for now the only thing it absolutely must do is transport two bikes securely, either on a hitch mount (OEM hitch would be great, but Im fine adding aftermarket if it can be done without reducing ground clearance) or by by stowing them inside (I'm fine if that means making it fit by taking front wheels off and stacking the frames with a blanket between them, aka the Bicievino Method). I live in Florida so climate control is loving key, and handling in torrential rain is a factor (although I imagine this mostly comes down to tires). I don't have kids and never will, so I don't care about the rear row seating situation at all.
What aspects are most important to you?: Safety > Reliability > everything else. Being enjoyable to drive is a bonus, but not a requirement. My CVT Accord coupe feels fun to me, so I think I'm pretty easy to please in that regard.

I've had a month to think about this while I drove my Accord, and I realized that aside from the cargo space situation and the bumpy ride I'm actually pretty drat fond of it. I've written out the pros and cons I've noticed in that time to hopefully help narrow down its replacement. I know that it's highly unlikely that one $10-12k car can give me all or even most of these things, but you forum friends have sat in many more vehicles than I have, so I'm hoping you can help me find the best compromise.

Needs
  • ability to cram two bikes in the back (which I'm told can be done in something as small as a regular Prius if you pop the wheels off, as mentioned above) or add an aftermarket hitch to carry them externally
  • Forward collision warning. This is the only dealbreaker feature. My current car has this and it has saved my rear end several times, so if I can't get something else that has it I'll just keep making the Accord work and try my luck with a trunk rack for the bikes. I know it's not common as a standard feature, but I'm hoping that with patience I can get lucky on a model that had it as an option, like mine.
  • Good AC or climate control, because Florida.
  • more cargo space than my coupe, which is a pretty low bar to clear

Wants
  • More ground clearance than my coupe
  • Roof racks or the potential to add them aftermarket
  • Seats and an interior that are comfortable for a wide person (one of my favorite things about my old Aveo was how weirdly spacious it felt for such a little car)
  • Smallest footprint I can get while still checking as many of the above as possible

Dream details that I probably won't get
  • Synthetic leather interior (someone mentioned a while back that Toyota has this, do any other manufacturers?)
  • lane drift warning
  • decent enough highway mileage that I can take this on a roadtrip without loving with an unfamiliar rental
  • Hitch? Do these exist anymore on things that aren't massive SUVs and trucks?
  • My accord has a lot of fun details like a push-button start and proximity doors that unlock when you reach your hand under the handle. Its dumb and probably doesnt exist in my price range when combined with the other features I want, but it makes me feel like I drive a spaceship and I love that
  • Sunroof
  • Idk if there's a term for this, but I like that the Accord has tinted windows in a layout that doesnt let much direct sunlight hit the driver during summer
  • Seat warmers for the one month of winter we get, don't judge me

Dont wants
  • Safety compromises, i.e. how some older cars have dogshit front overlap crash test scores even though everything else is top marks
  • Major reliability problems
  • Weirdly shaped cargo areas that make it hard to actually put poo poo in there
  • Oddly weighted doors that try to loving close on you all the time

Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 09:11 on May 16, 2021

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

I cant think of anything off the top of my head that meets your requirements with your budget. One of those has to give.

These days 10k is buy a used car that doesnt immediately need a ton of work price range. Not I need advanced safety features and the rest of this list.

15K would probably open up some higher mileage options. This is a terrible time to buy a used car though. Prices are just nuts right now.

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



After-market hitch receivers are totally a thing - either get one installed at u-haul or order one from like etrailer or Amazon and DIY it. I put a receiver on my Crosstrek in like an hour in my driveway for the same reason you want one. I got a Curt receiver and a Kuat rack and it works great. No ground clearance changes since the diffs are lower than the hitch.

Unsinkabear
Jun 8, 2013

Ensign, raise the beariscope.





skipdogg posted:

I cant think of anything off the top of my head that meets your requirements with your budget. One of those has to give.

These days 10k is buy a used car that doesnt immediately need a ton of work price range. Not I need advanced safety features and the rest of this list.

15K would probably open up some higher mileage options. This is a terrible time to buy a used car though. Prices are just nuts right now.

I tried to be clear that aside from the collision warning and cargo space the things on the list are considerations, not requirements. Just a "use these details to help me narrow the field if there are multiple options" kind of thing. Just went back and made a couple edits to make that even clearer.

Carvana is telling me that the 2013, 65k miles vehicle I currently own which has those advanced safety features is worth $11k and change in this market. The only negative marks on their questionnaire were that I only have one key and there is a minor accident on the car's record, both of which I can accept in whatever I replace it with. I thought I might have to stretch to 13k, but $15k just to get something with high miles seems unbelievable. If prices are nuts on used cars across the board, then shouldn't I be getting just as much of a premium on the one I'm selling as the one I'm buying? What am I missing that makes getting a handful of the things my current car has in something with a slightly larger cargo area and an extra inch of ride height so unreasonable?

Because that is what I'm looking for. I can even give on the ground clearance if I have to. Are there seriously no Honda Fits or Priuses or Kia Souls or whatever that have a collision warning option in a year I can afford?

luminalflux posted:

After-market hitch receivers are totally a thing - either get one installed at u-haul or order one from like etrailer or Amazon and DIY it. I put a receiver on my Crosstrek in like an hour in my driveway for the same reason you want one. I got a Curt receiver and a Kuat rack and it works great. No ground clearance changes since the diffs are lower than the hitch.

Dope, this is exactly what I was hoping. The diff height vs hitch height thing seems like it would vary by car, though, is there any way for a non-car-person to know beforehand how that aftermarket situation will look on different models?

Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 09:08 on May 16, 2021

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Unsinkabear posted:

I tried to be clear that aside from the collision warning and cargo space the things on the list are considerations, not requirements. Just a "use these details to help me narrow the field if there are multiple options" kind of thing. Just went back and made a couple edits to make that even clearer.

Carvana is telling me that the 2013, 65k miles vehicle I currently own which has those advanced safety features is worth $11k and change in this market. The only negative marks on their questionnaire were that I only have one key and there is a minor accident on the car's record, both of which I can accept in whatever I replace it with. I thought I might have to stretch to 13k, but $15k just to get something with high miles seems unbelievable. If prices are nuts on used cars across the board, then shouldn't I be getting just as much of a premium on the one I'm selling as the one I'm buying? What am I missing that makes getting a handful of the things my current car has in something with a slightly larger cargo area and an extra inch of ride height so unreasonable?

Because that is what I'm looking for. I can even give on the ground clearance if I have to. Are there seriously no Honda Fits or Priuses or Kia Souls or whatever that have a collision warning option in a year I can afford?


Dope, this is exactly what I was hoping. The diff height vs hitch height thing seems like it would vary by car, though, is there any way for a non-car-person to know beforehand how that aftermarket situation will look on different models?

Carvana is providing a premium for your car. It wouldnt be worth near their quote if you ran the request 6 months ago. They obviously have to make some money off of it though since they arent a charity, albeit their numbers are high since theyre trying to gain exposure. But yeah-demand is high across the board, so something you could have purchased for $12k last year is probably $1K+ now.

It sounds like you already have a few cars in mind with the Prius and Fit and Soul you mentioned. Why not do a search on edmunds or something to see how much those cars would cost with the features you want-then test drive to see if they meet your comfort level?

And seconded on the back hitch+ hitch rack recommendation. If youre regularly going to be hauling two bikes around, I think thats definitely the way to go. If youre even somewhat mechanically inclined, buying a hitch from e-trailer.com usually provides instructions for a wide variety of vehicles and some are pretty easy to install yourself.

nwin fucked around with this message at 10:59 on May 16, 2021

zedprime
Jun 9, 2007

yospos

PittTheElder posted:

Maybe this is more of a general finance question, but does anyone happen to know of a calculator to tell what the value of a dealer zero percent finance loan actually is? I'm sure I could write one myself in excel or something but :effort:

I'm trying to evaluate the difference in taking a new car at zero percent, vs a two year older used for a few thousand less (which would probably have to be a cash buy, since as near as I can tell no bank offers low interest car loans around here :canada:).



Also, said car dealership also offered me an interesting scheme where in lieu of the zero percent offer they would finance it through their bank at 5.99%, receive some sort of kickback (from the bank? From the OEM? Unclear), and pass some out that on to me in the form of a $2,200 discount off the purchase price. The loan could apparently be bought out 7 months after purchase for no penalty. The increase in payments over the zero percent scenario is about $17, so over six months that's nothing. Sort of inventing a bonus cash incentive, except my bullshit detector is screaming and it seems like there's free money being created. Anyone ever heard of something like this before?
This is so easy to do in Excel I've never found a web tool or anything. I think there's even easier ways within Excel but I usually use PMT, plug in the terms, multiply by the length, and now I can compare it to the principal. Adjust length if you're planning to buy out early.

As mentioned if you're willing and able to buy out and they're passing incentives on it can totally be worth it to take the bate. But run you own numbers to see if it makes sense. They'll helpfully do it ahead of time to fish you in, and they might helpfully make mistakes. The only place they need to be legally correct is the truth in loaning document you're not going to see till 10 minutes into signing your soul away and the best way to know you've been in the right track the whole time is when that matches your envelope calculations.

Unsinkabear posted:

Carvana is telling me that the 2013, 65k miles vehicle I currently own which has those advanced safety features is worth $11k and change in this market. The only negative marks on their questionnaire were that I only have one key and there is a minor accident on the car's record, both of which I can accept in whatever I replace it with. I thought I might have to stretch to 13k, but $15k just to get something with high miles seems unbelievable. If prices are nuts on used cars across the board, then shouldn't I be getting just as much of a premium on the one I'm selling as the one I'm buying? What am I missing that makes getting a handful of the things my current car has in something with a slightly larger cargo area and an extra inch of ride height so unreasonable?

Because that is what I'm looking for. I can even give on the ground clearance if I have to. Are there seriously no Honda Fits or Priuses or Kia Souls or whatever that have a collision warning option in a year I can afford?
You don't trade in a car and get an equal but different car even when it isn't hell market. They're probably turning around and selling a low mileage Accord like that for $15k. The Accord is the upscale feature selling mobile so it's going to have collision assist early in model years compared to others. I think you're already swayed to mod your Accord but in your price range, even going up to $15k, you probably trading tech for storage space.

For reference the Kia Soul introduced FCW in 2016 as an option. That sounds about right for FCW market introduction to mass market cars. So remember you're looking for a newer car, in a popular body style, and need to sort through a bunch of abused ones in a sellers market.

Blitter
Mar 16, 2011

Unsinkabear posted:

The diff height vs hitch height thing seems like it would vary by car, though, is there any way for a non-car-person to know beforehand how that aftermarket situation will look on different models?

I used to just toss bikes into my hatchback but got tired of the dirt and hassle. Got a hatchmount rack and although it was workable it is a pita to avoid strap related paint damage and trunk access hassles.

Roof racks are a bit of a drag if you're not tall or have heavy bikes, and they're a bit more exposed. It can be annoying to arrive at a trailhead with half a pound of bugs stuck to your frame, or on a hot and windy day to realize all your headset grease has been blown out.

Even if you get a different car, I would still recommend adding a good hitchmount to your cycling kit.

Tons of videos on youtube for fitment reviews and installation; looks like the kurt fits pretty snugly.

https://youtu.be/QTe_sgw-Ffw

bird with big dick
Oct 21, 2015

PittTheElder posted:

Maybe this is more of a general finance question, but does anyone happen to know of a calculator to tell what the value of a dealer zero percent finance loan actually is? I'm sure I could write one myself in excel or something but :effort:

I'm trying to evaluate the difference in taking a new car at zero percent, vs a two year older used for a few thousand less (which would probably have to be a cash buy, since as near as I can tell no bank offers low interest car loans around here :canada:).



Also, said car dealership also offered me an interesting scheme where in lieu of the zero percent offer they would finance it through their bank at 5.99%, receive some sort of kickback (from the bank? From the OEM? Unclear), and pass some out that on to me in the form of a $2,200 discount off the purchase price. The loan could apparently be bought out 7 months after purchase for no penalty. The increase in payments over the zero percent scenario is about $17, so over six months that's nothing. Sort of inventing a bonus cash incentive, except my bullshit detector is screaming and it seems like there's free money being created. Anyone ever heard of something like this before?

It's pretty common for automakers to have an either/or incentive i.e. you either get a $2000 cash rebate or you get 0% financing. So first I would look up and see what the incentives in your region are for whatever car you're looking at. This may not be a "scheme" nor anything to do with that specific dealer but just how the incentives currently work. And if that's true it would mean you could get the cash incentive while getting your own financing at a better rate. Regardless, if you're considering financing you should bargain shop rates, you don't ever want to walk into a dealership finance office without knowing what kind of rates you qualify for.

Also what is this $2200 discount off of? MSRP? Invoice? A $2200 discount off a bad price may still be a bad price.

The other thing that's likely happening is that the dealer is jacking up the interest rate because they get kickbacks from the bank for it. E.g. you get approved for 3.99% and they jack up the rate to 5.99% and pocket part of the difference. This happens all the time in the US and they don't have to tell you they're doing it though maybe Canada has some consumer protections that are different, I don't know (probably not).

Space Gopher
Jul 31, 2006

BLITHERING IDIOT AND HARDCORE DURIAN APOLOGIST. LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS SHIT DON'T STINK EVEN THOUGH WE ALL KNOW IT DOES BECAUSE I'M SUPER CULTURED.

Unsinkabear posted:

Needs
  • Forward collision warning. This is the only dealbreaker feature. My current car has this and it has saved my rear end several times, so if I can't get something else that has it I'll just keep making the Accord work and try my luck with a trunk rack for the bikes. I know it's not common as a standard feature, but I'm hoping that with patience I can get lucky on a model that had it as an option, like mine.

There's a wide degree of quality in collision warning/avoidance/mitigation systems, especially when it comes to non-car road users like pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles. Even the best systems aren't very reliable. Honda's is one of the better ones on the market, but when AAA did some independent testing a few years ago, they found it could be completely defeated by exotic situations like "twilight," "going around a curve," and "two people walking together in a crosswalk."

Forward collision warning/AEB is a good thing in the abstract, but if you find yourself relying on it, you really need to re-evaluate your driving before you have to hose somebody's kid out of the grille.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Space Gopher posted:

There's a wide degree of quality in collision warning/avoidance/mitigation systems, especially when it comes to non-car road users like pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles. Even the best systems aren't very reliable. Honda's is one of the better ones on the market, but when AAA did some independent testing a few years ago, they found it could be completely defeated by exotic situations like "twilight," "going around a curve," and "two people walking together in a crosswalk."

Forward collision warning/AEB is a good thing in the abstract, but if you find yourself relying on it, you really need to re-evaluate your driving before you have to hose somebody's kid out of the grille.

I was about to say pretty much this. The driver assistance features on your list and FCW being a "dealbreaker" and that is "has saved [your] rear end several times" is very concerning. Are you routinely distracted when driving? Perhaps you're not good at driving (i.e. don't know you need to be looking more than 3 feet in front of your hood) and could use lessons?

Unsinkabear
Jun 8, 2013

Ensign, raise the beariscope.





nwin posted:

It sounds like you already have a few cars in mind with the Prius and Fit and Soul you mentioned. Why not do a search on edmunds or something to see how much those cars would cost with the features you want-then test drive to see if they meet your comfort level?

I do, but I also have no idea what I'm doing or talking about, so I assumed someone might have other/better suggestions to check out as well. :shrug: I'll start there, though!

zedprime posted:

You don't trade in a car and get an equal but different car even when it isn't hell market. They're probably turning around and selling a low mileage Accord like that for $15k. The Accord is the upscale feature selling mobile so it's going to have collision assist early in model years compared to others. I think you're already swayed to mod your Accord but in your price range, even going up to $15k, you probably trading tech for storage space.

For reference the Kia Soul introduced FCW in 2016 as an option. That sounds about right for FCW market introduction to mass market cars. So remember you're looking for a newer car, in a popular body style, and need to sort through a bunch of abused ones in a sellers market.

Thanks for this too, this puts it into perspective a bit more. I guess I was heavily underestimating how much profit they'd be aiming to make, probably because I've primarily bought and sold private party in the past. I also didn't realize the Accord was specifically a featuremobile, that explains why it's been so frustrating trying to find that level of tech in other cars from the same year range. This particular car has the fancy trim, so I thought the toys came from that and not the model itself.

Blitter posted:

Tons of videos on youtube for fitment reviews and installation; looks like the kurt fits pretty snugly.

https://youtu.be/QTe_sgw-Ffw

I really appreciate this and all the other feedback on hitch mount vs the other options available. Sounds like we'll be doing a hitch no matter what vehicle we end up with, and maybe even just slapping one on the Accord until the market is less hosed? That Kurt looks alright. :swoon:

Space Gopher posted:

Forward collision warning/AEB is a good thing in the abstract, but if you find yourself relying on it, you really need to re-evaluate your driving before you have to hose somebody's kid out of the grille.

Thank you for that colorfully horrifying warning. I did not think I would have to specify that I'm still watching the road and not relying on FCW to do that for me, but this is SA, so I guess that's on me.

No sensor is perfect but it's still an objectively great thing to have for when a vehicle in front of you slams on their brakes unexpectedly while you're checking a mirror, fixing your GPS, etc. If that's not a thing that happens to you regularly, I envy you. It has saved me several times because pre pandemic I drove a ton, and drivers in Florida (especially the Tampa Bay Area) are notoriously awful. Maybe I would have avoided those collisions on my own without the sensor. Maybe I wouldn't have. I'm not interested in finding out, nor in arguing about this one.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Unsinkabear posted:

No sensor is perfect but it's still an objectively great thing to have for when a vehicle in front of you slams on their brakes unexpectedly while you're checking a mirror, fixing your GPS, etc. If that's not a thing that happens to you regularly, I envy you.

Well that answers that: you're a routinely distracted driver. You don't have to envy anyone for not putting themselves in these situations: just stop putting yourself in these situations. You should be able to see forward while checking your mirrors. You can pull over to "fix" your GPS. You shouldn't be following someone so closely that them slamming on their brakes causes such an imminent issue.

You're talking about how bad the drivers are in Florida and is sounds like you're one of them.

luminalflux
May 27, 2005



I think Ive had the FCW trigger once on the three years Ive had it that was a legit situation (someone pulling out into my lane from a stopped offramp lane while I was doing speed of traffic). First couple of times it triggered I was definitely a distracted driver and used that as a wake up call to stop fiddling with poo poo while in traffic and instead rely on Siri

Unsinkabear
Jun 8, 2013

Ensign, raise the beariscope.





Motronic posted:

Well that answers that: you're a routinely distracted driver. You don't have to envy anyone for not putting themselves in these situations: just stop putting yourself in these situations. You should be able to see forward while checking your mirrors. You can pull over to "fix" your GPS. You shouldn't be following someone so closely that them slamming on their brakes causes such an imminent issue.

You're talking about how bad the drivers are in Florida and is sounds like you're one of them.

Yes, I have severe ADHD and I do my absolute best. We have already talked about it in this thread. I don't follow closely, I don't gently caress with my phone unless it's strictly necessary, and I do pull over whenever it's a realistic option, but I can't just stop being distractible. Not driving isn't an option, so I try to equip myself with as much additional assistance as possible for my own safety and that of others on the road.

I really don't know what you want me to say to that post, but I do know you have a habit of swanning into any thread where you have a modicum of expertise, insulting the posters asking questions, and then fading into the background while others with chill come in with actually useful takes on that thing. I let it go the first time so you could get your usual dig in. You've had two now. Can we please move on to the phase where you gently caress off?

Unsinkabear fucked around with this message at 17:09 on May 16, 2021

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Sure. Since there are absolutely no conceivable solutions to this problem I suppose so. Best of luck with all of that.

You'll notice a pattern to when I post about things like this: it's for people who have other options but can't conceive of actually implementing them because that would cause inconvenience or discomfort.

Loan Dusty Road
Feb 27, 2007

Motronic posted:

Sure. Since there are absolutely no conceivable solutions to this problem I suppose so. Best of luck with all of that.

You'll notice a pattern to when I post about things like this: it's for people who have other options but can't conceive of actually implementing them because that would cause inconvenience or discomfort.

You mean like when posters ask to replace their perfectly fine car for something better arent willing to spend more than the current car might be worth?

Loan Dusty Road fucked around with this message at 17:23 on May 16, 2021

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.”
I understand you didn't go in here to get criticized for your driver habits but it sounds pretty concerning. I also have very bad ADHD to the point I never stop fiddling with stuff while driving. I also had a lot of trouble with getting distracted and being caught off guard by people in front of me. It turns out I was following them way too closely. Give cars in front of you proper space, riding people's asses won't make them go any faster and it just makes things more dangerous for everybody. It's also a good idea to watch further up the road instead of getting tunnel vision for the person in front of you. Better driving habits can more than make up for even the worst (unmedicated) ADD. Relying on the cars sensors is not a good idea considering, like the other people said, they can miss super important things (like children!).

PittTheElder
Feb 13, 2012

:geno: Yes, it's like a lava lamp.

bird with big dick posted:

It's pretty common for automakers to have an either/or incentive i.e. you either get a $2000 cash rebate or you get 0% financing. So first I would look up and see what the incentives in your region are for whatever car you're looking at. This may not be a "scheme" nor anything to do with that specific dealer but just how the incentives currently work. And if that's true it would mean you could get the cash incentive while getting your own financing at a better rate. Regardless, if you're considering financing you should bargain shop rates, you don't ever want to walk into a dealership finance office without knowing what kind of rates you qualify for.

Also what is this $2200 discount off of? MSRP? Invoice? A $2200 discount off a bad price may still be a bad price.

Yeah the issue is that the current manufacturer offers from VW is 0% finance or nothing, I was honestly shocked they weren't offering a cash rebate equivalent.

And it's $2200 off MRSP basically. I was making a couple trips around town to see if I could get any sort of movement on price going, though I have had no success yet.

pokeyman
Nov 26, 2006

That elephant ate my entire platoon.

PittTheElder posted:

Maybe this is more of a general finance question, but does anyone happen to know of a calculator to tell what the value of a dealer zero percent finance loan actually is? I'm sure I could write one myself in excel or something but :effort:

I'm trying to evaluate the difference in taking a new car at zero percent, vs a two year older used for a few thousand less (which would probably have to be a cash buy, since as near as I can tell no bank offers low interest car loans around here :canada:).

Another part of this calculation is your opportunity cost of paying up front. If you kept that money for a year or two, what would it earn if you e.g. invested it as retirement savings?

Unsinkabear
Jun 8, 2013

Ensign, raise the beariscope.





Loan Dusty Road posted:

You mean like when posters ask to replace their perfectly fine car for something better arent willing to spend more than the current car might be worth?

That's fair. I'm fine spending more, it'll just mean waiting until next year. I was hoping I could do it as a sidegrafe this year by giving up some of the non-safety tech, but alas. This was all valuable feedback, even the driving habits stuff. It's not all that useful given that I'm already aware of it and working on it, but I know it's well meant.

Elmnt80
Dec 30, 2012


Unsinkabear posted:

That's fair. I'm fine spending more, it'll just mean waiting until next year. I was hoping I could do it as a sidegrafe this year by giving up some of the non-safety tech, but alas. This was all valuable feedback, even the driving habits stuff. It's not all that useful given that I'm already aware of it and working on it, but I know it's well meant.

"I don't need to be told I suck at driving, I already know it! Thats why I lean on driver aides instead of figuring out how to remove distractions from my vehicle and learning how to drive properly!" :pseudo:

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zedprime
Jun 9, 2007

yospos
e. I wanted to give a benefit of the doubt because my rentals in the Ft Lauderdale area would be good for at least one FCW trigger a week and I am not a defensive driving champion but I try to do my part. But these are all times I was already braking and the car was like maybe do it a bit harder? and I was very personally insulted.

So if your foot isn't already on the brake pedal when it triggers you need to rethink your habits and talking about mirrors or GPS/screens is a real bad sign about your habits.

bird with big dick posted:

It's pretty common for automakers to have an either/or incentive i.e. you either get a $2000 cash rebate or you get 0% financing.

...

The other thing that's likely happening is that the dealer is jacking up the interest rate because they get kickbacks from the bank for it. E.g. you get approved for 3.99% and they jack up the rate to 5.99% and pocket part of the difference. This happens all the time in the US and they don't have to tell you they're doing it though maybe Canada has some consumer protections that are different, I don't know (probably not).
The Mazda incentives when I was looking were 0% and a cash rebate and I couldn't figure out what the business ploy is there until you mentioned that last part. LOL corporate is trying to buy out lovely local finance deals like that.

zedprime fucked around with this message at 18:22 on May 16, 2021

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