|
Proposed Budget: 7-20K New or Used: Used or New Body Style: Hatchback or Wagon How will you be using the car?: Mostly just getting around, I don't currently need to drive to work (WFH for now, but I live close enough that I can bike and take public transportation), but I would use it for errands, traveling, and meeting with friends and family. What aspects are most important to you?: Decent MPG, reliable, low cost-of-ownership, manual transmission preferred (but I'd be open to an automatic/CVT for the right car). Models I'm already considering are the Honda Fit, Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Yaris, and Kia Rio, but I'm open to just about anything. As far as any other questions go, I've run into some rust issues with my current car, an '09 Honda Fit. What could I do to prevent this in the future? I have regularly washed it, but I bought it five years ago, and I think it was already past prevention at that point. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Apr 3, 2020 |
#
¿
Apr 3, 2020 18:11
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 02:03 |
|
|
Thanks for the suggestions and good points, all. I am currently under a stay-at-home order, so I can't do anything just yet, but I'll start reading up on some reviews. It probably is indeed wise to hold off to see what happens with work and everything before taking on the debt, but I'll start keeping better tabs on things, and probably go for it once I can get some test drives in (and hopefully finding a good deal). That said, what constitutes a good deal these days? Would you be looking for a percentage off MSRP, even considering I'm shopping somewhat of the low end of the market? nitsuga fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Apr 3, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2020 21:55
|
|
|
Hmm, not outrageous to offer the low end of what KBB says for a Fit LX with a manual then? Kind of between that and a VW Golf at the moment. They’re asking $17,145 FWIW. I’m in MN too, and more in the want camp than the need one. I might have the best chance at getting just a little bit selling my current car in the near future though. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Apr 6, 2020 |
|
#
¿
Apr 6, 2020 02:36
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:if you're willing to take delivery out of dealer stock, you can offer invoice. dealer will make holdback and that's a lot better than making $0 and having the car sit. always negotiate on OTD price of course. Thanks! Does it change much for used cars? I’m looking at a CPO 2017 Jetta SE with 44,000 miles and they’re asking for $13,000. Seems like a decent deal, and the car wasn’t half bad at all. Looks like KBB says as low as $12,400 isn’t outrageous, just wondering if I shouldn’t shoot ask if they’ll do just a bit less.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2020 20:31
|
|
|
Cool, dug up a Golf too that I’m going to check out. Looks like pricing varies more on those, so I might give that tactic a try.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2020 03:04
|
|
|
I’m weighing trading in a 2017 Golf that’s required a fair amount of repairs while I’ve owned it (engine, turbocharger, control arms, axles, and an infotainment system update in the last year). Now it’s got some more suspension issues, so I decided to talk with VW Care about my experience so far. I don’t know what they’re offering yet, I have to get it inspected at a dealership first, but I’m considering asking for some credit on a trade in towards a new one. Is this sensible? I put less than 10,000 miles on a year, and I can get by without a car for a while, so it’s not like I need a warranty, and I’m a lot further along on paying this off than I would be a new Golf (this is most likely what I’d go with). I realize this would not be the most financially savvy move, so go ahead and tell me if it’s truly terrible. I guess some alternatives I could ask for would be an extension on my CPO warranty or cash for what I’ve dealt with so far too. Overall, I’m curious what this thread’s take is. Should I keep the car with all its new parts at about $10,000 less than new? Or should I consider a trade while it’s still worth a decent amount? Or is it something else entirely?
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2021 14:09
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Are you in America? you would be trading a Mk VII Golf for a almost entirely identical Mark VII Golf. That seems like a bad and stupid deal. Why do you want to do this? Yes, I’m in the USA. I guess the advantage is it’d be a new car with the full warranty, which would also hopefully not need all the repairs I’ve had done, these have been under warranty thankfully. I sense that’s not exactly a convincing argument for you, and I totally get it. I think it’s my own nervousness about owning the 2017 long-term and being on the hook for any future repairs in a year. So, I don’t know, I’m tempted to just see how it goes too. I’m fortunate enough that I have a good amount of savings, so even if I lost all the value of the car, I could walk away and get another one. It’s just hard to translate what each move would mean financially I guess. A new car costs more, but it’s also worth more, and I get lost in figuring out what the difference is.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2021 16:36
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:A car is a depreciating asset. It's worth nothing other than the utility it provides over a long enough time horizon. It will cost you money to trade for a new car. Thanks. That’s the breakdown I needed. I’ll try for the warranty extension, seems like that’s the most beneficial thing I could ask for in this situation.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2021 17:56
|
|
|
Mr Interweb posted:i thought ~$25 was supposed to be a nice moderate range? figured 20k limited me and might have only allowed me access to cheap quality? I think it opens up your options a bit for sure. $20,000 can certainly get you in a good car, especially if you're willing to go used. But at any rate either of your choices rank pretty decently. It looks like the Hyundai Ioniq might outrank the Honda Insight, and I'd go for the hatchback over the sedan just about every time. rifles posted:I'm a senior in my undergrad and was hoping that the school would be flexible in the Fall and offer most of my classes online.. long story short I'm going to be unavoidably commuting 58 miles one-way every day of the week. I thought about getting an apartment for the year but they're ridiculous and I'll still have a 20+ minute commute from a place under $1200 a month. Normally I drive a 94 ZJ and it does 20 mpg highway at best, dropping to about 18 at 75 mph and is way worse on winter gas. It meets my needs very well normally but I'll have almost $380 a month in gas at 18mpg and $2.85 a gallon (at what it will actually do, 16.5 on winter gas at 75 mph I'll have $3200 in 8 months for gas alone). So now I'm looking for a used econobox that will be dead-reliable and eat 19k miles of highway driving in 8 months, ideally in the range of $16-17k (8k or so down, but cheaper is better, if I could get something around 10k and not have a payment that'd rock) and that I can sell a year or two from now with minimal depreciation.. what's looking like the best options these days? I'll also endorse the Fit. I certainly enjoyed mine while I had it, and a manual transmission almost always makes cars like those a little more fun to drive. They've stopped selling them in the US as of 2021, but the used market should have a decent number still in your budget. That said, the Civic or Elantra as suggested might offer a better highway driving experience. I didn't mind mine when I had a long commute, but that was mostly county roads, and freeway time definitely did get a little loud in my 2009 Fit.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2021 12:29
|
|
|
Unsinkabear posted:So it looks like I might be in a position to sell my car now while the used car market is wild, get as much out of it as possible, and then wait until fall before buying its replacement. You folks have your finger on the pulse better than most, do you think the supply and demand are likely to have settled down by then, or do I run the risk of things getting worse instead of better? I don't expect the market to be that much better come the fall. There is likely something out there with a better ROI at least.
|
|
#
¿
May 22, 2021 14:16
|
|
|
Unsinkabear posted:gently caress me, that's bad news. Thanks for the quick answers, though. Keeping your car is going to be the cheaper option I’d be willing to bet, even with a few modifications. And honestly a trailer hitch is fairly easy to remove and probably has more appeal than you think. I’m not sure about removing a roof rack, but it shouldn’t detract from a car’s value if done well. But yeah, I get it. If you still think you’re better off trading in, I’d keep close tabs on Carvana and the like as well as local inventory. Then bite the bullet and accept that it’s going to be a costly ordeal.
|
|
#
¿
May 22, 2021 21:12
|
|
|
I think it will have an effect, and likely both in an increase in prices and a decrease in supply, but I wouldn’t indulge what a salesperson has to say about it. Edit: Nor do I expect anyone to trust my opinion for anything more than just that. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 23:03 on May 29, 2021 |
|
#
¿
May 29, 2021 23:00
|
|
|
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.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 4, 2021 20:22
|
|
|
nm posted:If you're buying a car with 100hp, for the love of God, don't buy the auto. This. Also disregard what any occupants of the vehicle might say about how high you rev the thing.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2021 17:27
|
|
|
All market conditions considered, a new Corolla is hardly a bad idea IMO. There’s really nothing irresponsible about buying a (modest) new car, maintaining it, and getting every bit of life you can out of it.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2021 04:37
|
|
|
EdsTeioh posted:Lot of good info there; thanks! Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to take a peek at midsize offerings too. Accord, Mazda6, Passat, Golf Alltrack, et cetera. In your position, I'd try to get a few test drives in to see what you like and what the you find in your budget.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2021 21:13
|
|
|
EdsTeioh posted:Update: I picked out a '21 Jetta SE that I liked but got vetoed by the wife on account of it being a little pricy. I mean, she's not WRONG, but car prices in general are stupid, and honestly it seems like decent used cars are as much, if not more than buying new. I did end up finding a '19 Jetta with pretty low miles (20k I think) for around 19k. Any VW pitfalls? VWs don’t have the best reputation for reliability, but MQB, the platform they’ve been using since 2019 for the Jetta, has gone a long way to at least make the problems less unique. Compared to, say, a comparable Toyota they’re less reliable, but honestly if you take care of it, I don’t think you’ll be in way over your head. Cars are generally a lot more reliable now than they have ever been. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed the Jettas I’ve driven, and I think they’re pretty good for what they are, an entry level sedan. New has its merits for sure, so I’d take into consideration the warranty and financing offered with either route. For a couple thousand more, I’d be tempted to just go new, but that’s thanks to a few bad experiences I’ve had with used cars more than anything. If you do opt for a used car, I’d certainly recommend getting an inspection prior to a purchase. Edit: An S might be worth considering too. I don’t miss my Golf’s sunroof that much, and the cloth seats are just fine too. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Aug 6, 2021 |
|
#
¿
Aug 6, 2021 02:51
|
|
|
EdsTeioh posted:Thanks for all that; and honestly after a talk last night, I found out her problem is literally some stigma she has against Jettas in particular. After all that, she okayed me getting a Civic that's even more than the Jetta, so I guess I'm back to Hondas. Doot doot. Sure, those by most accounts are OK too. I think Honda had a pretty terrible infotainment system until just the last few years though. Another option might be a Mazda3 or getting a couple Honda badges for the Jetta.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 6, 2021 15:50
|
|
|
bicievino posted:You should get a prius. Either new or used. New would get you one with the eAWD, which isn't real all wheel drive, but would let you opt out of the WSDOT-required chains if you ever go up the pass in the winter, which is a minor quality of life improvement. Yes. A hatchback has major advantages over any two-seater in the US market. The Prius happens to be the most practical of them all when you factor in upkeep costs and what you’ll need to keep it running (a gas station). An electric car is likely not a good choice based on your living situation, but your fuel costs should be quite manageable. Having the luxury of time is a good thing in this market. Don’t hesitate to share what you find here.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 17, 2022 21:25
|
|
|
The Door Frame posted:Does that also apply to the CX3 or CX30? Right on the edge of my budget is a new CX30 with all the fixins, but I'm skeptical of them for reasons I have trouble articulating I think they're generally well liked too. The CX-3 has the 2.0L engine and is shrunken a bit, and the CX-30 has the 2.5L and is a bit more spacious. Of the two, I'd go CX-30. Unless you're set on an crossover though, the Mazda3 hatchback may be worth consideration too. The biggest dimensional difference is the ground clearance, which goes from 5.5" to 8" with the CX-30. So I can't imagine they're going to be drastically different from an ownership experience. It's essentially the same car with a lift kit.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 22, 2022 14:29
|
|
|
The Door Frame posted:If it were up to me, we'd be getting a 3 or a maybe just a used hybrid if I were being cheap and practical. However, when I brought up the 3, the missus specifically said that we weren't getting another hatchback, that we needed something bigger with more room, like a CX3 or CX30. This is not a hill I'd particularly care to die on, so CX30 it is. I am impressed by the Mazda interiors, they seem fun to drive, the HP/MPG ratio is good enough, I trust Mazda to not deliver a lemon, and they pretty commonly have our two must have features; adaptive cruise control and Car Play. Lucky lucky Nissan has a history of delivering (IMO) uninspiring vehicles. I don't think it would be unfair to say their offerings in a lot of regards are not on the same tier as Mazda (or Honda or Toyota et cetera) and for a number of reasons. Any of the Mazda crossovers would be a better choice. Being respectful of her opinion though, I think the best thing you can do at this point is have her try out some of these possibilities (and maybe send her an Edmunds review or two).
|
|
#
¿
Jun 23, 2022 01:02
|
|
|
Ornery and Hornery posted:Gonna prowl car max and see if I can find a Subaru that needs a good home with a very broke driver Buy this goon’s Accord: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3515402&perpage=40&noseen=1&pagenumber=31#post524382131
|
|
#
¿
Jun 26, 2022 01:13
|
|
|
reversefungi posted:Hey y'all! I've been seriously contemplating trading in my reliable 2020 Corolla (which is fully paid off) for something a little more sporty/fun, while also being fairly usable as a family car. I think I've narrowed it down to these models mainly, but would love any additional advice/recommendations: Volkswagen GTI, Ford Fiesta ST, and Subaru WRX. Not as excited about but also considering: Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Veloster. 2. I think there is some benefit in visiting a specialty shop for a PPI, yes. I've really only dealt with Volkswagen indies, but it has been a very different experience working with those shops than the more general ones in town. 3. I don't think the market is going to get better in a few months time. I think at this rate, you can expect these conditions to last for some time. Honestly, what you're proposing isn't financially advisable at all, so I don't think there's much benefit to trying to time the market either. 4. If you want to maintain a fair level of practicality, I'd stick with the models you've listed. So as I hinted, this isn't going to be financially sound no matter how you spin it. Even if that's not an issue, I'd encourage you to give this all some thought. You could start doing autocross or something with your Camry if you're looking for thrills. If finances are at all a concern, tread very carefully. This is a good way to lose several thousand dollars at least. I'd encourage you to get some seat time and get itemized purchase agreements. Then run the numbers to start to get some idea what this might cost you. Factor in increased fuel and maintenance costs. Probably budget for winter tires too, because they're not just for snow. Also, I'd encourage you to learn how to drive stick shift before showing up for your first test drive. You can get the basics down in an afternoon or two, and I have to imagine it will make the shopping experience considerably less stressful. Salespeople are back to riding in the car with you now, from what I've seen. nitsuga fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Sep 7, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Sep 7, 2022 14:51
|
|
|
Yeah, you seem to have the right mindset, reversefungi. zedprime summed up the new/used situation pretty well, and I really would encourage you to take those stick shift lessons.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 7, 2022 18:57
|
|
|
FizFashizzle posted:1. Is this deal not as bad as I think? Has timing just hosed me? 1. This does sound like a bad deal with the HR-V. 2. Going electric depends on a number of factors. You haven’t provided enough detail to say really. Things like your living situation, miles driven annually, use case, typical trip lengths, and access to other vehicles are at least some factors to consider. 3. No, if you intend to keep it, fix your TSX. You should get at least another estimate or two. The repair bill seems high, but again the details are pretty light. 4. Subaru doesn’t do much for me these days.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 9, 2022 13:39
|
|
|
Call a Mazda dealer and get a quote. $$$ easily, so I wouldn’t hesitate to play a little hardball with the dealer.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 24, 2023 21:52
|
|
|
Captain Log posted:Huh, I'll be damned. I sorta assumed they were like a PT Cruiser with how many are constantly around. But I have no qualms about driving a weird looking car. But I like in the rear end end of Portland, Oregon, in what's considered one of the highest crime places in the city. I'll have to read about the "easy to steal" factor. It’s definitely a thing: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/22/business/hldi-hyundai-kia-theft/index.html I’d do more fact checking on what’s what, but that seems to lay out the situation without too much hyperbole.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 27, 2023 16:22
|
|
|
KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:... This would be my vote. Ask if your benefactors would be willing to chip in on the repair costs.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2023 23:42
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 02:03 |
|
|
Sab0921 posted:Ok - so I can't have it be gone for weeks at a time on a regular basis. Look for a Golf Alltrack or, to really class it up, a Golf Sportwagen. Not quite as fancy no, but at least a bit less of a headache to own.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 12, 2023 03:02
|
|