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I'll fill out a form! I'm moving from north California to Austin, TX and I'll need to get a replacement car for the one I'm leaving behind. For context below, I work from home full time, so I don't really need a commuter, but I also don't want a money pit either. Previously, I drove a 2002 VW Passat wagon GLX. I'll also have plenty of time to sit on and think about buying a car, so it is not an emergency replacement. I'd like to get one in the next 3 to 4 months (I'll be moving in February). Proposed Budget: $3000 or less for a used car from a private owner up front; financing for up to $20k from a dealer New or Used: Used, but I'm open to new if it is financially feasible Body Style: (e.g. 2 door? 4 door? Compact/Midsize/Fullsize Sedan? Truck? SUV?) Any sedan size, possibly would consider up to a minivan. Will also consider 2-door as well. How will you be using the car?: Light use (1-2 times a week on average), recreational purposes, road trips, groceries, transporting a dog. Would be a plus if it has enough space to permit transporting furniture as well. What aspects are most important to you? (e.g. reliability, cost of ownership/maintenance, import/domestic, MPG, size, style) Reliability, ease of maintenance, comfort, enjoyment of driving. Don't care too much about MPG or looks. People have been recommending to me cars like the Honda Fit, Accord, Ford Fiesta already - I'm definitely open to suggestions. I'd like to learn manual, since I've only ever driven automatic, and I have the time and inclination to start learning!
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Jan 26, 2016 20:45
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tater_salad posted:Fit or Fiesta fits perfectly with your desires I understand that the Fit has a couple of generations - gen 2 started in around 2009, and gen 3 started in 2015 model year. I'm not too sure on the Fiesta's revisions so I'll need to do some more research on that too. I never considered doing a financing thing for a private seller, I always viewed that as a dealer-only type of thing.
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Jan 26, 2016 23:04
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tater_salad posted:A lot of people do this and what you don't know is it's totally legal for the dealer to say "guess what you've been approved for a 6% loan from donkey punch bank" but the bank is actually willing to do 4% and thr dealer scrapes the other 2%. You will see this more with used than new, but secure outside financing for used is usually solid advice. Does this mean I can get a quoted price for (as an example) a 2016 Honda Fit new, get to the financing portion, see what the dealership has to offer (and from who), then say "You know what, I'm gonna sleep on it" and then go talk to the banks directly? Or is it a matter of knowing what bank the dealership would use to secure financing before getting to that point?
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Jan 27, 2016 03:57
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Any thoughts on Acura? I am cruising in that low bargain bin car part of Craigslist and saw a 2003 Acura TL Type S automatic for $2000 with about 200k miles on it. The condition seems fine, but I'm unsure if there's anything that would stick out as a red flag for maintenance in an old luxury brand. Given the choice between super versatile storage from something like Fit and paying 5k and up and an old luxury car that's had a long life, I'd consider leaning closer to the latter in this case.
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Jan 29, 2016 08:34
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Is it kosher to post Craigslist ads in here to see if the actual listing is a legit good deal, or should that be posted elsewhere? I saw a single owner 2006 Mazda 6 S, manual transmission, hatchback with 103k miles on it somewhere a little higher than KBB "Very Good" condition - $5850 (ask) vs. $5543 (KBB). Additionally, it had a non-specific crack on the windshield somewhere that I can't see from the pictures. I tried digging around and it had red-colored gauges on the dash, which might imply it is a GT? It's not really clear how much room I have to bargain with.
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Feb 3, 2016 09:00
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So I've been looking at the local market (Austin TX) for prices and I'm finding that dealerships are consistently marking up +20% over KBB dealership advised prices. Is this normal in other US regions? The last car I bought was from a private seller and I named the exact KBB price for the condition of the car and we were solid. The local Subaru place marked up a 2003 Forester over 20% KBB value and wouldn't budge. They have since marked it down 500 bucks cheaper, but it's still too expensive by a wide margin. If I was going to pursue the dealer route, how do I fairly bargain them down to the KBB value?
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Feb 18, 2016 01:34
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Howdy. I’m looking to liquidate my current car (2018 Mazda 3 GT with 53k miles) and get a cheap truck while saving the other proceeds for a different project. - Budget: 7500 (soft) - Used - Body style: truck, doesn’t need an extended cab. Looking at Tacoma or Tundra (or comparable) - Usage: Primary commuter (maybe 150 miles a week), general stuff hauler (home construction, safety equipment around town, bikes etc), trailer hauler. Not intended for construction or job sites I work and volunteer in Austin, Texas, land of Big Trucks, and part of that volunteering is gear transport around the city. I’m looking for more general utility and a truck that would reasonably last for another few years as I put some light wear on it - lifetime miles I put on the Mazda 3 was about 30k miles over 4 years. Right now, there’s a glut of high mileage used work trucks on the market (mostly Ford F150s and such), but looking for guidance on what to avoid and what to prioritize. I’m okay with being carless for a few months.
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Jul 6, 2023 16:20
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Fair points about the truck, I realize it’s a considerable step down and a wider liability than having a fairly recent gently used vehicle. In terms of frequency of use, I haul equipment multiple times a week so renting a cargo hauler every time wouldn’t be that reasonable. In terms of tow behind weight, I’d be towing a 6x12 trailer (think U-haul small trailer size), about 2990 GVWR. Combined with the overall needs for transport (rather than purchasing a truck for truck’s sake) I need an equipment utility vehicle that I can also use for getting around town since most of the places I commute to and transport equipment to do not have reasonable bus routes. I’m generally okay with fixing things and I do have resources for reliable mechanics, so spending time, parts, and labor should be reasonably doable. I’d prefer not to take on more debt for the general purchase and not go too much over the soft budget. 10k, sure, 12-15k is pushing the general comfort level for spend. I suppose in that aspect, truck platforms that are easier to work on are what come to mind, it just happens to be that the F150 is one of the most common trucks that are on the budget market right now, hence bringing that up. Cargo vans could be a thought, so I can also add that into the search with the same general caveats.
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Jul 6, 2023 18:27
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Currently I borrow an SUV that my parents use, and I need to get extra volunteers to help out or multiple trips / less equipment. It’s been a logistical issue for awhile, particularly for larger events.
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Jul 6, 2023 21:03
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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 16:05 |
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Motronic posted:This is probably the most useful advice so far for this situation. The budget simply isn't high enough to accomplish the stated purpose. I agree, the car will end up selling in any case, so I'll probably go without for some time and just figure it out from there.
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Jul 6, 2023 22:11
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