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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."
What bad things about the Mazda 6?
It is a solid car.

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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."
Mazda 3 skyactiv

But the hatch not the sedan because sedans are dumb in that class.

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."
Manuals aren't really that bad in traffic in practice.

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."

LorneReams posted:

I love manuals, but they suck in traffic. Nothing like going up a sharp incline in the pouring rain stopped in bumper to bumper traffic at a light...

I don't know, I've done San Francisco at rush hour too many times to count, and LA isn't poo poo.

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."

HondaCivet posted:

It's coming up on 100K miles so it has some maintenance stuff coming. My b/f and family said to either commit to it or sell it at this age. I assumed that selling while it had value still would be better, plus I'd be getting out of paying interest on loan payments. I could be wrong though. I have just under $8K left on the loan if it matters.

Edit: It's a Prius so that drat battery replacement is looming over the horizon. That's the main thing I'm scared of since it still costs $3K last I checked. If I picked up a normal car now I could dodge that bullet.

Stop listening to the internet (except me). There is no battery problem on priuses and they're going to 300k on them. Car has a huge amount of troublefree life left. Keep the car.

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."

HondaCivet posted:

I'm more worried about time killing the battery than mileage since it's an '05 but I have decided to keep it after all since it really is pretty much what I want even if it's a bit big.
Don't worry about the battery. Hell, in CARB states it is covered for 10yr/150,000mi.
If it does fail, the cost for the battery is $2300, however, your battery has lots of valuable minerals, so it is actually worth a hefty chunk of change ven when it doesn't work, allowing you to recoup much of that cost. Hell, Toyota will good will these much of the time.
Whatever you buy for $6000 is going to be less reliable. The Prius is basically the most reliable car sold in America. Any car can have a $2000 failure -- transmission failure, engine issues, cats, etc. This one is just less likely than the rest.

Keep the car.

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."

HondaCivet posted:

Dangit I should've asked BEFORE I paid hundreds of bucks to get it presale detailed. Oh well, at least it's pretty and clean now. :downs: Thanks everyone, I now feel confident in my decision to be an eternal Prius owner.

In any event, if you're going to be keeping a car forever, you should be waxing it (or having it waxed) ever 6 months anyhow.

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."

Terminus posted:

http://www.teamtoyota.net/specials/new.htm
They're pretty highly though of in the area too. Not shady in the least.

Yeah, with $3000 down plus $1500 in rebates that you probably won't qualify, you're only financing negative $157 (based on their published cash price, which you could likely bring down more, making it even worse of a deal). You're basically paying $5800 to lease a stripper corolla. That's more equivalent to a $250/mo lease. You could lease a good car for that.
Don't put money down on a lease.
--
You should buy that 2005 Prius that other guy is worried about. (Or a Ford Focus)

nm fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Jul 22, 2012

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."
I'd get a Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ over that any day, though I'm not sure if a sunroof is available.
You could get a Miata with a retracting hardtop (a giant sunroof).
Mustang V6.
Civic Si
Maybe a somewhat used 370/350z.

There's nothing particularly "wrong" with that car, but there are better options.

Also, why an automatic on a car like that? Particularly if you want no problems for the next decade.

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."

Mean Bean posted:

The Scion looked ok, Veloster still does better than any of those on gas mileage. I don't really care about automatic I suppose.
There have been some questions raised about the realism of the Hyundai EPA numbers. More than most cars, they are programmed for the test, which means in the real world, if you don't drive just like the test (slow, little acceleration, etc), it will suffer more than most.
Turbo cars are especially subject to this. I have to have the softest foot and say a prayed to get my EPA numbers. Note also that a turbo can bring more to go wrong. While turbos themselves are more reliable than ever, they cannot be expected to last beyond 100k mi (though most do, I'm at 120k mi on mine and it is fine, though I have money in the bank for it when it does happen), plus as your car ages, tracking down boost leaks gets loving annoying.

As for Priuses, they're very reliable cars, but they're fairly gutless. I often recommend the Prius, but based on what you were looking at I didn't think it would fit.

nm fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Jul 22, 2012

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."

Throatwarbler posted:

It's basically the same as the full size Prius - adequate for every day driving. You know, more fun to drive a slow car fast and all that.
The Prius C is more fun than a Prius, but isn't fun. This isn't a Miata or a mini.

quote:

The automatic in the Veloster turbo isn't the DSG, it's a conventional slushbox. Basically with such a small engine if you get the auto half the power boost from the turbo is lost in the drivetrain.
I would agree with this. I've never been impressed by any turbo on a standard slushbox. (Perhaps excluding some expensive cars I've never driven).


I'd note i'm not recommending the mini or VW because I'm not sure of their reliability.

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."

Hotbod Handsomeface posted:

Has anyone bought a car through Costco? Tell me about it, it looks like one could get a decent deal.
Like any autobroker, you're paying for convenience. You'll get a decent deal, but not as good a deal as if you worked hard on a good price. Whether that few hundred bucks is worth the aggravation and time is up to you.
My dad uses a similar service, but his time is worth a lot more than mine.

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."
^^^^
That is weird, but could be worse. I've had dealers refuse or demand 100% deposits before doing so. gently caress that.


Ramrod Hotshot posted:


Also, when I went to a dealer they wouldn't let me take it off the lot to let a mechanic look at it. Maybe this varies by dealer?

This is the dealer saying "we have poo poo cars, don't buy from us."

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."

Sub Par posted:


We are looking for something with maybe 90k-110k miles on it that we can expect to last for another 5-7 years at 10k miles/year without too much poo poo breaking along the way. We're mostly looking at 2002-2004 Subaru Outbacks/Foresters and Toyota Rav 4s/Highlanders.

One other question, having not bought a car in quite some time, what is the general opinion on buying an extended warranty of some kind from dealers? And can we expect anything off of the sticker price if we are paying in cash? Thanks, internet.

Get a 2005+ Outback over a pre-2005 OB or a Forester. Much better (more reliable, more refined, safer) and a 2005 should be in your price range.
A 2005 Legacy 2.5i wagon is well in your price range, but they are rare and probably do everything you want (the Legacy and OB are the same car, except for the lift on the OB).
I'd much rather have a 100k+mi 2005 than an 80k -2004 or Forester.
As you approach 100k mi, think about the timing belt. It is due every 105k mi and costs $800ish if you don't DIY.
Rav4 is a snoozemobile and the highlander is a lifted camry. Boring.

Extended warranties suck. If you're buying a car where it would pay off, you shouldn't buy that car.

Sups posted:

Proposed Budget: 12,000-17,000
New or Used: Either, if used low(ish) mileage
Body Style: I'm like 6'4 and 265lbs, a car that has some room, outside of that, no a big deal. I really liked my old first year model Nissan Xtera back in highschool. Currently in a Nissan Frontier truck and its small and I'm not so big on it.
How will you be using the car?: TRANSPORTING DRUMS. My set is not Neil Peart-like or anything, but it takes up room. Other than that, medium driving.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, moderate or low upkeep, gas mileage, comfort, capacity for storage, looks cool.

I'm in the US and I'm not a car guy.

As far as looks I really like the BMW X5.

Maybe I could look in to a car-sized vehicle. Also, I was checking out half-bed trucks (perfect for a bass drum, I was thinking....).
What is a vehicle your drum set fits in?

nm fucked around with this message at 02:35 on Jul 25, 2012

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."

Falcon2001 posted:

Bringing this quote back up, as I actually was heavily considering a Veloster Turbo or a Cooper S recently, but I live in Seattle (which is very, very hilly) and drive in traffic a lot, so I'm not too inclined to pick up a manual. However, I had been told that getting a small engine with a turbo on it was a fantastic way of solving the 'fuel efficiency with power when you need it' problem. (I have a very short merge onto the freeway, my biggest problem back when I was driving my '93 civic) Is that just a hopeless dream and should I just go with one of the various 120-hp econocars?
You can try it, but I find that a transmission randomly shifting doesn't work well with a turbo.

Manuals in hills and/or traffic isn't the problem people would have you believe. I smoked my clutch a few times in SF early on, but I have it down now and my clutch still has quite a bit of life.

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."

Chin Strap posted:

Proposed Budget: $3-5k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Truck
How will you be using the car?: To haul poo poo around in.
What aspects are most important to you? Not having to worry about too major of repairs. Don't care about A/C, radio, whatever, as long as it can haul poo poo.

Me and my fiancee are starting to do a lot of farming and gardening work, and hauling poo poo around in our sedans just doesn't cut it. We want something with a bed that we can haul mulch/compost/big tools in. It probably doesn't need to be a giant truck, something more like those Toyota trucks gardeners always have.

Only issue is we don't know much about car shopping. We know we need an automatic, and we figure AWD would be nice to get just in case. We don't want to get something that needs a lot of work just to run, but we don't care about luxury poo poo or things like scratches or whatever, because this will be driven just when we need it to haul things.

So my questions are:

A) What features are essential? Automatic because we don't know or care to learn stick, and AWD in case we are hauling through lovely conditions? Anything else we would really want to look for in something like this?

B) What do we need to be on the look out for when we purchase one? We live in PA so rust is always a potential problem. Besides that I have no clue. What mileage/age should we start to worry that there will be major transmission/engine issues?

C) Is our budget reasonable? We aren't necessarily that interested in having to do a lot of shopping, so if we have to hit the upper end of it or go a bit over that is okay. Would going to a reputable dealer and seeing their used stuff be a safer bet than a private buyer? I know whatever we buy will be old enough to not qualify for certified pre-owned.

D) Any makers/models to avoid/favor?

Thanks :)

Get the best condition, newest Ford Ranger (or Mazda B series, same truck), you can get.

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."

Mr. Wiggles posted:

Proposed Budget: 10K or less
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4 Door Wagon or Hatchback exception for roomy shooting brake style car.
How will you be using the car?: Sunday driver around town, bi-weekly trips to Reno (160 miles round trip) for groceries/etc., occasionally loading up my band equipment in it, enjoying leisurely drives to Lake Tahoe, etc.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?): Eh, sort of. I like leather and walnut, but I don't care about navigation or anything like that.
What aspects are most important to you?: A good mix of style, uniqueness, comfort, driving pleasure, and reliability.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Strong preference for manual transmission, rear wheel drive.

My daily commuter cars/backup cars/etc. are being re-arranged in my fleet at the moment as I decide what I want to send to the scrapper, and I've decided to start looking at buying a new to me car of the type above, probably some time in the next year. I'm a bit torn, though, about what to really narrow my search down to. I've looked around at BMWs but I can't find a wagon with a manual that has fewer than a gazillion miles. Mercedes wagons are really cool but the new ones cost too much, the older ones are unreliable, and the really old ones nobody wants to part with. A Saab wagon would be great (9-5 or 9-2) but there's availability problems in this area. I briefly entertained the idea of picking up an old XJ6 and doing a chevy swap on it but I'm already eyeballs deep in my Austin project so I really want something turn key. Anyway I think you guys get the idea of what I'm looking for, but what cars should I specifically be looking for?
I think you need to travel a bit more and look for e34/e39 wagons.
Or you could track down the elusive e36 325i (not ix) manual wagon.

Or you could do something crazy and get Buick Roadmaster with an LT1. Boats can be fun.

As for MBZ, I never heard as many bad things about the E-classes in the terrible era as C-classes and others.

(Or you could just buy a Subaru. All the cool kids are doing it.)

Honestly, unless it is an outback, there's a decent chance you'll have to road trip or buy a ticket for a wagon, particularly with a stick and not FWD. I had to go to Utah, that is where all the manual station wagons live for some reason.

RushMix posted:

Proposed Budget: 4K down payment, ~350 /mo
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Sedan
How will you be using the car?: Commuting on the highway, 2-3 hour trips for fun every few months.
What aspects are most important to you? A decently fun manual drive, 30 MPG or so highway, easy and cheap to maintain. I can go American if that'll get me a better deal if I do scheduled maintenance. I'd like the car to last five years or more (before it turns into monthly repair situation).
Don't shop by payment, shop by price. Go to your credit uion and figure out what those numbers mean in a price tag.

a shameful boehner posted:

Proposed Budget: $15-20k (trade in value + 3-4k down)
New or Used: Either
Body Style: Large sedan/SUV
How will you be using the car?: Commuting
What aspects are most important to you?: Mileage/Interior comfort

I've been driving around a 2002 Honda Civic EX since 2006 or so and I'm starting to get a bit tired of it. I own the vehicle (paid off in 2009), and it's been great reliability-wise. I've maintained it regularly, changing oil, air filters, and in 2011 replaced the brakes and struts, earlier this year I replaced the timing belt and water pumps in advance of any need. I took some hail damage to the body but it's dark blue and quite hard to notice unless you're close and staring right at it (though I realize that this will impact the trade-in value). It has ~110,000 miles on it. Overall, it's been a great car, buuuuut...

It's not the most comfortable. I'm around 6'5" and 200 pounds and it's pretty tight given the length of my legs, even with the seat fully back, especially on long trips. I'd like a more spacious cabin. I realize that this is relatively frivolous need, but given that I commute pretty regularly (~22mi/day) and occasionally take trips in the mountains here in Colorado, it makes a big difference to me.
At the top of your range, but you could go sit in a new Sonata. I'm very slightly smaller than you (6'4") and it is a nice place to be. Claims 35 mpg on the highway.
The Kia Optima is basically the same thing, though I've not driven one.
They'll leave the showroom for about $20k speced near base (which is still nice), but if you're doing a loan, you'll get a much better rate on a new car than a used one and should likely offset the difference.

jonathan posted:

Proposed Budget: 15,000 - 20,000
New or Used: Used
Body Style: 4 door w/ trunk/saloon
How will you be using the car?: For the girlfriend to commute to and from work, and frequent highway roadtrips on less than perfect highways
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos: Yes
What aspects are most important to you:

Looking for a once expensive, now not so expensive big comfy highway car. Important to have lots of horsepower, and able to cruise easily at 80mph or so. HID lights are preferred. It will be driven 3x a week to commute to work, and the rest of the time used to travel from Buttass Alberta to Vancouver BC every few weeks.

So far I've been looking at the Chrysler 300c and SRT8, I think 2006 has the HID lamps ? These range from 13,500 to $20,000

Also the 2008 Cadillac STS with 320 horsepower v6 can be had for under $20,000. The CTS is slightly small.

Is there a comparable Lincoln ? I would assume the Mercedes and BMW variants would be 10 or 15,000 more expensive for the same options...
I didn't see reliability mentioned.
Volkswagen Phaeton. In 2004 it really was the best sedan in the class. Shares a platform with the Bentley Continental, and if you want gizmos, it has them. First car with 4-zone climate. Optional adjustable rear seat. Amazingly comfortable.
Don't get the W12 unless you didn't mention reliability because you're a master mechanic with a professional garage and has the special tools for a W12 (This is important. You apparently need some fancy engine tray if you what to do a lot of repairs unless you want to physically lift the massive rear end engine out of the bay). The V8 isn't so special, but that means someone knows how to fix it and doesn't require fancy tools (for a VAG product)
Seriously, if you're not scared of a repair bill, this is your car.

Also, the D2 (-2002) Audi S8.

The G8 GT is the sane suggestion. That or a last gen Infiniti M35/45. Probably the most reliable car in the class (at least the 35, don't have info on the v8) and deprecation has hit them like rocks.

nm fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Aug 23, 2012

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."

Throatwarbler posted:

:ssh:Know your AI posters.

jonathan, forget that bullshit I said about buying a Hyundai, I didn't realize how cheap a W12 Phaeton was. I've gone ahead and found the car for you already. The only thing left for you to do is buy it and post a thread in AI.
Ok, then yes, he should buy a W12 Phaeton.
It does need a bunch of special tools apparently though.

They are such cool cars though.

nm fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Aug 23, 2012

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."

jonathan posted:

Thanks a bunch for all those suggestions. I will research all of these. As I am stuck at a drilling rig probably for the next 24 hours, my internet connection is pretty poor. The Infinity m35/45. Is that similar to a g35 4 door or larger ? The g35 while nice, is a bit small.

Quite a it larger. A 5 series competitor, but a bit bigger inside. I fit better in the back than in a SWB A8.

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."

jonathan posted:

That phaeton is neat. The exterior styling is somewhat bland, and I cringe at a navigation/ media center from 2004. I emailed to ask what engine is in that Calgary one.

Seems like it would be a troubleshooting nightmare if/when things go wrong. 4 air compressors for 4 air actuated struts!

Anybody have an idea wHat the fuel range is for one of these ? My Jeep JK Rubicon gets 15L/100km in town and 11.5 on the highway. This allows me to get to Vancouver from Grande Prairie with a fill up in Jasper and then in Kamloops. Each requiring about 2/3 of a tank.

The phaetons specs on wikipedia are worded strangely. If it gets less than 10mpg then that is simply throwing money away. The 300c I've been driving gets around 9.5L/100km which is good considering the acceleration at highway speeds.

It has a 24 gal tank.
EPA says
V8 14/16/21
W12 11/13/17

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."

BeastOfExmoor posted:

So, I will at some point in the not-to-distant future be looking for a car to replace my '99 Corolla. I hadn't really considered a Prius since I wanted a hatchback (or ideally wagon) but after reading the comments in this thread and looking at the used Prius prices I'm seriously considering it. Reading some of the reviews, they're quite polarizing. Obviously the Prius wasn't made to run laps at Laguna Seca, but is the driving experience as bad as they make it seem? Coming from my current "driving appliance" (which is at least manual transmission) would I notice a huge downgrade?

It will drive pretty much like a 99 Corolla.

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."

BeastOfExmoor posted:

In a way, I suppose. It's somewhere between a hatchback and a sedan since it doesn't have the full space extending all the way to the rear door. I haven't really played around with a Prius to see how much that slanted rear door inhibits space so maybe it's not bad.

I unfortunately discovered the existence of the Ford C-Max which is a little sportier and a full-on hatch. Pretty much out of my budget since it's only available new at the moment, unfortunately.

The prius is pretty big in the cargo area. If you can put the rear seats down, it is pretty good.
I think you just need to test drive one. Note that you can rent one for a few days from Hertz, enterprise, Toyota rental cars, etc, which might be the best option.

Glorks! posted:

Proposed Budget: Variable. Maximum $20,000 if it's worth it. More concerned about monthly payments (EDIT: Yes, I know. But I've been un/underemployed for 6 years. I don't have a savings, and I need a vehicle.) -- starting a new career with a lot of job security.
New or Used: Lightly Used or New. Under 50,000 miles.
Body Style: Midsized Sedan. I am a cellist and need to carry my instrument easily.
How will you be using the car?: I will be working from home. 80% of the time the car will be for pleasure and for hobbies. 15% of the time, it will be used to get me to and from rehearsals and performances. The other 5% it will be for work meetings and events, some of which could be up to 300-400 miles from home.
What aspects are most important to you? In order of importance, starting with most important:
- Room for my instrument
- Manual transmission (Now that I know how, I'm addicted, and I'd like a 6-speed if possible)
- MPG
- Bluetooth and AUX input
- Cost of ownership/maintenance

I went from sitting idle and depressed on Wednesday to landing an interview on Thursday, my car breaking down for the 5th time in the 4 months I've owned it on the way to the interview on Friday, and getting the job the same day. For the first time, I'm going to have a big-kid salary, and drat it I want something that I'm not going to be patching back together every 6 weeks for once. That car failed me when I needed it most, and I'm not giving it another chance.

Thus far, I'm looking at the Ford Fusion, the Mazda 6, and the Honda Accord. Of those three, just from internet-shopping, I am most interested in the Fusion. I would like suggestions, opinions, experiences, other vehicles to look at, etc. I haven't been keeping tabs on new vehicles for a while, so...anything you can tell me would be a help.
I don't want to go all BFC on you, but blowing $20k when you have no savings is a bad idea.
Have you considered hatchbacks and small wagons? That would give you more bang for the buck and would likely be more fun to drive/
Depending on price, I'd look at the Mazda 3 (maybe a Mazdaspeed) or even a fit (the Internet says they fit a cello).

nm fucked around with this message at 19:55 on Aug 26, 2012

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."

Agronox posted:

Not really; assuming he has a decent down payment, a reliable car is just one of those things you have to get when you have a real job.


You can blow way less than 20k and have a reliable car. Jobs, especially new jobs, don't last forever, particularly in this economy. Even when it has a "lot of job security" I'd want to get out of the first year before I'm getting a sizable car payment.
A used mid-2000s Mazda 3 hatch will be reliable and save him 10 grand.

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."

jonathan posted:

I specifically want an auto, I have an 18 speed manual at work and it gets tiring. Also I asked for other cars to consider, and most of those cars other than the phaeton don't meet the requirements. IE big, comfy and lots of horsepower. A 5 series BMW doesn't have much room. I'm 6'2" and my girlfriend is 5'10", so to fit more than 2 people comfortably requires a decent size rear seat.

Check out the M35.
I can sit in the front (6'4") and my brother (6'1") can sit in the back

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."
^^^
yeah, the ranger is basically the solution to all cheap small truck problems. They made a million of them and they are cheap and durable.

jonathan posted:

Is the difference between the m35 and 45 engine only ? Its unclear from wikipedia. Photos of the 35 interior seem to have woodgrain, while the 45 has some sort of brushed aluminum look.

Are the rear seating area larger in the 45 ?
Yeah just engine.
You could get wood or brushed AL in both cars. Early on the AWD was wood only, but that may have changed.
The M45 might have had some premium options only, but the interior size is identical.

Throatwarbler posted:

So they actually managed to make a car *entirely out of aluminum* that still turns into a pile of oxidation barely out of warranty. :britain:
This made me laugh like a 12 year old girl.

nm fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Aug 29, 2012

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."
The Taurus almost certainly has a dead AT. A common problem. The good thing is that a used transmission is extremely cheap if you do the install yourself.

I would never spend more than $1000 for a 91 tercel.

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."

Uncle Jam posted:

They design parts from the ground up with a certain lifetime fluid in mind. They'll send that fluid out to our really far the gently caress out research projects and get really angry if we don't use it for concepts that are 20 years out. The amount of reliability testing they do with those fluids is jawdropping.

Every time I hear someone replacing their ATF with some performance goop I die a little inside, just because of all the work that goes into characterizing the factory fluid.

It depends. VW/Audi said that the fill on the ATs on the B5 Passat and A4 was "lifetime." ZF disagreed and recommended 60k mi. The fluid manufacturer said not over 75k mi. Now we have VWs making GBS threads transmissions at 150k or so (admittedly VW and Audi probably didn't expect the cars to last past 100k mi).

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."

Geckoagua posted:

I agree, it's a pretty crap situation. The other insurance company is covering the rental until monday, but I really dislike having to pay out of pocket for something with zero return. In my brilliance I never took the rental clause on my insurance so I can't really use that option. I'm thinking I will check out several places over the weekend, if I simply don't find anything I'm satisfied with I'll extend, but I'd rather not.

Does anybody have an opinion on Nissan's? I really like what I see but nobody seems familiar with the brand.

FYI, if you ask you can probably get the insurance company rate on your rental car. It can be like $10/day for a mid-size.

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."
Every one wishes they could forget about the aveo.

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."

leica posted:

What the hell do hubcaps have to do with anything? Looks like a good deal to me.

I will note that when I googled the vin, it came up with some references to salvage auctions.
I might wonder if there's been a title washing.
Missing hubcaps could mean nothing or could mean the OEM wheels/hubcaps were damaged in an accident.
The price isn't that low, so not enough to trigger the too good to be true alarms, which may be the goal.
That said, I'd get it PPIed by a reputable shop and tell them you suspect accident damage (I might even take it to a body shop) so they look for that. If it checks out, no reason to buy it except that corollas are boring as hell.

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."

leica posted:

I highly doubt that, if they went through the trouble of trying to hide an accident, you don't think they'd just buy new hub caps for it? Also how the hell would all four of them get damaged at once? It's just a look really, lots of people like the way black steelies look better than the lovely hub caps, I for one agree.

An accident can damage 2 alloys easy. OEM alloys are extremely expensive, cheaper to just go to $50 steelies.
But yeah, as I said it can mean nothing, I'd rely on a PPI, not wheels.

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."

priznat posted:

In case of BMW wagon trade up: I'd want something that is fun to drive but also practical. Another RWD wagon would be ideal but BMW has lost the plot I feel. Not a fan of the E91s. I'm not opposed to going AWD either or a really nicely driving FWD. I've been burned by Audi mechanical failures in the past so they're not an option. I'm kind of interested by the look of the Kia Sportage and curious to find out how the SX drives with the turbo engine. Probably high with annoying body roll, though. Price range: $25-35k as well.

Anyway hit me up with some suggestions, keen to see what I should check out, I haven't gone car shopping in forever so I'm fairly excited.
Maybe a used CTS wagon or Acura TSX wagon if an automatic only is ok. (CTS-V wagon can be had in a stick, but not in your price).
Honestly if you want a wagon that isn't a $70 Cadillac or $100k Mercedes, there isn't much new or even newish. I have friends whould would kill for your car.
The Legacy GT was available in Canada with a stick until like 2007-2008, but it will be fairly rare. Also, the EJ25 turbo isn't without issues.
Honestly I'd keep the BMW and trade-in the Nissan. The SUV market has gotten somewhat better.

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."

Throatwarbler posted:

You can import a Legacy from the US with very little hassle, the original US warranty still applies too. The Legacy/Outback/Tribeca are all made in the US so there is no additional tax on them compared to an Impreza or German car. There was a period when everyone was importing Spec-Bs like crazy, I know a group buy on one toronto forum that ended up getting like 20-390 cars from a single NY Subaru dealer. Mostly high-trim stuff like 6 cylinder Outbacks and Tribecas too.
Problem is that Canada got wagons well after the US stopped getting them. Particularly if you want a turbo and/or a stick.

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."

Rhyno posted:

I'm not that stupid.

Also she's paying for it alone!

There is this part of it that concerns me though.


Even though that is the less troubling transverse motor, never let non synthetic oil anywhere near it.

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."

Throatwarbler posted:

"Well after"? Wasn't it just one year? The US market is much, much larger than Canada's where Subaru only sells 20k cars per year. For pretty much for anything other than a Dodge Caravan you're going to find more/better selection in the US.

Thought the lgt wagon made it to 2007 or 2008 up there? We only got a 2005 in the US. We have more of them in total possily, but way too many people.

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."

Throatwarbler posted:

It's 2007 in the US. I don't know what year they kept it for in Canada, I can't find any for sale in Canada anyway, but 2009 was the last year for the body style world wide.

http://autos.yahoo.com/subaru/legacy/2007/2-5-gt-limited-wagon/
2006+ was auto only in the GT. Manual was practically banished from the NA wagon in 2006 too.

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."

LittlePea posted:


Let me know if I'm being unrealistic -- I really don't know where to start. Right off the bat from looking at cars (through USAA's car buying service) one of the questions I have is when do I avoid looking at a car when the mileage is too high, meaning do I stop looking at the car when it lists 75k, 100k miles…?

Mileage is less meaningful that it used to be. However, if you want 10 years off of it, I'd aim for under about 120k mi or so, too keep you under about 250,000mi at the end. Many reliable modern cars will run into the mid-200s.
That said, if you're financing, very few companies will give you a good deal on financing for a car with over 100kmi. Also, note that with current used car pricing being fairly high, with much, much lower rates on new cars (often 0% or nearby), it might not cost much to go new (and you'll get a full warranty).

Also, don't look at payments.

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."

LittlePea posted:

Thanks for the advice although I'm not sure what you mean by, "don't look at payments." I'm not sure how I wouldn't need to look at payments because if I'm having to pay $400-500 monthly, that would be a bit too steep for where I am financially and I want to make sure I can afford it.

There is a huge difference between 300/mo for 24mo and 300/mo for 60mo.
Further, it allows the dealer to gently caress you over. If you're focused on the monthly payment, they will focus on that too. Thousands of dollars over the life of the loan are mere tens of dollars monthly, yet, that all that adds up. It gives them more flexibility to gently caress you on the trade and on stupid options.

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."

Turd Nelson posted:

Proposed Budget: $8k - 10k
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Compact two door/four door/ hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Commuting to and from work and doing errands, 99% of my driving is less than 30 mile trips. When I carpool with others I'm usually driving so I'd like the option of carrying up to 3 passengers.
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?) Nope, but I'm not looking for a beater, either.
What aspects are most important to you? Fun to drive, sporty, peppy acceleration and sharp handling, inexpensive to maintain.

I'm especially interested in Mazda 3-series, Ford Focus, BMW 3-series, Subaru Impreza or any other car that you guys recommend. The thing is, I haven't actually driven any of these cars before, but from what I've read they all seem to be decent vehicles. Is it bad to go to a car dealership just to test drive a car, without having an intention of buying it?

I'm trying to avoid honda civics/accords or toyota camrys, since I've driven those for years and they're boring as hell.

I have a hard time recommending a subaru for you. The EJ255/2557 (turbo 2.5) have documented piston issues that have been unresolved. The fix is forged pistons, but that isn't exactly a solution until you blow them up.
The NA 2.5s are slow. Both the NA impreza and legacy can be fun cars to drive, but they're slow as hell. That said a 2005+ NA subaru will be extremely reliable and low on maintenance.

BMW has its own issues. Bad cooling systems. Expensive parts. I don't want a $10,000 BMW if low cost to own is a major concern. (Though they're not that terrible).

The Mazda 3 is what I'd recommend. They're pretty reliable and the 2.5 has some grunt, though not that fast. Fun to drive.

$10k sneaks you into 2005-2006 Mustang GTs too. They technically have seating for 3 if you have a short person.

I know you nixed the Civic, but they're actually fairly good handling cars. Before the current generation they had some of the most sophisticated suspensions around. The Si, which is what I would have recommended though is a bit out of your price range though.

How do you define peppy acceleration?

nm fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Sep 16, 2012

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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."

Turd Nelson posted:

While I don't want to admit it, I know you're right about BMWs and Subarus. I'm in the process of selling my parent's 98' outback and it's excruciatingly slow to get it up to freeway speeds. However, I will have to say that we have a mechanic who does subaru repairs for stupid-cheap prices.

From what I've been reading, the Mazda3 excites me the most so I'm glad you recommend that above all others.

For me, peppy acceleration would be 0-60 in under 8 seconds. I suppose that's not the deciding factor, but i don't want a car that struggles to make it up hills with two people in the car (like my subaru.)
An NA impreza will just slide under 8 seconds. Barely.

But yeah, I think the Mazda 3 sounds right. Hatch with a stick shift, ideally before redesign (just based on looks).

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