AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

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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."

LittlePea posted:

I understand that, thanks! I figured for a 60 mo lease I could go to 15k for a newer car with less mileage and about 10k for a car with nearly 100k on it that's a bit lower at a 36 mo lease.

Now to seriously consider my car options...
[Edit] Leaning towards an 08 Honda Accord unless there's anything seriously wrong with it.

I'd recommend if at all possible, not having a note on a car after the powertrain warranty expires. Not always possible, but it would suck to still be making payments on car with a blown transmission.

The problem with hondas is that they keep their value too much. This means you don't get that good a value for your money. I'd look at the Mazda6, maybe a ford fusion in that class.
If you can go smaller, there's a bit more value down there given your price range.

# ¿ Sep 16, 2012 20:29

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 15:39

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."

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

If you don't have much of a savings cushion built up, I might keep the Pontiac for a bit.

I think I'd agree with this. If you're considering a 60mo loan on a used car, you probably need to save more.

# ¿ Sep 16, 2012 23:01

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."

Ramrod Hotshot posted:

Two questions:

- Is it necessary to get even a CPO car checked out by a mechanic?

- Is this a really good deal? Should I ask for less?

- Yes

- It is ok according to the price range. I'd try to get it down though. Remember, a new 2013 will leave the lot for only $3k more. A new leftover 2012 might only be $1-2k left.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 01:55

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."

Ramrod Hotshot posted:

Really? From what I've researched, it looks like 2012 Corollas are going for about $16.5k. If you're getting a good deal.

Maybe the asking price is $16.5k. You have a lot of leverage on negotiating those prices now that the 2013s are out.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 03:18

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."

Ryand-Smith posted:

Proposed Budget: 10-15k
New or Used: Used (certified?)
Body Style: 4 door
How will you be using the car?: Daily Driver, long moves every 3-4 years
Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos?
Nope, fairly basic is fine.
What aspects are most important to you?
Reliability, gas millage not being too terrible, snow driving

Hey thread, I currently have my very decent Nissan Cube, and after doing a 700 mile move, I realized something. It is small. Very, Very, Very small, and it fit all my things, after doing voodoo/magic and amazing packing. I want to upgrade to something bigger, that can drive in winter if needed, and still haul enough stuff to fit into a small bachelor pad. Thanks in advance!

A u-haul would probably be cheaper than a new car for a move 3 years from now.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2012 06:26

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."

Red_Fred posted:

General question:

Is there a reason I haven't really seen anyone recommend Lexus recently? Too expensive? Personally I would choose a Lexus over an Audi/BMW/Mercedes etc. any day.

Boring and overpriced for what you get. With the exception of the LS, none of their cars approach class leader.
The ES is a decent car for people who would have bought Buicks a decade ago and the RX is decent for suburban soccer moms with too much money. Not exactly an SA demographic.

While Lexus's are reliable, so are Infinitis and they won't bore you to death.

# ¿ Sep 18, 2012 07:51

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."

Leperflesh posted:

Familiarize yourself with California's laws on registering a car bought out of state before you do that, though. Due to our emissions laws, you generally can't buy a new car out of state and register it in CA right away; used cars have more ability to do that but you'll want to know about the emissions testing/rules because all other states are more lenient than CA.

A significant majority of cars a 50-state approved now, but it is worth checking.
Nevada uses CARB rules in Las vegas, so I suspect that any car sold there is 50 state legal.
That said, if the car has under 7500mi, check under the hood for the sticker and it will tell you. (Over 7500mi, no one cares as long as it will pass SMOG)

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 07:48

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."

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Why an SUV for one kid?

Don't finance anything that depreciates for 72 months.

0% financing excepted

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 23:26

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."

reflex posted:

What I also found helpful when car shopping is being aware that the dealer's job is to pump you up and take your money ASAP.

My sales guy was getting me really hyped on an Accent, so I excused myself for 5mins and called my dad for some perspective. My dad convinced me to wait it out for a couple days and not only did I find a better car for cheaper privately, I checked the CarFax on the Accent. It was in a major accident and that's why the kms were so low. I almost put money down on it because "this car is going to go unless you put money down."

And don't fall for the "this car is going to go unless you put money down," crap. It's a car. There are more cars in the world. It could sell, but it probably won't. Guess who got three calls in one day from dealership wondering if I was still interested in the car a week later.

Yeah, it is worth remembering that with basically all non-Ferrari new vehicles and nearly as many used cars, they aren't leaving the lot tommorow and there are probably 20 similar cars for sale right now in a 50mi radius.
Unless you're buying something truly rare (manual transmission fast station wagons, US legal Land Rover defender 90s, etc) if you think you want to wait, you should.

# ¿ Sep 28, 2012 20:58

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."

You guys know he's talking about the first gen CTS-V with the rear end that dies just because right?

Also, as a subaru owner and fan, hit pains me to not be ale to recommend a 2.5 turbo, but two busted ring lands and a rebuilt motor later stops me fro doing it.

# ¿ Sep 30, 2012 18:22

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:

Dodge Caravan. The only weak point is the trans, but that's only if you don't take good care of it. I owned one for two years, and my mother in law had it for seven years before that, it was rock solid and wear parts like brakes and suspension are dirt cheap. Super easy to get in and out of, holds a TON of poo poo with the third row out, can strap poo poo to the roof, drives like a car and is comfy on road trips. Ours was in Western NY and had no problems in snow with winter tires. You can get a very nice Caravan for 5k, I know this because I'm thinking about getting another one and that's right around my budget also.

And they made AWD Caravans, which is very useful for Tahoe because if you have AWD they don't make you put on chains. Putting on chains sucks.
(Snow tires might get you up the pass, but caltrans is still going to make you put chains on your Nokians with a 2WD car.)

# ¿ Oct 2, 2012 07:47

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."

Fatal posted:

That's pretty much what I gathered, still somewhat interested though.

Any opinions on shipping cars cross country? Seems like PA for whatever reason has a plethora of 2009 A3 Quattros at 21-23k, seems like it would be about a grand to ship back to the NW but I'm kinda hesitant to buy a car sight unseen.

Get a PPI at a dealer or a well respected indie. When I bought my subaru, the subaru dealer was more than happy to drive the car a reasonable distance once I put down a small deposit (refundable upon finding of defect).
As for rust, the good news is that VWs (you're buying a golf), have pretty good rust protection, probably the best in the industry short of AL cars. I wouldn't worry much about a 3 year old VW, though a good ppi should check that out.
I would much rather fly out and do the final purchase than ship though. That way you can be absolutely sure.
Also, don't buy a A3.

# ¿ Oct 9, 2012 19:01

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."

Endor posted:

Yeah, for that price you're not going to find anything new.

Up until your hauling requirements, you had quite a few possibilities. But it's going to be tough to find something that feels sporty and also holds a couch or lawnmower.

I'd say your top pick would probably be a 2001-2004 Subaru Forester xti. It will have the most usable storage space in the rear area without getting a van or pickup, while being a very sporty drive too. A regular Forester from that generation might work for you too -- the handling is apparently still quite responsive, it just won't be as quick.

They're not very easy to find though. I was heavily considering selling my Mazda RX-8 and getting a Forester xti a few months ago, but eventually decided just to wait a while and reevaluate next year.

I'd have a hard time recommending a 2.5 turbo subaru to anyone concerned with reliability.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2012 00:43

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."

DukAmok posted:

Update on this: got a new FR-S. Looked around for used BRZs, couldn't find any that weren't marked up way above new sticker price, so went to a dealership. Scion's no haggle actually wasn't so bad.

Good stuff. If you're haven't already, come by AI.

# ¿ Oct 10, 2012 05:17

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."

PaulAllen posted:

So I just went to the dealership and purchased a 2004 Honda Civic! The car is a one owner car with 42,000 miles and I think I got a pretty good deal. The price checks out with other listings in the area and kelley blue book value. I will be picking it up tomorrow!

I just have one question. The down payment which I agreed to was $4,000. The down payment on the contract states $3,800. The dealer told me to bring a check for $4,000 tomorrow. Shouldn't I be writing a check for $3,800 which is what the down payment states in the contract or would the extra $200 be applied to the principle anyway?

Wait, you're putting $4k down on a 2004 civic? Please tell me you're not financing more than a couple grand on that.

# ¿ Oct 11, 2012 06:35

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."

PaulAllen posted:

I paid $9,000 for the car. Seems to be on par with blue book value. Do you think I over paid?

Given that you can get a 2004 Civic Si for like $7k, yeah. KBB lists private party values at about $6k for an LX.

edit: Guess that was with standard mileage. 50k mi isn't worth $3,000.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 00:28

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."

Guinness posted:

That sounds about right for an excellent condition 2004 Civic with only 42k miles, at least in my part of the country with above-average used car prices.

Seriously? Guess this is why I never recommend used civics.

fake edit: I'm not trying to insult a guys new car, but just genuinely shocked, given what you can get for $10k.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 00:30

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."

A Proper Uppercut posted:

I'd like some advice please. Some time in the next (hopefully) six months, I'm going to be buying a Mazda 3. I want a Skyactiv model. Now, what I'm not sure about is whether to buy new or used. The Skyactiv is only available on 2012+ models. I would be looking either buy a leftover new 2012, or a used low mileage 2012.

Is there a typical amount a leftover model would be discounted? Would the prices be comparable to a used 2012? I've bought new before, and I swore I'd never do it again, but if the prices would be comparable I guess there would be no reason to go new.

I would buy a 2012 leftover for sure, unless you get several grand knocked off the price of the used one.
The prices should be somewhat similar, but a new one will probably cost a touch more. This can be offset by near 0% apr and/or cash rebates though.

Note that the used market is stupid hot right now, particularly among sub-$20k when new cars. For a nearly new compact there is little reason to go used these days.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 01:40

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."

A Proper Uppercut posted:

Would you have any idea how much I could get OTD would compare from a online listed MSRP listed on a dealers website? Or is it just more of a need to email or check out the dealership in person to figure that out?

I'd start here:
http://www.edmunds.com/mazda/mazda3/years.html?sub=hatchback

Then cut a fair bit off invoice as your starting.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 03:11

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."

It isn't that civic and corollas got worse, everything else just got better.
Almost no car will be horribly unreliable anymore.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 18:06

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."

Why do you think you "need" a pickup?

Cash doesn't give you leverage anymore. In fact, it might hurt you (lots of money is made by finance), so i wouldn't bring it up until you get a price.

Get a ford ranger I guess.

Avoid toyotas, any truck you can avoid will be iron oxide by now. Terrible rust problems on over a decade of them.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2012 08:58

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."

Rubies posted:

Thanks dudes. The private party route kinda seemed like a pain in the balls but just browsing craigslist for private sales I can see that there are way more realistic options just on the first page compared to cars.com listings etc. I'll prob hop in a few rangers to see what's good and if that doesn't fit I'll most likely end up with a reasonable import.

One last annoying newbie question: is craigslist the best bet for private listings? If not what is?

CL and Autotrader. Autotrader can be a bit dealer heavy, but CL sucks to search.

# ¿ Oct 15, 2012 00:29

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."

Guinness posted:

I'm also going to agree and reiterate this.

There is nothing wrong with buying a 'nice' car, whether it is new or used. There are many reasons people choose to buy cars, and different people get different enjoyment out of the type of car they choose to drive. If you can afford to drive a nice car that is luxurious, high tech, fast, flashy, convertible, or whatever and that is what you will get enjoyment out of, then do it! If everyone bought cars based purely on practicality, fuel efficiency, and reliability then the car market would be terribly, terribly boring and many carmakers simply wouldn't exist.

THAT SAID, don't try to justify it as a financially sound decision. It is not, and never will be. If you want to get a new car because you just want something new and nice, that's fine, just admit it! As long as you can actually afford it, by all means go for it! There are plenty of examples in this thread of someone who said they are looking to spend 30-50k on a new car and no one started yelling about how dumb of a financial decision it was because they were honest about what they wanted and could afford.

But if you, like so many posters in this thread, claim that above all you just want a simple, cheap, and efficient transportation appliance and then try to rationalize dumping your perfectly reasonable early-mid 2000s car with a few minor, easily-fixed problems for a brand new car as a move that will save you money: it won't, and we will call you out on it.

This logic doesn't work as well as it used to.
The used car market is extremely hot. The new car market is less so. For nearly new cars with little deprecation (say a Honda Fit), the prices can be extremely close. Factor that with the obscenely low APRs being offered on many new cars and it can make sense to buy a new car over an old one, particularly if you're financing.

# ¿ Oct 18, 2012 02:35

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."

CmdrSmirnoff posted:

In my neverending quest to buy a car (maybe I just fukken love rentals) I've thought of making An Adult Decision. Rather than piss away my next 4 years on a car loan, I should get a winter beater now - with cash. There are two that I'm eyeing:

2002 Impreza 2.5TS, 160k (km), manual, $4000 CDN. I could use it to learn stick and gradually turn it into a rally car!

2001 Impreza RS coupe, 115k (km), auto, $4000. Also rally car candidate, though no stick, it would probably be a bit more liveable.

To recap from earlier: lawyer, driving 80 - 200km/day, replacing a Lexus and was hoping for something a bit smaller and city-friendly but super-fun.

The rs coupe will do a better job retaining value.
The ts will likely do a better job repelling rust.
Worth checking both for rust.
I think the rs has an rlsd, but don't quote me on that.

Edit: just noticed the rs was an auto. Get the TS. 4 speed auto is boring as hell. The awd system is also different and less good.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2012 16:46

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."

Screw TCO, you want the five-oh.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2012 17:31

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:

So I'm footsteps away from selling 2 of the 4 cars I was looking to dump so it's reasonable for me to pick up a new DD. Protoge's were highly recommended before when I was looking for the girlfriend and I've been fond of them for a while. Several Protoge5's have popped up locally, all for under $4K so I ask, other than potential rust issues as pointed out by Sockington should I look for anything in particular when checking them out?

If it is an auto, I've heard grumblings about that.

# ¿ Oct 20, 2012 22:53

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."

renzor posted:

I'm in the process of selling my 07 GTI in order to get something with a bit better MPG and have a bit of cash to sit in the bank as I decided to return to university this past September.

My budget is 5-6k (Canada). I'm currently eyeing a couple 01-03 TDIs, as they seem to meet my need of being small and efficient on fuel. I'm 6'4", have a giant dog, and like to take off on the weekends during the summer so something that has a fairly large cabin and won't blow up climbing BC highways is a plus.

Any others I should be looking at that are comparable?

Honestly, a MKIV VW isn't going to save you any money over a 2007 GTI.

# ¿ Oct 21, 2012 07:14

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."

AznKwaiJai posted:

That's good to know. I may also circle saw some additional holes for speakers. That shouldn't void the car warranty right? As long as it does't mess with the integrity of the vehicle?

I really want the Golf TDI, but the extra 6k from a base Golf is dramatic. Not sure I can swing that.

The law is that the warranty is never voided (unless you total the car) by aftermarket parts.
However, if they can show your part/work did the damage, they don't have to cover it.
For example, if your stereo installer messes up the install and causes a short, not a warranty issue. If the holes you cut start to rust, that area probably not covered by rust warranties.
On the other hand, if your piston explodes, you are probably fine.

Do be warned that VWs have had weird issues with stereos though. For example, if you replace the stereo on certain year B5 passats, it will lead to your OBD2 port becoming inoperable and may damage equipment hooked up to it.

# ¿ Oct 21, 2012 22:39

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:

This isn't AI pal.

If you haven't found it already here's Allpar's mini-site on the Dart. Personally I'm really psyched for the SRT-4 version. So far all of "new" Chrysler's products have been home runs and surely they won't screw up the most storied nameplate in American sports car history?

My major concern would be buying the first year of what is basically an Alfa.

# ¿ Oct 22, 2012 07:02

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."

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Used Honda Insight. Do Not Buy A Gasoline Smart Fortwo.

The new insight. The old 2-door insights, particularly the manuals, have some pretty notable battery issues. So do civics. Honestly, given honda's track record, I'd just get a prius.
A second gen prius is a $10k car these days. A better hybrid system and honestly a better car.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2012 03:43

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."

Sounds like a wrx wagon or saab 9-2x aero for you.
Make sure it has been well treated (they don't take well to being run low on oil) and get a leakdown. 2.0 is easily within that price, 2.5 maybe.

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 22:56

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."

Drunken Lullabies posted:

Only problem is that wrxes really hold their value here, so there really aren't many wagons going for 5-7. And definitely not a 2.5 for much under 10. I do have time to wait and search though.

Remember that a ticket on southwest is $100. I don't recommend limiting yourself to local for anything that isn't extremely common.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2012 05:02

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."

IOwnCalculus posted:

I'd say as long as it isn't a rusty mess, you're golden. You could drive that thing for six months to a year with almost no work to it and part it out when it breaks and probably still come out ahead.

There's a reason Toyota has a reputation for stellar reliability, and the Corolla is one of the cars that earned it for them.

Heck, if it is decent shape, you could probably sell it for a profit.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2012 05:03

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:

Since you've already got the Jetta, a B5 Audi S4 with the 2.7l twin turbo should be right up your alley, you can get them for around your budget, they're AWD, and you surely can wrench on them to go faster!

Jesus man, you need to label your sarcasm. Someone might follow that advice.

# ¿ Nov 2, 2012 16:02

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."

Drunken Lullabies posted:

I've found several cars that meet the bill already. Yeah I know I'm not getting all of that in one car, but that's just a list of what's important. Right now I'm looking at a 99 c230 kompressor that's in the range, mainly since it's grandma owned with low miles and proper maintenance w/ receipts. It at least appears to be promising enough to check out.

This is probably the worst car Mercedes has ever made. And I'm including the R-Class and the A-class that failed the moose test. Also, the smart.
If he must have something in that class from Europe at this price range, anything but an E36 is insane.

# ¿ Nov 6, 2012 07:37

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."

cchhrriiss1982 posted:

One of the vehicles recommended to me earlier was a Subaru Outback. My price range puts me in a 2008, so I looked up some dimensions and the rear seat legroom is shorter than all of its' competition. Is that just a characteristic of the method of measurement or is the does the back seat of an Outback really have no legroom? Based on pictures it doesn't look too cramped but without having one here to hop into, hard to tell. Has anyone here sat in the backseat of an outback/legacy?

Not big but not small. With the back seat all the way back, you can fit an adult, but not comfortably. With the seat further up, it can be a reasonable. 4 seater.
Note that the wagon style (like the outback), has significantly more headroom than the sedan.

Caveat: I don't fit in comfortably the back seat of anything smaller than an A8L. I can't do the back of my car.

# ¿ Nov 7, 2012 08:23

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 Dirtiest Harry posted:

I'm looking for reliability in a <$9k car. I am currently looking at a 2001 Mazda 323 (117,000 kms, timing belt replaced at 100,000) or a 2004 Ford Focus (98,000 kms) both for around $8k.

Any advice on which one to go for (or an alternative that I might find at a similar price point) would be appreciated.

I don't know about Canada, but in the US $8k gets you into a 2006 Mazda 3.

The 2005+ focus has a much better engine reliability wise than the earlier models (excluding the 2.3PZEV which is fine in pre-2005 vehicles). The Zetec might be ok in earlier models as well, but the base model is a turd.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2012 08:54

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."

kimcicle posted:

After owning the car for about a year, it would be a coin toss if my car would actually start. Some days my car would just refuse to start after sitting overnight, or even for as little as four hours. After multiple trips to the dealership and many parts replaced, the issue went away. I assume is was an electrical issue.

A few months after that, my windows would act like they were possessed, randomly lowering / raising while driving. Not good for when you're driving in the rain. That took another two months to diagnose and fix.

With only 43k miles on the car, the transmission had a "catastrophic failure" (words of the Infiniti tech, not mine). I use the ranger method to cycle in fresh clutch fluid every six months, and paid Infiniti to do a complete flush / refill as part of the recommended 30k maintenance.

They also noted that the rack and pinion (on both sides even) have already started to leak.

I'm on point with my preventative maintenance, but is it too much for me to ask that my car stay together for atleast 50k? I understand things break, but I feel like this is a bit absurd.

At this point I'm pretty sure anything else would be more than my G37.

I think your car must be a flood car that either wasn't totaled or had a washed title. Infinitis generally have reliable electrics.
I'd either take it to a better mechanic or trade it on a non-cursed g37. Get a PPI this time.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2012 20:52

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 recommend another focus. CA got the 2.3 PZEV motor, which is excellent in older models.
As for a PPI, find the shop. How it gets there is owner's choice. Some deliver it themselves. Other have you do it with a deposit.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2012 23:38

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 15:39

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."

Guinness posted:

So is that the second or third person in recent history of this thread that ended up buying a Beetle against all sane advice? Why do people even ask for advice if they're just going to ignore it?

Yeah, why isn't don't buy a new beetle not in the op?

# ¿ Nov 18, 2012 22:46

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

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