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

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

What's the best method I can use to tell how much car I can afford? I've got 10k-ish to spend, about a grand and a half in ccard debt, and am putting a decent amount in to savings/retirement accounts, not bad but I feel I could do better. I don't want to finance anything.

Can I afford to drop 8~k (asking price) on a '99-01 miata with 60k~ miles on it?

I don't have a car to sell/trade, as I've been motorcycle only for the past 3-4 years and commuting to the office during rush hour is getting to test my bravery. Plus sweet sweet air con would be nice. I plan on paying off that credit card the month after I get a car.

# ¿ Aug 7, 2011 18:44

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 05:07

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

RHD is tough. You are going to have to look overseas, which means 25 years or older.

There are a few converted postal subarus.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2015 17:06

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

Leperflesh posted:

Just to illustrate why not: Imagine you are going to live to be 80 and you're 20 now. This means you can afford 60 years x 12 months x 500 a month = $360,000 car! Yay!

That's absurd of course, but car salespeople are experts at obscuring how much you are (over)paying for a car by getting you to focus on monthly payments. Even when you're shopping private-party, its easy to overpay if you don't actually have a budget.

Many of us finance vehicles, of course. But it's a good practice to figure out your budget and figure out what that monthly payment should be when deciding how many years to finance your purchase... but you don't want to tie yourself to a very long financing period. After three or four years, your car should be paid off: that lets you sell it if you need to change what car you drive, it helps make sure you're not underwater on your car if it gets totaled, and it accounts for the odds that your life - and your finances - could change and the uncertainty of that happening increases the further into the future you look.

So if you feel you can afford a $15k car which you will pay off in three years, that's fine. You probably shouldn't try to buy a $30k car to pay off in six years, though. And actually if you're starting a brand new job (sounds like it, since it's an internship becoming a job) and a brand new career, you are probably best off buying an inexpensive used car for cash, and then saving your money up to buy a nicer car once you can both afford it, and are a couple years into this new job & career. Because new jobs and careers don't always work out.

Plus having a cheaper car means the freedom that comes with never having to worry about door dings.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2015 22:03

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

VideoTapir posted:

Can the seat rails in a Prius be moved back, altered, or replaced to move the seat back a few more inches?

edit: Yup.
http://extendmyseat.com/toyota-prius-2010-2015-seat-brackets/

Does altering the seat position and mounting negatively affect crash safety or is it a wash?

# ¿ Aug 28, 2015 23:45

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

And they said computers are better at shifting gears :lol:

# ¿ Sep 4, 2015 01:18

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Here's the point of buying a hybrid:

1. Good on gas
2. Extremely dead loving reliable
3. Very practical

The C-Max is not as good on gas, is actively not reliable and is a Ford so I sure as poo poo wouldn't trust it (this as a Ford owner), it's sort of practical but mostly if you like sitting high up versus having useful interior space. There's no point unless you like dumbshit gizmos that will break, and if that's the case, just get one of the stupid rear end Lexus hybrids, which suffer from the same problems except they are actually reliable because they are Priuses at heart.

How does the volt stack up on the 'dead reliable' front? The 20-30~ mile range would handle 95% of my in town driving, so the plug in aspect is appealing.

# ¿ Sep 24, 2015 01:59

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

How will you be using the car?: 16 round trip commute (can plug in at home (L1) and work(L2 $1/hr)) and 3-4 cross country trips a year. (Before you think it, I don't want a leaf+rental car)

What aspects are most important to you? Getting a good deal. Domestic, NVH, and air conditioning also pluses.

Slightly abbreviated the op but I'm looking at a CPO 2013 Chevy Volt lease return, 23k miles. 225mpg lifetime, so all but about 4K~ miles have been on the battery if I did my math right. All options except sunroof and navi, spotless inside and out except for a little rash on one wheel, a scuffed airdamn skirt, and a touched up minor scratch on the rear bumper. No paint overspray, weird tire wear patterns, panel alignment issues, or leaky/weapy fluids. Asking 15k sticker, and 16.8k OTD, North Texas, cash deal, in budget. Got them down to 16.2k OTD, but how much better can I reasonably do? I'm in no rush as I've got a working car, but want a nice commuter.

Before you say Prius, I test drove one and the volt was in a different ballpark in regards to ride quality/noise/etc.

Edit: forgot the b2b warranty will run through 6/17 with the 12/12 GM CPO extended warranty.

blugu64 fucked around with this message at 03:36 on Mar 18, 2016

# ¿ Mar 18, 2016 03:32

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

thesurlyspringKAA posted:

haha, thanks. So nobody has recommended anything that fit my criteria.

Not enough people buy American. I think you can get an older Shelby GT500 for around 30. It'll have a few miles, and some years, but buy it from a boomer reliving his youth, and you'll probably be fine.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 05:31

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

Bit of a different type question. I'm looking at a private party Volt, and since I've only ever done private party sales I,not sure how this works. The seller currently is currently leasing it, but wants to sell it now a few months before the lease terminates. He's saying that you can pay it off early, and then be done. Price is fair and car looks good, but I have no idea how leases work. Is this a real thing? And how would I go about getting title?

# ¿ May 20, 2016 12:57

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

Buy a truck and be the most popular person on campus. Bad with gas, good with life.

# ¿ May 26, 2016 06:40

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

Twerk from Home posted:

http://jalopnik.com/this-uk-documentary-about-company-cars-puts-american-ps-1744270834

You can't be a chump driving a base model or you won't respect yourself.

Mind numbingly dull and yet I can't turn it off.

# ¿ Jun 21, 2016 03:14

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

IOwnCalculus posted:

The traps dealers employ to try and get you to agree to a price higher than you wanted.

I'd like to hear more about these traps. Esp. I'm regards to used cars.

# ¿ Jun 28, 2016 00:16

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# ¿ Apr 29, 2024 05:07

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

Salvage title cars are wonderful if it's a car you're buying back from your insurer for hail damage to non-glass (due to potential electrical damage) parts.

# ¿ Sep 21, 2016 06:39

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