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Most of the FRS/BRZ issues have been address with the 2014 and 2015 models. I think some of the issues get blown out of proportion in my mind when car junkies expect there 25k over hyped rwd sports car to have the same build quality as Porsche. The high pressure fuel pump making crickets with some gasoline is the only big issue that I can still think of. Most of the other issues are just x makes noise or my manual transmission isn't buttery smooth if I don't let the car warm up.
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Feb 23, 2015 07:10
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I know that CR has it listed as Subaru's least reliable model. Which against ej257s is pretty impressive.
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Feb 23, 2015 07:32
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Guys...I'm starting to suspect that auto dealers may lack scruples. Okay, obviously they're a shady lot, but advertising an "internet price" that REQUIRES financing and having an actual price that is several grand higher....how does Cars.com and other databases let these shysters operate on their site?
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Feb 24, 2015 02:45
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Almost all cars have a different price for dealer financed vs. cash. That's because the factory offers a choice of cash incentives or low APR (but not both) for many cars. The fact that their internet price requires financing suggests they're advertising based on a calculation that includes a factory incentive. That's not definitely the case, it could just be them loving with people and being shady, but I figured it was worth pointing out that cash vs. finance is very often going to be different, at least in terms of what the dealer gets for the car.
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Feb 24, 2015 04:22
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Leperflesh posted:Almost all cars have a different price for dealer financed vs. cash. That's because the factory offers a choice of cash incentives or low APR (but not both) for many cars. The fact that their internet price requires financing suggests they're advertising based on a calculation that includes a factory incentive. I honestly didn't know that...this is a used car dealership though, I guess they just make more money in the long run with leased/financed cars.
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Feb 24, 2015 04:46
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Just wanted to follow up and say that I decided I'm going to lease a Nissan Leaf for two years. Georgia gives a $5k tax credit, so add that to gas savings and it costs less than $100/month to drive.
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Feb 24, 2015 05:48
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Radio Talmudist posted:I honestly didn't know that...this is a used car dealership though, I guess they just make more money in the long run with leased/financed cars. Is it a buy-here/pay-here place? If so, they're earning money on the interest (and you should seriously reevaluate buying from them). If not and the financing is through a more typical bank, they're probably getting a kickback from the bank. There's always the option of reading the loan paperwork very carefully to see if there's any prepayment penalty and just paying it off early, if you want to take advantage of the financing offer and not pay interest.
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Feb 24, 2015 06:12
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Omerta posted:Just wanted to follow up and say that I decided I'm going to lease a Nissan Leaf for two years. Georgia gives a $5k tax credit, so add that to gas savings and it costs less than $100/month to drive. Can you get the fit ev in GA? Comes with all insurance but liability, better to drive, and comes on an awesome blue color. The fiat 500 ev is also worth a look if you can deal with the size? With a short lease, I'd be less worried about electrical issues on it! Apparently fun to drive.
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Feb 24, 2015 06:43
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nm posted:Can you get the fit ev in GA? Comes with all insurance but liability, better to drive, and comes on an awesome blue color. I can't get either in Georgia. The 500e is limited to California and Oregon, and the Fit EV is limited to those two states and a few more.
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Feb 24, 2015 15:49
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So, an aux input would be a huge quality of life improvement in any car I'd buy, but I'm getting the sense that installing one is pretty trivial on most cars. Can I just go to a mechanic and get one installed?
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Feb 24, 2015 16:04
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Radio Talmudist posted:So, an aux input would be a huge quality of life improvement in any car I'd buy, but I'm getting the sense that installing one is pretty trivial on most cars. Can I just go to a mechanic and get one installed? I know that my sister's 2009 Ford Focus needs an AUX module, but for the price it'd almost be better to buy a new head unit.
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Feb 24, 2015 18:15
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Radio Talmudist posted:So, an aux input would be a huge quality of life improvement in any car I'd buy, but I'm getting the sense that installing one is pretty trivial on most cars. Can I just go to a mechanic and get one installed? It's going to vary a lot by specific car model/trim level, some being trivially easy and some being a full replacement. And the expense really has no relation to the cost of the car. For most 90s-early 00s cars it's trivially easy if they were ever offered with a CD changer since that's usually the input you plug in to. In my BMW it was a $20 OEM cable plugged into the back of the head unit. In my brother's Honda it was a whole new head unit. In my friend's Mazda it was a DIY solder hack (or a new head unit).
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Feb 24, 2015 19:48
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Proposed Budget: 15,000-18000 New or Used: Used Body Style: SUV How will you be using the car?: Daily commute to work. MPG is important and a mid sized for the body. We were looking at the 2012-2013 Chevy equinox and it seems to be a good option with good MPG and a good amount of room for moving things
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Feb 25, 2015 04:55
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Radio Talmudist posted:So, an aux input would be a huge quality of life improvement in any car I'd buy, but I'm getting the sense that installing one is pretty trivial on most cars. Can I just go to a mechanic and get one installed? What car? I know you said "any car you buy" but, as was mentioned above, there's a year-range that covers most cars that have pretty easy head-unit swap options, and then other years where car audio is a bit more complicated. If you buy a used car that has already had its head unit swapped for something aftermarket, a further upgrade is even easier - stick to the same brand (if available - Panasonic, despite the name, no longer makes car audio products) and the wiring should be exactly the same. You could get an additional AUX input installed by a mechanic or at a store that sells and installs car audio, and that would probably not cost too much and not take long. But a new unit is probably more fun for about the same cost. Most new head units these days have both AUX (3.5mm headphone) and USB inputs; some have a SD-card reader built in as well. You can fit a huge amount of music on a 8GB USB stick, and then you don't need to worry about phone or player batteries and a new unit will have playlist options. If you want to use your phone, many units are Android or iPhone compatible. If your car has a relatively easily swapped OEM head unit, putting in a new unit is actually very easy. Plus you get a shiny new aftermarket head unit - for like $100 - with more features than the factory basics. Most of those features will be "this unit can pump out a giant signal to your subwoofer so you can blow your rear windows out", but there are some surprising advantages to having a remote control, and multiple input modes. Check out Crutchfield, even if only to satisfy your curiosity.
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Feb 25, 2015 17:19
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FrameRelay posted:Proposed Budget: 15,000-18000 Why do you want an SUV? Is there some minimum cargo capacity you want? Do you offroad? Do you need more ground clearance, or a 4 wheel drive/all wheel drive system? Or is it just the style you prefer? This will help. No SUV gets amazing MPG, but there are better and worse ones.
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Feb 25, 2015 19:33
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What's the general view of this thread re: Audis? Reliable or difficult to maintain? Also, how are Mini Coopers? Are they harder to maintain being british cars?
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Feb 25, 2015 22:47
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Radio Talmudist posted:What's the general view of this thread re: Audis? Reliable or difficult to maintain? Minis are german cars with italian reliability. Audis are scary to own out of warranty, though thier reliability is getting somewhat better. I wouldn't call either reliable.
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Feb 25, 2015 23:45
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So like every car I find on Cars.com has a price that isn't the full price of the vehicle - its the cost after like a 3 or 4 grand down payment. But that's never reflected in the ad, at least not in an obvious way. Is this typical or car listings? Should I shop someplace else?
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Feb 26, 2015 01:40
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Radio Talmudist posted:So like every car I find on Cars.com has a price that isn't the full price of the vehicle - its the cost after like a 3 or 4 grand down payment. But that's never reflected in the ad, at least not in an obvious way. Is this typical or car listings? Should I shop someplace else? That isn't typical. It's probably not even typical for Cars.com (which last I checked was an outsourcing site for newspaper classifieds more than anything else, so it should vary a lot from area to area), it's probably just one rear end in a top hat car dealer spamming the poo poo out of it (and maybe some other dealers realizing what was going on and following suit). Shop someplace else. nm posted:Minis are german cars with italian reliability. There was a post in AI like 4 or 5 years ago where an Audi mechanic showed what they had to do to replace a torque converter on...either an Allroad or one of the Qs. They pretty much took the entire car apart forward of the doors, and it was something ridiculous like 40 shop hours.
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Feb 26, 2015 01:55
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So I got hit during an ice storm and now my car is scrap because the guy that hit me has better insurance. So I get to throw myself into the great American debt machine! Proposed Budget: 3-5,000. (I was not financially ready to get an apartment, let alone a car.) New or Used: Used Body Style: I prefer compacts, but I'll take anything. How will you be using the car? Daily commute to and from work, with city driving on the weekends. I live in Boulder, so handling in the snow is a must.
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Feb 26, 2015 01:59
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At sub-$5k prices, you will be restricted to cars that are one or more of: quite old, or in quite poor mechanical condition, or in quite poor cosmetic condition, or with quite high miles. Consequently it's difficult for folks to recommend a specific make/year/model to you. Instead, what you need to do is survey the available cars in your area, looking for a car which has a low price due to whichever of the above four things bothers you the least. You'll use your own visual inspection, followed by test drive, followed by a thorough Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) from a qualified mechanic, to determine if any specific car is in too poor of a mechanical condition to be worth buying. Of course, within the above list of cars, there will be some that we would recommend against; feel free to post a dozen cars you think are likely prospects and we can let you know which ones you should avoid, sight-unseen. Your need to handle snow will be resolved by budgeting for, and buying, four good quality snow tires. There are few vehicles that will perform so poorly with snow tires that you can't get around Boulder safely in them; while there are many vehicles with things like 4 wheel drive/ All Wheel Drive which are of secondary utility behind the snow tires, and of tertiary importance behind the general mechanical soundness of the car. It's also likely that, because of the prevalent misconception that one simply must have 4WD/AWD to cope with snow, any car with either type of transmission will carry a premium on the used car market, meaning you'll be trading off substantially in order to get one in your budget. Depending on your income, you might view your $3k to $5k car as something of a short-term vehicle to own until you can raise another $5k. At that point, you can sell the interim car for most or all of what you paid for it, combine your moneys, and afford a car in the $8k to $10k range; at that price level, there are many cars with lower miles, good condition, and nice-to-haves like AWD that you will be able to afford.
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Feb 26, 2015 02:08
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Seconding the winter tires. Spend $3K on a Civic or similar, then $800 on good winter tires, mounted and balanced on basic wheels so you can swap your summers and winters yourself.
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Feb 26, 2015 05:43
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Leperflesh posted:Why do you want an SUV? Is there some minimum cargo capacity you want? Do you offroad? Do you need more ground clearance, or a 4 wheel drive/all wheel drive system? Or is it just the style you prefer? This will help. My girlfriend has back problems so it's hard for her to get up and down in a car. Plus I already own a car so it would be nice to have another vehicle that has some space. I don't need amazing mpg just something around 30. It doesnt need a lot of power and it doesnt need 4wd and no off roading lol it is just a style she prefers. FrameRelay fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Feb 26, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 13:39
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SUV getting 30 combined is challenging.
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Feb 26, 2015 15:24
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Leperflesh posted:Good advice that makes me really sad. I'm going into debt either way, but I can probably get some help cosigning from my parents and can probably afford a $150 a month payment. Say I went up to the 8-10k range. Could we start naming reliable mid-size or wagons then?
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Feb 26, 2015 15:25
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what happens when you get in another accident with that cosigned note?
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Feb 26, 2015 15:29
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:what happens when you get in another accident with that cosigned note? I have to get cosigned either way. e: To clarify, I'm engaged, so my income is higher than I can report. In addition, I have 3 roommates in my apartment so my reported rent is higher than it actually is. Cast Iron Brick fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Feb 26, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 15:33
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:SUV getting 30 combined is challenging. Isn't the CRV right around there? This guy is basically looking for a taller entry - exit height which is very nice for elderly / injured people plus a little bit more space than the small sedans available on the US market and there's nothing really wrong with that. Ask IOC why he got his CRV, they're very practical cars.
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Feb 26, 2015 16:14
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FrameRelay posted:My girlfriend has back problems so it's hard for her to get up and down in a car. Plus I already own a car so it would be nice to have another vehicle that has some space. I don't need amazing mpg just something around 30. It doesnt need a lot of power and it doesnt need 4wd and no off roading lol it is just a style she prefers. The Equinox is probably fine, you could also look into a Nissan Rogue or Jeep Compass/Patriot.
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Feb 26, 2015 16:46
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Throatwarbler posted:The Equinox is probably fine, you could also look into a Nissan Rogue or Jeep Compass/Patriot. Or the new jeep renegade, though it is pricey
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Feb 26, 2015 16:50
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chupacabraTERROR posted:Or the new jeep renegade, though it is pricey It doesn't sound like he needs it but the Equinox is a midsize SUV that's significantly larger than the Renegade.
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Feb 26, 2015 16:59
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Twerk from Home posted:Isn't the CRV right around there? This guy is basically looking for a taller entry - exit height which is very nice for elderly / injured people plus a little bit more space than the small sedans available on the US market and there's nothing really wrong with that. Ask IOC why he got his CRV, they're very practical cars. Oh hi. Yeah, my 2013 CR-V has been averaging juuuust shy of 30MPG (29.4 according to aCar) since I got it. Seems like the new tires (which aren't LRR like the OEM set) have dropped the mileage a bit, but still...  I don't think the 2012-2014 CRV will be quite in your price range yet, though. The 2015 definitely won't be, but it should get a bit better mileage still. The 2012-2014 still has the old K24 and 5-speed automatic, the 2015 gets a direct-injected engine and a CVT. But it really is still just a slightly overgrown car, or the closest thing to a proper wagon you're going to get from most automakers. The extra height is definitely quite nice when hauling the kid in and out of the car since I don't need to be bent in half like in my old MS3.
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Feb 26, 2015 17:14
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FrameRelay posted:My girlfriend has back problems so it's hard for her to get up and down in a car. Plus I already own a car so it would be nice to have another vehicle that has some space. I don't need amazing mpg just something around 30. It doesnt need a lot of power and it doesnt need 4wd and no off roading lol it is just a style she prefers. You might include minivans and tall cars in your search (think crossovers), if you're not actually looking for rugged offroad capability (or the appearance of it), if the #1 requirement is the height of the driver's seat.
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Feb 26, 2015 17:23
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Twerk from Home posted:Isn't the CRV right around there? This guy is basically looking for a taller entry - exit height which is very nice for elderly / injured people plus a little bit more space than the small sedans available on the US market and there's nothing really wrong with that. Ask IOC why he got his CRV, they're very practical cars. I don't know how real world those MPG specs are, for instance, I have a "CUV" (2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport) and it was advertised as 22MPG combined but I'm actually getting 27.26MPG combined. I got my number by tracking how much fuel goes in every time I fill up at the pump. I drive pretty slow, but I live in hilly, wintery, snow tire conditions.
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Feb 26, 2015 17:27
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rt_hat posted:I don't know how real world those MPG specs are, for instance, I have a "CUV" (2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport) and it was advertised as 22MPG combined but I'm actually getting 27.26MPG combined. Are you sure you aren't confusing it with the Outlander? 
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Feb 26, 2015 17:46
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Cast Iron Brick posted:Say I went up to the 8-10k range. Could we start naming reliable mid-size or wagons then? Wagon or hatchback AWD Manual transmission and still have dozens of options. That's roughly the feature list and budget I'm considering (with the addition of 1996 or newer for OBD-II, and a registration history in the jurisdiction I'll be living in so there are no out-of-province inspection or emissions-testing surprises), and what I've seen includes Audi A4 wagons and Allroads from about 1998 to about 2004, a 2003 BMW 325iXT, a bunch of Subarus, and a handful of Volvos. And that's just the somewhat uncommon imports, I haven't seriously looked at the offerings from Ford/Chrysler/GM/Toyota/Honda. If low cost of ownership (insurance + expected maintenance) and low mileage were higher priorities for me, I'd be ignoring most of the Germans I've seen because it's pretty drat hard to find a BMW or Audi wagon for under $8K that doesn't have a million billion miles behind it. I should provide a disclaimer - the last time I went car shopping my list was "AWD and Turbocharger and not a Subaru" and I ended up with a BMW 328is, notable for being 2-wheel drive and naturally aspirated. Oh well.
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Feb 26, 2015 18:01
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Throatwarbler posted:Are you sure you aren't confusing it with the Outlander? Ahh you're right, my bad ! Edit: on closer look, it's interesting that the 4WD version of the Outlander Sport is slightly more gas economical than the 2WD version. rt_hat fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Feb 27, 2015 |
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Feb 26, 2015 21:29
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Twerk from Home posted:Isn't the CRV right around there? This guy is basically looking for a taller entry - exit height which is very nice for elderly / injured people plus a little bit more space than the small sedans available on the US market and there's nothing really wrong with that. Ask IOC why he got his CRV, they're very practical cars. Not a midsize.
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Feb 27, 2015 02:15
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My dad found an 2007 Audi A4 with 130k~ miles on it for 7000$ for me. I told him that while Audis seem like very nice cars, they also seem very expensive to maintain...and they need premium gas. Given that I want a reliable, fuel efficient car that requires minimal maintenance, I feel like going with the Audi A4 is not a smart decision.
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Feb 27, 2015 15:56
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Radio Talmudist posted:My dad found an 2007 Audi A4 with 130k~ miles on it for 7000$ for me. I told him that while Audis seem like very nice cars, they also seem very expensive to maintain...and they need premium gas. Given that I want a reliable, fuel efficient car that requires minimal maintenance, I feel like going with the Audi A4 is not a smart decision. That A4 is actually not a reliability train wreck like one a couple years older would be, but if you want a cheap to own economy car you shouldn't look at any generation of A4.
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Feb 27, 2015 16:10
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