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I'm trading in a car that is rolling the dice on when the motor will seize up and one of the pistons will weld itself to the inside of its chamber. They are offering me $9,000 because "there isn't any frame damage" and the most they could glean from the dashboard lights and noises was that "the engine made some chatter". I understand they won't turn down a trade-in because even if it can't be turned around to sell in their lot, they have some other ownership in auctioning and parting the vehicles out. My family has had good and bad return visits with different CarMax lots. A friend picked up a 25th anniversary Camaro for $13k a decade ago. From the three cars I drove around the other night, they all looked and performed like practically new vehicles despite being older or having a good amount of mileage. I'm not aware of their financing capabilities but I'm going to learn more this evening. They offer great vehicle history and approval information on all the sordid details (when available).
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May 2, 2016 13:30
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Buying a car through carmax is simple but you will not get a good deal. It's up to you how to weight these things. Cars sold through carmax are no more or less reliable than private party sales.
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May 2, 2016 15:16
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Bill NYSE posted:I'm trading in a car that is rolling the dice on when the motor will seize up and one of the pistons will weld itself to the inside of its chamber. They are offering me $9,000 because "there isn't any frame damage" and the most they could glean from the dashboard lights and noises was that "the engine made some chatter". I understand they won't turn down a trade-in because even if it can't be turned around to sell in their lot, they have some other ownership in auctioning and parting the vehicles out. You drove away from $9,000 cash, a $4,000 upside over your note, on a car whose next crank may be its last?
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May 2, 2016 15:39
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H110Hawk posted:You drove away from $9,000 cash, a $4,000 upside over your note, on a car whose next crank may be its last? Seriously. Tell me you took it. Carmax doesn't even require you to buy a car from them. I'd have taken an uber home with that offer.
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May 2, 2016 16:19
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MechaFrogzilla posted:This is from a page back, but I'd like to clarify because it's something I've been curious about. I've heard that dealer financing is a bad idea, and in the general conflict of interest sense I can see why. But, why exactly is it that they'll cost you more than a bank loan with a theoretically higher interest rate? Like, if you are approved for a 1.2% auto loan and the dealer has a 0.0% deal, how do they "getcha"? I assume some kind of punitive terms or fees? Financing you get through the dealer is not necessarily the same as the dealer financing that everyone tells you to avoid. A good dealer can set you up with perfectly fine financing, even if you're not able to get the manufacturer-subsidized new car deals (say, because you're buying used). You should still walk in with an offer from your bank or credit union, so you have more leverage over the terms and can handle shadier dealers pushing a rate that will get them a kickback, but it's not necessarily a bad idea to work through the dealership. In general, the dealership model means they want to get your rear end in a car and take your money, and they will try to get you acceptable financing terms so they can do that. The financing you should always avoid is the one where the dealership itself offers to lend money ("buy here, pay here"). This is the rent-to-own model applied to car ownership, complete with horrifying interest rates, loose adherence to regulations and honest business practices, and a, "why sell once when you can repo and sell it again and again?" business model. If you ever end up in a situation where you think it might possibly make sense to finance through a buy-here-pay-here lot, you'll be far better off if you get a bus pass and a Craigslist bike instead. Even if you have no legs and live in rural Idaho where the nearest bus stop is 100 miles away.
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May 2, 2016 19:28
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nm posted:Seriously. Tell me you took it. Carmax doesn't even require you to buy a car from them. I'd have taken an uber home with that offer. Oh, I am definitely taking the $9k and running. I got into the lot too late on Saturday and they were closed yesterday so I'm dealing with all the paperwork tonight. I had the option to take a few cars for a ride that I was already considering and they helped me get a better impression. It's kinda like the Best Buy of cars.
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May 2, 2016 21:29
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Glad my suggestion of dumping that on Carmax was a success. About the best outcome you could get really.
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May 2, 2016 21:42
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Bill NYSE posted:Oh, I am definitely taking the $9k and running. I got into the lot too late on Saturday and they were closed yesterday so I'm dealing with all the paperwork tonight. I had the option to take a few cars for a ride that I was already considering and they helped me get a better impression. It's kinda like the Best Buy of cars. Good job.
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May 2, 2016 21:45
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Bovril Delight posted:Glad my suggestion of dumping that on Carmax was a success. About the best outcome you could get really. 100% agree, thanks again! I think the timing did me favors too, as the guy doing estimates just wanted to go home. Thinking over all the tiny issues accumulated in the car made me realize that they're really getting the shaft on this one.
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May 2, 2016 21:48
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nm posted:Dealers are more loving over the ignorant or those with bad credit. Come in with your own rate and see if the dealer can beat it. This, come in with a 3rd party bank rate then if they can beat it awesome if they can't you still get a good rate from the other bank.
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May 2, 2016 22:32
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MechaFrogzilla posted:This is from a page back, but I'd like to clarify because it's something I've been curious about. I've heard that dealer financing is a bad idea, and in the general conflict of interest sense I can see why. But, why exactly is it that they'll cost you more than a bank loan with a theoretically higher interest rate? Like, if you are approved for a 1.2% auto loan and the dealer has a 0.0% deal, how do they "getcha"? I assume some kind of punitive terms or fees? For me it's more of a trust issue in regards to the fine print plus the fact they will try to use to their advantage (pay more for the car but get a lower rate or hidden "gotcha"s). I'd much rather go with a bank I trust considering I've already established a relationship with them and they'll be easier to work with should an unexpected issue pop up. If I don't know the finance company, then I run the risk of having little to no support or needing to jump over hoops to get an issue resolved. Plus it takes that negotiating token off the board. That being said, I think large dealerships are probably less likely to screw you over in this way. Toyota, for example, works exclusively with banks like my local credit union, which is great. I still walked into my bank to get the loan because I'm paranoid. Ultimately, I want to know the reliability of who's handling my money. But that's just me and my opinion. There will always be exceptions. inkblottime fucked around with this message at 22:42 on May 2, 2016 |
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May 2, 2016 22:36
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Excellent, that's very helpful. Thanks, all. Seems helpful to include the source of financing on a list of things to shop around for, outside the seller itself.
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May 4, 2016 14:17
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I'm looking to buy a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. My budget is about 25K financing. I'd like it to be manual, certified and preferably already some kind of lift/wheels work done for trail/off-road. I've found that to be a pretty short list without a crazy number of miles, and specifically found the following one: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/661937020/overview/ Would appreciate any thoughts about that particular vehicle. CarFax at https://www.cars.com/ajax/coreshoppingsupportapi/1.0/listing/vhr/661937020?linklocation=results&aff=national I'm especially surprised it hasn't moved yet, since I can't seem to find anything with low miles that is certified and a rubicon under like 30K (in PA/NY/NJ/DE). I also am curious about the recent history on the CarFax: it was first offered for sale (a) 9/14/15 at Flemington Car & Truck Country -- then auctioned, then for sale again (b) 10/21/15 at Route 33 Nissan -- then (c) certified and for sale again at current dealer. Is that common for a car to move around between dealers like that, and should I be concerned that it was auctioned?
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May 5, 2016 17:44
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What's the requirement for certified? It's going to be hard to find a certified car with a lift or otherwise non stock parts because nobody wants to add on an extra warranty to non stock suspension. Auctioned could be anything from a repo to a trade in that the dealer didn't want to worry about so they sold it.
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May 5, 2016 18:06
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Bovril Delight posted:What's the requirement for certified? It's going to be hard to find a certified car with a lift or otherwise non stock parts because nobody wants to add on an extra warranty to non stock suspension. Gotcha. Just spoke with Jeep about it, and while it wasn't super clear what the guy was explaining, it sounds like the car can pass the inspection points mandated by the certified program even with aftermarket parts, but if something fails, then only factory parts will actually be covered.
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May 5, 2016 19:17
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I hope this is the right thread for this but I need help. I'm going to preface this inquiry by saying I was dumb, foolish, and frustrated so I'll take my hits as you guys dish them. Anyway, back in March I financed a 2015 Ford Focus ST through Ford Credit at 1.9% APR for about $19,000. I traded in a 2003 Honda Civic with major cosmetic problems and a $1500 down payment. Here's my problem, I don't think I can afford it and I don't really want it. What are my options? I know about willing repossession, refinancing, and taking a loss. Is it possible to sell it privately or to another dealer for say around $15,000 and walking away with paying the difference? I live in southern Delaware and there is about 1100 miles on the car. Thank you for any help.
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May 6, 2016 02:17
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Friendly reminder that there's "Certified" at the dealer which usually means they toss on some 3rd party warranty that may or may not be good, and there's Manufacturer certified which depending on the car will fit specific requirements, and you get a warranty that's usable at any dealer. vv is a good list of Manufacturer certification programs and what they offer vv http://www.cars.com/go/advice/shopping/cpo/programs/programGuide.jsp
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May 6, 2016 02:22
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waggles posted:I hope this is the right thread for this but I need help. I'm going to preface this inquiry by saying I was dumb, foolish, and frustrated so I'll take my hits as you guys dish them. What did you actual purchase the car for (the purchase price before you gave them any of your assets such as a honda civic beater or $1500 of your cash), what did they give you for your civic in trade, and how much do you owe on the note? To start: Don't take the credit hit on anything other than paying off the note.
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May 6, 2016 03:04
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waggles posted:I hope this is the right thread for this but I need help. I'm going to preface this inquiry by saying I was dumb, foolish, and frustrated so I'll take my hits as you guys dish them. You need to find out the pay off amount for the note. It will be more than the car is worth, so you will need to pay the difference. My recommendation is for your credit's sake to suck it up if at all possible (unless you can pay the balance). With a low apr and a reasonable downpayment, you may approach your payoff amount being lower than the value within the next year or so. Other (bad) options: Repo. This basically looks the same voluntary or not. Hope you don't like having credit for 7 years. Trade it in and work the loss into another car. Basically you'll be upsidedown forever on your used beater you replace it with, but the payments will be lower. Not smart, but probably better than a repo. Refi for a longer period of time. This sucks. You'll get a lovely interest rate and you'll end up paying way, way more and probably be paying for the car well past the warranty period. Insurance fraud. Make sure you have gap coverage. Downside: possible prison time.
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May 6, 2016 03:22
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Dont' do a repo it will gently caress your credit then you're buying a 93 Metro for $99 a week for 2 years, until your credit settles and the repo has some time to fall off.
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May 6, 2016 04:50
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I'm just window shopping at this point, but sometime around the end of the year, there's a chance that I may be looking for a new car. I want a wagon. What I'm wondering is: is there any reason to not buy a Chevy HHR? On paper they look pretty good, reliability looks acceptable on Truedelta, the last couple years had side curtain air bags, which are something I think I'd like to have. Fuel efficiency is good enough, and I'll bet I could better the EPA mileage by quite a bit with a manual. They look a little on the narrow side, which might preclude moving some large objects with one, but configuration-wise that's the only possible down side I can see. Is there anything seriously wrong with the things?
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May 6, 2016 05:25
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Its ugly and also a cobalt but uglier. The SS version also didn't have the handling bits from the cobalt SS.
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May 6, 2016 06:40
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They're better than a PT Cruiser. That's about all the good things I can come up with. A Honda Fit has basically equivalent cargo room as an HHR and is a much better car with much better fuel economy.
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May 6, 2016 13:08
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JnnyThndrs posted:A Honda Fit has basically equivalent cargo room No, it doesn't. Also, the hatch is a less practical shape in terms of what you could fit through it. (edit: might have safety benefits?)
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May 7, 2016 00:43
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VideoTapir posted:the hatch is a less practical shape What? Hatchbacks are about a billion times more practical than sedans.
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May 7, 2016 04:04
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ma i married a tuna posted:What? Hatchbacks are about a billion times more practical than sedans. He was comparing it to an HHR, which is not a sedan.
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May 7, 2016 04:07
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ma i married a tuna posted:What? Hatchbacks are about a billion times more practical than sedans. The actual hatch opening, which is less rectangular and farther from the cargo floor than the one on the HHR. They're kind of on the edge of cross-shoppability. edit: did the Honda Fit sedan come out outside Japan? That could explain the confusion. VideoTapir fucked around with this message at 06:41 on May 7, 2016 |
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May 7, 2016 06:39
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VideoTapir posted:What I'm wondering is: is there any reason to not buy a Chevy HHR? Consumerreports has decent ratings for 2011 HHR. There might have been an issue with the drive system in the '09 and '10 models but they seem to have resolved it right before it was discontinued. They say it's noisy, has some pretty big blind spots, and it's sluggish to turn and accelerate but if you don't mind those things, it's probably a decent, cheap wagon to go with. Personally, I'd spend a little more to get an older, higher mileage CR-V, which has a similar MPG but is more agile and has more cargo space, plus is reliable as gently caress.
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May 7, 2016 08:32
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What platform is the Prius V built on? Is it literally just a taller / bigger prius? It's very high on my list of next cars but just want to make sure it's an embiggened version of the Prius, not something goofy like the Prius C. Any issues with it?
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May 7, 2016 22:31
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Tyro posted:What platform is the Prius V built on? Is it literally just a taller / bigger prius? It's very high on my list of next cars but just want to make sure it's an embiggened version of the Prius, not something goofy like the Prius C. Any issues with it? It is the bigger version of the 3rd gen prius, so it should be pretty trouble free. Given that the gen 4 prius is out, there will probably be a new Prius V soon.
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May 7, 2016 22:45
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Tyro posted:What platform is the Prius V built on? Is it literally just a taller / bigger prius? It's very high on my list of next cars but just want to make sure it's an embiggened version of the Prius, not something goofy like the Prius C. Any issues with it? Want to buy mine? It's in Los Angeles.
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May 7, 2016 23:47
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Thanks, NM.H110Hawk posted:Want to buy mine? It's in Los Angeles. Wrong coast, unfortunately.
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May 8, 2016 00:56
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My 1995 Miata may not be long for this world. Last night, I think the water pump finally gave out a few blocks from my house. I'm really not sure I want to put more money into the car when I've had it for 10 years as a daily driver and it's really starting to show its age (bad paint on the hood and fenders, bad rust in the usual spots, general wear). I just put $700 in to get it to pass inspection three weeks ago, including four new tires, and I'm weighing whether to even fix it or to just try to sell it to someone as-is and let them deal with it. I just think I might be ready for something else. Fortunately, I have access to another car so I don't have to run right out and get myself screwed over buying a car right away, so I can take my time and decide. Proposed Budget: $10-12K New or Used: Used, preferably less than 50K miles Body Style: While I love little cars, I'm thinking something moderately more practical than the Miata, like a small hatchback. How will you be using the car?: Mostly just commuting, with the occasional short road trip. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? Not at all. What aspects are most important to you? I want something that's reliable without being completely boring. I prefer manual, but I can live with automatic. I'm really open to suggestions, but the two cars I've honed in on are the Ford Fiesta and the Mazda2. The Mazda2 isn't being sold in the U.S. any more (at least for 2016)... is it stupid to think about the availability of parts down the road when buying a used car? I tend to buy and hold cars until they die rather than buy new every few years. I had my last two cars for 10 years each. I'm sort of leaning Fiesta for that reason, but I'm still in the very early research stage and haven't even driven either one yet. Anyone have any other suggestions I should look at? Undervalued gems? I also thought about maybe a gen 2 Prius since that comes up here so frequently, but I'm not a big fan of the way the rear window is split (reminds me of the old Honda CRX which I didn't like), and they sell for a lot around here even when they have over 100K on the odometer. I also like the Honda Fit, but I think that'll be the same deal where it's hard to find a decently priced one with low miles. MegoSteve fucked around with this message at 21:39 on May 8, 2016 |
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May 8, 2016 21:37
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According to Consumer Reports, there's been a lot of reported issues with the transmission in the Fiesta, plus it's over all rating is fairly low. Mazda's seem to have a better reputation but there wasn't any further info on the site about the Mazda 2. I did notice that the Scion iA was listed as an alternative to the Mazda 2 and it has a high rating. Unfortunately, it looks like it's a little above your budget. If you were willing to go a little higher, you might take a look at it as well as the Prius. Keep in mind that hybrid/electric cars tend to go for less while the fuel prices are low. You might be able to use that to your advantage when negotiating. The newer Ford Focus (2015-16) seems to be a better option over the Fiesta, however that's also above your price range.
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May 8, 2016 21:56
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A discontinued car from an existing manufacturer will have lots of parts availiblity. If they sold the new mazda 2 here, none of the parts would work anyhow as it is a completely new car. Also, the mazda 2 shares a lot of parts with the fiesta. The drivetrains are unique though. The mazda is lighter and drives sportier. The fiesta has more creature comforts and features. The mazda has a lovely automatic. It won't break, but it is clunky. I think the ford may have an automated manual, which will shift better but breaks a lot.
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May 8, 2016 22:15
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inkblottime posted:According to Consumer Reports, there's been a lot of reported issues with the transmission in the Fiesta, plus it's over all rating is fairly low. Mazda's seem to have a better reputation but there wasn't any further info on the site about the Mazda 2. The Scion iA is the Mazda2.
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May 8, 2016 22:38
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Phone posted:The Scion iA is the Mazda2. Yes, but uglier with a hatch. The mazda 2 is nhtsa and epa legal, so if anyone wants to import one from PR they can be cool (as cool as you can br in a japanese subcompact).
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May 8, 2016 22:54
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Thanks for the replies. My dad shared his Consumer Reports with me, and I saw the low Fiesta ratings. I guess I'll scratch that off the list and keep searching. Does the Versa Note have a bad rep here? I could swear I read somewhere in here that it's kind of cheap in terms of interior quality, but CR rates it pretty high and it's cheap. Honda Fit is something I really like, too, but am I being a blockhead about mileage? I could find them in my range if I'm willing to drive a little further away or accept more miles on it, I think. MegoSteve fucked around with this message at 00:52 on May 9, 2016 |
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May 9, 2016 00:43
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The fiesta problems only apply to the automatic, I think the manual is the exact same transmission as the mazda2. I had a mantran fiesta and it was pretty good.
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May 9, 2016 00:56
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Throatwarbler posted:The fiesta problems only apply to the automatic, I think the manual is the exact same transmission as the mazda2. I had a mantran fiesta and it was pretty good. That's kind of what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I think I'll try to drive one and see how it ranks. Thank you.
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May 9, 2016 01:00
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