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Ciaphas posted:Few months out on my lease, sure, but just for giggles I think I'll go test drive a Volt if I can this weekend. Anything I should keep in mind or look out for in the test drive for a primarily-electric car that differs from an ICE? Only thing I can think of is seeing how well I tolerate the regen braking/one-pedal-driving thing. The 100% torque access at 0 RPM is a nice bonus.
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Nov 22, 2016 22:44
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Ciaphas posted:Few months out on my lease, sure, but just for giggles I think I'll go test drive a Volt if I can this weekend. Anything I should keep in mind or look out for in the test drive for a primarily-electric car that differs from an ICE? Only thing I can think of is seeing how well I tolerate the regen braking/one-pedal-driving thing. Expect dealers to be a little clueless, and make sure the car is actually charged and not just running on the ICE. I didn't even notice the regenerative braking when I test drove a Volt. Otherwise, it's a pretty regular car. The shifter and some of the gauges are a little weird, and I wouldn't say the infotainment system is great, but as far as a commuter goes it seems like a solid choice. Definitely consider buying one off-lease, depreciation on them is huge.
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Nov 22, 2016 23:49
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AriTheDog posted:Expect dealers to be a little clueless, and make sure the car is actually charged and not just running on the ICE. I didn't even notice the regenerative braking when I test drove a Volt. Otherwise, it's a pretty regular car. The shifter and some of the gauges are a little weird, and I wouldn't say the infotainment system is great, but as far as a commuter goes it seems like a solid choice. Definitely consider buying one off-lease, depreciation on them is huge. When you say buying one off-lease, do you mean buying after the lease is over or buying a used one? I was led to understand the following about cars- - Leasing > Financing for high depreciation new cars, especially if you're the type (like me  ) who likes a new car every 3-5 years- Buying after lease is always the worst thing you can do with your money But I'd love to be corrected. Also, is the depreciation on the Volt just because it's an electric and electric car tech is moving at comparatively blazing speed, or is there more to it than that?
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Nov 22, 2016 23:56
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Ciaphas posted:When you say buying one off-lease, do you mean buying after the lease is over or buying a used one? I was led to understand the following about cars- The big depreciation is for two reasons. You're right that electric cars depreciate faster because of fast moving tech. The 3 year old Volts hitting the used market depreciate even more because the 2016 model year had a major redesign with a greater range on pure battery mode. CannonFodder fucked around with this message at 10:33 on Nov 24, 2016 |
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Nov 24, 2016 10:30
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Ciaphas posted:When you say buying one off-lease, do you mean buying after the lease is over or buying a used one? I was led to understand the following about cars- You'll find different opinions about leasing vs. financing, but yeah if you intend to trade in the car after 3 years leasing is likely a better choice. Might be a little different with a car that holds its value extremely well, but you'll still have to go to the trouble of selling it or losing money via trade-in. Buying after a lease is fine if you really like the car and want to keep it, but it's probably not going to be the cheapest way to purchase a car. You can do the math, however, and calculate the price difference if you get the residual, the monthly, and all fees. That buys you the option to try the car out for a few years, and if you don't like it it's easy to get rid of it. With some brands it's really not bad, and the cost will be within a few hundred dollars of what you might have paid. That said, the suggestion is to let the leasing agency contact you at the end of the lease and make you an offer, sometimes (supposedly) you can get a good deal that way. As CannonFodder said, yeah, Volts were updated in 2016 with greater range, and there's the EV subsidy that they qualify for (which also renders other EVs super cheap on the used market). But, if you can charge at work or home (particularly with solar) and your commute fits into the range, they seem like a great option for the price.
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Nov 24, 2016 18:11
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Alright, thanks for the info. I'ma try to test drive the Volt this weekend. Still looking forward to seeing how the Bolt does in its first few months in the wild before my lease comes up, though; I don't travel much at all (last time was in 2012, and that was by air ) so the extra gas mileage on the Volt isn't strictly relevant except for long cross-town errands. (ed) Either way I still have to figure out from other electric owners if it's doable to live on 110v charging at home, rather than the 240v upgrade. Ciaphas fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Nov 24, 2016 |
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Nov 24, 2016 18:47
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Buying off lease is different from buying after your own lease. The former is perfectly fine as a lot of the depreciation will have already happened and leased cars don't get treated like crap like rentals, the latter you'll want to do the math on depending on the car.
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Nov 24, 2016 20:49
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Welp, I probably totaled my car last night. gently caress me, but luckily no one was hurt, no other vehicles were involved, and I've got a sizeable emergency fund for this kind of thing. I'm gonna need a new (used) car now. Proposed Budget: $10,000 New or Used: Used Body Style: Compact, probably four doors. How will you be using the car? Daily short commute, trips out to stores, longer trips on weekends to see friends. It would be nice if it was practical for carrying stuff, like a hatchback. What aspects are most important to you? Reliability is the big one, though I've also grown quite attached to the automatic climate control and tight steering in my now toast RSX. So I'm thinking a second generation Prius, or maybe one of the earlier third generations. Are there any big improvements in the third gen that are worth the increased price tag? I don't actually drive very much in terms of mileage, so fuel economy isn't the biggest concern. Anything else I should consider in light of that? Alternatively, I could probably pick up another RSX for like $5000 or less. I liked my now dead RSX a lot, but at this point the RSX is old enough that I'm not sure buying another makes a lot of sense in 2016. EDIT: I seems I don't have rental car coverage. I don't know why, it's only like $2/month. Make sure you check that box when taking out your policy! I'll probably have to rent out of pocket for a couple of weeks now, oh well.
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Nov 27, 2016 21:15
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You can get a pretty cheap car from enterprise if you talk to them abouyt long term rates. The amount you'll pay will likely be less than you'll pay for rushing into something. The second gen prius has a better known reliability record than the third gen, but there is nothing wrong with either. I'd probably take a last year 2nd gen over a 1st year 3rd gen.
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Nov 27, 2016 22:05
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nm posted:You can get a pretty cheap car from enterprise if you talk to them abouyt long term rates. The amount you'll pay will likely be less than you'll pay for rushing into something. Check with AAA about breakdown discounts or ask your insurance carrier who they contract with for rentals. Call them up and say you're with so-and-so carrier doing an out of pocket/self-pay insurance rental. I do not have rental coverage either but I got a rental for about $20/week cheaper than I could get on my own. It helps to actually call places.
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Nov 27, 2016 22:18
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Priceline that rental cost too. I got a rental for $7/day once with taxes. Sure it was a compact but you really can't beat that.
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Nov 27, 2016 22:56
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I have a 97 ranger, the cooling system is starting to eat itself and I expect that it will be a money pit moving forward. I am therefore looking at getting a replacement truck in manual. My fussy grumpy reason for small trucks is that I don't want to drive a boat down the road, and I want to be able to look outside the vehicle reasonably. So many modern sedans have windows that could be enlarged with an office hole punch. At this point, I see a few options: I can pay ~$14k cash for a '10 ranger that ticks the right boxes (under 100k miles, 4wd, 6 cyl 4L, seems really clean), but the dealer is a lovely local dealer (they have two locations, I walked into one looking for the truck and got pounced on with a caricature of a used car salesman interaction, but the gal at the other location was much more reasonable) I can finance a new Tacoma for $30-35kish. Negative is that even though they're currently the smallest current production trucks they're still pretty goddamn big compared to my current ranger. I like the access cab, but it's not available on the "off road" model with a manual transmission. The sport gets me the access cab and a 6' bed, but seems slightly less capable overall, and has the dumb ornamental hood scoop. A used Tacoma doesn't seem worthwhile, I regularly see ads for recent model years with 50-150k miles for maybe $5k off what I'd pay for a new one - so why bother with used basically. Pretty much every thread I've seen have the discussion points towards the taco as the way to go, so I figure, ultimately, I should suck it up and go that way. Is there a convincing argument to go for the sport access vs off road double? If I finance, does it make sense to drop $15-$20k so I only finance the amount I have to? I'd probably be looking at around 1% APR. This is going to be a commuter vehicle 99% of the time. Small mountain roads 1% of the time. Maybe haul a motorcycle now and again. No plans on trailers.
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Nov 28, 2016 06:03
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I'd buy the newest, lowest-mileage Ranger(2012?) I could find and call it a day, but that's just me. I find the newer Tacos to be huge and way, way overpriced for what they are, and buying one just to commute with seems kinda a waste. Rangers are are at least as reliable as modern Toyotas, and the '98-up models have a modern front suspension that drives way better than the old ones.
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Nov 28, 2016 14:16
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I like turtles posted:I have a 97 ranger, the cooling system is starting to eat itself and I expect that it will be a money pit moving forward. I am therefore looking at getting a replacement truck in manual. lovely local dealers can be corralled. Dropping an extra $15k on a taco doesn't seem worth it to me. Have a heart to heart with the local guy about how he's losing the sale by playing those stupid games. They're used to people being in a bind because the corner lot is the only place that will finance them or are otherwise easily pushed around. Get pre-approved for a loan from somewhere offering ~1.5-2% to show him you mean business. In 13 years buy another 6 year old ranger. Get a PPI for $100. If you do finance at 1% I would finance the whole thing, tax tag license and registration included. 1% is incredibly low, on par with the interest rate at your (new?) bank: https://www.capitalone.com/online-money-market-account/ - having capital to leverage is more useful in my opinion.
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Nov 28, 2016 22:57
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Is the fact that the ranger was sold at a dealer auction in Canada a good, bad, or immaterial thing? It was single owner before that, no accidents recorded on the carfax, etc. Should carfax have any issues from Canada, or is it worth my time to get the Canadian version which appears to be "carproof.com"? I figure I may be able to get pretty drat close to the actual selling price for the vehicle, and a local trusted mechanic said he'd take a look at it for free... Edit: Looks like a carproof may be worth getting, discussion online is that the reports can definitely be different. I like turtles fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Nov 29, 2016 |
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Nov 29, 2016 02:30
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Alright, our little trooper of a civic just got totaled from a <5mph fender bender, sooo... Proposed Budget: 8-10k, can obviously go lower if it doesn't mean a huge drop in quality New or Used: used Body Style: midsize? The 08 4 door civic was a bit tight at times, but it's just the two of us so an suv or pickup would be too much imo How will you be using the car?: commuting, 500 mile round trips to family,  towing ~1500lb once a month possibly through hilly terrain What aspects are most important to you? reliability, cheap to maintain, mpg, exhaust is unicorn farts I live in washington dc. I commute a short distance to work (5 miles), and every so often do long distance trips (200-400 miles one way). I tow my bike to trackdays about once a month during riding season, which can include going through winding roads and up and down long grades. The civic actually managed the towing part alright, but I only got to do it once before the accident so I don't know how it would have been in the long term.  Basically what we want is the smallest car possible that can still tow without grenading itself. Wagons would probably be ok too - we were peeping subaru outbacks and the like.
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Nov 29, 2016 14:54
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I found a 2011 Prius that I like at a reasonable price, but I'm seeing reports online of third gen Prius engines developing an excessive oil consumption issue that is prohibitively expensive to fix. Some sources say this is restricted to the 2010 year, but others say it exists all throughout the third gen, but is primarily reported in 2010s because it doesn't develop until higher mileage has been put on the engine. Does anyone here happen to be knowledgeable on this issue?
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Dec 2, 2016 02:01
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Guys quick: 2007 Highlander 3.3 V6 Base @ 40k miles Or 2008 Cadillac SRX Northstar @ 80k miles At less than a thousand difference in price.
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Dec 6, 2016 20:31
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I think both the srx and northstar had a bunch of issues iirc.
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Dec 6, 2016 20:51
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The Highlander every day and twice on sunday.
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Dec 6, 2016 21:03
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IRQ posted:The Highlander every day and twice on sunday. I concur.
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Dec 6, 2016 21:11
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I GOT THE NORTHSTAR! I didn't actually. Thanks thread.
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Dec 6, 2016 21:22
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Proposed Budget: We are still waiting to hear back from the insurance company, but up to $8,000 sounds reasonable New or Used: Used Body Style: Wagon preferred, although I suspect its time for me to accept my fate and get a minivan How will you be using the car: The car will be a people hauler/grocery getter/occasional family road trip vehicle. We have two children currently and can reasonably expect to have a third while we still own this car. What aspects are most important to you? A car that can comfortably get me and my kids around town, but something that I can still enjoy driving at least a little bit. We need to be able to fit two full size adults, three kids and a jogging stroller for two in the back. Our 2000 540i wagon was side swiped last week and the insurance adjuster was just out, we are still waiting to get a valuation back but he made it sound very likely that the damage will total out the car. I really, really liked this car and if it is totaled we are considering buying it back and repairing it, but on the flip side I think it might be for the best to go ahead and get a more reliable people mover. Various sensors on the 540i were starting to fail and while none of these had ever left us stranded or even been that difficult to replace it was becoming clear that electrical gremlins were in our near future. I really would prefer a wagon to a minivan, but the only manufactures making full size wagosn these days seem to be the luxury brands. Ive considered a more recent BMW wagon as a replacement since E46 wagons seem fairly common but I am really not as familiar with the E46 as I am with the E39. Another alternative I am considering is a Mazda 5 which I also know very little about and I dread the prospect, but based on the pictures Ive seen it look like it would do a pretty good job at moving my family around, albeit in a very boring manner. Any recommendations and/or feedback would be really appreciated. Edit: A first gen Scion xB has also been recommended to me. There are actually a few of these with a manual selling for very cheap near me. All have around 150,000 miles on the odometer though. I find these interesting so any feedback on them would be appreciated as well. DapperDraculaDeer fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Dec 7, 2016 |
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Dec 7, 2016 13:28
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Northstars, other than the very early ones that leaked oil from the lower block/main bearing web like sieves, were very reliable. There were some complaints of the head studs pulling out of the block slightly and causing head gasket failures at high milages(150-180K miles) but they fixed that by...'01, I believe. There are insert kits that fix it but you have to pull the motor to do it and that's a nightmare. SRX's......had issues.
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Dec 7, 2016 14:29
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Proposed Budget: Around $20,000 New or Used: Used Body Style: SUV or Crossover How will you be using the car?: Mostly commuting, occasionally transporting large things like furniture or multiple bodies of people what aspects are most important to you?: Low maintenance costs, reliability, safety, having the convenience of room in the back We had a 2005 Ford Freestyle and want to replace it with a similarly sized SUV/Crossover (we definitely don't want to go bigger). We were considering looking at Ford Escapes and Subaru Outbacks. I think the Mazda CX-5 looks ugly. Are there any other cars we should be looking at?
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Dec 7, 2016 18:51
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CoffeeBooze posted:Proposed Budget: We are still waiting to hear back from the insurance company, but up to $8,000 sounds reasonable Ford Flex. Double check the internet for the buyout price on the 540i, but I would consider it a blessing to have insurance buy out your perfectly functional car with no electrical gremlins. You would likely spend $8k on repairs in the next 2-3 years if the lights are starting to flicker. Perfect timing!
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Dec 7, 2016 22:10
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2010 Outback 3.6R @ 105k miles for $12k Single owner Or 2006 B9 Tribeca @ 105k miles for $9k three owners These are my most likely options. Both are similarly equipped, I can't get over the Tribeca front end. Wasabi the J fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Dec 7, 2016 |
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Dec 7, 2016 22:18
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Wasabi the J posted:2010 Outback 3.6R @ 105k miles for $12k Single owner The choice between these two is so blindingly obvious. You must not live in the Northwest or Colorado if you can find a single-owner 2010 Outback with the H6 for only 12k. Guinness fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Dec 7, 2016 |
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Dec 7, 2016 22:40
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Guinness posted:The choice between these two is so blindingly obvious. Thanks it's being purchased right now.
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Dec 7, 2016 22:57
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Seeing a 2008 Outback with the 2.5 in DC. Belts and gaskets done at 80k, 112k miles. His starting offer is 7800, but I want to talk him down to 6500, or is his price (over KBB) fair market this time of year?
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Dec 7, 2016 23:43
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Tell me about "Executive Demo Cars". I understand that means it was someone at corporate free car for a bit. Looking at one with 2500 miles on it. Are they blanket stay away ceompletely? Is there due diligence that I can do regarding this? What type of discount should I look for if I pursue it? I have not gotten a quote on it yet. It is a 2016 Hyundia Sonata Hybrid Limited with ultimate package. I have an offer on a non executive demo on from the same place for 28k out the door (includes taxes etc, state is VA).
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Dec 9, 2016 18:58
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emocrat posted:Tell me about "Executive Demo Cars". I understand that means it was someone at corporate free car for a bit. Looking at one with 2500 miles on it. That's what the dealership will tell you but actually if it's a low end model without options then it was probably a service department loaner that 100 random people have beaten to death and if it's a high end model with lots of options or a 2 door sports car type vehicle then it was probably a press review car that Motortrend has just thrashed around a race track for 100 laps or something.
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Dec 9, 2016 19:12
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emocrat posted:Tell me about "Executive Demo Cars". I understand that means it was someone at corporate free car for a bit. Looking at one with 2500 miles on it. Are they blanket stay away ceompletely? Is there due diligence that I can do regarding this? What type of discount should I look for if I pursue it? I don't find the discount on these to generally be worth it. These cars can be anything from "The General Manager drove it around for 6 months for free as a perk", to "It was service loaner vehicle than dozens of people have borrowed over the last year while their car is in the shop". Here in San Antonio quite a few loaner cars pop up after the PGA tour leaves town. Cadillac or whoever provides a bunch of demo/loaner cars to PGA folks while there in town, and then sell them afterwards at mild discounts.
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Dec 9, 2016 19:40
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Don't buy a Hyundai. Especially don't buy a service beater Hyundai.
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Dec 9, 2016 20:08
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emocrat posted:Tell me about "Executive Demo Cars". I understand that means it was someone at corporate free car for a bit. Looking at one with 2500 miles on it. Are they blanket stay away ceompletely? Is there due diligence that I can do regarding this? What type of discount should I look for if I pursue it?
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Dec 9, 2016 20:17
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Thanks for the advice all, much appreciated.Phone posted:Don't buy a Hyundai. Any reason in particular?
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Dec 9, 2016 20:23
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They fall in the same pitfall of VW where everything looks great on paper, but the actual experience don't live up to the spec sheet of numbers. My friend had a MY2011 or 2012 Sonata with the 2.0T motor, and the DBW system is tuned to give you 80% throttle at 10% gas pedal because it leaves a good impression of "this car is quick" on the test drive. When you actually floor it, it doesn't go/pull noticeably faster/harder because it already gave you most of what it had. Post up a budget and what you're looking for, and the thread will give you a few suggestions. Expect Focus, Mazda3, Prius, and a Civic recommendation in your future.
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Dec 9, 2016 20:36
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Proposed Budget: $25k US, with some wiggle room New or Used: New Body Style: 4 door, wagon hatchback How will you be using the car? - Commuting to work/school, possibly 50+ miles a day - Used to transport gear (tent, cooler, etc.) for camping trips - When we have kids (at least 3+ years out), we'll like this to be a family car - Mainly just for use for me and my wife - We do not have a garage, so this will be parked out on the street. Northern California weather, so relatively mild, but it still gets kinda cold and rainy - There's a small chance (25%?) we'll take up surfing in the future, so we may have to transport surfboards What aspects are most important to you? 1. Reliability 2. MPG 3. Maintenance costs More questions: - I will probably get a car loan through Redwood Credit Union. They're a good local credit union. But I've never got a car loan before. My credit rating about a year ago was 800, but it's gone down to like 740 (so I'm kinda at a low point in my credit score right now). I don't know anything about car loans. Is there anything I need to be aware of or watch out for? - It's getting near the end of the year, so I'm guessing dealerships are trying to sell their 2016 models to make way for 2017 models. I'm guessing you also have salesmen trying to meet their yearly goals. In other words, would my odds increase of getting a good deal on a car if I waited until the end of the month? Or is November usually a better month to buy and I missed my chance on getting a good deal? - Is there a good site that I can use to make sure I'm getting a good deal/price on my car? Cars I'm interested in: 2015-2017 Toyota Prius (V) - any known issues? Dahbadu fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Dec 9, 2016 |
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Dec 9, 2016 20:42
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You only have to worry about your credit score for a car loan if it's sub 700. You should be able to get the prime rate with any lender with a 740. For right now, hit up all of the Japanese manufacturers' dealerships and go on test drives to see what you think and feel about the cars. Your budget is large enough to the point where you can base your purchase over the minor differences between brands and models.
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Dec 9, 2016 20:48
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Phone posted:They fall in the same pitfall of VW where everything looks great on paper, but the actual experience don't live up to the spec sheet of numbers. I am actually coming from a VW Passat TDI that is being bought back. Other than it not being what I was told, I have actually really liked the car. Very comfy and has met all my needs. The complaint on the Hyundia seems very subjective, basically, its not as fast/powerful as you thought. Doesn't really scream never buy Hyundia to me, but, we all have different preferences. Sure, heres a budget: Proposed Budget: up to 32k. Paying Cash. New or Used: Either, but if used pretty low miles and recent. Like less than 30k miles. Body Style: 4 door sedan or wagon How will you be using the car?: Daily commute for me, my wife and 2 kids, still in carseats. With a few long road trips throughout the year. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? Sort of. I don't need Lexus or BMW etc level, but I do need it to be fairly comfy, and quiet to drive. More safety features are good, as kids are distracting. What aspects are most important to you? Reliability and MPG then comfort. I live in the US, in Virginia. Originally I was looking at crossovers, but I came to the conclusion that they basically sacrificed a large amount of MPG for a moderate amount of cargo space vs a sedan and cost slightly more. We considered a 7 seater of some type, but decided a 5 seater meets our needs now and will continue to for a while. High MPG is important to us. I have driven many Prius, I will not buy one. I have owned a civic and while I liked it at the time, I can afford and want better than that class of car, more comfort, smoother ride, lower road noise etc.
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Dec 9, 2016 20:58
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