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Cowslips Warren posted:My Altima is at 270k miles. So the debate now is do I pick up another used Altima (I found one at a dealer, no PPI, that is a 2008 with 120k miles on it for about 5k) or keep using my own until she dies? My mom wants me to trade it in, but she's a 1999 Altima whose door locks don't work, the windows don't roll down, etc. You'll have to double check but I believe Altimas of that vintage had transmission issues. The warranty was extended to 10 years or 120k miles but that should be expired by now due to mileage. I have no idea how likely it is to run into that kind of issue though. Might be worth looking at and getting a PPI if it drives fine. If it has any signs of transmission issues though, I would run away. As for your current car, it might be easier to just donate it to a charity. You'll get a tax write off of a few hundred dollars. I imagine any dealer that advertises "$4k for any trade" will give no discounts on the actual car itself or raise the price of the car above MSRP. "We have to raise the price of the car since we're giving you such a big discount."
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May 7, 2017 06:49
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Cowslips Warren posted:Car in question. The drivetrain is mechanically identical to Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive except the gasoline engine is different. It should be rock solid reliable. Edit no transmission issues on the hybrid, it uses toyota's planetary gearbox which doesn't break. The cvt in non hybrid models isn't great though
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May 7, 2017 12:43
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The drivetrain is mechanically identical to Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive except the gasoline engine is different. It should be rock solid reliable. I emailed the dealership to check out a testdrive, but my usual mechanic isn't open till tomorrow. It's been a decade since I looked at used cars, do I just tell the mechanic I want a PPI?
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May 7, 2017 18:49
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Cowslips Warren posted:I emailed the dealership to check out a testdrive, but my usual mechanic isn't open till tomorrow. It's been a decade since I looked at used cars, do I just tell the mechanic I want a PPI? Yes. Do you know if the dealership will let you take it out?
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May 7, 2017 18:52
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Michael Scott posted:Yes. Do you know if the dealership will let you take it out? A test drive, yes. I doubt they'll let me keep it for a few hours or overnight.
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May 7, 2017 19:07
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:The drivetrain is mechanically identical to Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive except the gasoline engine is different. It should be rock solid reliable. I'd be careful. Yes, the drivetrain is going to be pretty bulletproof thanks to the Toyota heritage, but you still need to worry about the battery. Battery replacements on popular hybrids like the Prius or Camry are relatively cheap and easy because there's a huge supply of cores for remanufacturing and plenty of demand. With a small-market car only produced for a couple of years, chances are much higher that you'll need to buy expensive OEM parts. And, if it's a 2008 model that hasn't had a battery replacement yet, it's probably close to due.
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May 7, 2017 21:45
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Space Gopher posted:I'd be careful. Yes, the drivetrain is going to be pretty bulletproof thanks to the Toyota heritage, but you still need to worry about the battery. Battery replacements on popular hybrids like the Prius or Camry are relatively cheap and easy because there's a huge supply of cores for remanufacturing and plenty of demand. With a small-market car only produced for a couple of years, chances are much higher that you'll need to buy expensive OEM parts. And, if it's a 2008 model that hasn't had a battery replacement yet, it's probably close to due. It's still not that bad. A cursory Google search showed me a new AM unit runs about $2K and a reman unit is about $1,400, which is about a 30% premium to the Prius.
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May 7, 2017 22:54
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I spoke with the dealership a bit and they used the usual "oh we have someone looking at it RIGHT NOW" line, and had no idea about the battery, but insisted it was good. Think I'd have better luck with a Prius if I needed to replace the battery sooner than later?
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May 8, 2017 01:44
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You would pay about 30% less, but anyone who can turn a wrench on a Prius can turn a wrench on an Altima hybrid.
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May 8, 2017 01:54
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Proposed Budget: 12k or less New or Used: Used Body Style: 4 door SUV How will you be using the car?: Taking kids to daycare and weekend camping trips 3-4 times a year What aspects are most important to you?[/b] 7 passenger (3 row seating), leather (because kids), 4x4 (we like to camp in unestablished areas), 150k miles or less is ideal. I'd like to avoid the largest class of SUVs (Expeditions, Sequoias, Armadas, etc.) for MPG reasons and tiny parking spot reasons even though I like the idea of the extra space they offer. Maybe MPG isn't such a big deal since I only plan to put 5k ish miles a year on it. If it weren't for the ground clearance issue for camping, I'd rather get a minivan. We've been looking around some and the wife likes the Honda Pilot so that's at the top of the current list. Are there any issues to be aware of with those? Thanks!
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May 8, 2017 22:05
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Trampus posted:Proposed Budget: 12k or less Honda Pilot, Acura MDX are probably decent plans. Your budget is high enough that you won't be in the V6 shredding transmissions range, which I believe was over with the second gen in 2007. Also cheap and readily available are the GMC Acadia/Chevy Traverse/Buick Enclave. Toyota Highlanders as well. The 3rd row seating thing makes a mid sized tough. I just went through this exercise, and some of the other options are probably unattractive in your budget (because we're getting into Merc ML450s and Volvo XC90s) . Edit: there's also the Ford Explorer, but they are truly awful in every way now. It's like driving a tank because of the huge A pillars and the third row is really, really subpar compared to all of the others I mentioned). Motronic fucked around with this message at 22:26 on May 8, 2017 |
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May 8, 2017 22:22
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Maaaaaaaaaybe a three-row GMT360 SUV? Trailblazer EXT / Envoy XL, I don't know if they made the Olds / Buick / Saab / Isuzu versions as three-rows. Get the newest one you can get your hands on with a 5.3L. Dimensionally, though, it's not that far off of a Tahoe / Yukon. Narrower but I think it might have actually been longer. Edit: I didn't realize the EXT was discontinued after '06, so take this recommendation with a bit bigger of a grain of salt. One of the most annoying failures on the Trailblazer (the loving computer controlled clutch fan) didn't get removed until near the very end of the run, around 2008 or 09. My mom had an '02 that ate three or four computer controlled fan clutches in a row over a span of two years. IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 00:21 on May 9, 2017 |
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May 9, 2017 00:15
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IOwnCalculus posted:One of the most annoying failures on the Trailblazer (the loving computer controlled clutch fan) didn't get removed until near the very end of the run, around 2008 or 09. My mom had an '02 that ate three or four computer controlled fan clutches in a row over a span of two years.
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May 9, 2017 04:53
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GMT360s had awful crash and safety ratings even compared to their contemporaries.
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May 11, 2017 04:17
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Proposed Budget: 30-50k New or Used: Either, provided use is "gentle" Body Style: Sedan, 2 or 4 door provided rear seat is useable. How will 3 days/week commute (30 miles total, freeway), long car trips (1000mi+) 7 or 8 times a year, errands. Do you prefer a luxury vehicle with all the gizmos? Primarily, yes. Luxury is good, feeling nice is good, gizmos aren't totally necessary as it's for old people who probably don't "get" all of it. Parallel parking assist isn't needed as they're "country", though Bluetooth is probably good but that's moot as you can't get a car they'd want anymore without it. What aspects are most important to you? "I just want it to look good." Comfy leather seats, sporty/luxury, as low of TCO as one can hope for. So my mother is looking to replace her car, and it will probably be the last car she buys (she and my dad are both 70). Her current car is the Lexus SC 430, which if you're playing at home you know is the Worst Car in the History of the World. She loves that fucker. She bought it with 15k on it and it has over 200k now. It's long in the tooth and she's worried electronics are gonna start crapping out soon (why haven't they?) and wants to go out with a bang as it were and get a new(ish) car. She doesn't like it when cars need to downshift to make it up an incline when on cruise control, so I guess torque is the thing for her. She thinks her Lexus looks great (!) and also thinks the Cadillac CTS is a hot number. Looks are very important to her, and she likes sporty. But also she has old bones and does 12-hour road trips so we need a good bit of comfort. She's probably gonna go with the Cadillac but she knows absolutely nothing of what's out there so what say you, friends? Will a caddy not require that much ongoing maintenance? She lives in a rural area so there isn't a lot of dealers around except the main ones (she drives her lexus 4-hours each way to do its scheduled maintenance as that is the nearest Lexus dealer, even though there's a Toyota dealer 30-minutes away). She can't really do a convertible anymore because of a dry eye issue or some poo poo but she's not opposed to a 2-door as long as she can cram grandkids and whatnot in the back when she's on trips. An adult should also be able to fit back there without TOO much complaining, but a little is ok. I'm thinking find some nice car just back from a 3-year lease is the way to go, as her heart wants 90k car but her wallet says 50k. She's gonna pay cash.
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May 14, 2017 00:12
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A new Lexus RC with the base 2 liter turbo MSRPs for $40k. The Infiniti Q60 is slightly cheaper. If she loves her old Asian luxury coupe, why not look at new one?
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May 14, 2017 00:27
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I'd get another Lexus. No other luxury car is half as reliabile (except acura, but one moghy wonder if they are in the same tier of lux). Infinitis are hit and miss reliability wise. Seems a lot of miss these days.
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May 14, 2017 00:57
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nm posted:Infinitis are hit and miss reliability wise. Seems a lot of miss these days. All of the (lousy) reliability of a Nissan without any of the low cost of entry.
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May 14, 2017 03:05
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Maybe a bigger problem is that Acura and Infiniti are just trying to ape the Germans nowadays with their harsh firm suspension and grippy sport seats. I mean Lexus kind of is too with the IS and GS but at least they still keep their softer vehicles around too. Slightly used Lexus ES would probably do it, and you can also try out Lincoln and Buick too, it will probably just come down to which seat she prefers. Volvos have great seats, but the base model ones aren't very fast and the fast ones are unreliable.
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May 14, 2017 03:11
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An oddball suggestion to at least consider: Kia K900. It's not a driver's car by any means, but may be the sort of sofa-on-wheels she'd like. Kia is making good quality cars these days, so it ought to be good on maintenance.
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May 14, 2017 03:27
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she sounds like a pretty good candidate for a 15k mile/year lease
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May 14, 2017 19:45
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Edit: Nevermind.
RedSpider fucked around with this message at 05:55 on May 17, 2017 |
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May 17, 2017 01:26
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This is a troll, right?
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May 17, 2017 01:31
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This is probably a dumb question, but I was wondering if anyone knew if the Honda Element was a decent SUV or if they are impossible to find parts for since they stopped making em? Thinking of getting one, wanted feedback.
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May 18, 2017 00:28
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:This is probably a dumb question, but I was wondering if anyone knew if the Honda Element was a decent SUV or if they are impossible to find parts for since they stopped making em? Drivetrain is basically a CR-V and Honda made roughly four trillion of those. The bodywork is a bit tougher to come by as are the interior bits but probably 80% of part numbers are Honda partsbin. You're not exactly looking at a Maserati Khamsin or something, they sold 10-20k of them a year for a few years. Beware, Element people fucken love their weird box cars so expect to pay roughly a 40% premium over an equivalent CR-V.
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May 18, 2017 00:39
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I found a pretty decent looking one for about 4800 here, and it's got about 100k miles. I was just worried because my mom used to have a Nitro and when they quit making those, they quit making parts for important stuff like a/c equipment and that was a bitch and a half to get fixed. Didn't want to shoot myself in the foot and get something cool only to be completely clusterfucked if I ever needed to repair it.
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May 18, 2017 00:44
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i really don't think that the AC compressor for a Dodge Nitro is actually unavailable considering when i googled that poo poo it's clearly MOPAR partsbin
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May 18, 2017 01:15
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I don't recall which specific part was hosed up, just that it took like 4 months to get the part from Dodge and actually get the thing fixed. Was a nightmare and a half. As long as there's parts available for the element I should be cool. Edit - I know nothing about cars, but why the hate for CVT? Stupid_Sexy_Flander fucked around with this message at 19:57 on May 18, 2017 |
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May 18, 2017 01:18
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A lot of really lovely implementations. The earlier 00s ones are kind of obnoxious, but it's mostly a solved issue these days. It's kind of hilarious to mash on the gas and watch the RPMs rubberband all over the place as you gently move forward slightly faster (source: a 2014 Altima rental). The other thing is that manufacturers took feedback from their customers who missed the shifting, so they programmed fake shift points to satisfy the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet.
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May 19, 2017 05:25
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Ah, I'd probably end up with the lovely ones. Most of the stuff I can afford/find is in the 04-07/8 range. Is there a particular SUV model to avoid with em? I was worried it was some kind of major fail point or something that would happen FOR SURE and cost me thousands more to fix. If it's just "gently caress, this kinda has no pep" I don't really care. I care more about the a/c, actually.
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May 19, 2017 07:20
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Phone posted:The other thing is that manufacturers took feedback from their customers who missed the shifting, so they programmed fake shift points to satisfy the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet. Wow, I'm really interested in (good) CVT's now. No shifting?  My little car search is still moving along, but now I'm confused over the literal process of buying a car. I don't own a car and, thus, don't have insurance. When I talked with an agent to get a quote, they said that I'd need a VIN and all that. But I can't even regester the title in my name without insurance, much less drive it. So what is the order of operations here? Is it something like: Find good car. Ask for good car to be held and get VIN. Get insurance. Go back, pay, and do all the titling nonsense.
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May 19, 2017 19:25
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Are you buying in cash or financing? If you're financing, which is financially advantageous in most cases if you're buying a newish car, the bank will possess the title anyway. I'm sure for newly acquired cars in your state there is some sort of grace period to address the situation. Once you're sure what car you want to buy, you can call up/go to the website your desired insurance provider, give them the VIN, and buy coverage over the phone or online. You don't need to own a vehicle to buy insurance for it. Plus if you change your mind or if the dealer has a return policy you take advantage of, you can cancel insurance and get a prorated refund. The best thing to do is call a car dealer you're interested in and ask how the purchase process would work for someone who doesn't currently own a car or have insurance. BTW I've been enjoying https://www.cars.com lately so take a whirl and set the distance not too far from you to see hot local cars in your area. For newer cars avoid private sellers and no-name dealers, aim for a dealer with a car brand name attached (Ford, Honda, etc.) Michael Scott fucked around with this message at 19:44 on May 19, 2017 |
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May 19, 2017 19:38
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Michael Scott posted:Are you buying in cash or financing? If you're financing, which is financially advantageous in most cases No it's not. You have to pay interest, which is way higher than the money you would make investing the cost of the car.
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May 19, 2017 20:04
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ShadeofBlue posted:No it's not. You have to pay interest, which is way higher than the money you would make investing the cost of the car. In most cases that's incorrect. Typical used car interest rates are 2-3% yearly if you have decent credit. On an investment in an index fund (what you usually should be investing in) you can expect an average annual return of 5-10% yearly barring a serious crisis, in which case you should be investing even more. https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/the-12-reality You can google "annual stock market average return" or something like that. Michael Scott fucked around with this message at 20:19 on May 19, 2017 |
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May 19, 2017 20:16
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BirdOfPlay posted:Wow, I'm really interested in (good) CVT's now. No shifting? You make a deal on the car. Sometimes involves a down payment, usually just a handshake. You get the VIN, take it to bank/credit union/wherever and arrange for the loan. Shop around, sometimes dealers will offer very low rates as part of their incentives. You call your insurance agent, making the insurance effective on the day you plan to close the deal and make payment arrangements. Insurance usually grants you a short grace period (a couple days) of coverage before the first payment gets there You go back to the dealer with check from lender, close the deal and drive away in your new car.
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May 19, 2017 20:22
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Michael Scott posted:In most cases that's incorrect. Typical used car interest rates are 2-3% yearly if you have decent credit. On an investment in an index fund (what you usually should be investing in) you can expect an average annual return of 5-10% yearly barring a serious crisis, in which case you should be investing even more. I won't argue the merits of this advice, but it's probably not applicable to someone looking for an 8K used car. Personally my confidence in the market over the next couple years is low for reasons that don't matter to this thread. Also we're not talking about paying cash for 120K Porsche or investing the market. We're talking about maybe a + 500 dollar outcome at the end of 3 years. BirdOfPlay posted:So what is the order of operations here? Is it something like: It's not even that complicated. Find an insurance agent you like, I like independent agents as they can quote you across dozens of insurance companies at once to find you the best deal, and let them know your car shopping and will need an auto policy. I've gotten proof of car insurance in less than 10 minutes while sitting at a dealer who was getting the paperwork ready on a car. When you decide on a car, call your agent on the phone, give them a VIN and payment info, and they'll fax POI right to the dealer. Shouldn't take long at all, and you can do it while sitting at the dealer.
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May 19, 2017 21:35
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BirdOfPlay posted:Wow, I'm really interested in (good) CVT's now. No shifting? Go test drive a prius on the freeway. Hammer down from a dead stop. It's weird at first then you get used to it.
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May 19, 2017 22:06
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Yeah I just got a 2016 Corolla cvt and it's pretty different at first. Makes a really weird winding noise when speeding up and the overall movement of the car is pretty different. Buying the car couldn't have been simpler though. Probably took less than an hour over two days. Went to bank and got approved. Went to dealer, test drove and looked over car and said I'd take it. They faxed over paperwork to the bank and provided me with vin. I added the car to my insurance, went to dealer and showed proof and drove the car home. Next day I went to the bank and finished paperwork with them and then went back to dealer and handed them the check and left. Great dealer too, didn't try and scam me with an extended warranty or gap insurance or any extras at all. He actually sent the wrong amount to the bank (added new plates on there when I was transferring) so he wrote me a check for the difference. Now I just need to find a good head unit for it as entune basic is pretty terrible. Any recommendations?
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May 19, 2017 22:58
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BirdOfPlay posted:Wow, I'm really interested in (good) CVT's now. No shifting? Traditional (and some not so traditional) autos have gotten way way way better in the last few years. Basically everyone has 6+ speed boxes these days, and Mazda did something neat with their 2014+ auto by having a clutched 1st gear and traditional 2 through 6 so there's no lag or slop when you're at a stop or in a parking lot and you press the gas. The only transmissions I'd say to avoid are new cars with old designs (like a 4 or 5 speed auto for a MY2017 car), any DSG box that isn't on a 100k+ sports car, and anything by Chrysler/Fiat. Phone fucked around with this message at 19:18 on May 21, 2017 |
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May 21, 2017 19:16
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BirdOfPlay posted:Wow, I'm really interested in (good) CVT's now. No shifting? I'm in the minority in AI, but I do like Honda's CVT. I had a 2014 Accord as a rental with the direct injection K-series and CVT, but with roughly similar power and weight to my 2013 CR-V with a port injected K24 and 5-speed Hondamatic. The Accord was much, much quicker in day to day driving. The Honda five speed is a solid box these days but it's still got gaps where more gearing options would be better. The CVT lets the engine do whatever it needs to do.
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May 21, 2017 21:57
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