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I'm looking to replace my old Civic that finally forever died. I'm looking for a hatchback or maybe just a coupe that's mostly for driving around town and occasionally a road trip on major highways. I'm looking for about 15k right now. Is there something I should be looking at besides Corollas/Priuses, Fits, Imprezas and Elantras? I don't know anything about American car brands. I'd prefer something a bit quieter and more solid feeling while driving, good sound system, and some safety features.
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Apr 29, 2019 00:49
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Carados posted:I'm looking to replace my old Civic that finally forever died. If you are concerned with safety, the new Toyotas or Hondas are 100% the way to go. Test drive a Civic and a Corolla or Prius and see what works with your budget and fits you the best. Those are the ones that are going to be able to last you 10 years, and if you end up selling at 5 , will still be worth something. 3rd best option will be Mazda 3. Cheap option is an Elantra or Forte. At 15k, you might just be able to get good Civic/Corolla etc about 2 years old with low miles.
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Apr 29, 2019 03:09
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zapplez posted:You are responsible and practical. Congrats. Buy yourself a bottle of bourbon to celebrate a good fiscal decision. Or dont. I think I made the wrong decision you guys. 
Josh Lyman fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Apr 29, 2019 |
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Apr 29, 2019 04:13
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Josh Lyman posted:The other car I was considering was a 2010 Prius Three with 129,500 miles for $6425. I overrated the condition of the 2008 I bought, so assuming the 2010 is as nice as it looks in the photos, if I could've negotiated down a few hundred dollars, I would've had a $700 discount relative to KBB compared to the $1000 discount on the 2008. Sure, after a few years, a car with 160k miles probably isn't going to be as appealing as one with 120k, but if I put those mileage numbers into KBB, both cars depreciate a similar amount, plus I would've had the newer generation and overall nicer car for those few years. pfft. Everyone second-guesses themselves on big decisions. Enjoy the car and don't look back.
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Apr 29, 2019 04:42
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Looking at maybe getting a Lexus LS400 or LS430, does anybody have any opinions on which year is better/worse for longish term maintenance costs or anything else?
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Apr 29, 2019 22:18
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So my boyfriend killed his car yesterday and we're debating on either him getting a new car, or giving him my car and me getting a new car. I was planning on getting one when I paid of my credit cards in a couple years anyway, so it's not a big deal either way. My question is though, does anyone have any idea if buying a car online with Carvana is any good? Neither one of us have ever bought a car before, so I have zero experience with going to a dealership vs going online. All I really know is that I HATE dealing with pushy sales people, and that Carvana has a 7 day test drive period so it seems like it should be more my speed. But I figured I'd ask you guys before dropping that much money on something.
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May 1, 2019 17:07
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They built a vending machine here and I've seen a lot of Carvana plate frames on cars, so clearly whatever they're doing is working. Then again, people keep buying cars from Earnhardt dealerships and they're the loving scum of the earth. My cousin bought a car through them and was happy with the whole process. The pricing certainly isn't as good as you can get with a fully negotiated deal, but it is the only dealership I've ever heard of with an actual return policy. And while not an optimal price, there's no room for further shenanigans from them either.
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May 1, 2019 17:26
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The consensus on Carvana is it's fine. Obviously you give up a test drive opportunity in exchange for the 7day return. Their prices will be consistently higher than local dealers are offering, even the price local dealers are offering before negotiation. However, you gain the convenience of not having to visit a dealership and haggle. Very similar to Carmax just without being able to see the car prior to purchase. Carmax also has a 7day return, and their prices also tend to be higher than the average asking price for year/make/model/condition/miles in your area. In fact they are a spin-off corporation from DriveTime which is an identical CarMax competitor. One advantage to CarMax and Carvana is they have a national network which means you can find models that may be hard to find in your area, but it doesn't sound like you're looking for anything special. BTW you should get something cool instead of boring if you can afford it!  I vote heavily depreciated 3 year old German luxo, that's my jam.
Something Offal fucked around with this message at 17:51 on May 1, 2019 |
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May 1, 2019 17:42
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An old German car is definitely not what someone with ongoing credit card debt should be looking at.
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May 1, 2019 18:08
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Something Offal posted:The consensus on Carvana is it's fine. Obviously you give up a test drive opportunity in exchange for the 7day return. Their prices will be consistently higher than local dealers are offering, even the price local dealers are offering before negotiation. However, you gain the convenience of not having to visit a dealership and haggle. DriveTime is not really a CarMax competitor. It’s a predatory hellscape that gets people with bad credit into terrible deals.
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May 1, 2019 18:28
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Sits on Pilster posted:An old German car is definitely not what someone with ongoing credit card debt should be looking at. That's the truth. If I end up getting a car for me I'm 90% sure it will be an older Prius. If they boyfriend gets one it'll be whatever he can afford, which is not a whole hell of a lot. I didn't realize Carvana would be more expensive than a dealership though, I thought it'd be pretty similar pricing. I guess I'll have to at least check out some in person places as much as I don't want to. Thanks for the opinions though you guys. VVVV See this is why I come here. I had no idea about those websites. I thought my options were: go to a dealership, buy online, or Craigslist. Thanks for saving me the salesman headache. VVVV Soysaucebeast fucked around with this message at 19:08 on May 1, 2019 |
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May 1, 2019 18:38
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:DriveTime is not really a CarMax competitor. It’s a predatory hellscape that gets people with bad credit into terrible deals. I think I disagree. CarMax seems just as much a finance company as DriveTime. Perhaps DriveTime dips into subprime a little more, but I'm pretty sure CarMax will be happy to give you a real high % loan. Soysaucebeast posted:That's the truth. If I end up getting a car for me I'm 90% sure it will be an older Prius. If they boyfriend gets one it'll be whatever he can afford, which is not a whole hell of a lot. As a reminder you don't have to literally go to the dealers. Just check cars.com, cargurus.com, etc.
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May 1, 2019 18:46
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mariooncrack posted:The Outback is really long and might not be good for city parking. Is it my imagination or has the Outback ballooned in size in the past decade?
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May 1, 2019 19:00
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Soysaucebeast posted:That's the truth. If I end up getting a car for me I'm 90% sure it will be an older Prius. If they boyfriend gets one it'll be whatever he can afford, which is not a whole hell of a lot.
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May 1, 2019 21:10
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Jiminy Christmas! Shoes! posted:Is it my imagination or has the Outback ballooned in size in the past decade? It got about 3" wider and 5" taller but that's it.  https://www.cars.com/research/compare/?acodes=USB90SUC022A0,USC90SUS311A0
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May 1, 2019 21:36
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Something Offal posted:One advantage to CarMax and Carvana is they have a national network which means you can find models that may be hard to find in your area, but it doesn't sound like you're looking for anything special. BTW you should get something cool instead of boring if you can afford it!
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May 2, 2019 08:09
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Chill Callahan posted:Looking at maybe getting a Lexus LS400 or LS430, does anybody have any opinions on which year is better/worse for longish term maintenance costs or anything else? If you really want the nitty gritty details it'd be best to check out an enthusiast forum like clublexus or something. But the cars are all generally solid enough that you're biggest concern is going to be with the previous owner(s). Look for evidence of a seller who cared for their car and don't try to get a deal on something that looks ratty. Also keep in mind that even the most reliable car in the world will still be susceptible to 20 year old car problems related to degradation of plastic and rubber components (rattling suspension, vacuum leaks, etc.)
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May 3, 2019 03:03
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Proposed Budget: $20,000-$25,000 New or Used: Used Body Style: 3 Row SUV (Ford Explorer, Chevy Traverse, Mazda CX-9, Honda Pilot, ect) How will you be using the car?: Commute to work and hauling 3 kids (8, 6, 3) around. Need something reliable and with low cost of ownership, enough trunk space for luggage on vacations/road trips with all three kids in the middle row, seating in the back to keep them separated when not hauling luggage. Would like something with navigation and bluetooth, maybe leather seats for stain resistance. Need to get at least 5 years out of it with no major expected work (like a waterpump that's gonna need to be replaced at 100k miles or something).
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May 3, 2019 15:47
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Dietrich posted:Proposed Budget: $20,000-$25,000 I like the CX-9 and the Pilot, but you'll definitely want to cross shop with minivans when looking at 3 row suvs unless you are dead set against them for some reason.
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May 3, 2019 16:27
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Cascadia Pirate posted:I like the CX-9 and the Pilot, but you'll definitely want to cross shop with minivans when looking at 3 row suvs unless you are dead set against them for some reason. Ex-wife has one, I don't need to have two.
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May 3, 2019 16:30
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Dietrich posted:Proposed Budget: $20,000-$25,000 I'm a Ford guy so I'm biased, but a CPO Ford Explorer XLT with the 302A package should come in right around your budget. The 302A gets you the leather seats and bluetooth and probably Nav. The CPO warranty will cover you to 100K miles on major powertrain stuff. Depending on your local market an off lease 2016 or 2017 should be pretty doable for 25K or under. 2015's probably at the lower end of your budget. It's a popular vehicle so there should be plenty to chose from. I've cross shopped the segment a lot since I had kids and we keep going back to the Explorer. I'm in the minority around here as I don't particularly care for Mazda vehicles. You can't go wrong with the Honda Pilot though.
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May 3, 2019 17:37
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The Mazda is kind of lousy from a space utilization perspective. It's probably better to drive but at some point that's not important. I like the Traverse and its siblings quite a bit.
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May 3, 2019 23:21
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I wouldn't consider it "major" work but the Pilot still uses a timing belt that needs to be replaced with the water pump at around 100k.
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May 4, 2019 02:01
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[critique] my takes about big fat american cars because I feel like I'm a reasonable use case I moved to Canada a couple of years ago and have been driving a now two decade old Malibu which I bought for the price of a fancy coat; it's actually been fine on the whole but somehow manages to have less legroom than my old Skoda Felicia despite being, like 80cm longer? which is a bit aggravating; I live close to work, but also a mile up in the Rockies hours from the nearest city. I don't go anywhere that often but when I do it generally involves 8-16 hours' worth of car time depending on accidents, avalanche closures, herds of escaped chinese tourists etc so I appreciate having the ability to carry a whole pile of stuff (full size spare, camping gear, bunch of whatever I went to get or get rid of) while also having enough space to lie down and sleep in the car. The malibu is almost ok for this but is just a hair too short for the sleeping bit to work properly. Ford: - Tauruses are reputed to have similar issues wrt the interior bits taking up the space that the humans should occupy and a tendency to combine oil & water so have dismissed; Chrysler: - I am not sure I'm trashy enough to exist in a neon orange Dodge Charger although the idea is definitely amusing. At least it'd be easy to find after driving it into a ditch? - the 300 seems ok but there's the "Chrysler" thing which is a reputation that transcends space, time and apparently the Atlantic. also I don't shoot people over cocaine; GM: - Depreciation on the newer Impalas is hilarious and everything about them seems pretty decent beyond that, is there anything majorly negative I'm missing about buying a 3 year old one for what a 6 year old example of anything else on this list would cost? I used to work for a utility taking back company cars, I have seen what people will do to somebody else's car, and am not going to go buy one off the Enterprise lot, but the things that make them decent rental cars also seem like they should make them decent for idiots like me? Toyota: - sort of the reverse problem, is a 9yo Avalon actually as good a car as a 3yo Impala? Subaru: - I would like an Outback but would not like to pay the Outback premium and have heard a lot of bitching about uncomfortable seats, also, at least in my head, turbolol at buying a car with a CVT and then running it up and down mountains all the time; Mazda: - gently caress you why won't you sell me a 6 wagon here no Nissans, no nazimobiles, but am I missing anything obvious beyond that?
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May 4, 2019 02:32
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Hi goons. I am trying to help a young friend buy his first car. He makes good money in tech but wants a practical cheap beater. What's a reasonable econobox to snag these days w/o expecting to wrench on it yourself? What's a good mileage for said econobox?
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May 4, 2019 05:32
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pokie posted:Hi goons. I am trying to help a young friend buy his first car. He makes good money in tech but wants a practical cheap beater. What's a reasonable econobox to snag these days w/o expecting to wrench on it yourself? What's a good mileage for said econobox? Prius. Any mileage, just have it looked at by mechanic. Changing aging battery cells is as easy as swapping laptop batteries, so your tech nerd friend can feel right at home when those start to fail.
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May 4, 2019 12:12
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Pretty rad dad pad posted:[critique] my takes about big fat american cars because I feel like I'm a reasonable use case Go with the current-gen Impala with the V6. It's a great car with solid reliability. Just make sure you're not buying an Impala Limited, which was the last-gen Impala that GM kept selling new to fleets. As far as comments on the rest, I'd say the 300 and Charger are reliable enough if you really like the car. The Avalon isn't worth the Toyota Tax. And an option not on your list worth looking into is the first-gen Hyundai Genesis, but avoid the V8 in the 2011 and 2012 models.
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May 4, 2019 14:36
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Pretty rad dad pad posted:[critique] my takes about big fat american cars because I feel like I'm a reasonable use case First off, what's your budget? You are also a good use case for some kind of CUV. Buy something turbocharged if you are at altitude. I agree that the Impala is good, but the Impala limited is poo poo. Get the V6. The Chrysler 300 is fairly reliable at this point (it hasn't changed in like five years and changes were minimal before that), drives well, and is available with AWD if you want. I kind of like the exterior styling of the current gen.
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May 4, 2019 14:53
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Throatwarbler posted:I wouldn't consider it "major" work but the Pilot still uses a timing belt that needs to be replaced with the water pump at around 100k. It's pretty unreasonable to expect no major maintenance and repair in 8 years 100k miles. I think the guy needs to calibrate his expectations.
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May 4, 2019 14:53
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Also, as far as timing-belt changes go, the Pilot’s is pretty simple.
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May 4, 2019 15:24
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Yeah it's just a bit of an anomaly as timing belt engines are rare these days, because Honda made a V6 engine in 1995 that's still better than any of the dozen different V6 engines that GM or VW has managed to poo poo out since then.
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May 4, 2019 15:33
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Throatwarbler posted:Yeah it's just a bit of an anomaly as timing belt engines are rare these days, because Honda made a V6 engine in 1995 that's still better than any of the dozen different V6 engines that GM or VW has managed to poo poo out since then. Good point, plus I’d rather have a timing belt than the poo poo-tastic 3.5/3.7 Ford FWD V-6 which has a chain, but enclosed the water pump inside the timing cover, so when your water pump takes a poo poo, it fills the crankcase with coolant, ruining the bottom-end of the engine.
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May 4, 2019 15:58
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I think the first and second generation Pilot's use the same engine. FWIW the timing belt on my '06 cost about $600 to replace.
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May 4, 2019 22:42
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I want to buy a used Fiat 500. Specifically, one that supports Apple Carplay, which apparently they started supporting in the 2017 model year. As far as I can tell, from looking at dealerships + craigslist + a few used-car sites, there is a grand total of one (1) 2017+ Fiat 500 for sale in my area (Seattle). Is this just a bad time, or are there that few used Fiats in general?
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May 6, 2019 19:21
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It's cause they're all broken
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May 6, 2019 19:36
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inklesspen posted:I want to buy a used Fiat 500. Specifically, one that supports Apple Carplay, which apparently they started supporting in the 2017 model year. Why would you buy a 500 when it is objectively a bad car and there are many better options?
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May 6, 2019 19:41
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inklesspen posted:I want to buy a used Fiat 500. Specifically, one that supports Apple Carplay, which apparently they started supporting in the 2017 model year. Few of them were bought new, so there aren't many used ones around. If you're determined to get one and specifically a 2017 model, you'll have to drive a ways to find one. There's two more about 150 miles away according to cars.com. Carvana has a few available, and they'll deliver it to you as another option.
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May 6, 2019 19:58
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Internet Explorer posted:It's cause they're all broken Rude, but true.
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May 6, 2019 19:59
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big crush on Chad OMG posted:Why would you buy a 500 when it is objectively a bad car and there are many better options? Because I like it. Deteriorata posted:Few of them were bought new, so there aren't many used ones around. If you're determined to get one and specifically a 2017 model, you'll have to drive a ways to find one. Thanks, that helps.
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May 6, 2019 20:05
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inklesspen posted:Because I like it. Do you like smashing your genitals with a hammer? Buying a 500 in TYOOL 2019 is almost criminal.
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May 6, 2019 20:21
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