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CornHolio posted:One huge benefit of living down the road from the Tire Rack! Probably the only benefit of living in Elkhart.
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Oct 16, 2009 01:55
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Engineer Lenk posted:The 90s-era Geo Prizm is functionally equivalent to the Toyota Corolla (same factory, most of the same parts), but because it's badged a Geo it doesn't have the same automatic price markup. We're at 150k on a '97 and the only major repair so far was replacing the starter.  I've got a 99 Camry and while I can't think of a more boring car to drive, it's been extremely reliable. My fuel pump was acting funny (but the car still was driving) so I replaced it. ~$60 and 30 minutes of labor was all it took. The 4 cylinder models have a huge engine bay and just about everything is easy to take apart/replace. Oil changes take about 10 minutes from start to finish, too!
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Oct 21, 2009 22:46
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KarmaCandy posted:I typically bring my boyfriend with me when it comes to repairs as he has a slightly better grasp on cars and looks a bit more intimidating. But no, I wouldn't. There's a reason you get the Honda/Toyota answer over and over when you look at reliability and gas mileage. BFC knows it, too. If you want a smaller car (with a big trunk?) that's reliable and good on gas, I would think a Corolla would suit you well. You're probably going to have to go with an upper trim level to get leather. I'd still recommend a 2 or 3 year old model so you don't have to eat the depreciation, but
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Oct 22, 2009 02:25
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Sounds to me like you have a halfway decent shop working on it now and with soldering the connection it should be good to go for a while. If there aren't any other glaring problems, I would drive that Civic until it fell apart. You don't have much in savings, so if your car lasts another 6 months with no major repairs, you'll be able to pay off your debt and have a nice emergency fund. If the car has had no problems, keep driving it while you sack away a nice down payment for your next vehicle. Worst case scenario? Your car breaks down again and you have to fix it. You get it fixed, put it up on Craigslist for $4,000 and disclose the history. A Honda nut jumps all over that vehicle for the great price and then it's his problem. Then you have your down payment for your new car.
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Oct 22, 2009 20:10
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CornHolio posted:Octane is not a measure of quality for gasoline. If your car says to use 89 octane, and you use 93 octane instead, not only are you paying more, but in most cases you'll see worse fuel economy and usually less power due to the engine being forced to retard its timing. Re-read your reply, I think you mean to say "87" instead of "93."
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Jan 27, 2010 22:10
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hobbesmaster posted:
I know this. My point is that higher octane doesn't cause your car to retard timing. Lower octane pinging causes your car to pull timing.
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Jan 28, 2010 00:27
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Take it to Judge Judy, she loves embarrassing drunk, no-insurance driving assholes.
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Feb 12, 2010 00:57
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FWIW, I actually did go to the dealership with my fiancee to test drive some Toyotas and the Prius interior is much more roomy than a Corolla. It has to do with how the dash is smaller and more forward in the cabin in the Prius. We did not cross-shop the Camry, but that's because my fiancee was more concerned with outside dimensions (she wanted a "small car"). Honestly, I think the Prius is a damned good choice in that segment. It may take a while to recoup the cost of gas if you pay MSRP, but I'm certain that the cost of gas is more likely to keep going up, not down. Also, the comparisons I see always use highway mileage and not a mix of highway and city, which is more likely to happen in real world driving.
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May 31, 2010 20:19
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Necro, what crazy-assed world are you living on that a Prius costs 12K more than a Corolla? Your figures are all slanted to making you feel good about your purchase of a Corolla. No one is saying it's a slam-dunk for purchasing a Prius over a Corolla. At least try to compare apples to apples.
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Jun 1, 2010 02:10
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Matlock posted:Bad idea? Sounds pretty solid to me. Pay it off quickly and take good care of her, and you should have reliable transportation for years.
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Jun 15, 2010 15:14
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sanchez posted:http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2004/hyundai/sonata/warranty/index.html
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Jul 30, 2010 13:41
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I think the problem is that when VWs have problems, they are more of the "OH poo poo MY CAR IS ON FIRE" type of problem, rather than "I have to replace a noisy/broken strut" kind.
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Aug 18, 2010 15:29
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korranus posted:My bank said no chance in this economy, and I've had a checking account with them since 1997. Yikes. Looks I got some time to spend under the hood. Whoever said the 3800 is bulletproof is absolutely right; the engine could go for another 210 no sweat and still has great power...it's the electricals that's going on the car. You have $12K in savings, right? Why not look for a used car (Toyota especially), around 7 or 8 years with around 100K miles but still lots of life left because it's been cared for. Shouldn't be more than 4 or 5K and will last you another few years. If you can repair your Buick, that would be the best option.
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Sep 5, 2010 01:09
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Tortilla Maker posted:Suggestions? Save your money for as long as you can and then trade it in for a new car. I don't know anyone who had a Jetta around that year that did not have anything but problems, and yours is getting up there in mileage.
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Sep 10, 2010 14:11
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Those 3-4K of extras will be worth next to nothing in a few years time. Honestly, I can't imagine blowing a year's worth of income on a car, and I'm a car guy.
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Sep 17, 2010 03:56
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asmallrabbit posted:
Good for you  You made a good financial choice.
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Sep 17, 2010 20:45
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Ring of Light posted:I guess I should have been more clear. I am looking to finance 100% of a $5000ish car, not $5000 of a new car. I was under the impression that the promo deals only applied to new vehicles. Am I mistaken? Go to a credit union. I was able to fully finance a 1992 Supra in 2004 at a reasonable rate (4 or 5%, been too long to remember). They only let me do a 2-year loan, but that was fine since I paid it off in about 6 months.
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Oct 15, 2010 14:19
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Get a car savvy friend to help you find something that suits your needs for around $5,000. I've got a 99 Camry I bought off my dad a few years ago for $4,000 that has been very reliable for the 50k miles I've put on it. I would recommend you buy something around the turn of the century and Japanese (preferably Toyota or Honda) and laugh all the way to the bank.
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Jan 11, 2011 14:25
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CornHolio posted:There are a number of cars out there that are cheap and reliable that aren't Japanese either. Usually people recommend Camrys and Civics and Corollas and Accords and while they're reliable they can command a premium depending on where you are. I had a Maxima and an I30 with a VQ engine and while the engine was great, all other kinds of poo poo broke on that car including window regulators, fuel pumps, wheel bearings, etc. My Camry has been relatively low maintenance and I've owned it three times as long as the other two.
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Jan 11, 2011 16:13
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You can call them anecdotes if you wish; a well-taken care of car should generally outlive a battered one as well. But in my experience, Camrys and Corollas are plentiful and parts cheap due to oversaturation of the market and by being considered "boring" by most of the public. Find one that's been cared for and pay a little more and you'll spend less in the long run. The stingy person ends up paying the most. The few times I've needed repairs on my Camry I've been able to buy the parts locally for cheap, and working on it is almost too easy. I should be able to make this car go another 100K miles and will laugh all the way to the bank if I can.
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Jan 11, 2011 17:12
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A lot of not smart people freak out when gas prices start to rise, and do foolish things. If you have to take a $1,500 hit on selling your truck and then pay taxes on buying a new vehicle which will likely be about the same amount, step back and think of how much fuel $3,000 will buy. At $4 a gallon it's 750 gallons, and that's about a year's worth of driving in your current vehicle. On top of that, you'll have a new car payment, and it will still require fuel.
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Mar 11, 2011 14:36
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Zeta Taskforce posted:Might have been too cleaver with my wording. My point is that people will cry when they have to buy a gallon of gas for $3.50, but as it turns out, gas is the cheapest liquid that a gas station sells. However no one minds when they pay $1.49 for 12 fluid ounces of their favorite beverage. I had to buy windshield washer fluid as I was completely out and I was already at a gas station. I paid $3, which pissed me off as gas was only $2.50 a gallon. Why would washer fluid cost more than gasoline? But it would have cost me more to drive a couple miles and make another stop, so I grudgingly bought it. skipdogg posted:I don't know, but our small SUV is a handy vehicle to have. My dad's kids have all moved out, but he still owns a Sienna minivan. It is extremely useful and he uses it to move wood and gardening supplies, and can seat 7 comfortably. The low entry point of the back gate makes it a lot easier to get stuff in and out when compared to most SUVs. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Mar 12, 2011 |
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Mar 12, 2011 14:03
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Take what you will be spending on a car payment, and put it in a Smartypig account. Once your truck gives up the ghost (or you save as much as you wanted) you can pull that cash out and buy your new-to-you truck.
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Mar 14, 2011 16:24
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Is there anything wrong with your current Matrix? If not, the smart thing to do would be to buy it out and keep driving it until it needs replacing.
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Apr 1, 2011 20:27
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jfballin posted:We've garaged this thing and kept up scheduled maintenance, so I'm more comfortable with this rig vs. buying a similar vehicle used. It's a leap of faith for SO to go off warranty, but we really haven't had any issues to date. It did seem like $7000 would be reasonable for an 06 Matrix all other things considered, though of course in retrospect we would have been better off buying it in the beggining. No, you already have an agreed-upon price. You'll just have to cough up the amount or get a loan to pay it off. Look at it this way: if you were to lease another car you'd be putting money down at the onset, likely $2500 or so. That would pay for an engine or transmission replacement if you had a catastrophic problem. Your car is still relatively new and Toyotas have a reputation for being reliable. Keep it another 5 years and laugh all the way to the bank.
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Apr 1, 2011 21:45
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CornHolio posted:
CH: I need a truck once in a while to haul heavy stuff from Home Depot or whatever just a few times a year, just like you. I've found that borrowing a friend's pickup (and filling it up with gas when I'm done) costs less than $100 a use. I have also borrowed the Lowes' 2500-series truck with the open frame bed for around $25 + gas. If my car goes down, I can drive my fiancee to work and pick her up, but if that's not an option it would be much cheaper to rent a car for a week. It'll cost you closer to $2000 once you figure in insurance costs, gas prices, and maintenance on an old gas-guzzling $1000 Cherokee or Dakota. Setting $100 aside every month would probably end up being cheaper in the long run. An idea just popped into my head as well: can you get rental car insurance on your cars in case you need to have them in the shop? Considering the age/mileage of your cars it might be a good investment.
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Apr 9, 2011 23:42
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It's a gamble. At this point in time, I think it would be wise to keep your money in the bank and hope that you don't need another car. If you need one once or twice, you'll come out ahead. You're so close to getting your debt erased, I would keep plugging away and when you're finally in the clear you'll feel much better about buying a toy.
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Apr 10, 2011 03:40
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Duckman2008 posted:I think this car is cursed. Nope, it's got soul. Welcome to VW ownership!
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Apr 21, 2011 14:08
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LoreOfSerpents posted:Does anyone have any advice? Is the Grand Am likely to go at any moment, or am I being paranoid? If you had only one car to share between two people, how would you decide when "it's time"? If you were in the same position, would you just go for a new car? If I were in your shoes I'd find the best $5000 car I could and be prepared for the Grand Am to give up the ghost. Then, you won't be searching for a car at the last minute and end up with something even worse. You didn't really give a picture of your finances, so it's hard to give good advice. I'm going to assume that since you've had this car for a long time and can only afford $5,000 up front that a used car would be a much better use of your money. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 14:11 on Apr 22, 2011 |
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Apr 22, 2011 14:08
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Man, that's crazy. Change the thread title to DO NEVER COSIGN.
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May 6, 2011 19:57
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shredswithpiks posted:^^ Also, there cost of replacing a transmission early would negate any fuel savings.
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Jun 7, 2011 14:25
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NOTinuyasha posted:the Focus automatic is a pile of poo poo. Have you driven one? We have one at work for a pool car, and it's a fantastic little car. The gas mileage is amazing (I got over 40MPG on a long trip) and it handles beautifully. The only downsides I've seen are that the car tries to take it easy on gas, so sometimes it takes a moment to realize that yes, you really do need to go faster. It also had the air conditioner compressor die in the first 10K miles. It was replaced under warranty.
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Jul 17, 2011 14:59
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NOTinuyasha posted:I test drove a Fiesta automatic a few months ago and it didn't impress me. My friend rented an auto Fiesta for the past month and constantly bitches that it's way too slow to respond, especially on the highway. And yesterday I saw the NYT headline review of the Focus - "Such a Slick Package, But Gearbox is a Drag" and I just assumed it suffered from the same issues.
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Jul 18, 2011 15:22
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Shipon posted:I'm going to need a car pretty soon for college, but I frankly have no idea where to start. My question is - I'm on a limited budget (probably $3000-4000), so is it possible to find a car that won't break down the moment you purchase it? I don't know anything about maintaining a car, and I don't really have any mechanically inclined friends either, so what should I be on the lookout for? I just need a small, efficient car (preferably manual transmission, as that's what I'm used to driving) to get from apartment to school and work. You absolutely can get a good deal on a reasonable econo-box to get you around for $3-4K. The problem is that people are holding onto their cars longer nowadays so you have to look harder to find a good deal. I'd recommend a Corolla as they are dead simple to work on, reliable, have cheap parts available everywhere, and aren't that hard to find in a manual transmission.
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Jul 24, 2011 17:42
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Untagged posted:How badly does an accident affect your trade-in value these days? As far as KBB is concerned I owe less than what my focus is worth for trade-in... minus the fact that it was in an accident where both passenger side doors and half the airbags had to be replaced. If the accident wasn't enough to warrant a salvage title being issued and isn't on any reports, it wont' affect the trade-in value unless someone notices something repaired improperly.
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Jul 25, 2011 13:37
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FWIW, it took my insurance company 3 weeks to send out an adjuster when my roof was damaged in a hail storm.
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Jul 26, 2011 19:40
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Saltin posted:I don't know how dealerships survive in these situations. I suppose not everyone is interested in seeing how far they can take it. Because for every person who actually does their homework and is financially solvent there are 20 idiots who fall in love with a car because it's a pretty color and will pay sticker price.
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Jul 29, 2011 20:48
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Cortel posted:How long would it take to replace a strut? This varies greatly from car to car. You might want to post in AI to see if you can get some help, and give some details!
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Sep 14, 2011 17:56
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Orange_Lazarus posted:Any input would be appreciated. Are you keeping up with maintenance, is the car in good repair overall? Are the monthly payments smothering you? If you can afford it and can pay it off in the next year or two, my vote is to keep the car. If it's been a money pit and unreliable, then get rid of it.
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Sep 28, 2011 17:03
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Phone posted:Don't know if this is the place, but early next year I'm looking at getting a $4500 auto loan from Coastal Federal Credit Union to buy a hatchback/wagon of some sort because I need a second car. I'm still currently in school and it's a money in->money out situation, but I'm going to be able to work more hours next semester just because it's my final semester and I only need 9 more credit hours. It's been a decade since I did it, but I bought a 1992 Supra with low miles that was about 10 years old at the time. I financed it through my credit union, it was a $5,500 loan and they made me go with a 2-year loan due to the amount. The APR was under 5%, and I paid it back in about 9 months. I was glad that I had that option, because when I moved 500-miles away and got a BoA account, they quoted me some astronomical number in fees and APR because they "don't like to do car loans."
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Nov 7, 2011 14:36
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