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Have you done any research at all? The Compass and the Wrangler are completely different vehicles, even though they both say Jeep on the front. The reason everyone keeps telling you not to buy a new car is because it's a monumentally dumb thing for a young person to do. It's even dumber to take a year and a half off of school in order to get a car. Have you figured out what the real, total cost of this brand new vehicle is going to be to you? Gas, insurance, and maintenance are not free. You'll also be eating thousands of dollars in depreciation. Your parents seem to be leading you in the wrong direction here. You're going to be on the hook for this, so be very cautious before you sign your name. What kind of income do you have?
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Dec 20, 2011 19:46
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DarkestLite posted:I didn't really think I'd be getting judgmental responses. I just was hoping for some help with what I've already planned on doing, which was how to go about doing the financing. If you don't want opinions on the financials of buying a new car, why did you post in a thread about "the financials of owning a car"? You're young and you're going to do whatever you want to do, so just go ahead and do it.
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Dec 20, 2011 20:43
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Phone posted:
There's a middle ground here. There is more than just "brand new" and "falling to pieces" for sale. If your financial situation isn't great, you're working part time, and you need to finance, wouldn't it be better if you got a slightly used car, maybe with 50k miles and a few years old? That will free up money for the repairs when you start taking your Miata to the track.
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Jan 12, 2012 14:51
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Phone posted:Well, that's somewhat of a good point; however, a lot of the B-segment cars and whatnot are holding their value extremely well which means that a 2008 Honda Fit with 60k on the clock has an asking price of $2000 off of the MSRP of a 2012 Fit. The slightly used car market isn't that great right now, and diving off into the early 00's can get some real gems but also has the gamble of the PO's care of the car and financing if it's available. The asking price is probably high because the owner is. There are plenty of cars priced more closely to reality and a bit of haggling will get you down to a fair price. If you're set on getting a new car because you want it, that's your choice. BFC is not usually going to recommend it, especially if you have to finance it.
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Jan 12, 2012 15:18
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If you're set on getting a Fit, maybe new is the best way. Personally, I'm willing to own a car that's more than 5 years old, case in point my 1999 Camry is now at 185k miles and still going strong.
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Jan 12, 2012 15:49
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The TDI will depreciate significantly less (or even none, depending on who ends up buying it) compared to the depreciation hit he'll take immediately by buying an S5.
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Jan 25, 2012 21:00
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Leperflesh posted:Also SUVs didn't even really exist 25+ years ago and yet everyone with growing families somehow survived. Buy a station wagon! Or even better yet, a minivan. Just do it, they're better in every way than an SUV: better mileage, better price, better interior room, more cup holders, etc. Just as safe, too. Thanks for doing it, because I wanted to write it out but got busy. Once you get over your "image" you will realize that minivans are some of the best vehicles you can have, especially with a family.
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Jan 27, 2012 20:20
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Harry posted:$8500 sounds pretty high for a 10 year old car. The used car market has been this way for a couple years now.
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Feb 10, 2012 04:33
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TraderStav posted:So it would likely make sense for me to take my mom's 02 Accord with around 140k off her hands then? I'm thinking it'll be about 3-4k, and it's in pretty good shape. I believe it has a new transmission, but something is leaking that could cost a grand. I think even if I had to fix that, I'd come out quite ahead. Maybe? I drive a 99 Camry with 185k miles that I bought off my dad 4 years ago for $3500. It's been the best car I've ever had, but my dad took good care of her while he owned her. The devil you know is better than the one you don't 
Nocheez fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Feb 10, 2012 |
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Feb 10, 2012 22:24
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Silver Nitrate posted:There is no way I could afford a Prius. Especially because I can't do the work on it myself and insurance on anything like that is high. But, even a 4 cylinder import is only going to get around 25 miles when your doing start, stop, and go all of the time. You are just so very misinformed here. A Prius gets better gas mileage in town than it does on the highway. Regenerative braking is awesome, and many people see 50+mpg in the city. Plug-in versions are even better. My 4-cylinder Camry gets 23 MPG in solely city driving, and 32 on the freeway. It is 13 years old and has 185k miles. It's easy to work on, and very comfy. The trunk space is ample, can hold 4 bags of golf clubs and shoes with room to spare. The parts are cheap and plentiful should you need to fix something. I changed the starter at 170k miles in 20 minutes, and the part was $55. Oil changes literally take 10 minutes due to the placement of the filter and drain plug. The car cost me $3,500 back in 2008. I figure that it's pretty much paid for itself at this point, and any more miles/years I get out of it are a bonus. It probably has another 75-100k miles left before something major lets loose. Panther cars are nice for what they are, but they are still gas hogs and have some quirks that can be expensive to fix.
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Feb 17, 2012 16:16
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My wife's 2001 Saturn SL-2 is for sale  Seriously, if a goon wants it, I'll sell it for $1,500. Right at 125k miles, automatic and air, but nothing else. Crank windows, manual locks, no cruise. Located in Charlotte, NC.
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Mar 7, 2012 20:28
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erobadapazzi posted:Thanks to those of you who mentioned Carmax. What's a good way to go about figuring out how much I could get for the car in a private sale? https://www.edmunds.com https://www.kbb.com https://www.nada.com
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Mar 15, 2012 13:38
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LorneReams posted:Back in the day, I would take my beater and donate it to charity for what ever the best KBB value was and kept the printout as documentation...they don't let you do that anymore, but it was nice writing off $8K for a BMW I paid $750 for. I was set to donate my wife's Saturn to NPR, then I found out that what they do is sell the car at an auction and give you a tax write-off equal to that amount. I decided to sell it and will donate half to NPR. That'll probably be more than they would get for the car at auction.
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Mar 20, 2012 18:37
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Residency Evil posted:I'm looking at buying a VW GTI. A new one can be purchased for 24-25k, the used ones I'm looking at are 2009s for 16k. I'd like the car to get me through at least the next 5 years with regular maintenance. Any thoughts on whether that's a good value? This is my personal opinion, but don't buy a VW if you're expecting reliability. They are nice cars when they work, but the repair bills will eat you alive. My VW-loving buddy spent thousands and was meticulous about maintenance, but now he drives a Hyundai. I remind him of this all the time TraderStav posted:On the insurance talk. I'm in the market for an econobox (4-6k hatchback) and want to know what the rule of thumb is for dropping collision coverage. I've always had 'higher value' vehicles so the notion of being 100% on the hook for repairs is daunting on the surface. At what price point doesn't it make sense anymore? I presume (and being a financial analyst I should just do the math) that it works out to be the premiums paid on full cover over x time period > replacement cost. Are you a safe driver? Do you watch your speeds, slow down when weather gets bad, pay attention to your surroundings? How long has it been (miles and years) since you last caused an accident? Can you afford a replacement car if you wreck yours? We all make mistakes, but a $500 deductible on a 5K car + increased premiums on a depreciating asset doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. That's right about the time I would drop collision coverage. A car worth 6+ would be worth it, if the premiums were reasonable. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Mar 21, 2012 |
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Mar 21, 2012 13:41
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Residency Evil posted:I guess my question is whether expecting to pay the PP price from a dealer is unreasonable for some reason. Would doing something like the Rizzo method work for a used car? If you're serious and make a firm offer, they can only say no. I got my wife's Matrix for the trade-in price by offering $500 below that amount, and letting them work me up a few hundred bucks. Dealerships never pay more than they have to for a car, so if they aren't willing to play ball you can find another car. This depends on the dealer. I couldn't get another dealer to budge on the price of a used Corolla that needed a few hundred dollars in dents to be pulled out. I thanked them for their time, but walked out and did not come back.
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Mar 27, 2012 17:48
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This month I started my Smartypig account for my next (used) car. I currently have a 1999 Camry with 189k miles, and I plan to buy something around $10k in a year. It will most likely be another Camry, as this has been the best car I've ever owned.
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Apr 17, 2012 13:52
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Don Lapre posted:A blown headgasket doesn't mean your engine is dead. It means you just need to replace the headgaskset. Basically unbolt everything off the head and remove the head. Does the car knock or anything when you drive it? If not the internals are likely fine. Agreeing with this. If you're feeling froggy and have the time and space to work on it, give it a go. A friend with some experience would be nice, too. You should stop by AI and ask there for more help.
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Apr 19, 2012 20:08
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It would be nice to know what city you're talking about. Personally, if I were young in a college town I'd use my bicycle and the bus as much as possible. If you have an emergency, you can always call a cab or ask a friend.
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Apr 24, 2012 13:14
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It can be pretty easy, depending on if you have crank windows or power windows. If they are crank windows you will probably need a special tool to remove the handle without damaging it, but the tool itself is cheap. Give it a shot. The worst thing that can happen is you drop or break the piece of glass, but you should be able to figure it out.
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May 2, 2012 18:42
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cheese eats mouse posted:The cheapest quote I got was $800 or so just to replace glass and remove the dent. Instead I got the highest quote and took a cash 50/50 settlement from the woman's insurance that hit me and figured I'd go with the $800 quote, but after seeing online videos realized I could just do it myself since the car is over a decade old and only worth about 1k.
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May 2, 2012 23:04
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Almost all Toyotas have non-interference motors. Hondas are the opposite. A Corolla with normal maintenance is one of the most reliable vehicles you can own. Repairs are easy, parts are plentiful and relatively cheap. Take care of her and you'll most likely be rewarded with years of faithful service. My 1999 Camry is about to turn 190k miles, and I still plan to get another 2 years out of her.
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May 5, 2012 01:57
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Throatwarbler posted:Almost all Toyotas from 15 years ago like yours have non-interference motors. In practice pretty much any motor with variable valve timing is going to be an interference motor and today that's basically all of them. Yes, I should have gone into more detail but I was on my phone so typing was a chore. Toyota has pretty much gone to timing chains on all interference motors they put in their cars in recent years. I wasn't sure if the Corolla in question was one of those years, but I guess my age is showing
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May 5, 2012 04:45
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FlyWhiteBoy posted:How does this thread feel about a 2005 prius with around 150k miles? I've always sold my cars when they get near 100k miles so I'm a little hesitant to own one with high miles. Modern cars go 200-300k miles nowadays if they are maintained well. The Prius is engineered very well, and Toyota took great care to make sure that they would last. If the interior is beat up, and the engine bay looks nasty then pass on it. If it drives well and everything works, and the owner has maintenance receipts then go hog wild. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 15:56 on May 15, 2014 |
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May 15, 2014 15:54
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I would get a Prius way before I got a CR-V. My mother in law has a new CR-V (fully loaded with AWD) and has been stranded 3 times due to battery drain issues. Also, check out how the Prius transmission works. It's freaking awesome! http://eahart.com/prius/psd/ Nocheez fucked around with this message at 13:56 on Jul 15, 2014 |
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Jul 15, 2014 13:53
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I currently drive a 98 CRV with well over 200k miles. It has good tires, and a recent timing belt change with a full tune-up. However, some unlicensed rear end in a top hat hit me in the driver's door and I'm ready to replace the car. I've been driving it like this for 6 months so it's not unsafe, just ugly. My wife has a 2017 Prius and I really like it. The only thing I'm worried about is losing some of my interior/cargo area because I mountain bike and do the maintenance crap around our home. I want to go test drive a 2019 Camry Hybrid because it gets nearly the same mileage and would be a little bigger. Proposed Budget: Around $25-30k, would obviously like to spend less but I keep cars for a very long time and do my own maintenance. New or Used: New preferably Body Style: I love wagons, but sedans are OK. Must have a back-seat as I have an infant. How will you be using the car?: General commuting, and I'll put a hitch on it so I can carry my mountain bike. What aspects are most important to you?: Reliability, ease of maintenance, cost, and safety are all important to me. I don't need a ton of horsepower, but what I do need are cruise control, a decent stereo, and a comfortable ride. I have enjoyed Toyotas over all other makes, and absolutely refuse to get a GM or Chrysler. The Japanese are winning for a reason. Any other cars you can suggest? I will likely be buying over the next month or two. I'm selling a rental home so I was hoping to wait until then, unless there's a screaming deal I can get. I've seen a few 2019 Camry Hybrids listed for about $26.5k and that seems to be about as cheap as I can find.
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Dec 5, 2018 16:13
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DNK posted:The Camry is a superb passenger vehicle. It’s extremely comfortable in both front and back seats for travelers. Good handling, low road noise, and plenty of power. What year is your hybrid Camry? I was told that the newest model keeps the same trunk space. edit: "Cargo You don't lose out on any trunk space by opting for the Camry Hybrid over its nonhybrid twin. That's unusual for a hybrid car, as many automakers shrink the trunks of their nonhybrid sedans to make room for a battery pack in the hybrid version. The Camry Hybrid's 15.1-cubic-foot trunk is exceptionally spacious for a hybrid sedan, and it has a low liftover height for easier loading. A 60/40 split folding rear seat is standard." Nocheez fucked around with this message at 19:46 on Dec 5, 2018 |
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Dec 5, 2018 19:39
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IOwnCalculus posted:
I don't want a new CR-V, my mother in-law has had a couple recently and had some stupid issues (battery draining after a couple days away, etc). A CX-5 is alright, but I prefer driving Toyotas. I like their layout for steering wheel controls, etc. The RAV4 is nice but way more expensive in hybrid trim, and the gas mileage is far below the Prius and Camry.
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Dec 5, 2018 19:48
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Rav4 Hybrid MPG - 34/30hwy Camry Hybrid MPG - 51/53hwy Prius Hybrid MPG - 54/50hwy (my wife gets around 52 on average, so this checks out) The more I post, the more I realize that I think I know what to do. Test drive the Camry, buy it if it's good, if not get another Prius. edit: hope this link works. https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/compare?trims=None_13986-401561_13691-396862 Looks like the Camry has more interior space but a smaller cargo area, but the Prius counts everything up to the glass and no way am I going to be driving around with poo poo piled that high. Nocheez fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Dec 5, 2018 |
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Dec 5, 2018 20:07
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:the camry 100% has less useful storage volume than the prius despite being bigger I haven't driven many Mazdas, to be fair. The gap in mileage is big, and the reliability may or may not be similar to Toyota. I had a 99 Miata for a while but that's not relevant. I drive a lot of different rentals for my work, and I choose Toyotas because they don't leave me stranded (thanks, Jeep!) and my phone connects properly every time. While I appreciate a car that drives well, I'm getting a family appliance here. No zoom zoom for this old man, not anymore. I'll have to check the Accord out, good call!
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Dec 5, 2018 20:39
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zapplez posted:Camry Hybrid or Camry I4 is a great choice. If you are happy with how it looks and drives and dont mind telling people you drive a Camry, do it. Its a great car. I'm in my late 30s and I've got a family, why would I care what other people think of what I drive? Thanks for the input, hoping to get a test drive in the next week or so. edit: shameful snipe
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Dec 6, 2018 14:39
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zapplez posted:You'd be surprised the amount of people in their 30s,40s,50s, etc that will buy a piece of poo poo like a jeep patriot or a chrylser 200 because in their bizarro minds they think its cool, even though they know they are going to be money pits. (or not quite piece of poo poo cars that are fun but still money pits like a mini) Funny you should mention Jeeps: https://www.caradvice.com.au/709508/2019-jeep-wrangler-handed-devastating-1-star-euro-ncap-result/
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Dec 6, 2018 17:06
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:i don't think you guys are disagreeing here No, just some people love to hate on the "appliance" cars. The rest of us have had enough cars with "soul" that we just want something that loving works.
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Dec 7, 2018 18:58
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So I had a free evening tonight, and I went to the closest dealership with the wife to test drive a white/black Camry hybrid. It was nice, exactly what I was expecting but in exactly the wrong color combo. Before I left, they put a piece of paper in front of me offering the car for $24,200. I couldn't believe it, but thankfully they gave me until tomorrow to think about it. I went home and called a dealership I had seen with colors I could handle. A little haggling later, and I walked out with it for $25,600. I added a few things like floormats but still felt like I got the car I wanted at a very reasonable price. Thanks for holding my hand through it, goons. I never thought I'd own a new car in my life, but I'm not freaked at all about it.
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Dec 13, 2018 04:59
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Sits on Pilster posted:Seems pretty reasonable to me. Yep, you guys are making a good decision. Make sure you don't see any puffs of blue smoke when starting the car up, as this indicates oil being burned. It's common on Toyotas that were not maintained properly. The Corolla will be easier to park and drive in Boston.
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Dec 15, 2018 13:12
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Throwing in a vote for the Avalon. It's what I would have gotten if money were no object.
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Dec 17, 2018 15:54
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Has no one mentioned the Rogue? There's also a Camry Hybrid if reliability and MPG are really important (51/53). I'm biased, but I just got one and it's got plenty of tech and heated seats, too.
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Dec 18, 2018 04:46
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Sits on Pilster posted:Does the Camry hybrid really get 50 mpg? Like in the real world. I've been getting between 50 and 52 since I bought mine. edit: My trip to work yesterday (19 Camry Hybrid LE)  My wife's commute in her Prius (17 Prius Three Touring) 
Nocheez fucked around with this message at 18:32 on Dec 18, 2018 |
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Dec 18, 2018 18:28
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:it's a shame about the face I justify the looks of a car by realizing that I spend more time looking out the car than at it.
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Dec 18, 2018 20:36
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zapplez posted:Audi and Benz still look great. VW isnt bad but very understated. Mustangs still look good.  at the "now" part. They've always been behind the curve on looks.
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Dec 19, 2018 15:45
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zapplez posted:If you enjoyed your Soul I'd recommend you also consider the comparable Kia and Hyundai mid size SUVs. I've had a ton of hours with a Santa Fe and it was great, and from what I've read the Sorento and such are good values too. They are generally a great value for anyone that isn't hung up on not buying just Honda/Toyota or whatever. FWIW, I have driven all the small SUVs are the Santa Fe was the worst of the lot. The Rav4 has been my favorite, with the CRV and larger Rogue (who knew there are two body styles?). Don't buy a Chevy. Ever.
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Dec 21, 2018 16:58
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