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Bovril Delight posted:Dodge Dart is probably the best bet for "mean" looks under 20k. I don't think it does 30 combined, though.
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Oct 22, 2012 04:58
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Cosmetic condition will affect the price you'll be able to negotiate in a private party sale a hell of a lot more than a trade-in. If you're sure you want to trade it in, don't fix anything.
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Oct 23, 2012 22:58
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itsrobbiej posted:Proposed Budget: That S4 is a hell of a nice car but will require tons of expensive parts in addition to wrench time to keep the engine happy. I think your first instinct of getting a WRX is a great idea, but I would also look at Legacy GTs. You said you want something with grunt that could be made even faster for cheap, and anything with an LS1 is perfect for that if you want a big heavy GT car. I'm sure you can find some 4th generation V8 Camaros, Firebirds, and Trans Ams around $8k pretty easily. You listed fun above all, so I'm going to say that if you don't need more than 2 seats you could also look at a Miata. Miatas are objectively the most fun car (if you're a fan like I am). Really though, would you like a lightweight, nimble sports car? Giant heavy AWD powerhouse? V8 Monster? Your highest priorities are easy to work on and fun, but there are definite winners in many categories that are easy to work on and a blast to drive. Edit: Oh man I'm glad that S4 recommendation was sarcasm. I'm sure it's a fine car but that specific one should never be owned outside of warranty . The turbos like to go, and when they do.... 
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Nov 2, 2012 16:14
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:You could swing an E36 3-series for that kind of money, but you should probably recalibrate his expectations. $3,700, good gas mileage, reliable, low TCO and cooler than a Japanese midsizer really doesn't exist. I disagree, a Miata meets all of those criteria as long as he doesn't need a backseat. Might even pass for "refined looks". An MR-2 would also meet the criteria, but looks really boy-racer.
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Nov 6, 2012 00:00
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liz posted:Proposed Budget: 3k and under, for now until I can build up more savings. If you're looking for a sub $3k car, you're going to be looking on Craigslist. It's fine, just don't go to an address in the hood with all $3k in a bag in twenties. If you can drive stick you're in better shape, because a dying automatic transmission will be the killer of many a cheap beater. You're looking for a Ford Focus, Chevy Cobalt, Nissan Sentra, something Buick with a 3.8L V6, or a Geo / Chevy Prizm. Honestly, with a $3k budget just look for something that doesn't have perforating rust and please, please, take a car to a mechanic and get him to look it over.
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Nov 8, 2012 22:10
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liz posted:Thank you! This helps give me some direction, and yes i will definitely get it checked out by a mechanic. Any idea what range i could get a decent used car at if i decided to save more, would a few grand really make a difference when it comes to old cars like this? As the poster above said, the market for beaters is a mess right now because of the slow economy and cash for clunkers. If you can scrape up enough pennies to search in the $5k range you will very likely save money in the long term.
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Nov 8, 2012 22:54
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kimcicle posted:At this point I'm pretty sure anything else would be more than my G37. You really might want to consider an exorcism, the G35 / 37 have been incredibly reliable cars from everything I've seen and some friends own 2004-2007 ones that have held up great to 100k miles. I want to say the best decision would be fixing your G37, hopefully the stuff that you fix stays fixed. I feel your best best is a used BMW 3-series. Many are out there with manual transmissions, and they're a solid well-understood platform. It'll be less reliable and cost more to maintain than a G37, though.
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Nov 14, 2012 20:48
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Ganon posted:How bad of an idea is a Ferrari Testarossa? '87-88 for $40k.. If you have a lift in your garage and want the world's coolest project car, buy it. Just realize that it's not fast by modern car standards, a $28k Mustang GT will smoke it in every way. Oh god please buy this thing and post pictures of it. That's a car worth spending endless hours wrenching on just to keep running.
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Nov 14, 2012 23:52
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Can someone recommend cars similar in class to the Audi TT? A friend of mine test drove one and said it felt way faster and lighter than his G37 IPL, which I guess can be chalked up to turbos making torque down low vs his screaming V6, as the TT is down almost 140 horsepower on the G37. I really dislike both how the TT looks and its spec sheet, but I've never driven one. Are they actually great cars? What should he cross shop it against?
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Nov 26, 2012 21:48
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marsisol posted:Well, I'm essentially looking for a smallish car for commuting mostly. I do like the style/interior as well. Maybe I need to do more reading, but a lot of online stuff suggests it's a good car. I'm assuming reliability is pretty decent? The supercharger alone will make it significantly less reliable, even the relatively expensive TRD superchargers were known to have pretty significant problems. I wonder what sort of fuel economy you'll see also, the only guy I know with an aftermarket supercharger gets 18mpg out of a 4cylinder. What do you like about the style / interior? If you're looking for other sport-looking FWD cars, you might look at a GTI or a Mazda 3, both of which will drive much better than a tC. Scion tCs are indeed very reliable cars, but a car that has been crashed in even a minor way will have wear and tear that an unwrecked one won't, no matter how well it has been repaired. Things like mounts and bolts will have seen more stress than a lifetime of normal car use.
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Nov 28, 2012 18:49
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I don't think a used minivan would be too bad an idea, used minivans are extremely cheap because of how many families buy new ones and then realize they hate them or don't need them. Because you say MPG isn't a huge deal, I'm going to play devils advocate and say a minivan is the best bet for you guys. Don't be afraid of the Town & Country, and realize you can get a heck of a deal because of how fast they depreciate. Minivans are really incredible utility vehicles, their only real downside is the terrible mileage but you're not worried about it.
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Nov 29, 2012 00:44
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Khorne posted:I'm just looking for "not a mark up". If you pay MSRP, you're paying quite the markup. Dealers may not make a ton of money from new car sales anymore, but there's zero need to give a dealer MSRP for a car that's not a specialty model. Even if you buy at invoice the dealer will make money from holdback, dealer incentives, and bonuses for moving x amount of inventory. You don't have to grind away for hours to get them to $300 under invoice like some people do, but there's no need to overpay by paying sticker.
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Nov 29, 2012 23:35
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Velius posted:On the subject of car buying advice, a quick sanity check question: I test drove a 2013 Accord EX-L today, and in the process of conversation the salesperson offered, effectively unsolicited, to give me $2000 off MSRP (in his words to effectively upgrade me a trim level for free). He was a younger guy, late 20s, early 30s, very tech savvy, and said he was their primary internet salesperson. Is there something that might be cagey involved here, or is he just going for massive volume, low commission sales (I did note he was leading their monthly sales board, but I told him explicitly I wasn't buying today and he was totally nonchalant about it)? With $2000 off MSRP the actual price would be barely 600 over invoice, and since it's Honda the only other area of gouging is the $500 they charge for floor mats and other miscellaneous things. It's probably legit, the smart dealers are realizing that educated customers will pit dealers against each other to get a good deal. I recently bought a new car by emailing 8 internet sales guys, most quoted me between $200 and $600 over invoice and one guy quoted me $100 under, the whole thing went through and it was very easy, smooth, and legitimate. Invoice isn't really the whole picture. Dealers get holdback money from the manufacturer typically around 3% of the MSRP, as well as quarterly bonuses for moving x amount of cars and sometimes direct dealer incentives. If you buy a car that stickers for $30k at invoice price directly, the dealer may have made as much as $900 from the holdback. Minus any costs they had for new car prep, of course. Also keep in mind that they will charge you other things on top like a dealership documentation fee ($75-$125 is common) and they may pass other costs onto you like an inventory fee (~$40) to make you cover costs of storing the car. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Nov 30, 2012 |
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Nov 30, 2012 20:54
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Trans Ferdinand posted:A friend of mine is looking for a car, and I've been enlisted to help her out. You should be able to swing a brand new Sonic for that, and I've seen lots of positive buzz about the Sonic with a stick. The 3s are great cars, but the ones with the new engine designs are so much better that you should only look at 2012 Model year or newer Mazda 3s with the 2.0 engine. It's branded as Skyactiv.
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Jan 4, 2013 21:29
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marsisol posted:Proposed Budget: up to 16k How often are you hauling and how much stuff? If you really want to spend that much up front, a Toyota Tacoma could be exactly what you're looking for. If you're never off-roading, need a quality passenger compartment more than a rugged bed, the Honda Ridgeline could be perfect for you. The only other small truck option that's good is a Ford Ranger or a Mazda B-Series, but you can get a 2010 or 2011 Ranger for well under $16k. If you're hauling lots of stuff and really need that good MPG, you can pick up a full-size truck for really cheap and get a comfortable commuter car on the side pretty easily with that budget. Small trucks aren't super popular in the US because full-size trucks are so accessible.
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Jan 7, 2013 20:17
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Leperflesh posted:Is there a reason he should avoid an s-10? He specified 2006 or newer, and I think that S-10s stopped being made sometime in the mid 2000s. I'm not positive though. I always got the impression they were a little crappier than Rangers, but I don't have anything substantial to back up that feeling.
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Jan 8, 2013 21:25
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soy posted:Proposed Budget: $10-19K Your best bet with the important aspects as well as ability to haul are going to be a Subaru Outback or Forester. Also, if you want a real off-road jeep you had better cross MPG off your desired aspects. How often and how large will you be hauling furniture? Maybe rent a van for those days and get a smaller AWD car for your DD?
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Jan 11, 2013 23:19
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wr0x2 posted:I drove several times, for over a week, a new rental Fusion with the V6 and it was a terrible car. There's your problem. The Fusion is entirely redone for 2013, there is no longer a V6 option and they have massively worked over the interior. I can see the complaint about too many buttons, but I've sat in a few and fit and finish seems pretty incredible. I believe steering on the 2012 was hydraulic and numb, but the 2013 is electric and not terrible. 
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Jan 16, 2013 17:58
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photomikey posted:I assume a 3 year old one (2013 minus 2010 = 3) can be worth more than a two year old Lincoln MKZ because... people like it more, so will pay more for it. 2014 cars are already being built right now, it's possible that a 2010 Lexus is 4 years from its build date at this point. Enjoy your car, but the Lexus badge is about all that the HS 250h has going for it. People do like the Lexus badge, so time may show that you made a very good decision when you sell it to a bigger idiot in 7 years for $10k.
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Jan 30, 2013 18:40
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skipdogg posted:Certified Pre-Owned cars are just cars that come with an extended warranty baked into the price. They're really not any different than the same car at a different dealer. There are certain guidelines the CPO car has to hit to be labeled CPO, but most cars that can be labeled CPO will hit those guidelines regardless. Along further notes, some dealers are willing to play ball and sell you a CPO car without the warranty for cheaper. The Mazda 3 is the best deal among those cars, but lackluster on fuel ecomony compared to 2012 Mazda 3 or any other car of a similar size.
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Feb 5, 2013 22:06
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wa27 posted:The latest car I've been eyeing is a 2008 Mazda3 GT with a ton of options (GPS and Bose sound system, in addition to the standard GT options). Not really stuff I need, but cars with loaded options do appeal to me. And I do at least need the touring trim level for the cruise control. I haven't had a chance to drive it because it's out of town. 83k is not excessive mileage for a 2008 car, especially if the owner realized that cars need attention. If anything, it's room for a good buy because many people will be scared away from a perfectly reliable car.
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Feb 6, 2013 23:02
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SlayVus posted:Proposed Budget: Pay off in less than 4 years on 30k/yr Because this is BFC, I'm going to say that it would be a very poor personal finance decision to purchase a new car for more than a year's salary. In fact, I think it's crazy to spend more than maybe ~40% of a years salary at the very extreme on a car, and that's assuming you're willing to make cuts in other places because you really want that car. The Prius might be your best bet if you want a new car that's not compact, and only because they hold resale value like crazy. Really though, on $30k gross I would be careful about being so willing to take on debt. Buying a either of the two cars you mentioned would have you putting more than 1/3 of your gross income to your car payment alone, which is absolutely insane.
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Feb 12, 2013 00:09
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Seraphimikey posted:Proposed Budget: $18,000-$25,000 Have you checked out the V6 Mustang? If you stick to 2011+ the V6 falls in the "sporty" category, you'll get ~28mpg or more on the highway, you can get leather and heated seats and all that jazz. Of course, in stop and go you'll be under 20 mpg if you have a heavy foot. Don't look at 2010 or older V6 Mustangs, they fall in the "flaming turd" category. Other than that your best bet for sporty, high mpg sedans or coupes with leather under $25k consist of Hundai Sonata Turbo and a used Accord V6 off the top of my head, and neither of those are particularly fuel efficient. If "sporty" doesn't mean "powerful" then you might look at the 2012+ Mazda 3, which will be vastly more fuel efficient than any of these, but slower than a V6 Camry. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Feb 13, 2013 |
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Feb 13, 2013 20:35
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OctaviusBeaver posted:Point taken. I may go with an older car and just be ready to stick a rebuilt engine in it at some point. If oil got changed, it's very likely that the engine will outlive the rest of the drivetrain and the rest of the car in general with most modern engine designs.
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Feb 14, 2013 23:59
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Rukawa posted:I'm debating a single-owner 2008 Mustang V6 ($13,900 with low mileage). I've had a hard time find 2011+ V6s under 20k out here around Seattle. Please tell me why I should not buy this car. I factory ordered a 2013 V6 Premium last year with some options for under $23k, a hair under $25k out the door after all taxes & fees. If I were looking for a 2011 V6 Premium I'd expect them to be worth around $16k, there are tons of these cars sold and they've never held their value exceptionally well. I'm not expecting mine to be worth a ton, but I really like the car and want to keep it 8+ years. You're going to an incredibly difficult time getting a 2013 GT Premium for under $28k, but it's possible if you find a 2012 on a lot somewhere. Whatever you do, do NOT get a 2008. There are much better cars of any type and price you can imagine than a Mustang with the 4.0 V6.
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Feb 15, 2013 15:10
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Not an Anthem posted:I am not a car guy and would farm out work to a killer toyota guy I know. What is this car for? Is this a daily driver / commuter? There's a ton of reasons not to use a 70s car for that, but if this is a second car of any sort that would be an awesome car to get. You haven't said what exactly you want. If you want as cheap as possible a commuter, you could look at Hundai Elantras when they got decent or a Ford Focus or Mazda 3. If you want something sporty and cheap your budget would get you into a really nice 2003-2005 Miata.
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Apr 8, 2013 20:29
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Mr Gentleman posted:I'm closing in on a new Audi S5. Dealer is ok with 56.3k. Invoice (from KBB and other sites) is 55.9k (he showed me his invoice saying it was 57k - not sure what's driving the discrepancy). MSRP is 60.5k. 56.3k is a little under the "fair" prices from those same websites. Out-the-door is 61k, which is driven by the high tax here. I just want to make sure that I'm not missing anything, like I'm supposed to be comparing the out-the-door numbers with the KBB/website numbers, even though those numbers are pre-tax. If you really want to squeeze every last cent, call some other Audi dealers nearby, ask to speak to their sales manager, and ask them if they can get you an S5 like that one or with more options for under $56.3. It sounds like you're getting a good price, though.
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Apr 12, 2013 17:45
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I both work in the business and drive a poo poo load of cars as rentals, and if it were my money, I'd lay it on the Sonic. Better features for less money than what you pay for the Japanese. I see the Sonic mentioned a ton, but what about the Spark? Assuming that one is willing to get the stick and rev the nuts off of it, it could be a good commuter car / city car, right?
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Apr 15, 2013 17:21
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Zosologist posted:Proposed Budget: 20-30k You sound like a great candidate for the Focus ST hands-down. Other than that, maybe consider a Fiat 500 Abarth? It's a bit smaller, but the design gets the most out of the space available. Drive one before you write off its 1.4 turbo as too small, it's a blast. Get out there and drive the BRZ! You put cost of ownership and mpg on your list of "things I want", so an RX-8 isn't what you're searching for. They are wonderful in their own way, but the BRZ / FR-S drive awesome and aren't finicky.
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Apr 17, 2013 22:52
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TheJudge posted:So should I fix my current car? It would need a new transmission plus I would probably replace the timing belt as well. Should I buy used? Or should I make a sizable down payment on a new car? I've been driving this thing for the past 11+ years so I've not had to go through this before. It's going to almost definitely be cheaper in absolute terms to fix that thing and keep driving it for another 100k miles. However, because people tend to overpay for used Hondas and you don't seem to want a status car, it might be worth considering a new Honda Fit. At least locally, a '99 Accord would sell for much more than it should private-party because people think every Honda is perfect.
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Apr 24, 2013 21:04
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Any decent small hatchbacks under $18k that I'm missing? Doing an initial search for a relative who can afford the convenience of a new car but wants purely utility and doesn't mind driving stick.
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May 13, 2013 17:02
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Oldsmobile posted:I'm not really sure if this is the right place to ask but it's not really thread worthy either; but what are some good American cars of the 90's and early 2000's? I mean ones that are technically and mechanically good? Good to drive, good suspension, good brakes good engines, look good. I'm no expert, but the best American cars of that era are probably going to be highway cruisers. My gut feeling would say things like a Lincoln Mk 8. There are also the Panther platform cars, some people really love those. That'd be the Crown Vic, the Mercury Marauder, Lincoln Towncar, and Mercury Maquis. The only American sports car from that period that really springs to mind as excellent is the C5Z06, introduced 2001, which paved the way for future Corvettes to drive better. I'm probably going to be proven wrong, but my belief is that the 90s were not great times for most American manufacturers. If you were talking about trucks and SUVs there's stuff like the Jeep Cherokee that's widely considered to be best of breed. Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 20:18 on May 16, 2013 |
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May 16, 2013 20:13
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Cross posting from new car thread: Has anybody here actually driven a Leaf? One might actually work as a second car for my girlfriend and I. I think that if you drive a ton in city it might be only slightly more expensive than just getting a subcompact hatchback. I would be afraid of their long-term reliability and probably would lease one under one of the big incentive things going on. There are also used 2011 Leafs available locally, but the independent used car dealers are asking more for a used model than a new one. I think they might have gotten shafted when the MSRP on them dropped $7k for 2013. If we could do an electric car for within $1000/yr of total cost of ownership of a subcompact, we would do it. I still don't think it works out that well yet, though. I'm in Texas so there's no incentive on the charger install, we'd be doing a lease vs an outright purchase or favorable finance of a stripped subcompact.
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May 22, 2013 17:24
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kimbo305 posted:I think you need to be clearer on what you want. In some ways, the Leaf might be better (more comfortable? gadgets?) than a Yaris. But what threshold of betterness does it need to reach before the cost difference is worth it to you? What is the specific hatchback that you're comparing against? Our most likely hatchback candidates are the Chevy Sonic Turbo, Kia Rio, Mazda 2, or Honda Fit. I realize that all of these will drive better than the Leaf, but I would expect the Leaf to be more comfortable, have way more tech, and the idea of having an electric car with far less fuel cost per mile is appealing. I think there's no way it makes economic sense, it would just be really exciting to own an electric car. The more I thought about it though the more I'm realizing it's more money to have a worse car.
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May 22, 2013 19:10
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The Chairman posted:Pretty much have narrowed it down to either an Impreza or a Prius. Looked at C-MAXes yesterday and they were all right, but the center console was almost maddeningly awkward and the test drive wasn't even in one with the MyFord Touch. I looked at your original requirements and believe that you would be MUCH happier with the Prius. Imprezas, even the CVT automatics, get pretty bad gas mileage and the Prius has always been a good "not luxury, but I want gadgets" car. I find the Impreza's EPA rating of 30 combined a little bit too good to be true because of how heavy they are and the AWD.
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May 30, 2013 22:40
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revengeanceful posted:I guess that explains why the vast majority of the used ones on the market near me are former rentals! Just for sake of completeness, though, would you mind elaborating a bit more about things you dislike about it? It's in the most competitive segment in America, and every manufacturer has a midsize sedan that is better than it in at least one way without being worse in any other. It's fuel economy is subpar, reviewers say it drives worse than the Ford Fusion or Honda Accord (and probably most other midsizers), the interior would have been great for a car that launched in 2006 but it's 2013 now and behind the curve. What exactly are you looking for in a car? If you need a midsize sedan there are at least 5 better options, and if your list of requirements includes "absolutely must be a Chrysler family vehicle" the Dodge Dart is there as a decent choice. The only other midsize that's as bad as the 200 is the Dodge Avenger... which happens to be on the same platform.
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Jun 6, 2013 21:07
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Bovril Delight posted:Probably. I got a focus for way less than the x-plan price by negotiating. I beat X-Plan as well without too much work, but I'm pretty sure that A and Z plans are much better. I hope they don't screw their actual employees that much.
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Jun 10, 2013 04:38
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:Have you driven the Gen Coupe? I found it to be extraordinarily underwhelming. You're bench racing the poo poo out of all these cars. Go drive some. I was 100% set on a 2013 Genesis Coupe until I actually went and drove one last year. It shattered all of my spec-comparing bench-racing excitement and I'm glad I went with a V6 Mustang over the Gencoupe. I know everybody has different tastes, but something just doesn't click with the Genesis Coupe for me. Psimitry, it sounds like stretching your budget for a Focus ST is your best bet.
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Jun 19, 2013 18:05
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:\ Does this also apply to electric cars and other vehicles with incredibly beneficial leaf terms? I'm semi-seriously looking at a Leaf, and the lease terms seem outlandishly good for what the actual cost is.
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Jul 1, 2013 00:46
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Throatwarbler posted:
Holy poo poo that was an entirely unintentional slip. Yeah, I wish I lived in a state where there were state subsidies on top of federal. Georgia had a program that would chip in an additional $5k on 2 year or longer leases, so some guy ended up getting a Leaf lease for $50/mo with zero down. I'm in Texas, so zero state support. I guess that for these leases the finance arm is claiming the tax credit?
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Jul 1, 2013 01:15
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) for example has government rebates that pay for half the cost of the car if you're in CA, because the CA state government piles on additional subsidies.