AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

«‹›3 »

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

ZeroAX posted:

What are your thoughts on getting 30K/45K/60K/etc mile maintenance vs waiting for a problem to fix something? I have a 05 Mazda 3 that I'm taking in next week to get the thermostat controller fixed and I just hit the 60K mark. I was never sure if the mileage maintenance is worth it, or if its just waste of money.

mile maintenance is a scam. Look in your manual. It will show you what is required at what mileage. on the mazda 3 nothing more than air filters and oil changes are required till 60k miles.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2009 19:39

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 07:43

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

hobbesmaster posted:

Keep track of the time span listed in the manual as well.

yep

i remember taking my mazda into the dealership for an oil change at 30k miles, they tried to sell me a $400 30k tuneup that included a coolant flush and change, the tech told me the coolant didn't smell sweet anymore so it needed replacing. Went and bought a $5 coolant tester, loving good as new.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2009 20:08

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

as long as you keep oil in your car the timing chain should last indefinately

# ¿ Oct 12, 2009 23:04

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

LorneReams posted:

I have a 2001 VW Jetta that I've owned for a while. I've done all the maintance and am approchaing 150K miles. It still drives great, but now I'm unsure what more I need to do to the car. What should be my strategy? I've put maybe $2,000 in repairs since I bought it 6 years ago, and average about 22K a year. How many miles can I resonably expect out of the car?

read your manual, it should have the maintenance schedule.

other than that, fix what breaks, the car will last as long as it lasts

# ¿ Oct 14, 2009 00:21

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

hobbesmaster posted:

Every 60k mi - 30k service plus replace ATF

?!?

# ¿ Oct 14, 2009 04:38

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

hobbesmaster posted:

Automatic transmission fluid is almost always referred to as ATF, at least from what I've seen? Or is 60k a completely bogus interval? I'm going off memory, but really drain/filling the ATF too often can only help things (flushes are a different story).

every 60k miles, do 30k maintenance

wouldn't it be, do 60k maintenace

# ¿ Oct 14, 2009 05:24

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Harminoff posted:

I just got a used 01 grand prix gt from a dealership and have a few questions about the financing.

I am trying to build my credit. I have had one credit card in the past, for $500 through my credit union but I never really used it. I just got this car, and it is financed at $5,232.37 at 12.99% with a finance charge of $1,567.51 (ouch) I have the money to pay off the car in the first month. My question is, does it have any negative impact on credit to pay a loan off right away? I have been told that I shouldn't do that because it looks better when you show that you are able to make monthly payments plus some extra. I would rather pay it off and save on the interest. Is this a good idea? If more info is needed, let me know!

jesus christ, you shoulda tried to get a credit card instead of that auto loan. Pay that poo poo off as fast as possible.

# ¿ Oct 25, 2009 23:03

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

nbzl posted:

My situation is this; I have a little less than $4500 left on a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado. I make $260 monthly which I have no problem doing. However I will be moving 30 minutes away for school and would like something with better gas mileage. The Chevrolet has been very reliable thus far and I've only done one major repair($600 for the fuel pump) on it. I have $5000 in my savings so I could just as easily pay it off but I feel safer having that as a cushion. The blue book on the truck is around $6000-$7000. I've broken down my options into three things;

(a) Pay off the truck and buy something with better gas mileage.
(b) Drive that thing until it breaks down.
(c) Keep making payments on the truck and buy something for around 2-3k. Just leave the truck sitting in my driveway at home and sell it when its payed off.

I have a biweekly income of around $1500.

well the truck is only going to depreciate further so you might as well sell it if you dont need it. then take the cash you get + some of your savings and buy a civic.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2009 06:30

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

necrobobsledder posted:

Well his approach is so absolutist with everything in the world being valued only in terms of money that I disagree with. For example, if I can make another $15k / yr by having a car instead of riding a bicycle, then I should probably lease a car because it increases my earning potential more than the cost to do so. It's like he's completely forgotten the purpose of money and the point of money is to just accumulate more, and I can't agree with that. Furthermore, there's parts of the country that are really dangerous for bicyclists and so you're taking personal significant safety risks over a matter of maybe $3000 / yr. For the people that Dave Ramsey's trying to coach, I can see why he needs to espouse what he does though, so I'm not against his methods exactly either and I feel he's personally a lot more reasonable than what he preaches.

An additional cost of buying and selling a vehicle is that it'll take away free time outside your job when you factor in the posting of ads, the repeated interruptions to your day from phone calls, and so forth. This just doesn't fly for me when I'm so busy and my work performance suffers at some point. With a lease, I'll go in and come out with a different car with a pretty regimented process on paper. I'm not much of a negotiator and would probably screw myself, so it's part of the price of living for me, whatever.

There is a pretty big gap between riding a bike and leasing a new vehicle. You could buy a cheaper car with cash which is what he advocates.

# ¿ Oct 27, 2009 18:10

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

For $424, i would just forget about it. The hassle of going to court multiple times isn't worth it, not to mention he may not even have a job to get wages from. Then you will be out the $424 and the court fee.s

Don Lapre fucked around with this message at 03:12 on Feb 11, 2010

# ¿ Feb 11, 2010 03:10

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

DuckConference posted:

So in other words the guy he's trying to teach a lesson to over won't have to pay anything, will get a free mini-vacation, and get an appearance on TV. Yeah, that'll show him.

But the other person gets his money, a free mini-vacation, and an appearance on tv also.

# ¿ Feb 14, 2010 02:08

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Jagershot posted:

Let's say that the damage was $524, $24 more than your deductible. Your insurance would pay you the $24, and then you'd be paying $100-$400 extra a year in insurance premiums because now you've been involved in an accident that required a claim, even though it wasn't your fault.

Consider yourself very lucky and just drop it. You're going to come out ahead on this one in the long run.

if you are paying for uninsured motorists insurance i dont believe it counts against you, though for him saving $24 isn't worth making a claim.

# ¿ Feb 19, 2010 20:08

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

CornHolio posted:

Funny (well, to me) anecdote:

My mother-in-law and her then-husband had bought a big Silverado many years ago. They owed quite a bit of money on it. After maybe a year of paying on it (and still owing $20k+ to the bank) the bank accidentally sent them the title.

Being the genius people they are, they decided to completely stop making payments. The dealership took them to court, and ended up losing since it was their error.

The dealership then appealed the ruling, and in the end, won and my mother-in-law had to give the truck back and file bankruptcy.

I don't know the specifics, but the whole situation sounded pretty retarded.

Why would the dealership come after them and not the bank?

# ¿ Mar 8, 2010 16:09

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

CornHolio posted:

It was probably both of them. The bank wanting their money and the dealership wanting their car back. I could be wrong. I'll ask my wife about it tomorrow.

Are they dealerships that do financing in house?

There are, if you go to one of those ghetto buy here pay here. But most real dealerships give you a loan through a bank and get their money, at that point its between the bank and the person with the car. Dealership is long out of the picture.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2010 00:10

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

tuckfard posted:

Not if this is the best place to ask, but I'm trying to figure out what's the best option with my little money.

Background: Student teach starting in August, so I need a reliable car. Ideally I need a car sooner than later so between now and then I can work this second job that takes place in various locations around the DFW metroplex. I graduate in December so ideally I'll have a real job in January and can soon after get a real car if needed.

Current car situation: I had been driving a 2003 Kia Rio that I bought used for $3200. It came with 76k miles and a clean history. A month ago it died while driving. The timing belt broke and tore my engine to poo poo. Repairing isn't an option, need a new engine.

What I have to work with: I have about $3300 in savings that I was hoping to just save as long as possible but hey I guess this is why you save.

Options:
A) If the mechanic gets me an engine and puts it in he's quoting $4800. Not a valid options.
B) Find an engine on my own, will cost about $1k to have put in unless I had a friend or did it myself or something. Probably $2k-3k total.
C) Take the money I have saved up and get a beater that will hopefully last me a year. Would need to be able to take daily trips from August-December, as well as frequent driving this summer.

I'm thinking C is the best option, but what are the odds that I'll just end up with a similar situation? I bought my Kia from a private dealer on Craigslist. Can I find a semi-reliable car for $2500 or less?

You ended up in the current situation because you never changed the timing belt. Im guessing recommend interval was 60k miles or so and it was never done.

I would buy a beater and maintain it properly, you should be able to find a descent honda civic for $3300

# ¿ Mar 16, 2010 19:08

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Scipio posted:

It looks like a tree fell on it, has damage to the drivers side and the hard-top. Supposedly no frame damage.

I trust the mechanic quite a lot, so if he can vouch for it being sound, I'm good.

Its not the same mechanic that took care of your 80k mile blown engine is it?

# ¿ Mar 30, 2010 15:59

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Weinertron posted:

I know that motorcycles are similar in overall cost to operate as a car because they eat things like tires, sprockets, and chains regularly, but they couldn't possibly cost more?

Right now my only vehicle is a 1999 Miata with 150k on it. No problems forseen, may need a wheel bearing soon but Miatas are dirt cheap to maintain.

I want to supplement this with a 2000-2004 Kawasaki Ninja 250. I'm going to do the MSF in April before I ever actually buy anything, but I'm hoping that the MSF will go well and I proceed with the plan.

I'm hoping that other than the initial capital cost (~$1500 for the bike, ~$500 in reconditioning, ~$1000 in gear) my overall recurring costs spent on transportation will even out. The Miata does 26mpg in my mixed driving with a heavy foot, could do 30mpg if I really keep my foot out of it. Doing research and talking to friends, this bike does about 60mpg in real world driving.

So the price of gas is 1/2 as much, meaning that to drive 1000 miles will cost approx $100 for gas alone in the Miata and $50 for gas alone in the Ninja 250. However, will the bike need more than $50/1000 miles in maintenance? I'll be doing as much of it as I can on my own, including adjusting valve clearances.

I know that there will be insurance to think of too, but bike insurance is cheap and I only intend to carry liability. The other benefit of having two vehicles would be that if the Miata is having some trouble, I could take care of it at my leisure rather than needing a fix urgently. This is a significant benefit to me.

If you want a bike, buy a bike. But i wouldn't buy it because its more fuel efficient. If you ride the bike 6000 miles a year its going to take like 10 years to make up the $3000 entry fee in gas savings, not including replacing gear, maintenance, insurance, etc...

# ¿ Mar 30, 2010 17:52

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Matlock posted:

Not to say that's bad advice, but you've ignored about 75% of my post. I cleared $30K last year, but the month-to-month income is by no means consistent.

Also, in the area, used anything that isn't a Cavalier/Cobalt/Focus and that isn't in rotten condition easily surpasses $10K. Rust is also an issue in Northeast Ohio, hence my avoidance of used cars.

Looking at columbus ohio for $8000-$10000

2007 ford 500 72k miles http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/1696591841.html

2005 Escape 87k miles http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/1695369035.html

2006 corolla 68k miles http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/1696526068.html

2004 accord 87k miles http://columbus.craigslist.org/ctd/1695695591.html

Thats all just in the last 2 days.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2010 21:49

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Arzakon posted:

I forgot to mention, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 2005+ Focus. They are identical to the Mazda 3 in everything but name

The focus and mazda 3 are completely different cars in America. The focus up until the 2011 model coming up uses the original platform from 1999. The mazda 3 uses a much more advanced ford C1 platform that is shared with the european focus and the volvo s40 (and a few other mazda/volvo models). The 2011 focus will finally use the new platform.

About the only thing they share is the 2.0L and 2.3L duratec engines.

# ¿ Apr 17, 2010 22:12

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

quaint bucket posted:

Is the Honda Fit an acceptable alternative as a family/economical vehicle? What similar better vehicles are there?

The one (well two, actually) feature that really sold me on the Honda Fit is how it felt roomy in it and the way the backseat folds down. For those reasons alone, I'm also a fan of the Toyota Sienna as a family vehicle.

Thanks!

The honda fit and Toyota Sienna are 2 completely different vehicles. The honda fit is a good car, but its going to be cramped with a couple of babies and strollers. I think it would be ok with slightly older children who dont have as much baggage.

# ¿ May 31, 2010 02:56

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Throatwarbler posted:

No circumstances except for the law of the United States and the SAE.

Toyota does make a "large car", it's called the Toyota Avalon. Hope this helps.

The EPA measures interior volume as a combination of luggage area and Passenger area.

The Camry is 101cubic feet of passenger room and 11ft of luggage space.

The Prius has 94cubic feet of passenger room and 22ft of luggage space.

So yes, while the prius has enough total interior volume to be classified as midsize, the way that volume is laid out will have a huge impact on how roomy the car actually is. If the prius had a trunk instead of a hatch with similiar cargo room as a camry then it would be a compact car.

Using the EPA classification is not a very good way of judging how roomy a car is going to be unless you are looking at actual PASSENGER volume numbers and not "compact, midsize, large, etc.."

For Example, the Kia Forte is classified as a compact car, yet it has more interior room (97cubic feet) than the prius which is classified as a midsize car. A ford focus has 93 cubic feet, a toyota corolla has 92, a VW golf has 94. These are the cars that are going to be comparable to a Prius in interior room.

Don Lapre fucked around with this message at 16:38 on May 31, 2010

# ¿ May 31, 2010 16:33

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Throatwarbler posted:

And if my aunt had a penis she would be my uncle? The point of all this is that comparing the price and fuel efficiency of cars is only relevant if you are comparing like sized cars, and "size" in this case means how much stuff you can carry in the car. The Prius can carry as much as a Camry, and get's better fuel economy. So does the Corolla, but the Corolla can't carry as much. Yes, cars come in all shapes and sizes, some are bigger in some places than others. Since we are talking about cars used for carrying stuff, what difference does it make whether one car has bigger fins on the back or whatever that makes the total lengths longer? That's why the EPA uses interior volume and not total length like you guys are apparently so enthralled with.

Cargo volume certainly is important. But what im talking about is when you are sitting in the car is it going to feel Camry sized or is it going to feel Golf sized. It is going to feel similar to a Golf, or Mazda 3, or Kia Forte. People don't buy a larger car usually because of the trunk space, they buy a larger car because its going to feel roomier on the inside.

If you go to a toyota dealer and sit in a Corolla, a Camry, and a Prius. The prius is going to be comparable to the Corolla, not the Camry.

Don Lapre fucked around with this message at 17:18 on May 31, 2010

# ¿ May 31, 2010 17:15

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Throatwarbler posted:

Regardless of what they buy it for, wouldn't you agree that a car that can carry more cargo (or passengers) will typically require more fuel per mile?

That really has alot more to do with engines, aerodynamics, gearing, and weight. You can have large lightweight cars and you can have small heavy cars.

Regardless of what deal is better. If you are going to compare a hybrid vs non hybrid, the corolla and the prius are a better comparison than the camry and the prius. Someone who wants a Camry sized vehicle would shop the Camry hybrid vs the Camry, not the Prius.

Yes i know, technically the Prius and Camry are both midsize, and the Corolla is compact. But the way the car feels when sitting inside, the Camry will feel much larger, and thats what people shop for. The Corolla and Prius will be similiar in interior room when you are sitting inside.

# ¿ May 31, 2010 17:33

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

There is still risk in leasing a car. You could have a lifestyle change and need to put more miles on it than allowed. You could be in an accident or damage the car and have to pay penalties and fees when you return it.

# ¿ Jun 12, 2010 21:05

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Leperflesh posted:

How many miles are on that car, and what exactly is wrong with it? Aside from whatever is wrong, is its condition generally good?

Yea, you might be able to shop around and get it repaired for half that or less.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2010 23:18

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

OctaviusBeaver posted:

I was in the process of buying a used car and when I closed the deal the seller told me they have a lien on the car from the bank. Now they want me to meet them at the bank to settle the lien so I can get the title. Does this sound sketchy at all? Also is there a way I can make sure I actually get the car when the loan is paid? I am uncomfortable with the idea writing a check to the bank before getting the car, but I'm not really sure what to expect here.

This is perfectly normal when buying a used car with a loan still on it. Just make sure you have a good receipt like you should anyway.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2010 21:39

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

OctaviusBeaver posted:

Ok thanks for the help.

So I should be getting the car and the title when I give the bank the check (I am using a cashier's check) and not at some later date, is that correct? Do we then need to go to the DMV for more paperwork?

You may or may not get the title. If its a large bank they probably dont actually have the title there and will probably mail it to you.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2010 22:31

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

On that short amount of time, even if you got a ripoff 12% interest rate on a $5000 loan, its only about $600 over the course of a 2 year loan. Way less if you pay it off early, just make sure there is no prepayment penalty. You might as well shop around some local dealerships.

# ¿ Aug 16, 2010 21:50

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Leperflesh posted:

That's maybe true of 1960s-70s aircooled VWs (which literally catch on fire while sitting there), but it's not remotely true of any modern car, including VW.

VW just recalled the routan for fire hazards. They have also recalled the passat in the past, the jetta had some fuel leak issues, i think the new beetles had an ignition wiring problem also where things were melting.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2010 20:22

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Jealous Cow posted:

I'm terribly risk adverse when it comes to debt so I need to run this by the BFC Car Commission before taking any action...

I make 80k a year, take home about $3800 a month. My only debt is my current car loan, which I owe $2500 on and have 10 more payments. My monthly expenses are around $1900 (including the current $275 car payment).

This car has over 170k miles on it (put 30k+ miles on it per year for a few years) and has several looming major repairs (Axles, transmission is gonna blow, full brake job, new coil packs, idle control motor and relay) plus it has some body damage (scrape + dent on left rear fender from taxi hitting me while parked and the right rear bumper plastic is busted). It's on it's last legs and could easily take $3k+ in repairs to get it back to "ok" condition.

I'm looking at the Fiesta. SEL Sedan. Every factory option except the bigger wheels. Total MSRP+destination would be about $20460.

My credit score is 670ish from MyFico last month. I'd probably put $1000 down.

Thoughts?

Even though this is unrelated, you should be bringing home more than $3800/m. You should be getting closer to $5000. Do you have 401k/insurance being taken out?

As far as the car, for $20k id probably wait for the focus to come out. The sedan is going to start at $17k and should give you more room and comfort than the fiesta.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focus/2012/

# ¿ Oct 13, 2010 22:03

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

|Ziggy| posted:

I have been looking into new cars and want something ~$20k that will last as well as my 4-Runner has. I have driven a few vehicles from Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda, and Honda. Out of those I like the Nissan Altima the best so far. I tried to check out Toyota, but something came up and I had to leave before driving anything. Does anyone have any specific suggestions on reliable cars with decent gas mileage for ~$20k? I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy new because I will be driving it for a while (5+ years) and it won't have problems or will be under warranty if it does.

I currently have a '97 Toyota 4-Runner with ~142,000 miles on it that I'll be getting rid of after I get this new vehicle. My dad seems to think I could get ~$5k for it, but it has some interior cosmetic problems and a few exterior problems. Other than that it still runs well and has fairly new tires (3 months or so). I was thinking that anything $3.5k and up would be good. Anyone have experience selling their own cars? How feasible would it be for me to get $5k? How long could this process take?

I dont know how ~ close to $20k you want. But the subaru outback invoices at $21,600. and gets 30mpg highway. If you can find a 2010 model left over you could probably get a great deal on it.

# ¿ Oct 14, 2010 01:03

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Shadowhand00 posted:

He's trying to sell a 330i ZHP.

I'm more than likely going to do this. I was just wondering how the entire process worked - would I need to go to the Bank with him in order to make actually get the title? Are there additional fees associated with this process?

Yes, go to the bank with him. Pay off the loan with him at the bank. Get title sent to you.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2010 20:42

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

The new odyssey just came out which means you should be able to get a late model last gen for a good price. If you are gonna buy a minivan, you cant really beat them.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2010 00:54

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Uziel posted:

If I could find one that was a bit closer to my price ranger, I'd go for that in a heart beat. But, searching around on autotrader shows nothing within a 100 mile radius.

Have you checked craigslist?

# ¿ Nov 4, 2010 01:31

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Uziel posted:

The Mazda 5 is at the top of my list. Good to know that I'll likely fit into it comfortably. We had talked about just getting a roomier sedan so I did know that the 5 drives like one. The sliding doors and cargo room are a big plus.

As long as two adults can sit in the front, and two car infant/child car seats can fit in the middle row, and there still be cargo room, that would be perfect.

Currently, two car seats won't fit in the Aveo or Civic without both front seats being push all of the way up, and they both have tiny trunks.

Other than kids, strollers, and groceries we don't really ever haul anything.

I'll still want to test drive one with two car seats put in just to see.

I did check craiglist. Unfortunately, the car market in Pittsburgh sucks and craiglist is pretty empty.

I guess the fact there is almost no used Mazda market is a good thing? I saw maybe one used Mazda 5 and the price was closer to that of a new model even though it had 30k miles and was two years old.

If the distance in the mazda 5 between the front and rear seats is the same as the mazda 3, then you need to be careful about what infant seats you use. We had a graco that required the seats to be pushed way forward, but our first years seat fit really well.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2010 14:43

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Uziel posted:

Hm, we have one from The First Years (http://www.walmart.com/ip/First-Years-True-Fit-Car/10226644)
and one Graco snug ride (http://www.gracobaby.com/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=8F09BAR3)

So, that concerns me as we'd need to get both of them in the middle row and still have leg room.

Take them to a mazda dealership, they will probably let you test fit them.

# ¿ Nov 4, 2010 16:37

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

trashy_j posted:

can I get some opinions on Mazda 3's? Thanks

I've got a 2006 with 75,000 miles on it and nothing except wear items have had to be replaced (front struts, fluids, tires, filters). Still on original brakes even.

# ¿ Feb 6, 2011 19:53

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

cfae203 posted:

Okay.

Situation. Piece of poo poo Pontiac- about 12-13 years old, fair condition, 160K miles, and in need of monthly/bi-monthly maintenance.
Character. College student 5 months from graduating with a guaranteed 40-50K job coming at me. Currently have no dollars. Credit Score. EH
Plot. In need of used reliable car which I was planning on getting in 5-6 months. Making a drive somewhere across the country for new job would have required it anyways (little POSP wouldn't have made it). I currently drive <5-6 miles a day so we are able to work for the present but POSP is going to get abandoned if I can figure this out. Looking for something around 10,000 bucks, with less than 50-60,000 miles.

I have been going on the notion that sometime in my past I have seen on TV "Buy a car, No Interest, No Payment for 6 months!".. (link 6 month convenience to above). I have a terrible knowledge of how financing works and am looking for some guidance.
Does this really exist? & if so is it legitimate and not something that can screw you over in the long run?
If this isn't something thats feasible for a consumer who wants a used car with mediocre credit, then would it be possible to get a loan for 60 months and once able to make better payments refinance it to a shorter pay-off window (24-36)?
I get it. I know nothing of loan processes. Help me dammit.

With a lovely credit score and a first time buyer you are going to have a super high interest rate unless you have a cosigner. Ive also never heard of no payments for 6 months and no interest deals are usually for preferred credit buyers on new cars at major dealerships. How can your car require monthly maintenance? there is only so much required to make the car move.

If you cant get someone to cosign for you you will get a high interest loan. If you do this you need to make sure there is no prepayment penalty and then pay it off as quickly as possible. Another option would be to stay in the pontiac and save up some cash to buy a better used car.

# ¿ Feb 17, 2011 20:34

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

What small truck? You really arn't going to get a huge increase in gas mileage with any truck over your x-terra.

As far as selling it, go on craigslist or ebay and see what they are going for. Then sell it and buy what you want. If its not worth $12,000 then you will need to come up with the difference or ask the bank to convert the difference to an unsecured personal loan.

edit: If you just want a different vehicle thats fine, but dont delude yourself into thinking buying a new truck that gets 24mpg over your xterra that gets 22mpg is going to make a difference, especially if you are going for a more expensive .vehicle

Don Lapre fucked around with this message at 06:42 on Mar 11, 2011

# ¿ Mar 11, 2011 06:40

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 07:43

Don Lapre: Mar 28, 2001; If you're having problems you're either holding the phone wrong or you have tiny girl hands.

Reggie Died posted:

With the price of gas rising and the price of new trucks falling, I was hoping to get some advice on my current situation. I'm definitely leaning one way but I'm confused and could use some insight.

I currently drive a 1996 Toyota T100 which just hit the 300,000km mark (100,000km on engine). I was tweaking my Microsoft Money files, and found out I spent nearly $500/month on maintenance in the past 12 months on this thing. This is artificially high because it includes a major item (used engine), items which won't have to be done any time soon (new rad, plugs and wires, front ball joints), as well as wear and tear items which would have to be done to any vehicle I own (new tires, front brakes, oil changes).

I replaced the engine a few months ago because I knew I could sell my truck for more than the engine repair cost, but it would be worth next to nothing without a working engine. I'm now setting money aside for a new timing belt/water pump, some front end work (shocks) and a canopy. There's also some rust on the rear wheel which I want to get rid of, since it's been rapidly getting worse.

I love my truck, and since I know it's history for the past 4 years, I feel it'd be stupid to replace it with anything used. But for $400/month, I can get fairly well equipped F150/Silverado/Ram on a 4 year plan. I could probably have the truck paid off before the warranty expires.

At what point is it a bad financial decision to stop sinking money into a 16year old vehicle?

If the car is still running well then $500/year is way cheaper than $400/m.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2011 16:14

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > AI meets BFC: Car Buying Thread: No Rentals and No Salvage Titles

«‹›3 »