Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

28firefighter

I think maybe $8500 plus tax.

henryn

jipster said:

henryn - So many people posting ads on Craigslist are.oblivious on how to properly market their car with a good description. Most are just a few lines of generic information. Screams indifference to me.. Could you speak some on your experience with scammers?

Scammers on Craigslist, oh boy!

Let me see now. First off, you get the people who are “on active duty in Iran or Afghanistan”. They want to know if you will accept payment by Western Union, and then their cousin / uncle / best friend will pick up the car for them.

Then there are the people who want to help you sell it, or sell it for you.

Then there are the people who want to know if you can finance it for them with no money down.

I haven’t personally experienced this last one, but have read about it. There are crooks who will show up for a test drive and just flat out steal your car.

And all of this doesn’t take into account the time wasters. People who are bored and have nothing better to do than waste your time, even though they have no intention or real interest in buying your car.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

ruking1

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Indeed.

Dealers, unless they are self funding pay interest on borrowed money for their “inventories”. So the reality: dealers are looking to sell, just as people are looking to buy. The dealers have to make money, to cover the “NUT” & tsk, tsk, to make profit.

houdini2

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:

When I was in junior high, I went on a tour of a potato chip plant.
Didn't eat potato chips until I got the munchies, years later.

When I was about 13 we went through a chicken processing plant. The smell and the whole concept made me feel really sick. I eat lots of chicken, but I have to put all that out of my mind.

My late Father owned a poultry processing plant (read slaughter house). Dirty and nasty business. But, I worked in it (doing some of the nasty work) and my Mother and Sisters worked in it (in the nice, clean office).

He had a farm where he and another family raised the chickens and turkeys for slaughter and also for egg production.

I get a chuckle today when I see poultry branded as “free range” or “organic” as I remember having to chase them down in a big farm to put them in coops to take them to slaughter. They were fed only grain that was actually grown on the same farm. So, my Father was ahead of his time. Those chickens definitely were free range. They were definitely organic. My Father wouldn’t know a GMO or steroid or any sort of hormone if it bit him in the posterior. He was way ahead of his time. But, he would have been gobbled up by either the Koch Brothers or Tyson at some point, also.

Lots of crazy weird stories I could tell. The one that sticks out the most.....while his poultry farm was the source of the vast majority of his business, there were local farmers that would ask him to slaughter their home raised chickens for them. He would agree and give them a scheduled date and time he would fit them in to be “processed” at the plant. He never charged them as it would rarely be more than 10 to a dozen chickens, which took more time to schedule than it did to process them. They would repay him by giving him eggs, sometimes.

Anyway, the one I remember the most was a lady whose husband passed away at an early age and left her with a farm to run, which she did, for many years. Every 6 months or so she would bring in her chickens for slaughter. Not unusual, except she would put them in these old wooden coups and throw them in the trunk of her Cadillac, learning the trunk lid ajar (fastened loosely with a rope so the chickens wouldn’t suffocate during the trip). My Dad would laugh every time she showed up. She bought a new Caddy every year, and my Dad wondered what she would say to the dealership when it came time to trade. The Caddy always smelled to high heaven. And, the trunk was always nasty.

Dirty, smelly, nasty business. But, he was in business for 50 years until his passing. He started it with what he called his “mustering out” payment from the army and a little stipend the army gave him for losing an eye in the first wave in the invasion of Normandy during WWII.

When he passed, my Mother wanted nothing more to do with the business. She tasked me with selling. I was shocked to learn that he was selling $2M+ of poultry/year. Sold the plant and the farm, too.

He built that business with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. Truly part of the “greatest generation”.

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

explorerx4 said:

When I was in junior high, I went on a tour of a potato chip plant.
Didn't eat potato chips until I got the munchies, years later.

When I was about 13 we went through a chicken processing plant. The smell and the whole concept made me feel really sick. I eat lots of chicken, but I have to put all that out of my mind.

My late Father owned a poultry processing plant (read slaughter house). Dirty and nasty business. But, I worked in it (doing some of the nasty work) and my Mother and Sisters worked in it (in the nice, clean office).

He had a farm where he and another family raised the chickens and turkeys for slaughter and also for egg production.

I get a chuckle today when I see poultry branded as “free range” or “organic” as I remember having to chase them down in a big farm to put them in coops to take them to slaughter. They were fed only grain that was actually grown on the same farm. So, my Father was ahead of his time. Those chickens definitely were free range. They were definitely organic. My Father wouldn’t know a GMO or steroid or any sort of hormone if it bit him in the posterior. He was way ahead of his time. But, he would have been gobbled up by either the Koch Brothers or Tyson at some point, also.

Lots of crazy weird stories I could tell. The one that sticks out the most.....while his poultry farm was the source of the vast majority of his business, there were local farmers that would ask him to slaughter their home raised chickens for them. He would agree and give them a scheduled date and time he would fit them in to be “processed” at the plant. He never charged them as it would rarely be more than 10 to a dozen chickens, which took more time to schedule than it did to process them. They would repay him by giving him eggs, sometimes.

Anyway, the one I remember the most was a lady whose husband passed away at an early age and left her with a farm to run, which she did, for many years. Every 6 months or so she would bring in her chickens for slaughter. Not unusual, except she would put them in these old wooden coups and throw them in the trunk of her Cadillac, learning the trunk lid ajar (fastened loosely with a rope so the chickens wouldn’t suffocate during the trip). My Dad would laugh every time she showed up. She bought a new Caddy every year, and my Dad wondered what she would say to the dealership when it came time to trade. The Caddy always smelled to high heaven. And, the trunk was always nasty.

Dirty, smelly, nasty business. But, he was in business for 50 years until his passing. He started it with what he called his “mustering out” payment from the army and a little stipend the army gave him for losing an eye in the first wave in the invasion of Normandy during WWII.

When he passed, my Mother wanted nothing more to do with the business. She tasked me with selling. I was shocked to learn that he was selling $2M+ of poultry/year. Sold the plant and the farm, too.

He built that business with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. Truly part of the “greatest generation”.

Your dad and people like him came home from the war and built this country GG. Thanks for sharing.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

Probability of a dealership negotiating the price via internet or over the phone? This dealership is about an hour away. Hate to drive all that way and then have them tell me to go pound sand. I'll give $8,500, unless I find something wrong with the car, which I shouldnt.

ruking1

This may cause controversy, but there are 4 trends that EV cars have to address.

1. The need for 6 passenger +plus basic models, aks BIGGER EV cars. Uber/Lyft etc. business models with 1 to 3 passengers gasoline are not sustainable.
2. Way bigger individual room in the EV’s, as app 71.6 % of the population are “over weight” according to the CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.
3. 300 to 600 miles range
4. Duplicated to triplicated “recharging” infrastructure

jmonroe1

stickguy said:

Just need to pick the right dealer. Not a BHOH mouse house. Often they have contacts at new car dealers that slide them clean trades but too old or miled up to go on their lot, or brands they don’t want to retail. That bypasses the auction. But, tons of used cars go through the auction too.

There are a couple of used places by me like that which I trust.

Mrs. j's 2018 Legacy came from a used car lot but not a BHPH lot. This place has been in business for quite a few years (son is now running the store) and is known for selling only cream puffs or cars in good condition for their age. In fact Son #2 bought a 7 year old Sentra from this guy when his Mazda 6 blew up (can't remember the year now) but the Mazda was a little younger than the Sentra he bought. He just wanted something to "tide-him-over" until he could get something he wanted a year later. That year came and went and so did another two years until he bought a year old Fusion about 2 years ago.

I'd say over 50% of the cars he has on his lot are upscale cream puffs. He said he has contacts with many new luxo car dealers who don't want a plain-jane grocery getter on their lot when someone buys a luxo so they call him before taking them to auction. That is how he came up with Mrs. j's 2018 Legacy with 7K miles on it. The guy who had it traded it in for an Audi at a Audi/Porches store. I even verified that before I bought it by calling the local Subaru dealer, giving him the VIN, to verify it was still in warranty and that there were no "hidden" problems with it. The Subie dealer gave me the complete history on it even though they were not the selling dealership. They even told me a few things about it that the Carfax didn't mention. Nothing good or bad just some additional info. From that I gather a Subie dealer has access to Subie info that other sources don't have. I'm sure it's the same with all of the other makes as well.

Like you said, you have to trust the place you are buying from and having a long history in one spot doesn't hurt.

jmonroe

ab348

jipster said:

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

I'm willing to bet that's exactly correct, or a car service vehicle of some sort.

10K for a 5 y-o, 100K mile base 4-banger Fusion seems a bit rich, so maybe $8K would buy it. Not sure about how good a buy it would be even at that price though.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

Probability of a dealership negotiating the price via internet or over the phone? This dealership is about an hour away. Hate to drive all that way and then have them tell me to go pound sand. I'll give $8,500, unless I find something wrong with the car, which I shouldnt.

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

As to negotiating over the phone I’ve never done that. Too bad IsellHondas isn’t here more often, he’d probably have some good insight about “strokes” on the phone.

jipster

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

Probability of a dealership negotiating the price via internet or over the phone? This dealership is about an hour away. Hate to drive all that way and then have them tell me to go pound sand. I'll give $8,500, unless I find something wrong with the car, which I shouldnt.

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

Thx..The car had regularly oil changes when it was under "commercial" ownership. So that won't scare. me.off.

The dealership called.a few hours ago after I expressed interest via their web site. They wanted to know when I would be coming in. Said don't know....is it still available? Yes, it is. They sent me an email with a $10 off an oil change coupon. A bit presumptuous. Wrote.an email.to their internet sales.person asking if we could negotiate the price of the car contingent on a satisfactory test drive when we came in. Have not heard back.

The Fusion has the old duratec 2.5 liter in it. Not too much power. Which is good in this case.

henryn

oldfarmer50 said:

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

The meaning is clear. The title said "owned by John Smith Inc" rather than "John Smith". We are left to wonder what use the "company" made of the car. And Uber would not fit. I expect that all or nearly all cars used in Uber or Lyft service are owned by "John Smith", an individual.

There are still a fair number of business that provide company cars for their executives. The car is owned by "United Fly-By-Night Inc", and is used exclusively by their CEO or CFO or executive VP in charge of waste management.

stickguy

could simply be someone that has his own company getting a car and putting it in the company name. Could be an insurance salesman, financial planner, etc.

sda

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

Probability of a dealership negotiating the price via internet or over the phone? This dealership is about an hour away. Hate to drive all that way and then have them tell me to go pound sand. I'll give $8,500, unless I find something wrong with the car, which I shouldnt.

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

Thx..The car had regularly oil changes when it was under "commercial" ownership. So that won't scare. me.off.

The dealership called.a few hours ago after I expressed interest via their web site. They wanted to know when I would be coming in. Said don't know....is it still available? Yes, it is. They sent me an email with a $10 off an oil change coupon. A bit presumptuous. Wrote.an email.to their internet sales.person asking if we could negotiate the price of the car contingent on a satisfactory test drive when we came in. Have not heard back.

The Fusion has the old duratec 2.5 liter in it. Not too much power. Which is good in this case.

The seats look like they need a thorough cleaning. Black cloth can be surprisingly unforgiving.

oldfarmer50

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

oldfarmer50 said:

jipster said:

Think $8,500 out the door would take this Fusion? A bit more than I'm wanting to spend. Higher mileage.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/768497279/overview/

If you assume the traditional 30% markup the dealer is probably into it for low $7s so waving a “I’m serious” check for $8500 should do it.

Only way to know for sure is try it.

Good Carfax, except I see first owner was "commercial" Would this include something like a Uber car?

Probability of a dealership negotiating the price via internet or over the phone? This dealership is about an hour away. Hate to drive all that way and then have them tell me to go pound sand. I'll give $8,500, unless I find something wrong with the car, which I shouldnt.

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

Thx..The car had regularly oil changes when it was under "commercial" ownership. So that won't scare. me.off.

The dealership called.a few hours ago after I expressed interest via their web site. They wanted to know when I would be coming in. Said don't know....is it still available? Yes, it is. They sent me an email with a $10 off an oil change coupon. A bit presumptuous. Wrote.an email.to their internet sales.person asking if we could negotiate the price of the car contingent on a satisfactory test drive when we came in. Have not heard back.

The Fusion has the old duratec 2.5 liter in it. Not too much power. Which is good in this case.

I think that is a Mazda L series engine. 173 hp. Comparable to the Nissan 2.5L and the Mitsu-Hyundai-Chrysler 2.4L.

driver100

berri said:

I get a chuckle today when I see poultry branded as “free range” or “organic”

My wife grew up in farm country. She says it is interesting that that a big chunk of these food contamination issues are organic? That's because organic means fertilized with sh** . We both think organic is a racket that mostly enhances sellers profit margin. Besides, how do you really know the "organic" claim is actually true?

Saw an article about organic carrots. Pay $4 for organic carrots or pay $1 for a bunch of regular carrots. Both have the same nutritional value.....organics look a little more cleaned up. We bypass the organic section in the grocery store.....seems to be a way to charge way more for basically the same thing.

ruking1

The American grading system WASTES approximately 95.5% of food. Farther down the food chain, food that is cultivated organically wastes approximately 33 1/3% of its YIELD vs pesticides used. So yes “organic IS the racket.

explorerx4

@jipster,
Which engine do you have in your Mariner?
One of my kids sold their 04 Escape to CarMax about 3 years ago.
It had just under 150k on it, still ran well, but some pretty good body damage, some rust and needed tires/brakes.
Got 2k for it.

tjc78

ruking1 said:

The American grading system WASTES approximately 95.5% of food. Farther down the food chain, food that is cultivated organically wastes approximately 33 1/3% of its YIELD vs pesticides used. So yes “organic IS the racket.

Source please.   95.5% seems beyond ridiculous 

30-40% is about the norm from what I’ve read across everything.   Still a crazy enough number. 

ruking1

Why would that seem ridiculous?

The figures you stated are just for STARTERS. Retail food stores throw out &/or condemn great %’s of cooked & uncooked food products, etc., etc.

So yes, both figures ARE ridiculous.

jipster

henryn said:

oldfarmer50 said:

My Sebring convertible had a commercial listing from 2000-2007 for the first owner on the CarFax too. That predates Uber. I’m assuming that the owner wrote it off as a business expense regardless of it’s actual use or perhaps it belonged to someone who traveled for business. Can’t imagine it was a rental for 7 years.

That imprecise nomenclature is one thing that bothers me about CarFax.

According to CarFax:


What is a commercial vehicle?
A vehicle is designated commercial when it is titled or registered to a company for business use.

The meaning is clear. The title said "owned by John Smith Inc" rather than "John Smith". We are left to wonder what use the "company" made of the car. And Uber would not fit. I expect that all or nearly all cars used in Uber or Lyft service are owned by "John Smith", an individual.

There are still a fair number of business that provide company cars for their executives. The car is owned by "United Fly-By-Night Inc", and is used exclusively by their CEO or CFO or executive VP in charge of waste management.

An Uber driver would have to report his car being used for commercial purposes to their insurance agent.

explorerx4 said:

@jipster,
Which engine do you have in your Mariner?
One of my kids sold their 04 Escape to CarMax about 3 years ago.
It had just under 150k on it, still ran well, but some pretty good body damage, some rust and needed tires/brakes.
Got 2k for it.

I have the 6 cylinder 3.0 Duratec in my Mariner. The same engine that I had in my 2004 Mazda MPV minivan....that some here may remember. Burns about a quart of oil between oil changes now.

My Mariner is the base model with the 3.0 Duratec option. The best thing it has going for it is I think it's a nice looking suv. Gets a lot of tire noise. Doesn't handle or drive that well. Until just last week, very reliable. Had few problems until the recent caliper/brakes repair. No rust. Great body. ;-)

Yeah, I was thinking I may get $1,500 to $2,000 trading in to the right dsalership.I could probably get around $3,000 to $3,400 if I sold on Craigslist. I guess I could handle all those crazies for an extra G.

andres3

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

I just got off the phone with Sirius/XM for the fifth time today - that’s right - the 5th time!!!

I don’t know of any other company that is worse to deal with than Sirius/XM satellite radio service.  I go through this ordeal every 6 months to one year, depending on the subscription I am on.  It is so frustrating - and I know most of you guys who use the service have had similar experiences.

The first 3 calls this morning were with customer service personnel that I could not understand - and remember I was an educator and can understand almost all people, even with tough dialects or accents - but these representatives have such poor English skills that I just hung up.

The 4th call was disconnected just as I was about to extend my subscription for 6 months for their “Select Plan”.  So I gave it one more try and succeeded, with some difficulty as regards understanding what she was saying, and got the 6 month plan for $31.02.  But, I have to go through this again in another 6 months to cancel their automatic renewal so I am not charged $159.00.  The plan can be cancelled at any time, thank goodness.

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.  I listen mainly to only 5-6 channels of music on their system.  But I do enjoy Love, Escape, Classic Vinyl, The Blend, and one or two more.  At least this is over with until October! 

I accidentally discovered Ihad a free 3 month trial of Sirius on the Kia the other day. I never tried to access it because the PT had a free year trial but they wanted $12 to turn it on. Told them to keep it. I assumed I would have to go through the same baloney this time.

It’s kind of nice. I chanced on an 80s station and was surprised at the sound quality. Wife liked it but when I asked if she liked it $159 worth she said no way.

$12 doesn't sound like a free trial to me.

andres3

abacomike said:

I just got off the phone with Sirius/XM for the fifth time today - that’s right - the 5th time!!!

I don’t know of any other company that is worse to deal with than Sirius/XM satellite radio service.  I go through this ordeal every 6 months to one year, depending on the subscription I am on.  It is so frustrating - and I know most of you guys who use the service have had similar experiences.

The first 3 calls this morning were with customer service personnel that I could not understand - and remember I was an educator and can understand almost all people, even with tough dialects or accents - but these representatives have such poor English skills that I just hung up.

The 4th call was disconnected just as I was about to extend my subscription for 6 months for their “Select Plan”.  So I gave it one more try and succeeded, with some difficulty as regards understanding what she was saying, and got the 6 month plan for $31.02.  But, I have to go through this again in another 6 months to cancel their automatic renewal so I am not charged $159.00.  The plan can be cancelled at any time, thank goodness.

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.  I listen mainly to only 5-6 channels of music on their system.  But I do enjoy Love, Escape, Classic Vinyl, The Blend, and one or two more.  At least this is over with until October! 

I can't stand Sirius so my best offer is now a 12-month deal that is essentially $60 + fees/taxes. Basically the same rate as you got, but with the need to deal with them 1/2 as often! I won't pay more, and I won't renew more often!

ruking1

I’m fine with Sirius. But even doing 18,000 miles + per year, I don’t do enough time on the road to subscribe on each car, up to 8 until recently. I’m thrilled NOT having to pay the operating costs.

andres3

ruking1 said:

tjc78 said:

My parent’s neighbor always looked for a very late model high mileage used car at a good price.  

Think something 2-3 years old with like 70k on it.  He would get a good price on it, then the miles would balance out in two years or so and then he got a decent buck for it since the miles were now “average”.  I remember him doing it a few times and did pretty well in ownership costs.  

driver100 said:

jipster said:

driver100 said:

Prices on those Sonatas are ridiculous. I was checking dealers around Louisville.

This one has 92000 miles on it!
2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS FWD - $7,500

Ads

Check some of the prices and look at the mileage.
I don't get it....how long is a 10 year old car going to last without some major repairs. I wonder if that mileage is even true.>
I would rather use the money you are going to spend....$6000, to lease a car for 3 years then buy it back once the lease is over and the price falls....a car like that you will get 10 or 12 or more years out of.

I was actually going to do that with the 2012 Honda Civic I leased. $3,000 down, then $79 a month. Buy it back for around $11,800 when the lease was up. Did oil changes esrly, every 5,000 miles. Towards the end of the lease, I couldn't do it. Just not a very good car.

Just spent $500 on my Mercury Mariner. New front brakes, rebuilt caliper, hose and brake fluid flush. That $500 is.probably half to a third of what a dealership would give me.for the car.

Ruking goes 250000 miles in his Civics and wouldn't buy anything else! Says everyone should do the same!
How come you didn't want to keep the Civic....people seem to love them?

The strategy of 1 to 5 yr old used car with low mileage is very sound.

If one is considering a new/used CUV/SUV, the Toyota Highlander is one I’d consider, even with “gutless” engine options/hybrid. https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/2020-toyota-highlander-new-york-auto-show/

Response to the last paragraph: 2/3 assertions are WRONG/FALSE & misleading. App 250 k miles were put on the Civic. I’d buy any number of OTHER brands & models. Should EVERYONE do (buy Honda Civics & run app 250,000 miles) the same? NO!

I did want to keep it for more time & mileage, even as it hit my (4 miles to 251k miles) targets. It so happens it cost $.0332 per mile. After all one can’t be greedy & have all the fun & luck. Besides she couldn’t drive two cars back. She chose the 2003 VW Jetta TDI.

People do seem to love them both new & used.

Again, I have a very simple assumption.

ANY late model brand, model, etc. should be able to go to the first “major tune up” @ 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles with little to no unscheduled maintenance.

If NOT, why is it is it worth ones’ hard earned monies? Also if not, if one sells/trades a “problematic car “ to another, one is basically/essentially scamming the next owners.

Interesting 369 to 516 # ft of torque brand/model/s. ! https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mercedes-benz-gls-is-the-alabama-built-s-class-1834109151/amp

I don't know about scamming the next owner, there are publications that tell you quite clearly which models will likely be "problematic." If you buy a problematic model, you do so at your own risk.

stickguy

on the fusion, if I was buying one with some miles on it, I would prefer the 2.5l I think. Less risk without the turbos.

jipster

stickguy said:

on the fusion, if I was buying one with some miles on it, I would prefer the 2.5l I think. Less risk without the turbos.

That's exactly what I was thinking. If I were getting a turbo I think the larger 2.0 would be more reliable than the 1.5. Performance is no comparison. You would think that with the heat issues of a turbo it would be a safer engine.. Not sure.But, I definitely would feel better about an engine that's been around the block..;-)

tjc78

ruking1 said:

Why would that seem ridiculous?

The figures you stated are just for STARTERS. Retail food stores throw out &/or condemn great %’s of cooked & uncooked food products, etc., etc.

So yes, both figures ARE ridiculous.

I just wanted to read the article or text where this is proclaimed. I did a quick Google myself and can’t find any source that substantiates 95.5% waste.

Is that figure a bit of hyperbole?

ruking1

andres3 said:

ruking1 said:

tjc78 said:

My parent’s neighbor always looked for a very late model high mileage used car at a good price.  

Think something 2-3 years old with like 70k on it.  He would get a good price on it, then the miles would balance out in two years or so and then he got a decent buck for it since the miles were now “average”.  I remember him doing it a few times and did pretty well in ownership costs.  

driver100 said:

jipster said:

driver100 said:

Prices on those Sonatas are ridiculous. I was checking dealers around Louisville.

This one has 92000 miles on it!
2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS FWD - $7,500

Ads

Check some of the prices and look at the mileage.
I don't get it....how long is a 10 year old car going to last without some major repairs. I wonder if that mileage is even true.>
I would rather use the money you are going to spend....$6000, to lease a car for 3 years then buy it back once the lease is over and the price falls....a car like that you will get 10 or 12 or more years out of.

I was actually going to do that with the 2012 Honda Civic I leased. $3,000 down, then $79 a month. Buy it back for around $11,800 when the lease was up. Did oil changes esrly, every 5,000 miles. Towards the end of the lease, I couldn't do it. Just not a very good car.

Just spent $500 on my Mercury Mariner. New front brakes, rebuilt caliper, hose and brake fluid flush. That $500 is.probably half to a third of what a dealership would give me.for the car.

Ruking goes 250000 miles in his Civics and wouldn't buy anything else! Says everyone should do the same!
How come you didn't want to keep the Civic....people seem to love them?

The strategy of 1 to 5 yr old used car with low mileage is very sound.

If one is considering a new/used CUV/SUV, the Toyota Highlander is one I’d consider, even with “gutless” engine options/hybrid. https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/17/2020-toyota-highlander-new-york-auto-show/

Response to the last paragraph: 2/3 assertions are WRONG/FALSE & misleading. App 250 k miles were put on the Civic. I’d buy any number of OTHER brands & models. Should EVERYONE do (buy Honda Civics & run app 250,000 miles) the same? NO!

I did want to keep it for more time & mileage, even as it hit my (4 miles to 251k miles) targets. It so happens it cost $.0332 per mile. After all one can’t be greedy & have all the fun & luck. Besides she couldn’t drive two cars back. She chose the 2003 VW Jetta TDI.

People do seem to love them both new & used.

Again, I have a very simple assumption.

ANY late model brand, model, etc. should be able to go to the first “major tune up” @ 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles with little to no unscheduled maintenance.

If NOT, why is it is it worth ones’ hard earned monies? Also if not, if one sells/trades a “problematic car “ to another, one is basically/essentially scamming the next owners.

Interesting 369 to 516 # ft of torque brand/model/s. ! https://jalopnik.com/the-2020-mercedes-benz-gls-is-the-alabama-built-s-class-1834109151/amp

I don't know about scamming the next owner, there are publications that tell you quite clearly which models will likely be "problematic." If you buy a problematic model, you do so at your own risk.

Most used cars are sold without warranty. But as I’ve posted before, 39 M used cars are sold yearly vs new car record yearly sales of 17.5 M to 17.8 M. So there are some to many reasons & some models of Lexus/Toyota are reliable & durable.

ruking1

tjc78 said:

ruking1 said:

Why would that seem ridiculous?

The figures you stated are just for STARTERS. Retail food stores throw out &/or condemn great %’s of cooked & uncooked food products, etc., etc.

So yes, both figures ARE ridiculous.

I just wanted to read the article or text where this is proclaimed. I did a quick Google myself and can’t find any source that substantiates 95.5% waste.

Is that figure a bit of hyperbole?

Why would you think that? I don’t. Your 30% to 40% waste factors are just for starters, reverse hyperbole, aka, gross underestimating.

tjc78

ruking1 said:

tjc78 said:

ruking1 said:

Why would that seem ridiculous?

The figures you stated are just for STARTERS. Retail food stores throw out &/or condemn great %’s of cooked & uncooked food products, etc., etc.

So yes, both figures ARE ridiculous.

I just wanted to read the article or text where this is proclaimed. I did a quick Google myself and can’t find any source that substantiates 95.5% waste.

Is that figure a bit of hyperbole?

Why would you think that? I don’t. Your 30% to 40% waste factors are just for starters, reverse hyperbole, aka, gross underestimating.

The 30-40% number is well established and has been.

Please divulge the source or I think we can all treat your number as opinion.

tjc78

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm

ruking1

tjc78 said:

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm

...”The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste”...

Yet, they want to reduce not even one baseline food waste study by 50%? 50%/0 zero=0 zero?

stickguy

that 39mm used is slightly overstated, because it is not that many cars, just sales. The same car can be sold multiple times. Heck, Breld alone skews the results!

New cars are only sold once.

ruking1

stickguy said:

that 39mm used is slightly overstated, because it is not that many cars, just sales. The same car can be sold multiple times. Heck, Breld alone skews the results!

New cars are only sold once.

Overstated by how much? So if I understand what you are implying, no percentage of the 39 M used car SALES are problematic. NO % of 17.8 M of new cars are problematic?

tjc78

ruking1 said:

tjc78 said:

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm

...”The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste”...

Yet, they want to reduce not even one baseline food waste study by 50%? 50%/0 zero=0 zero?

If you are going to quote the article, let’s not take it out of context...complete quote

What baseline estimates of food loss and waste will be used to measure progress in reaching the 50 percent reduction goal?
The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste. Instead, two very different measures describe the amount of food loss and waste in the United States:

EPA estimates: 2010 was selected as a baseline at 218.9 pounds of food waste per person sent for disposal. The 2030 FLW reduction goal aims to reduce food waste going to landfills by 50 percent to 109.4 pounds per person.
USDA estimates the amount of food loss and waste from the food supply at the retail and consumer levels: in 2010 food loss and waste at the retail and consumer levels was 31 percent of the food supply, equaling 133 billion pounds and almost $162 billion.

Now, I’ll ask one more time.. where is your source of the 95.5%?

stickguy

39 million sales is not 39 million different cars Some are sold more than once.

ruking1

stickguy said:

39 million sales is not 39 million different cars Some are sold more than once.

I understood that before I posted. I understood that after you post and I understand after your third post.

ruking1

tjc78 said:

ruking1 said:

tjc78 said:

https://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/faqs.htm

...”The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste”...

Yet, they want to reduce not even one baseline food waste study by 50%? 50%/0 zero=0 zero?

If you are going to quote the article, let’s not take it out of context...complete quote

What baseline estimates of food loss and waste will be used to measure progress in reaching the 50 percent reduction goal?
The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste. Instead, two very different measures describe the amount of food loss and waste in the United States:

EPA estimates: 2010 was selected as a baseline at 218.9 pounds of food waste per person sent for disposal. The 2030 FLW reduction goal aims to reduce food waste going to landfills by 50 percent to 109.4 pounds per person.
USDA estimates the amount of food loss and waste from the food supply at the retail and consumer levels: in 2010 food loss and waste at the retail and consumer levels was 31 percent of the food supply, equaling 133 billion pounds and almost $162 billion.

Now, I’ll ask one more time.. where is your source of the 95.5%?

So one real question? What are the #’s of waste in the (wider based) logistical system needed to deliver 219#’s of food estimated to be sent for disposal?

oldfarmer50

andres3 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

I just got off the phone with Sirius/XM for the fifth time today - that’s right - the 5th time!!!

I don’t know of any other company that is worse to deal with than Sirius/XM satellite radio service.  I go through this ordeal every 6 months to one year, depending on the subscription I am on.  It is so frustrating - and I know most of you guys who use the service have had similar experiences.

The first 3 calls this morning were with customer service personnel that I could not understand - and remember I was an educator and can understand almost all people, even with tough dialects or accents - but these representatives have such poor English skills that I just hung up.

The 4th call was disconnected just as I was about to extend my subscription for 6 months for their “Select Plan”.  So I gave it one more try and succeeded, with some difficulty as regards understanding what she was saying, and got the 6 month plan for $31.02.  But, I have to go through this again in another 6 months to cancel their automatic renewal so I am not charged $159.00.  The plan can be cancelled at any time, thank goodness.

Their business plan is so bad that they almost lost me as a customer because of the contortions they made me go through and the difficulty in understanding what their customer service reps are saying!

Too bad there is no other way of getting satellite radio.  I listen mainly to only 5-6 channels of music on their system.  But I do enjoy Love, Escape, Classic Vinyl, The Blend, and one or two more.  At least this is over with until October! 

I accidentally discovered Ihad a free 3 month trial of Sirius on the Kia the other day. I never tried to access it because the PT had a free year trial but they wanted $12 to turn it on. Told them to keep it. I assumed I would have to go through the same baloney this time.

It’s kind of nice. I chanced on an 80s station and was surprised at the sound quality. Wife liked it but when I asked if she liked it $159 worth she said no way.

$12 doesn't sound like a free trial to me.

Me neither, that’s why I told them to stick it.

tjc78

So one real question? What are the #’s of waste in the (wider based) logistical system needed to deliver 219#’s of food estimated to be sent for disposal

No clue.. was hoping your source (which you have failed to provide) may clear some of my questions up...

stickguy

I have had a bunch of new cars with free trials, and never had to pay for it. They were actually always set up and active by the dealer when I picked the car up. Definitely should not be an activation fee for a free trial. You might have to pay for a used car though to activate it.

ruking1

For the same money’s, would one want to get GUARANTEED interest @ $2.16 per year, .18 per mo, or to get NOT guaranteed app $2,598. per yr, $216.50 mo in Vanguard Fund’s? I’d like to say ...ah ....yes, laughing my way all the way to the bank. But I don’t go to the bank much anymore. I do it online ! 🤑😎 While this might be a case of Matthew 7:6, pt 2, I hope not. If so, I apologize, for this was probably the wrong place & audience.

ruking1 said:

Even I know that! But both the backward & forward looks are not indicative. Am I counting on that for 30 years? NO! Truthfully, it’s not hard to do better. But for no brains on INDEX 500, it’s a no brainer (pun intended) What did you think I meant about sliding between index 500, mid cap, small cap, etc.? What does it mean to you, that 6 % to 15.9 % (10 yr. ANNUALIZED) is better/worse than the 2.35% to less than 1% (guaranteed), while one’s cash is waiting? Judging by the overwhelming responses, most choose the lessers. Do you? If you are happy with the lessers, it’s a total waste of your time to read what I have posted.

ronsteve said:

ruking1 said:

ab348 said:

That Vanguard 500 fund return figure quoted is incorrect. The 15.92% is the 10 year return on the S&P 500 index itself. That number is inflated somewhat by the start date, since stocks cratered in 2008, so it benefits from a low value start point. The Vanguard fund has not been around for 10 years yet, having been started in the second half of 2010. Since inception it has returned 14.1%, while over the last 5 years it has returned 10.86%. As a stock index fund it offers the potential for high returns at the cost of considerable volatility, and it is considered a 4 on a 5-point risk scale where 5 is the highest.

Its correct, till it’s not. It’s from the Vanguard web site. Vanguard Index 500 10 year return is exactly where its from. Now IF you say Vanguard is incorrect, you should want to tell them. Let us know what they say. Once I see it corrected on the parts of the web site I see, I will make the 10 year correction. Pretty easy.

While the 15.9% return on this fund over 10 years is legit, anyone who knows anything about the market would know you can't count on that over 30 years. In fact it would be unreasonable to expect more than half that. 

fintail

Sometimes you just gotta walk away from deflection or intellectual dishonesty

tjc78 said:

No clue.. was hoping your source (which you have failed to provide) may clear some of my questions up...

oldfarmer50

Food waste is a tricky statistic. It can be lost in the field due to disease, weather or animal predation. I’ve lost 100% due to deer alone.

Then there is voluntary waste. Large commercial farms may dump or simply not pick a portion of a crop because it doesn’t meet wholesale criteria. A friend of mine has huge beautiful apples but he says he can’t sell them because the large accounts specify fruit exactly 23/4” in diameter. This is due to portion control programs which dictate that a larger Apple wouldn’t be fully eaten and therefore anything bigger is paying for product not used. His big apples are considered garbage.

Then you have spoilage from limited shelf life and shrinkage from crooked customers.

It all adds up. The figure I’ve heard is 50% from all causes combined.

ruking1

fintail said:

Sometimes you just gotta walk away from deflection or intellectual dishonesty

tjc78 said:

No clue.. was hoping your source (which you have failed to provide) may clear some of my questions up...

Indeed, that’s why I am. 👍

fintail

I've had 4 cars with it too, never an issue. Never an issue adding the 6 months to my existing account either. One of these days I will cancel it, as streaming radio has so many choices now, but as long as they keep offering me $5/month, I will probably keep it.

stickguy said:

I have had a bunch of new cars with free trials, and never had to pay for it. They were actually always set up and active by the dealer when I picked the car up. Definitely should not be an activation fee for a free trial. You might have to pay for a used car though to activate it.

ruking1

oldfarmer50 said:

Food waste is a tricky statistic. It can be lost in the field due to disease, weather or animal predation. I’ve lost 100% due to deer alone.

Then there is voluntary waste. Large commercial farms may dump or simply not pick a portion of a crop because it doesn’t meet wholesale criteria. A friend of mine has huge beautiful apples but he says he can’t sell them because the large accounts specify fruit exactly 23/4” in diameter. This is due to portion control programs which dictate that a larger Apple wouldn’t be fully eaten and therefore anything bigger is paying for product not used. His big apples are considered garbage.

Then you have spoilage from limited shelf life and shrinkage from crooked customers.

It all adds up. The figure I’ve heard is 50% from all causes combined.

You do mean 2.75 in, 2 & 3/4 in, not 23/4 in?

It’s particularly instructive there are NO baseline all inclusive food waste studies, not even from the “keepers of the flame/s”.

...”The United States currently does not have a single baseline estimate of food loss and waste”...

driver100

tjc78 said:

ruking1 said:

Why would that seem ridiculous?

The figures you stated are just for STARTERS. Retail food stores throw out &/or condemn great %’s of cooked & uncooked food products, etc., etc.

So yes, both figures ARE ridiculous.

I just wanted to read the article or text where this is proclaimed. I did a quick Google myself and can’t find any source that substantiates 95.5% waste.

Is that figure a bit of hyperbole?

Well, food does become waste when it leaves the body.

ruking1

One way to prevent/cut back on “waste” are for the 70.6% of the over weight USA people in America to get down to being normal to low normal weight? (no pun intended) Fat chance?

The good news in all of this is that by the grace of God, the United States is so very very almost overwhelmingly abundant!