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More of the Saab story, Terry. (BTW, The dealer's final offer on the 9-5 wagon I was looking at was $17.8K, which not only was about $500 higher than your original estimate, but the "real" price was $1500+ higher because it needed a new wheel, new tires, and was overdue for 30K maintenance. Makes me wonder what they overpaid for the car.)
There's that one 2.3turbo here, a couple in Denver, and from there you gotta go to Arizona, Salt Lake or further. There are many reasonably priced wagons elswhere, like Atlanta and New York, even factoring in travel/transport.
If you go to saabnet.com, there is a listing of recommended Saab mechanics in every state, so it is possible I could find a mechanic in, say, Atlanta who would do a good inspection.
I don't really like the idea of buying a car sight unseen, but otherwise it might be a long time before the right car shows up in this area.
My question is what should I be looking at?
I need something All Wheel Drive that wont kill me on gas, is still comfortable and fun to drive and reliable!
I am sure a used car will be my best option. But does it make sense to pick up a 2002 325XI with about 30K on it and still pay in the neighborhood of $25k...
In two years this car will have well over 100k on it and I am sure I'll be up-side down on it... I am just not 100% sure what makes the most sense to do?
Any thoughts or advice would be very helpful!
Thanks
Or, Saab 9-2X
The only way I would buy the BMW, is if it was CPO and had the 100K mile warranty..
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Here is the part of the story that really got my attention. The rental car company, america largest, purchased the car from an auction and then sold it on their lot. I had NO idea that they sold cars other than their own rental cars. The rental company purchased it at an auction just like a dealer...The consumer thought it was one of their previous rentals.
The investigation continues......
Am I the only one who didn't know that at least one major rental firm buys auction cars to sell? I always thought they only sold their own previous rentals.
Personally, I would buy a boring midsized sedan (i.e., Taurus, Century, Impala) 2 years old for about $8-10k with 30k miles and use it up. Of the three, I'd favor the Impala as my wife is getting about 30 mpg in Chicagoland with hers and the car is pretty darn comfortable.
I would not buy anything new as the car will not be worth much when you get done with it.
Misrepresenting a car as a former rental.. that has to be a first.
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Other than that, jlawrence is right when he says you'll convert the car to worthless in 2-3 years. But I'd say that since you'll spend so much time in the car, it should be something you like. So it comes down to, is your liking the vehicle worth $5k/year? If it's worth $8k per year, the bimmer becomes interesting again.
If you want middle-of-the-road, I'd say Subaru Legacy Wagon for $22k and be done with it. But I'd get the 5speed :-)
-Mathias
I see that you are not recommending the Vibe as a good used wagon.I have this on my short list of cars to look at and was wondering if you thought this was the same value as the Prizm?
I personally like the looks of the Vibe better then the Matrix, I am just wondering if most buyers felt the same way and this make the resale between he two negligible.
I see you are recommending the Subaru wagons, do you think these are a better deal used ?
Any input from the used car Guru would be most appreciated.
There is a lot rental companies that have a "used car Mgr" that sell off their lot .. and when the inventory gets low they travel to the auction to purchase, ya know - 20/30 vehicles+ whatever, it's common ...
Usually they're in the rental lanes because they get a free float for 30/90 days and/or free transport depending on the volume purchased - but just because it's in the rental lane doesn't make it a rental vehicle and most of those guy do little, if any, history of the vehicle(s) ... the mileage deal, it should have been caught at the service end, off the computer, not off of the Odo ... but again, these guys buy in bulk, most don't get paid a whole lot and/or most don't care because it's a "corporation" ......................
Terry.
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I've got one (bought new), and I like it.. but it's a very different vehicle fromt he Prizm. A lot rougher around the edges, clunky shifter, and fairly loud. OTOH, it handles great, is not nearly as bland, at a very practical vehicle. I guess they are a good value used, but I don't really know... mine is 13 months old; I bought it for $15,500; sticker was $18, now it's worth, according to Terry, a little under $11 to a dealer with 10k on the clock (base/5sp/pwr/no roof or alloys). I guess that does make it a good value, but the ones I see offered for sale are pretty expensive. If you have the old (blue) GM Card, where rebates can reach $3,500, the Vibe is a great car to get... I cashed in $2,600 and was pretty happy.
My guess is that a Vibe is going to be $1k-2k cheaper than the comparable Matrix, but I don't really know. I read somewhere that GM is putting these into rental fleets, so that should drive prices down.
Subarus are a pain to buy used; typically expensive enough to be a better value new -- at least at typical dealer retail prices. I was talking to a guy here in town who is offereing a 34k base Outback 5sp that was 'around' $22k street price new... he's asking $17 and would probably take anything over $16... and I think he might get it, though not from me... that is less than 20 cents per mile driven for him. At that price, I'd rather drive the "from new" miles myself.
-Mathias
The real deals on small wagons I have been seeing are in '02 &'03 Ford Focusses.A little more room than the Vibe and the quality seems to be improving.
If you can think of any other deals on smaller wagons please let me know.
1. Price is essential. I have around $6000 to work with for a used car, and would consider a lease if anyone knows of a good deal (under $200 a month total) that would allow me lots of miles.
2. The car needs to have really good gas mileage because I travel long distances.
3. I need a TON of storage space, enough for a 5-foot keyboard/case and PA system, ideally without having to skimp on passenger space (i.e. fold down seats, etc.).
4. Dependability is really important, because I'm tired of cars breaking down on me.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks.
G20: compact, based on a Euro-market Nissan ???, which is not sold in the U.S. 2.0 4-cylinder engine. I drove a 5-speed Nissan variant and it is rather nice and nimble. The G20 may feel a little more sluggish since they are often automatics, and with sunroof and other doodads weigh more.
I30: midsize, based on the Maxima. 3.0 V6. Only automatic transmission.
I would look at Edmunds what the fair retail prices for these are, ask Terry (rroyce) here or on the Real-World Trade-in Values thread for a second opinion, but, most importantly decide what you like better!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
6K is a tough $$ amount to get something that will be real reliable for long distance travelling. But, at that or maybe a little more, there are a few cars that might fit your needs.
Of course, keep in mind that you might get something that had some paintwork or has higher miles to get down to your target price, just make sure it's mechanically sound.
Choices:
-Focus station wagon (should be long enough)
-Corolla wagon (might be pricey)
-a PT Cruiser? Not sure how cheap they have gotten, but would hadnle the gear.
-
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Isell- jump in please i would love to hear your opinion!
Just be careful that it is a Honda Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle, not something else. Many warranty companies sell certification programs to dealerships that, at quick glance, can appear to be a factory program.
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LH
Oh, almost forgot something else. There is such a thing as too little miles on an older car. For example, my mother-in-law has a Ford Tempo that they bought new back in.... hmmmm... i think its a '92. Anyway, its got a whopping 18K miles on it. I'd be biting my nails if I tried to take that on my daily highway commute.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Is the same true when it comes to buying a used car from a dealership - that the end of the month is better?
everyone is different.
dont wait till the end of the month just to try to save an extra hundred bucks, especially on a used car...that car may not be there by then.
Like dbauer said, maybe you save a couple of hundred pesos "if" you find "that" salesperson who is trying to hit his number. Maybe
If you find a car you like, buy it.
Thanks
If you are with Geico, or some other mail-order, internet based insurance company... Not much hope for you, I'm afraid..
regards,
kyfdx
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Still, it's hard to recoup the real value on an older car like that one. They tend to go by the books and they really don't care if you threaten to take them to court.
Been there.
Anyway .. depending on where you live, the condition and the style it can be based on auctions figures and the previous history, I've seen clean base models do as much as $5,300 with 60k ... remember, the squeaky wheel always gets the grease when it comes to insurance companies, books like the Robb report and pics can always help ....
Terry.
I was very leary about moving from an agent based insurance company to a "over the phone" service center with Metropolitan. However, I have found that the service through a call center from MET has been more responsive than Allstate, State Farm, or American Family has been. And through our corporate group plan, the savings over State Farm or Allstate has been about 50%.
Getting back to the topic, when dealing with any insurance company, there is generally some leeway that the adjuster has with the amount that you will be reimbursed for your claim. Like in most business situations, you generally don't get what you don't ask for. If I had a car that was very low mileage, I would ask the adjuster for what the car was worth as documented by some comparables. You will probably not get everything you want but it does not hurt to ask for what is reasonable.
When I check out the 99 Sebring I'm thinking of buying on Carfax it says that the vehicle was serviced at 15 miles for electrical and other stuff and then auctioned soon after listed as manufacturer's vehicle. What does this kind of listing mean? Am I right in suspecting that the maker just had the car returned cos it didn't work and then put it up for auction. It seems to have been part of a corporate fleet over the next three years (pretty low mileage so I'm guessing that doesn't mean rental !) and a personal car for the next two. Thoughts ?
I'm thinking of purchasing a 1998 BMW 328iS coupe,6cyl,4speed automatic overdrive and with 150000 miles ..for 6000-6500$(Kelly Blue Book value 8200$)...is it a normal deal considering high milage of the car..what things I should look at before buying it?What major problems this car can have because of it's high milage?
It's an individual selling this bimmer,I'm going to look at the car on saturday,checked carfax everything seems ok,owner has all the maintenance records,he's the second owner and was doing most of the highway miles from home to work.Does anyone have any experience in buying a high milage bimmer?Any suggestions?
Bimbalas
Your price is a little fuzzy. If you can beat the wholesale KBB price by a couple of thousand then that's worth taking a look. If their price is relative to a KBB private party price then I may be interested if the car was outstanding. If the price is relative to a KBB retail price then keep looking or go buy a car from any dealer as this price is nothing special. Many people are confused as to what BB price is, make sure they deduct for the mileage and don't add for a stereo and stock wheels etc.
As far as what troubles you can expect - well you name it, anything can fail with this mileage. Engines and transmissions are very expensive to repair so make sure that at least those two are good. If the car has electrical problems then just pass on it - those can be a nightmare.
Something to think about - Maybe you should pay some more to buy a newer-better car or change the type of car that would suit you. Personally I don't get the logic that if you drive a 10 year old foreign status car with very high mileage that that's somehow better than driving a late model American car.
- Good luck with your search
I had an Accord back in 97 on a lease and it was a great car.
This car is for the daily commute to work (about 40 miles round trip), so I want something that I can rely on.
My problem would have been solved if I hadn't gotten to the dealer too late on that 2000 Mazda Protege ES with 57K miles that was $5595!!!!
Any thoughts? Are domestics in this price range and years (2001's) reliable enough? We have a Malibu Maxx (2004) and I know the newer domestics are made better and seem like they will be more reliable down the road.
ford has turned me into a believer with this car. other than a few recalls in 2000, they have been nearly bulletproof in reliability.
I think you have the right idea with getting an import.. But, the Accord might be a little overpriced..
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Accords usually are.
moretc over on RWTIV got his '00 EX with 146k appraised at $5 wholesale, take $7,9 from private party.
A UC dealer I know locally has a white EX auto with 95k on the lot... he's got $7,200 in it.
Accords are incredible in what people will pay for them. I think they're very good cars, but they don't walk on water. Generally, I'd stay away... if one could be bought for wholesale or so, then maybe.
-Mathias
Personally, compare an Accord to a Taurus or an Impala as they are similar vehicles sizewise.
My mechanic is a Honda fanatic and we had this discussion about the Accord vs. Impala this morning. He told me that the Impala would cost me "thousands more in repairs over the life of the car". I turned around and said "have I spent thousands with you over the past five years ...??" "Well ,no. But YOU are different ..."
But I do know that when I bought my old Ciera in 2000 that the similar year/ mileage Accord was about $7k more ... And that was a retail to retail comparison.