Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

qbrozen

pensfan83 said:

I'm going to guess around $330-$350/month on the BMW? At that price there's bound to be takers.

bingo. $340/mo on just under $50k MSRP.

henryn

qbrozen said:

pensfan83 said:

I'm going to guess around $330-$350/month on the BMW? At that price there's bound to be takers.

bingo. $340/mo on just under $50k MSRP.

Indeed, a heck of a deal, and it should be easy to pass that one on if you decided to do so.

henryn

On the subject of cost per month to keep a car around, I usually depreciate around 300 a month on new cars or trucks. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Used cars quite a bit less, depending on the age. There is also around $100 per month for insurance, but I don't think too much about that.

A lease would probably cost as much, and would have less flexibility, so ...

Michaell

au1994 said:

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

Hmmm ….

Vroom came back with an offer of $12,000.

Guess I should call VW Credit and find out what my actual payoff is.

You can do it online through your VW credit account. You just looking to downsize a car?

Yeah, if I can get out of the lease early with only a few hundred out of pocket, I might do that and start being a one car family for a while. I've put less than 500 miles on it in the last month, and it's costing me $300/mo (payment + insurance) to keep around.

Unfortunately, I can't get an on-line payoff from VW Credit - it's not allowed in Colorado. @jpp5862 can confirm this.

I did call VW Credit.. I always figured the payoff was the remaining lease payments plus the residual value. Dude on the phone said no, it's the cap cost less any payments I've made. Umm, OK, I guess I don't see the difference.

However, I was also told that I have to go through the dealer to sell the car. What?

At the end of the conversation, we sorta got a close guess as to the payoff, which is only a couple hundred more than the Vroom offer.

So, I called Vroom to see how it works, from their side. Their offer is good for 10 days or 300 miles, so I've got some time to decide. If I accept, I'll be asked to fill out a bunch of paperwork, at which point I'll be assigned a "document specialist", who will complete the transaction. That person will work with VW Credit and/or the dealer to get the payoff value, at which point I can decide to go forward, or not.

I really like the VW, and will be sad to see it go (if it does go). But, I could use the cushion in the budget for the time being. And, as @breld pointed out, the clock also starts ticking as to when I can replace it, if the wife and I decide that one car isn't enough for us.

I considered going the 1 car route for a while. I work from home now just not 100% of the time, for instance I’m going in tomorrow and Thursday but that’s the 1st time since mid December. Plus I just ran some errands late this afternoon. Nothing that couldn’t have waited till I had the car but it was still nice to get it done.

So @Michaell it sounds like you are a good candidate for one of those well used BMW’s we were discussing earlier

I also work from home, but go into the office on rare occasions. Plus, errands during the day now and again.

Wife and daughter commute together, so there is always a car in the garage. The weeks that it's the MINI, I'd use it only in an emergency. If it's the Outback, more leeway to use it.

I've thought about something cheap and fun, just not sure I could stomach the maintenance costs and inconvenience - and I know the wife wouldn't.

breld

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

Hmmm ….

Vroom came back with an offer of $12,000.

Guess I should call VW Credit and find out what my actual payoff is.

You can do it online through your VW credit account. You just looking to downsize a car?

I did call VW Credit.. I always figured the payoff was the remaining lease payments plus the residual value. Dude on the phone said no, it's the cap cost less any payments I've made. Umm, OK, I guess I don't see the difference.

The difference is the interest on the remaining payments. You can estimate the payoff with an amortization schedule, starting with your initial cap cost, reduced for the principal portion of your remaining payments.

stickguy

I can't live with one car. it's a mental thing! Right now, practical issue too. Now that my wife works 15 miles from home and has to go into the office (at least 4 days/week now) I would be carless pretty much all day on work days. And it would be a giant pain if I needed it for a day, if I had to drive her up to work and pick her up later. Not as bad if she could WFH that day, but still a hassle.

though a fun car (like that BMW coupe recently debated her) would be enough to serve as a workday spare.

I should run my car through Carvana just out of curiosity. No clue what the payoff would be at this point!

Michaell

breld said:

Michaell said:

stickguy said:

Michaell said:

Hmmm ….

Vroom came back with an offer of $12,000.

Guess I should call VW Credit and find out what my actual payoff is.

You can do it online through your VW credit account. You just looking to downsize a car?

I did call VW Credit.. I always figured the payoff was the remaining lease payments plus the residual value. Dude on the phone said no, it's the cap cost less any payments I've made. Umm, OK, I guess I don't see the difference.

The difference is the interest on the remaining payments. You can estimate the payoff with an amortization schedule, starting with your initial cap cost, reduced for the principal portion of your remaining payments.

My total rent charge for all 36 months is something like $53 (.00005 MF on the lease)

(53 / 36) * 7 = $10.31

But, their calculations came out to a lower buyout than mine did, by a couple hundred dollars. I'd be OK with that, given that I'm upside down.

ab348

I was behind a BMW X6 in stop and go traffic today. Man, that thing looks big and bulky from the rear. Does anyone have experience with driving one?

tbirdmarco

 Sorry guys I skipped a day I think I haven’t been in here since Sunday hope everyone’s having a good week so far everything‘s going good here hanging in there job hunting only job I’m avoiding is selling stuff the people I refuse to do that. I’m trying to get back into school. I’m trying to stay sane Ha ha ha Uber is my ride around can I join a gym probably tomorrow if the deal with the trainer but it is what it is. 

xwesx

qbrozen said:

Just got an email that a transporter will pick up the Alfa on Thursday. If that happens, it will be 15 days from start to finish. I'd have to check my emails, but I think Carvana was less than a week. Of course, we had New Year's in the middle of this process PLUS the fed-exing back and forth, which carvana was happy to do electronically. Go figure.

I had to have missed some action. Did you replace the Stelvio already? I thought you picked up the X2 as a replacement for the LR, with the wife as primary driver. What else happened?

tbirdmarco

 I think God Laura stamina your girlfriend is OK, the car can be replaced. 

tbirdmarco

 I don’t know how you do it last too too cold for me ha ha Ha. 

stickguy

Wes, they went back for a BMW double dip and picked up a 330 to replace the Stelvio.

nyccarguy

I know we’ve all got our health and that’s what’s really important, but among friends like you guys I feel the need to vent.  In addition to planning my son’s Bar Mitzvah which will be 11/9/2019, he also needs braces this year as well.  

stickguy

we did the braces thing with our daughter. Thankfully our son had perfect teeth. I don't recall it being that expensive, but plenty of drama!

breld

nyccarguy said:

I know we’ve all got our health and that’s what’s really important, but among friends like you guys I feel the need to vent.  In addition to planning my son’s Bar Mitzvah which will be 11/9/2019, he also needs braces this year as well.  

And the hockey ain't free either, is it?

I hear ya - my youngest is just about out of braces finally. The baseball fees - summer ball, winter workouts, tournament fees, travel - are obscene. Stepdaughter has 4-5 semesters of college left. And my oldest son will be driving this year (and thus needs a car - plan is for him to take over his mom's old MDX, but I'll pay her half the value).

Ugh! I better sell that Miata along with the Prius this week.

breld

I just got an e-mail from Vroom stating that since my title isn't 30 days old, they can't buy it until next month (I put my friend's name on the title while he was renting it so he could insure it, and just got a fresh title with my name only on it yesterday).

I'm just gonna take the lower offer from Carmax and get it done this week.

roadburner

I budget $450/month to maintain all five cars. My budget app adds any leftover funds to the following month. This year the Wrangler has cost the most to run by a sizable margin.

stickguy

that was always the thing about old cars, and IMO is a psychological barrier for a lot of people. When you average it out per month, the cost is pretty reasonable, and certainly cheaper than paying a loan on a new one. But, people freak out when they get hit with the one big expense month.

so you do tires, brakes and a few other things together and get hit with a $1,200 bill one month. But nothing the rest of the year, so still just $100/month annually, so cheap. They only though remember the $1,200 though and think it is a money pit.

that and they never factor in depreciation, just cash flow.

stickguy

I only have 2 cars, but I would say my monthly maintenance budget is more like $20. a couple oil changes at $40-50 a pop, tires every 5 years, new wiper blades maybe.

corvette

roadburner said:

I budget $450/month to maintain all five cars. My budget app adds any leftover funds to the following month. This year the Wrangler has cost the most to run by a sizable margin.

Which budget app are you using? I have Quicken, but use it mainly for balancing my checking account and tracking investments. It will do budgeting, but I've never used it for that. I used to track expenses pretty closely--now that there's "enough," I've gotten pretty lax, and could probably tighten things up a little.

nyccarguy

breld said:

I know we’ve all got our health and that’s what’s really important, but among friends like you guys I feel the need to vent.  In addition to planning my son’s Bar Mitzvah which will be 11/9/2019, he also needs braces this year as well.  

And the hockey ain't free either, is it? I hear ya - my youngest is just about out of braces finally. The baseball fees - summer ball, winter workouts, tournament fees, travel - are obscene. Stepdaughter has 4-5 semesters of college left. And my oldest son will be driving this year (and thus needs a car - plan is for him to take over his mom's old MDX, but I'll pay her half the value). Ugh! I better sell that Miata along with the Prius this week.

No.  Hockey definitely isn’t free.  Compared to other programs in the area, the program my kids play for is quite reasonable.  I get a pretty healthy discount off of the tuition because my 9 year old is a goalie and the 2nd child.  

While the yearly tuition isn’t a fun payment to make, hockey actually works out to be cheaper “per time” than little league which only lasts 6 weeks (ish).  Hockey season goes from September until the 2nd week in March.

And speaking of finances, I do have equity in a certain depreciating asset;)

@roadburner - what is this budgeting app you use?

stickguy

glad I am not the only one that uses the "the checking account balance went up this month so must be doing fine on budget" method!. It helps to be inherently cheap. Anything too expensive gives me hives.

Finally found my Elantra listed at Carvana. They are, let's just say, ambitious with their price. Actually have it listed for $200 more than I paid for it 15 months ago (and that is before I got an extra $1,000 special association discount you normally don't get). Will be real curious to see if that sells quick, or lingers a while before getting reduced.

they have another white one, with 3,500 more miles, that also has the premium package (a $2,100 MSRP option) listed for $1,100 less than my old one. And from a quick scan of cars.com, can get others at a dealer for a lot less. A base at a Sube dealer for $2,200 less, and a premium at a Honda dealer for $1,600 less, and both with 1/2 the miles as my old one.

corvette

stickguy said:

glad I am not the only one that uses the "the checking account balance went up this month so must be doing fine on budget" method!. It helps to be inherently cheap. Anything too expensive gives me hives.

I go back and forth on the "cheap" thing. I buy a lot of groceries at Aldi, but I also dine out a lot, take nice vacations, and have spent a lot on home improvements in the past year, plus I have two cars. I can be good at economizing on the little things, but big ticket items are more difficult. At least I bought both the cars in my fleet used, and at a fair price.

qbrozen

xwesx said:

Just got an email that a transporter will pick up the Alfa on Thursday. If that happens, it will be 15 days from start to finish. I'd have to check my emails, but I think Carvana was less than a week. Of course, we had New Year's in the middle of this process PLUS the fed-exing back and forth, which carvana was happy to do electronically. Go figure.

I had to have missed some action. Did you replace the Stelvio already? I thought you picked up the X2 as a replacement for the LR, with the wife as primary driver. What else happened?

You must have blinked.

As stick said, a 330xi now graces my driveway and the X2 is in the garage. 

qbrozen

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

Michaell

qbrozen said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

I had an '08 VUE XR. Was a serious upgrade over the '05 VUE we had, but I found it a bit tight in the passenger seat, and I'm only 5'11". Engine and transmission were a good combo, but a bit thirsty.

28firefighter

2006-2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi. Not kidding. 

28firefighter

I read this ad expecting to see a car with maybe 40-50k less miles given the asking price.

https://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/cto/d/snohomish-2005-bmw-330i-zhp-black/6785177664.html

ronsteve

Michaell said:

qbrozen said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

I had an '08 VUE XR. Was a serious upgrade over the '05 VUE we had, but I found it a bit tight in the passenger seat, and I'm only 5'11". Engine and transmission were a good combo, but a bit thirsty.

Michaell did that Vue have the Honda V6 or the GM?

qbrozen

28firefighter said:

2006-2007 Saab 9-5 SportCombi. Not kidding. 

Oh, it is a fine suggestion. But a skipe hunt would yield more results.

between cars.com and autotrader, the closest one to me with under 100k miles is over 200 miles away.

benjaminh

stickguy said:

that was always the thing about old cars, and IMO is a psychological barrier for a lot of people. When you average it out per month, the cost is pretty reasonable, and certainly cheaper than paying a loan on a new one. But, people freak out when they get hit with the one big expense month.

so you do tires, brakes and a few other things together and get hit with a $1,200 bill one month. But nothing the rest of the year, so still just $100/month annually, so cheap. They only though remember the $1,200 though and think it is a money pit.

that and they never factor in depreciation, just cash flow.

Maybe. I think I had bad luck and made poor choices with my used cars (VW, Oldsmobile, etc) and plus wanted them in top condition, but the bottom line when I added together all the repairs and maintenance up over several years was that I could own a new Accord for about the same price as my used cars. And with new, as you said, your expenses often come down to two oil changes a year, plus you get lots of nice features, more comfort, better safety, etc.—and a lot less stress and time spent on the car. Sometimes used can be a false economy imho. And if you ever run into something serious with an old car, like needing a new transmission, as shifty has said several times you just need to walk away.

au1994

ab348 said:

I was behind a BMW X6 in stop and go traffic today. Man, that thing looks big and bulky from the rear. Does anyone have experience with driving one?

Yes we had one for about 3 years. It was my wife’s but I got plenty of seat time. It is a big vehicle and rear visibility takes a lot to get used to. The ‘fastback’ design does limit cargo capacity vs a tradition squared off SUV design. But its a very roomy and comfortable cabin. Ours was the I6 and it went like stink. Well equipped too. Handled well for what it was but still no canyon carver even though it was a BMW. But yes, its big and I’m typically not a fan of bigger vehicles. When I parked it usually required some readjustment

pensfan83

qbrozen said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

If you've tagged a Soul what about the Honda Element? I think it's a tad bigger too. Would the Forester be an option?

qbrozen

pensfan83 said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

If you've tagged a Soul what about the Honda Element? I think it's a tad bigger too. Would the Forester be an option?

Well, sure, but neither has come up in my searches thus far. I searched for all SUVs/hatchbacks/wagons with under 80k miles and under $8k within reasonable distance. I’m not even sure $8k is within reach for him.

au1994

qbrozen said:

pensfan83 said:

qbrozen said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

If you've tagged a Soul what about the Honda Element? I think it's a tad bigger too. Would the Forester be an option?

Well, sure, but neither has come up in my searches thus far. I searched for all SUVs/hatchbacks/wagons with under 80k miles and under $8k within reasonable distance. I’m not even sure $8k is within reach for him.

I would imagine they are all used up but if a low mile PT Cruiser popped up, that might work. The rear seats are removable and that makes them quite big inside actually. The ex and I had one for about 4 years and had zero problems.

qbrozen

A few have indeed come up in my searches. I’m just not all that confident in them. I did have him drive one several years ago and we both thought it was OK. But then drove the Legacy with twice the miles and it was no contest. I think he took that $4k Suby with 95k miles another 125k or so.

stickguy

I know where there is a nice low miles PT cruiser up near Albany.

Anyway, of that list, I might actually vote for the Fiat.

kyfdx

qbrozen said:

A few have indeed come up in my searches. I’m just not all that confident in them. I did have him drive one several years ago and we both thought it was OK. But then drove the Legacy with twice the miles and it was no contest. I think he took that $4k Suby with 95k miles another 125k or so.

I didn't look at the list, but was an HHR in there?

qbrozen

No HHR I liked showed up.

Just sent him a narrowed down list to peruse.

2007 Legacy Wagon, auto, 57k miles, $7990
2003 Protege5, auto, 40k miles, $5937 (not worth more than $4k)
2012 Focus 5-door, auto, 71k miles, $5995
2014 500L, manual, 15k miles, $7995

I'd suggest an MGM if I thought he could handle RWD and could fit his drums.

fintail

That's a good thing about being a goalie, cheaper. I've seen drop in/stick 'n puck be free for goalies at my local rink, and I think even some leagues offer reduced fees for goalies. It takes a special mindset to enjoy stopping chunks of rubber coming at you at 100 mph.

Youth hockey, which has developed tremendously here compared to when I was a kid, costs insanely more now though, maybe on par with real estate appreciation. As parents become hyper-competitive about "investment" and living vicariously through their children, there is a market for specialized programs (now using the term "elite", maybe a true sign of socio-economic devolution in the past generation or two). Some programs even here can be ~15K/year, and I have seen self-titled "academies" charging more than double that. This didn't exist here 30 years ago. For those outside Canada, MN, MI etc, it seems to have become a game for those lucky enough to have affluent families.

nyccarguy said:

No.  Hockey definitely isn’t free.  Compared to other programs in the area, the program my kids play for is quite reasonable.  I get a pretty healthy discount off of the tuition because my 9 year old is a goalie and the 2nd child.  

While the yearly tuition isn’t a fun payment to make, hockey actually works out to be cheaper “per time” than little league which only lasts 6 weeks (ish).  Hockey season goes from September until the 2nd week in March.

stickguy

Protege seems too old for that use, and really is not that big inside IIRC. And I would not trust the trans on the focus, plus again, might be tight.

Nice low miles on the legacy, but the fiat looks like the best combo of newer, lower miles, economy and room. Plus if he kills it, no great loss!

stickguy

Heck, if I needed a car right now for me as a 2nd car, I might look at the fiat since it’s a manual. Though I assume it’s probably a strippo.

tjc78

qbrozen said:

No HHR I liked showed up. Just sent him a narrowed down list to peruse. 2007 Legacy Wagon, auto, 57k miles, $7990 2003 Protege5, auto, 40k miles, $5937 (not worth more than $4k) 2012 Focus 5-door, auto, 71k miles, $5995 2014 500L, manual, 15k miles, $7995 I'd suggest an MGM if I thought he could handle RWD and could fit his drums.

The trunk in the MGM is huge and most likely would fit everything.  

Nice example.  Pretty sure by 2011 no rear air suspension so pretty much bulletproof 

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/west-creek-2011-mercury-grand-marquis-ls/6778736181.html

stickguy

Problem with drums is the squareness. Much easier to put into some sort of wagon I assume.

I found the fiat. Not bad looking. 6 speed, navigation, alloys, BU camera, usb and Bluetooth. The basics.

Michaell

ronsteve said:

Michaell said:

qbrozen said:

Some brain power needed.

My brother is a car’s worst nightmare. I’ve helped him out many times. He has a habit of just using up vehicles and running them into the ground. The latest victim is my father’s old Ascender. It is now totaled. He had a backup in the form of a ‘98 Regal, but I just heard the engine is toast. So he texted me for my assistance yet again. 

A cheap lease crossed my mind but he’d get killled at disposition. So we have to scrape the bottom of the used barrel. He is a drummer, so cargo space is very important. A Legacy wagon was the smallest he was ever able to use. 

I’ve perused Autotrader and found a couple of options I’ll run by him tomorrow. The most intriguing to me is a 2014 500L manual trans with just 15k miles for $7995. Others I have tagged include another Legacy wagon, 2007, 57k miles, $7990; a 2000 Saturn wagon with just 37k miles for $3995; 2008 Vue XR woth 66k for $5500; and 2011 Soul with 50k for $7800. Opinions welcome.

I had an '08 VUE XR. Was a serious upgrade over the '05 VUE we had, but I found it a bit tight in the passenger seat, and I'm only 5'11". Engine and transmission were a good combo, but a bit thirsty.

Michaell did that Vue have the Honda V6 or the GM?

The '05 had the Honda 3.5L V6 and 5-speed transmission.

The '08 had the corporate GM 3.6L V6 and the 6-speed transmission.

28firefighter

@qbrozen - check out saabcentral.com and saabnet.com classifieds. May not find anything, but that is where you're most likely to find a Saab these days.

stickguy

To me, his brother just does not sound like the type of guy that should be owning a well used SAAB, as an only car to put a lot of miles on.

What about a FWD V70?

au1994

qbrozen said:

No HHR I liked showed up.

Just sent him a narrowed down list to peruse.

2007 Legacy Wagon, auto, 57k miles, $7990
2003 Protege5, auto, 40k miles, $5937 (not worth more than $4k)
2012 Focus 5-door, auto, 71k miles, $5995
2014 500L, manual, 15k miles, $7995

I'd suggest an MGM if I thought he could handle RWD and could fit his drums.

Tough choices...

- Legacy could be an option as long as the head gasket has been addressed. I think this generation was prone to failure.

- Agree it’s overpriced and probably too small

- Interesting and a pretty good choice if it’s big enough

- Maybe the best choice. Fiat gets hammered in JD Power like surveys but I think a lot of that is based on initial problems with new ones. Maybe with 15k the gremlins are worked out? Any chance of it still having a year of warranty?

kyfdx

Every Protege I still see on the road has major, major rust issues around the rocker panels and wheel wells.

I'd pick the Legacy or Focus out of that group. Fiat? No thanks.

The Focus hatch is a pretty decent ride, depending on trim level. I've had a couple as Enterprise rentals.