I remember when the Y2K Celica was introduced, they were talking right from the outset about adding a convertible to the line. It was always 6-12 months out. I don't know what happened to that plan - it eventually just died a silent death. I'm sure a convertible model would have been just as popular as it was in all the previous generations.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think my '86 toyota p/u looked worse than that when it was 4 yrs. old. Of course I beat the cr*ap out of it in Boston traffic, was rear-ended once, & once I kicked the door in out of frustration with years of Boston commuting & parking.
(Not good I know). But the sheet metal was so thin I was able to use a toilet plunger to pull the giant dent out (!?). Still, to get a running vehicle that looks that good for $750.....no rust?.....even the tires & wheels look pretty good in the pic.
After being happy with our Accord and TSX for the last 2 years we have finally decided to renew our CCB membership. The TSX lease is ending in 10 months. Instead of paying another 5000 in lease payments we are jumping ship early. Came across a 99 Lexus ES300 with 112k. It is pearl white with tan leather and it is a Coach edition so it has perforated leather and is a bit unique. Previous owners didn't hate it, but they didnt love it either. It has 3 different brands of tires on it and the previous owners appeared to have lived on a dirt road so it needs a good, thorough cleaning. Mechanically, the only problems are that it needed front brakes, a valve cover gasket with a slight leak, and its time for the timing belt/water pump service. When all is said and done the cost of the car, new tires, and repairs will be about $6500.
Nice choice. For the Lexus ES model line I always prefered that generation the most due to their lines. The newer ESs look very unattractive to me with their high beltline and huge headlights.
Price seems reasonable... A lot of the eBay auctions I look at have ridiculously high reserves (which is why a lot of people won't bid on reserve auctions at all).
Since most of my driving now consists of short trips, I've toyed with the idea of moving further towards the "luxury" end of the spectrum and away from the "sports sedan."
I was looking at the new Imprezas about 4 months ago, and they had really good lease deals here for a short 24 months. I was tempted too, but didn't do it cause I ended up with a company demos.
The 24-month deal doesn't look like it's advertised...
...and they are cutting me a $9K check for my paid off '02 CR-V with 106K miles..
Wow, that's a lot of dough for a six-year-old car with 106,000 miles on it. Congratulations! And, doesn't this mean that you still have to shop for a replacement when you wife's lease is up?
Nice looking car especially with the Coach option. The pearlized paint colors are truly my favorite colors and don't understand why more company's don't offer them. And the white pearl is an amazing color. Also prefer that generation of the E300's. Doesn't the Coach edition also come with the nicer alloys also? Adds a little something extra also. Congats! Hope this finds the family well.
It's advertised locally.. by a couple of different dealers.. It's through Chase bank..
The advertised deal is $199+tax.. Sign and drive.. 24mo/20K lease. So, the only variables would be tax and registration and dealer fees.. The MSRP of the advertised unit is $19,3XX. This is for a base Impreza with automatic tranny.
I wanted a stick... First dealer said he had one.. Called me back and said his manager said a stick-shift would be about $5/mo. less than the auto. I made an appointment to go see it.. Called the other dealer... The only stick they had was in a 5-door.. which is better.. except that the lease payment was about $30/mo more than the sedan. So, we put that dealer on the back burner.
Went to the first dealer.... He pulled the car around.. There is a shirt hanging in the rear window, and lots of personal stuff in the cubby holes.. Obviously, a salesperson has been using it.. but, it's the only stick they have. But, it's not a base model... It's the premium package... Which is more, but not having the automatic balances out the cost, so it's still looking good.. Premium package includes nifty 16" alloy wheels and an in-dash CD changer.. and maybe some other stuff... I didn't have a base car to compare it with..
So... on to the test drive... We took the curvy road route... It handles well.. the Bridgestone all-seasons are grippy enough.. It has an exceptionally nice shifter with very short throws... I even commented on it... Flat-four engine would be at home in a John Deere, though... but, it's an entry level car, so no complaints there.. Interior is a step up in appearance over a Civic or Fit.. Really nice, though the tach could be more centered and bigger.. The cloth seats don't look all that durable, though... Oh, yeah... the color... Dark metallic gray... Just about my favorite color, which is good.... because it's the only one they have.
We get back... walking around.. checking out the car.. He gets the window sticker out of the glove box. All good, till I look at the price... It has three port installed options... 1) Sport mesh grill... instead of the bars.. looks really good, but it's almost $200. 2) STi metal pedal set.. Aluminum look pedals from the $36K STi model.. very sporty..but, I didn't even see them until I looked at the sticker.. Almost $300. 3) STi short-shift kit.. nothing to see here, but I definitely noticed the short throws.. about $350 (actually glad about this one). So, altogether, over $800 in extras on the window sticker... bringing the price of this unit to almost exactly $20K... About $650 more than the advertised model... Now, I'm not wild about paying $5-6 per month for a nifty grill and pedals, but if they stick to the deal, I'm not too worried.. The good thing is all of these items are on the window sticker, so they all get residualized.
So.. anyway, here is my deal..
24mo./30K, instead of 24mo/20K... This dropped the residual by 2%, and added about $17/mo.
$650/mo. more on the MSRP than advertised unit. After residualization, this adds about $8/mo.
About $150 in total fees (temp tag, OH title, sheriff inspection, KY title, KY lease permit, registration, etc.) That's about $7/mo. more.. (24 months)
So.. the total was just over $231/mo.. plus tax (6% on the payment) for a grand total of $244/mo.. Sign and drive.. not a dime due at signing... So, just 23 payments..
When I get home.. .there is a message from the 2nd dealer.. they've just traded one of the stick-shift hatchbacks for a sedan.. Am I interested? It never fails..
it gets new tires tomorrow which it badly needs. Anyone ever heard of PrimeWell tires? Spent the entire morning cleaning it and steaming the carpets. Took the seats out and cleaned the leather. Feels good to baby a car back to life again.
link title Glad to see some of you havent changed your ways. Congrats on the Subaru kydfx.
I swear I'm not making this up, but a couple of days ago I was thinking, "maybe a Subie" for you, instead of a VW. With the AWD (in KY, is it?), better reliability, etc.
Now, I'm not wild about paying $5-6 per month for a nifty grill and pedals
Another automotive cheapskate (uh, I mean, "smart, frugal, shopper"), which I totally support. Sounds like a great deal on a darn good car, enjoy.....
I was wandering a Subaru lot last week checking out the gas mileage ratings. I swear every Subaru gets a combined city/hwy rating of 22. I would guess that would be comparable your what CR-V was getting.
How do you find the driving position ? My knees hit the dash on the 06's, but that was the old model.
Congrats! Glad it wasn't me that fell off the wagon!
We might think about it later on this year, trade the dually in on a car or small suv, that's only IF I sell my horse trailer which I'm extremely reluctant to do, lol. Although, having a 4 horse trailer for 1 horse does seem a little silly these days. Hate to give up the dually, it really is a great truck. Going to be putting the 97 Ford F-250 up for sale eventually, although I have NO idea what to ask for it.
Its got everything against it and nothing going for it. Beat to heck, recon title, 137k miles, 4x4 only works sometimes (needs complete front end) and to top it all off the tranny is quirky, lol. On the bright side, it runs great, no leaks, engine is very strong. I'm thinking $3500 obo and it comes with 2 sets of new tires plus a front end that needs to be put in, lol.
yeah.. I'm a hatchback person, myself... But, I would have been giving up some of the nifty equipment in the premium package, and still would have had a higher payment... I'm trying to go cheap, as the wife's lease is up in November.. and who knows what that will bring.
I was very happy with their offer on my car.. If it wasn't for that, I would have been fighting tooth and nail for another $6-$7 off the payment.. When the offer comes in at $1000 over what you want, and $1500 over what you expect... it makes the deal go down a lot easier..
The tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE92 all-season, I think... 205/55-16, V-rated! The car handles great on dry pavement, but I hear these tires aren't great in the snow, and just okay in the rain.. Sort of a weird choice for an AWD car, but I'm just hoping they last longer than the 30K lease, so I don't have to buy a set... That size isn't cheap..
As I drive it more, I'm formulating opinions...
Handling: better than expected.. I guess the tires are part of it, but having real AWD helps, I think... it doesn't feel much like a FWD car..
Engine: Uh... not that great.. Not quick off the line, and doesn't feel very free-revving.. Good acceleration in 5th on the freeway, though... which doesn't bode too well for highway gas mileage.. Why can't you get a good overdrive gear in a manual transmission? Sort of noisy, too... has dual exhausts!
HVAC: Foggy, this morning.. car sits outside, because I have basement stuff in the garage right now.. Took forever to clear the windows on defrost.. A/C seems good, though.
Features: Not missing much.. could use a fold down armrest with cupholders in the back seat. Console cover/armrest is too far back and too low to get your elbow on... I saw they have an accessory armrest extension for $150.. :surprise: No sunroof.. but, I can live with that..
So far... seems like a lot of car for an under $18K selling price... the one main drawback compared to other entry level cars will be lower gas mileage...
97 Ford F-250......Its got everything against it and nothing going for it. Beat to heck, recon title, 137k miles, 4x4 only works sometimes (needs complete front end) and to top it all off the tranny is quirky
205/55/16 is a fairly common size. I don't think you have to replace the tires with the same model, just the same speed rating, so you could probably find something less expensive and better than the Bridgestones.
ts got everything against it and nothing going for it. Beat to heck, recon title, 137k miles, 4x4 only works sometimes (needs complete front end) and to top it all off the tranny is quirky
In other words it's a Ford.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
That made me laugh! Its actually been a great truck for the 2 years we've owned it. It was the one truck we could count on, the dually was guilty of leaving on the back of a wrecker once, lol. I'm just hoping we can sell it, least we didn't pay much for it, lol, have about $3500 into it with the new front end that goes with it.
The tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE92 all-season, I think... 205/55-16, V-rated! The car handles great on dry pavement, but I hear these tires aren't great in the snow, and just okay in the rain.. Sort of a weird choice for an AWD car, but I'm just hoping they last longer than the 30K lease, so I don't have to buy a set... That size isn't cheap..
My Legacy hit 33k with the RE92s in the same size. They were fine for the first year in all weather conditions but deteriorated rapidly as they wore. They were adequate but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to get those again. They were replaced by Bridgestone RE-960s that have been great for the 600 miles they have been on there so far. They are an "ultra high performance all season" by tirerack's rating system.
There is nothing expensive about that size, as 205/55R16 is the new 185/70R14, or pink is the new black or something like that. There are plenty of options fro $55/tire on up.
Son and DIL may be in the market for a new (used) car ... she was involved in an accident a couple of weeks ago and, while the jury is still out, the car may be a write off.
I did a little on-line research and found the following:
1999 Buick Century Custom. 64K on the clock, 3.1 V6. Dealer is asking $3900 for it.
I don't know about reliability, but the 3.1 is a dog.. I think it's a bored out 2.8, that they used to use in the Cavalier.. My M-I-L had the same engine in her '99 Cutlass (blech).
If you are looking at Buick or Olds, you want the 3.8...
It's not important to me how much pickup it does (or doesn't) have, I am trying to find something affordable for them that didn't have a ton of miles.
I did a search through cars.com on vehicles under $7K (my arbitrary limit) in their zip code and found .. well .. not a whole lot that had under 100K miles.
The Buick seemed like the best of the bunch. Unless they wanted a truck or SUV.
The son's L200 has over 150K on it, so 65K looks brand new to them, I would think.
EDIT: If I thought they could afford it, I'd probably point them to a new Hyundai or Kia with the long warranty, but I really don't want to push them in that direction. However, if I upped the budget to $10K, it might open up some more possibilities.
Yeah, the 3.1, as well as the 3.4, are both enlarged 2.8's, which can be traced back to the 1980 Citation. By 1999, I think the 3.1 Century engine had 160 hp, and was good for 0-60 in about 10-11 seconds. Nothing to crow about, but not horrible for that time, I guess.
Also, I dunno about the 3.1 and 3.4, but the older 2.8 tended to blow head gaskets. And while the Buick 3.8 is the one you tend to hear about with regards to bad intake manifolds ruining the engine, I've heard that the 3.1/3.4 had a tendency to do that, as well. A lady at work had a Silhouette minivan, around a 2000 model, with the 3.4, and it had that problem.
A '99 Century is probably also going to be a wallowy, old-lady feeling type of car. They were popular among senior citizens and rental fleets, so Buick just didn't put that much effort into making them handle. The Regal was much better in that regard. Even in base form it had a stiffer suspension and handled much better. My Dad has an '03 Regal, and it's not bad. The 3.8 has good acceleration, yet it's still pretty economical, and handling's not bad. IMO, my 2000 Intrepid still handles better, but I think Dad's Regal rides a bit smoother.
Seems to be a bit more car for $8K, which I suspect is negotiable.
EDIT: Andre, thanks for the feedback, but neither of the kids are what you call 'sporty' drivers, though the son does like to push the speed limit from time to time. Most of the driving would be in town (they live just outside Provo, UT), or on rural interstates - her parents live 200 miles south on I-15, while we live 500 miles east on I-70.
You are right. From 1997 forward, the Century has the 3.1, and the Regal has the 3.8. The Regal GS has the supercharged 3.8 which gets lower mileage and wants premium fuel. It does make more power, and supposedly the supercharged 3.8 doesn't have intake manifold gasket problems on the same scale that the normally aspirated one does. That Regal looks nice, but the price seems high. You should probably also consider the Pontiac Grand Prix.
From 2003 forward, the above models no longer have standard ABS.
Yep, once they went to the new-design W-body for 1997, the Regal was 3.8-only, and the Century was 3.1-only. The 3.1 did get a slight power boost around 2000, which I think bumped it from 160 to 175 hp. For some reason, it had 5 hp less in the Malibu. Maybe more restrictive intake/exhaust?
I think the 3.8 in the Regal stayed at 200 hp from 1997 until the car was replaced by the LaCrosse, although there was an optional supercharged 3.8, which came with the GS trim level. It had 240 hp, but I think later versions might have gone to 260-280, unless that was just in the Grand Prix?
All in all, that '99 Century probably wouldn't be a bad car. I'd just make sure to stay on top of coolant changes. If the dealer can't confirm that it was changed recently, it might be a good idea to have it done, just to be safe.
I'm hoping you were being sarcastic with that comment.
I saw the L100 in my searches earlier today, but didn't drill down to take a closer look at the S-series.
The L100 looked pretty good.
I did also find a Crown Vic that met the search criteria (under 70K miles and $10K). While I agree that the reliability is good, I don't see them driving (or putting gas into) a big barge like that.
One step at a time .. have to find out if the old car is even going to be totaled or not.
I actually like that L100. And with only 39,000 miles on it, it should have plenty of life left in it. Is the 4-cyl those things used the Ecotech? I know they weren't that popular, and I don't think that highly regarded, but for some reason I've always had a soft spot for the L-series. And I prefer that earlier style, rather than the later model with the Subaru-ish looking front-end.
it's got everything against it and nothing going for it
I love that line--it's like a John Updike line maybe, out of one of the "Rabbit" novels.
In other words it's a Ford
My Grandad had an early '50's Ford, (in the early '50's, duh), & I don't remember it breaking down, not that I was worrying about car repairs at that age. I remember being really bummed when he sold it--probably my first experience with automotive obsession.....
Actually, the repair rating charts for Ford P/U's in CR look pretty awesome (FWIW) for an American vehicle, or in general, really. Hhhmmmmm, are there great deals out there on semi-recent, nice, lowish-mileage V8 Ford P/U's now???
Yes , I was being sarcastic but could not find the sarcastic emotocon,maybe this one :surprise:
I find the new Accord has alot of the same lines as the Saturn L100. I hope Honda is taking a beating for ripping off Saturn.
Another car you may want to look at is the Old's Intrigue with the 3.8L engine. I think they tend to get overlooked now that oldsmobile is gone and had some of the best Consumer Reports ratings of the GM clones.
My grandfather had a 49 Buick. I still miss that car.
Was over at the upholstery place because my Celica needs what they call a rear curtain. That's the part of the convertible top that includes the rear window. Well the guy had a 1948 Chevy in there that he's replacing the interior on. The exterior was perfect and gorgeous. I need to stay away from there....
He also had an 82 Cutlass Supreme wagon with only 25K on it. You forget how huge they were. It was in there for a new headliner.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
The Intrigues with the 3.8 are rare--they switched to the 3.5L Shortstar engine after the first couple of years.
I don't think the Accord is selling as well as expected--first-year Honda products don't typically have discounted financing available on them, but the new Accord does. :surprise:
According to a used car guide I have from the 80's, the '78-83 era Cutlass station wagon (it was replaced by the Cutlass Ciera wagon for '84) was 197.6" long. About 55" tall, and about 72" wide.
So, not a huge car, but I think the styling might make them look longer. Now the Custom Cruiser, which was basically a Delta 88 wagon, and a clone to the Caprice, was a pretty big car, roughly 220" long.
As for Roadmasters, I'm not sure how big they got at their peak. The revived one that came out in the 90's was about 215" long. I think the 1957 Roadmaster was about 215" long, but in '58 they puffed it up to about 219". The Roadmaster was replaced by the Electra for 1959. I think some of the '71-76 models made it to 230+"!
And I agree, it does seem weird to see 80's car running around with historic plates on them. I felt kind of weird being able to get historic plates for a 1976 LeMans and a 1979 New Yorker...cars that I remember new. For some reason, in my mind, I keep thinking of a 30 year old car as something with tailfins, and a 20 year old car being something like a late 60's Dart. Probably because I bought my '57 DeSoto in 1990 and a '69 Dart in 1989, and those ages just seemed to "freeze" with me. But now suddenly those are 40 and 50 year old cars, and even something like my '79 New Yorkers are pushing 30. I forget when I'm driving them sometimes, that they're really that old. I wonder if a 1970's car seems as old and bygone to a 20 year old today as a 1950's car would have to me when I was 20?
Oh, in Maryland your car used to have to be at least 25 years old to get historic plates. But now they've changed it to 20! A guy at work just got historic tags for his 1986 Pontiac T-1000! :surprise: I had thought about getting them for my 1985 Silverado, as it would save me about $100 every two years on registration and exempt me from the emissions test. And I doubt if that truck will even see 3,000 miles this year. I'll probably just leave it as-is though. My roommate drives that truck a lot, and if nothing else, the emissions test ensures that the thing is still running clean.
I know that the 4-banger in the L series is the 2.2L - not sure if it was called the Ecotech at that time, however. My son's L200 has the same engine, and that car has over 150K on it with no engine problems.
I've heard Saturn owners of getting over 30 MPG with that engine - I guess the light weight of the car helped.
My L300 has the "new and improved" styling, which I actually prefer. Granted, the front is still a bit odd, but I like the rear end treatment much more.
Heck, I'm inside the car, so I don't notice the styling quite so much I suppose. It's grown on me. Then again, it sits in the garage for the most part - I've put less than 5K on it since January. Only 72.5K total in 68 months.
The '08 VUE will celebrate its first anniversary with us in a couple of weeks, and it's got over 15K on it - still paltry by Jolie's standards, but we've done two trips to Utah in that time.
I bought a used '79 or '80 mid-sized Pontiac 6 cyl. wagon (LeMans?) in the early '80's, & traded in my '78 Chevy P/U with the disasterous Old's "diesel" engine at a huge loss. That Pontiac was a good looking car, & the back seat & cargo area proved to be quite, quite versatile......
But it developed mysterious engine problems a couple of years later. When I bought it, it had a Texas title, with "24,000 miles". Oh yeah......
Yeah, that would've been the LeMans Safari. Or, if it had a stand up hood ornament and carpeting on the lower door panels, a Grand LeMans Safari. The 6-cyl they used was the Buick 231, and back in those days it really wasn't a good engine. Lots of problems with oil passages that were too narrow and with too many right angles, allowing them to get blocked easily. Plus the nylon mesh timing gear thingie could be troublesome. The block was kinda weak, too. I heard that it was common for them to fail around 70-90,000 miles.
They totally redesigned the block for 1985 though, beefing it up and fixing the oil passage problems. It might still have had the nylon mesh timing gear though.
A 1980 LeMans was in the running when my Mom was looking for a new car to replace her '75 LeMans, which never ran right after Dad wrecked it. She was considering the LeMans, a Volare, and a Monza. Ended up settling for a 1980 Malibu coupe, which got handed down to me when I got my license. I have fond memories of that car, probably because it was my first, but I've sat in Malibus of that era that were for sale at car shows and such, and sadly it's true what they say about rose-tinted glasses. :sick: Still, it wasn't a bad car for the time.
Well, he's owned each of those cars at least once...
LOL :shades:
Actually, that was a common practice back in the late 70's and early 80's to use carpeted lower door panels as a way to add "status" to a car. So a Malibu Classic or Grand LeMans would have carpet, but a Malibu or LeMans wouldn't. Buick and Olds did a similar thing with the Cutlass and Century, but I can't remember their names now. The nicer ones were probably "Limited" for the Century and "Brougham" for the Cutlass.
With bigger cars, the Caprice had carpeted lower doors, but the Impala didn't. Ditto the Bonneville versus the Catalina. But then with cars like the LeSabre and Delta, I think even the cheaper trim levels came carpeted.
I know there are bigger problems in the world to worry about, but I got a little miffed at Mopar in 2002, when they decontented the Intrepid. One of the things they got rid of was the carpeting on the lower door panels! :surprise:
I remember in 1980, when we were selling our house. The real estate agent had a 1979 Malibu Classic sedan. Mom had a 1980 Malibu coupe, and I recall her being a bit envious because the real estate agent's car had a stand-up hood ornament and hers didn't! I think it also had extra-cost 2-tone paint, but can't remember now.
She finally got her stand-up hood ornament in 1986, when she bought a new leftover Monte Carlo. Although by the time I got that car, the knight was broken off and in the glovebox. :mad:
Comments
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
(Not good I know). But the sheet metal was so thin I was able to use a toilet plunger to pull the giant dent out (!?). Still, to get a running vehicle that looks that good for $750.....no rust?.....even the tires & wheels look pretty good in the pic.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Since most of my driving now consists of short trips, I've toyed with the idea of moving further towards the "luxury" end of the spectrum and away from the "sports sedan."
Anon.. you should come around a little more often..
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Subaru Impreza sedan w/premium pkg.. and a stick-shift!
Super cheap 24 month lease, with zero due at signing... and they are cutting me a $9K check for my paid off '02 CR-V with 106K miles..
So.... there! Weird, huh? :surprise:
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I was looking at the new Imprezas about 4 months ago, and they had really good lease deals here for a short 24 months. I was tempted too, but didn't do it cause I ended up with a company demos.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
...and they are cutting me a $9K check for my paid off '02 CR-V with 106K miles..
Wow, that's a lot of dough for a six-year-old car with 106,000 miles on it. Congratulations! And, doesn't this mean that you still have to shop for a replacement when you wife's lease is up?
The Sandman
The advertised deal is $199+tax.. Sign and drive.. 24mo/20K lease. So, the only variables would be tax and registration and dealer fees.. The MSRP of the advertised unit is $19,3XX. This is for a base Impreza with automatic tranny.
I wanted a stick... First dealer said he had one.. Called me back and said his manager said a stick-shift would be about $5/mo. less than the auto. I made an appointment to go see it.. Called the other dealer... The only stick they had was in a 5-door.. which is better.. except that the lease payment was about $30/mo more than the sedan. So, we put that dealer on the back burner.
Went to the first dealer.... He pulled the car around.. There is a shirt hanging in the rear window, and lots of personal stuff in the cubby holes.. Obviously, a salesperson has been using it.. but, it's the only stick they have. But, it's not a base model... It's the premium package... Which is more, but not having the automatic balances out the cost, so it's still looking good.. Premium package includes nifty 16" alloy wheels and an in-dash CD changer.. and maybe some other stuff... I didn't have a base car to compare it with..
So... on to the test drive... We took the curvy road route... It handles well.. the Bridgestone all-seasons are grippy enough.. It has an exceptionally nice shifter with very short throws... I even commented on it... Flat-four engine would be at home in a John Deere, though... but, it's an entry level car, so no complaints there.. Interior is a step up in appearance over a Civic or Fit.. Really nice, though the tach could be more centered and bigger.. The cloth seats don't look all that durable, though... Oh, yeah... the color... Dark metallic gray... Just about my favorite color, which is good.... because it's the only one they have.
We get back... walking around.. checking out the car.. He gets the window sticker out of the glove box. All good, till I look at the price... It has three port installed options... 1) Sport mesh grill... instead of the bars.. looks really good, but it's almost $200. 2) STi metal pedal set.. Aluminum look pedals from the $36K STi model.. very sporty..but, I didn't even see them until I looked at the sticker.. Almost $300. 3) STi short-shift kit.. nothing to see here, but I definitely noticed the short throws.. about $350 (actually glad about this one). So, altogether, over $800 in extras on the window sticker... bringing the price of this unit to almost exactly $20K... About $650 more than the advertised model... Now, I'm not wild about paying $5-6 per month for a nifty grill and pedals, but if they stick to the deal, I'm not too worried.. The good thing is all of these items are on the window sticker, so they all get residualized.
So.. anyway, here is my deal..
24mo./30K, instead of 24mo/20K... This dropped the residual by 2%, and added about $17/mo.
$650/mo. more on the MSRP than advertised unit. After residualization, this adds about $8/mo.
About $150 in total fees (temp tag, OH title, sheriff inspection, KY title, KY lease permit, registration, etc.) That's about $7/mo. more.. (24 months)
So.. the total was just over $231/mo.. plus tax (6% on the payment) for a grand total of $244/mo.. Sign and drive.. not a dime due at signing... So, just 23 payments..
When I get home.. .there is a message from the 2nd dealer.. they've just traded one of the stick-shift hatchbacks for a sedan.. Am I interested? It never fails..
So... there you have it!
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Glad to see some of you havent changed your ways. Congrats on the Subaru kydfx.
Now, I'm not wild about paying $5-6 per month for a nifty grill and pedals
Another automotive cheapskate (uh, I mean, "smart, frugal, shopper"), which I totally support. Sounds like a great deal on a darn good car, enjoy.....
As far as inexpensive tires go, I've never heard of Primewell, but have heard a lot of good things about Kumho.
How do you find the driving position ? My knees hit the dash on the 06's, but that was the old model.
Congrats on the new ride !
That is a helluva deal. Although I would have gone with the 5-door. ;P
By the way, a buddy of mine drives his '07 base model with the stock all season tires at the autoX. He does VERY well.
And $9k for your CRV is outrageous. When we traded my sis's '04 with 60k miles last year, we got $11k (and that was high).
'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
We might think about it later on this year, trade the dually in on a car or small suv, that's only IF I sell my horse trailer which I'm extremely reluctant to do, lol. Although, having a 4 horse trailer for 1 horse does seem a little silly these days. Hate to give up the dually, it really is a great truck. Going to be putting the 97 Ford F-250 up for sale eventually, although I have NO idea what to ask for it.
Its got everything against it and nothing going for it. Beat to heck, recon title, 137k miles, 4x4 only works sometimes (needs complete front end) and to top it all off the tranny is quirky, lol. On the bright side, it runs great, no leaks, engine is very strong. I'm thinking $3500 obo and it comes with 2 sets of new tires plus a front end that needs to be put in, lol.
yeah.. I'm a hatchback person, myself... But, I would have been giving up some of the nifty equipment in the premium package, and still would have had a higher payment... I'm trying to go cheap, as the wife's lease is up in November.. and who knows what that will bring.
I was very happy with their offer on my car.. If it wasn't for that, I would have been fighting tooth and nail for another $6-$7 off the payment.. When the offer comes in at $1000 over what you want, and $1500 over what you expect... it makes the deal go down a lot easier..
The tires are Bridgestone Potenza RE92 all-season, I think... 205/55-16, V-rated! The car handles great on dry pavement, but I hear these tires aren't great in the snow, and just okay in the rain.. Sort of a weird choice for an AWD car, but I'm just hoping they last longer than the 30K lease, so I don't have to buy a set... That size isn't cheap..
As I drive it more, I'm formulating opinions...
Handling: better than expected.. I guess the tires are part of it, but having real AWD helps, I think... it doesn't feel much like a FWD car..
Engine: Uh... not that great.. Not quick off the line, and doesn't feel very free-revving.. Good acceleration in 5th on the freeway, though... which doesn't bode too well for highway gas mileage.. Why can't you get a good overdrive gear in a manual transmission? Sort of noisy, too... has dual exhausts!
HVAC: Foggy, this morning.. car sits outside, because I have basement stuff in the garage right now.. Took forever to clear the windows on defrost.. A/C seems good, though.
Features: Not missing much.. could use a fold down armrest with cupholders in the back seat. Console cover/armrest is too far back and too low to get your elbow on... I saw they have an accessory armrest extension for $150.. :surprise: No sunroof.. but, I can live with that..
So far... seems like a lot of car for an under $18K selling price... the one main drawback compared to other entry level cars will be lower gas mileage...
Either way, it's mine for the next two years..
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Well, no used vehicle is Perfect??? :P
In other words it's a Ford.
That made me laugh! Its actually been a great truck for the 2 years we've owned it. It was the one truck we could count on, the dually was guilty of leaving on the back of a wrecker once, lol. I'm just hoping we can sell it, least we didn't pay much for it, lol, have about $3500 into it with the new front end that goes with it.
Ah! That would explain the asking price.
Most Fords have two good years in them. The trick is figuring out which two.
My Legacy hit 33k with the RE92s in the same size. They were fine for the first year in all weather conditions but deteriorated rapidly as they wore. They were adequate but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to get those again. They were replaced by Bridgestone RE-960s that have been great for the 600 miles they have been on there so far. They are an "ultra high performance all season" by tirerack's rating system.
There is nothing expensive about that size, as 205/55R16 is the new 185/70R14, or pink is the new black or something like that. There are plenty of options fro $55/tire on up.
I did a little on-line research and found the following:
1999 Buick Century Custom. 64K on the clock, 3.1 V6. Dealer is asking $3900 for it.
Is the 3.1 a fairly reliable engine?
Ad for Century
If you are looking at Buick or Olds, you want the 3.8...
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I did a search through cars.com on vehicles under $7K (my arbitrary limit) in their zip code and found .. well .. not a whole lot that had under 100K miles.
The Buick seemed like the best of the bunch. Unless they wanted a truck or SUV.
The son's L200 has over 150K on it, so 65K looks brand new to them, I would think.
EDIT: If I thought they could afford it, I'd probably point them to a new Hyundai or Kia with the long warranty, but I really don't want to push them in that direction. However, if I upped the budget to $10K, it might open up some more possibilities.
Also, I dunno about the 3.1 and 3.4, but the older 2.8 tended to blow head gaskets. And while the Buick 3.8 is the one you tend to hear about with regards to bad intake manifolds ruining the engine, I've heard that the 3.1/3.4 had a tendency to do that, as well. A lady at work had a Silhouette minivan, around a 2000 model, with the 3.4, and it had that problem.
A '99 Century is probably also going to be a wallowy, old-lady feeling type of car. They were popular among senior citizens and rental fleets, so Buick just didn't put that much effort into making them handle. The Regal was much better in that regard. Even in base form it had a stiffer suspension and handled much better. My Dad has an '03 Regal, and it's not bad. The 3.8 has good acceleration, yet it's still pretty economical, and handling's not bad. IMO, my 2000 Intrepid still handles better, but I think Dad's Regal rides a bit smoother.
Seems to be a bit more car for $8K, which I suspect is negotiable.
EDIT: Andre, thanks for the feedback, but neither of the kids are what you call 'sporty' drivers, though the son does like to push the speed limit from time to time. Most of the driving would be in town (they live just outside Provo, UT), or on rural interstates - her parents live 200 miles south on I-15, while we live 500 miles east on I-70.
So, if you confine your search to Regals, you won't have to worry about what engine...
I'm sure Andre can confirm, if so...
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From 2003 forward, the above models no longer have standard ABS.
I think the 3.8 in the Regal stayed at 200 hp from 1997 until the car was replaced by the LaCrosse, although there was an optional supercharged 3.8, which came with the GS trim level. It had 240 hp, but I think later versions might have gone to 260-280, unless that was just in the Grand Prix?
All in all, that '99 Century probably wouldn't be a bad car. I'd just make sure to stay on top of coolant changes. If the dealer can't confirm that it was changed recently, it might be a good idea to have it done, just to be safe.
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They seem like a little less miles for the money.
I'm hoping you were being sarcastic with that comment.
I saw the L100 in my searches earlier today, but didn't drill down to take a closer look at the S-series.
The L100 looked pretty good.
I did also find a Crown Vic that met the search criteria (under 70K miles and $10K). While I agree that the reliability is good, I don't see them driving (or putting gas into) a big barge like that.
One step at a time .. have to find out if the old car is even going to be totaled or not.
I love that line--it's like a John Updike line maybe, out of one of the "Rabbit" novels.
In other words it's a Ford
My Grandad had an early '50's Ford, (in the early '50's, duh), & I don't remember it breaking down, not that I was worrying about car repairs at that age. I remember being really bummed when he sold it--probably my first experience with automotive obsession.....
Actually, the repair rating charts for Ford P/U's in CR look pretty awesome (FWIW) for an American vehicle, or in general, really. Hhhmmmmm, are there great deals out there on semi-recent, nice, lowish-mileage V8 Ford P/U's now???
I find the new Accord has alot of the same lines as the Saturn L100. I hope Honda is taking a beating for ripping off Saturn.
Another car you may want to look at is the Old's Intrigue with the 3.8L engine. I think they tend to get overlooked now that oldsmobile is gone and had some of the best Consumer Reports ratings of the GM clones.
My grandfather had a 49 Buick. I still miss that car.
Was over at the upholstery place because my Celica needs what they call a rear curtain. That's the part of the convertible top that includes the rear window. Well the guy had a 1948 Chevy in there that he's replacing the interior on. The exterior was perfect and gorgeous. I need to stay away from there....
He also had an 82 Cutlass Supreme wagon with only 25K on it. You forget how huge they were. It was in there for a new headliner.
I don't think the Accord is selling as well as expected--first-year Honda products don't typically have discounted financing available on them, but the new Accord does. :surprise:
Something very strange about a car made during the Reagan administration having an classic plate on it.
So, not a huge car, but I think the styling might make them look longer. Now the Custom Cruiser, which was basically a Delta 88 wagon, and a clone to the Caprice, was a pretty big car, roughly 220" long.
As for Roadmasters, I'm not sure how big they got at their peak. The revived one that came out in the 90's was about 215" long. I think the 1957 Roadmaster was about 215" long, but in '58 they puffed it up to about 219". The Roadmaster was replaced by the Electra for 1959. I think some of the '71-76 models made it to 230+"!
And I agree, it does seem weird to see 80's car running around with historic plates on them. I felt kind of weird being able to get historic plates for a 1976 LeMans and a 1979 New Yorker...cars that I remember new. For some reason, in my mind, I keep thinking of a 30 year old car as something with tailfins, and a 20 year old car being something like a late 60's Dart. Probably because I bought my '57 DeSoto in 1990 and a '69 Dart in 1989, and those ages just seemed to "freeze" with me. But now suddenly those are 40 and 50 year old cars, and even something like my '79 New Yorkers are pushing 30. I forget when I'm driving them sometimes, that they're really that old. I wonder if a 1970's car seems as old and bygone to a 20 year old today as a 1950's car would have to me when I was 20?
Oh, in Maryland your car used to have to be at least 25 years old to get historic plates. But now they've changed it to 20! A guy at work just got historic tags for his 1986 Pontiac T-1000! :surprise: I had thought about getting them for my 1985 Silverado, as it would save me about $100 every two years on registration and exempt me from the emissions test. And I doubt if that truck will even see 3,000 miles this year. I'll probably just leave it as-is though. My roommate drives that truck a lot, and if nothing else, the emissions test ensures that the thing is still running clean.
I've heard Saturn owners of getting over 30 MPG with that engine - I guess the light weight of the car helped.
My L300 has the "new and improved" styling, which I actually prefer. Granted, the front is still a bit odd, but I like the rear end treatment much more.
Heck, I'm inside the car, so I don't notice the styling quite so much I suppose. It's grown on me. Then again, it sits in the garage for the most part - I've put less than 5K on it since January. Only 72.5K total in 68 months.
The '08 VUE will celebrate its first anniversary with us in a couple of weeks, and it's got over 15K on it - still paltry by Jolie's standards, but we've done two trips to Utah in that time.
I bought a used '79 or '80 mid-sized Pontiac 6 cyl. wagon (LeMans?) in the early '80's, & traded in my '78 Chevy P/U with the disasterous Old's "diesel" engine at a huge loss. That Pontiac was a good looking car, & the back seat & cargo area proved to be quite, quite versatile......
But it developed mysterious engine problems a couple of years later. When I bought it, it had a Texas title, with "24,000 miles". Oh yeah......
They totally redesigned the block for 1985 though, beefing it up and fixing the oil passage problems. It might still have had the nylon mesh timing gear though.
A 1980 LeMans was in the running when my Mom was looking for a new car to replace her '75 LeMans, which never ran right after Dad wrecked it. She was considering the LeMans, a Volare, and a Monza. Ended up settling for a 1980 Malibu coupe, which got handed down to me when I got my license. I have fond memories of that car, probably because it was my first, but I've sat in Malibus of that era that were for sale at car shows and such, and sadly it's true what they say about rose-tinted glasses. :sick: Still, it wasn't a bad car for the time.
Mark
Well, he's owned each of those cars at least once... :P
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
LOL :shades:
Actually, that was a common practice back in the late 70's and early 80's to use carpeted lower door panels as a way to add "status" to a car. So a Malibu Classic or Grand LeMans would have carpet, but a Malibu or LeMans wouldn't. Buick and Olds did a similar thing with the Cutlass and Century, but I can't remember their names now. The nicer ones were probably "Limited" for the Century and "Brougham" for the Cutlass.
With bigger cars, the Caprice had carpeted lower doors, but the Impala didn't. Ditto the Bonneville versus the Catalina. But then with cars like the LeSabre and Delta, I think even the cheaper trim levels came carpeted.
I know there are bigger problems in the world to worry about, but I got a little miffed at Mopar in 2002, when they decontented the Intrepid. One of the things they got rid of was the carpeting on the lower door panels! :surprise:
I remember in 1980, when we were selling our house. The real estate agent had a 1979 Malibu Classic sedan. Mom had a 1980 Malibu coupe, and I recall her being a bit envious because the real estate agent's car had a stand-up hood ornament and hers didn't! I think it also had extra-cost 2-tone paint, but can't remember now.
She finally got her stand-up hood ornament in 1986, when she bought a new leftover Monte Carlo. Although by the time I got that car, the knight was broken off and in the glovebox. :mad: