Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

corvette · February 2006

IIRC, his wife really wanted a convertible... Is her dislike of the car something that could be solved with the addition of an accessory hard-top?

kyfdx · February 2006

It was a crime of opportunity... We've always talked about getting a convertible.. and the lease deals were great on the '05s back in November...

She really liked her '03 325i, and a convertible 330Ci seemed like just the ticket... Plus, we drive a lot, and the '03 would have been out of warranty by July.... so, I would have probably done something by then, anyway..

She just can't stand the noise... and decrease in visibility.. She just feels totally uncomfortable in the car.. Add in the loss of passenger space... and the benefits of top-down driving don't seem worth it to her...

The hardtop would help visibility... and a little on the noise... but, unless you never want to use the convertible, you'd still have 7 months per year that it would have to be off.. plus the $3000 cost :surprise:

The good thing is... I think I can get out of it, with little or no extra cost above the monthly payments that we've made.... That isn't true with a lot of leases..

This is the sixth car that I've acquired for her, with little driving or input on her part.... First time it hasn't worked out...

Worst case... I drive it..

regards,
kyfdx

guss · February 2006

I guess the lesson to be learned is don't but a convertible in November?

I think if your wife can make it to April/May all of the 330Ci's sins will be forgiven.Nothing like a nice spring day to make your remeber why you drive around with cloth over your head for 7 months.

qbrozen · February 2006

Can't go wrong with the LS, in my biased opinion.

There should even be wiggle room in that price. It was just 4 months ago I picked up my '03 LS. At that time, the real-world trade-in value of one with 30k miles was in the low $18k range. Given the low miles and extra options (mine doesn't have heated rear seats) of the one you are looking at, that should kick up the price a bit, but it is 4 months later now. SO... I'm thinking its about a wash and the trade-in should still be in the low to mid $18s. Does it have Nav? If so, maybe wandering to that $19k number. Even if its certified, I think you should be able to get them down to $21-$21.5.

Just realize the mileage might hurt ya. I get a hair above 21.5 mpg running premium gas with about 80% highway driving. But the torque of the V8 is addicting.

woodyww · February 2006

Somehow, all this talk is making me want a bmw convertible. (Well, I've wanted one for a long time). The last one I drove was an E36 325iC manual about 10 years ago--I had a blast driving that thing--in warm weather with the top down.

I wonder--between a 2-3 y.o. Z4, or E46, which would have the best resale after a couple more years? It might just come down to finding the best deal on a nice condition car.....I can get $500 back from buying a CPO one at a bmw dealer, but sometimes used prices at bmw dealers are so insane it's not worth it.

BTW, I liked the "getting a great lease deal on an A4" idea you had.....esp. in Snow Country.

cheers, woody

woodyww · February 2006

I tend to agree with qbrozen that the late model, low-mileage LS makes sense. You dig the car, & there seems to be a ton of them out there, so hopefully you can get a good price. And yeah, "some of the buttons might break over time", but a lot of things "might happen". Just get a certified one. They're not as reliable as lexus (but what is?), but 1/2 the price..... live a little!

*Wow, lotta car and bling for that price, considering the $40k+ sticker new*

Kirstie_H · February 2006

Obviously doesn't apply to anyone in here, but heck, maybe you have novice friends:

A reporter aims to capture impressions of the buying experience for a first-time buyer or the parent of one. If you or your child bought a car for the first time in the past year, and if you'd like to share your story with a national magazine, please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com before Monday, February 13, 2006 with your daytime contact info and a few words about your experience.

racer63 · February 2006

No cert on this LS, but still 26 months and 36k miles on the factory B2B (4/50, with a 4/04 in service date). I was thinking around $20k even. This one appears to have most options except the THX radio and Nav. This is definitely the most car for the money I'm looking at. It certainly got my wife's attention.

I dunno, Accord leases are looking attractive too. $250-$300 a month depending on LX-SE or EX V6 for 36months/36k is pretty cheap driving. But Accords are so plain.

Gas mileage isn't really a big deal on whatever I end up with, if anything, since my job comes with a car allowance and gas card. I don't do real big miles either, only about 15k annually tops.

anonymousposts · February 2006

we have the money for the MDX. The buyer should be able to pick it up by the end of this week.

So, we put our feelers out and found a 96 Honda Civic EX 5-speed sedan in silver with 127,000 miles for $4000. It appears that it hasn't been wrecked. It's clean and pretty ding-free for the age and mileage. Interior is real clean and it's a non-smoker. If we get it inspected and it comes back clean we will probably add this to our fleet until we can get the Civic that Gee wants. Or until we have moved on to the next greatest car.

stickguy · February 2006

for a 10 YO non-Si Civic with lots of miles (although normal for the year I guess).

Just seems high to me, but makes me glad I own 2 Hondas if that is a legit retail price!

qbrozen · February 2006

$4k?? Heck, that's about the value of my '98 Volvo S70 T5 with leather, moonroof, CD/tape, power everything, etc, and 110k miles. I'd much rather have the volvo, personally. ALOT more car for the money.

I don't think I've EVER seen a used Civic that I thought was worth the $$.

qbrozen · February 2006

with no cert and no nav, i think your $20k number is just about on the nose.

By the way, however, when i was buying mine, turned out Ford Credit was offering a super low rate for certified models only. The salesman didn't even know about it at first. I wanted the vehicle certified, so he went to check if they could do it and what it would cost. He then found out about the special rate. Turned out the reduced rate would save me the certification cost over the life of the loan AND THEN SOME.

racer63 · February 2006

That is worth checking into. The Grand Prix I looked at an hour before this LS was Certified, with GMAC money at 2.9/36; 3.9/48 and 4.5 for 60. Wonder if FMCC has anything similar; otherwise it would be have to be the credit union at 5.9%.

LS's do depreciate like jet powered rocks, then seem to sort of plateau. '00's with 90 or 100k are advertised on-line for between $8 and $10. A $12k hit for 5 years of driving isn't quite Honda/Toyota territory, but not bad.

My only bugaboo is that I promised myself a sports car this time, so I have to wrestle with myself there.

qbrozen · February 2006

OH, i hear ya.

Did I mention I traded my 350Z for this LS?

You could always lease a 6-speed Accord. Sort of a compromise between sportscar and comfy family sedan. You would miss out on the rear-drive fun, though.

potemkin · February 2006

My first car was a convertible ('73 MG Midget). It was my last convertible too. Couldn't stand it with the top up for the same reasons you cited. And the enjoyment of top down driving wasn't enough to offset the negatives.

I'm on my second hard-top BMW, but right now I'm thinking that M-B built the SLK roadster just for me. It's a hard top and a convertible. O'happy day!

gee35coupe · February 2006

That includes taxes, fees and a precursory inspection. The car brought $3500 as a trade-in. I'll be able to drive it until the new Civics are plentiful and Honda does one of those 1.9% weekends. I'm figuring I'll have it until December or so. And I should be able to get most of my money back. I'll also get to get rid of that extra set of 14" Isuzu Stylus wheels I have in the basement.

By the way...That IS about what I could get a T5 for. I've priced a couple. I just don't trust em on the reliability front. Especially the turbo.

kyfdx · February 2006

I was thinking that was a pretty good price.. You really have to get back to '92-'93 and about 140K miles to see Civic prices down around $3K..

Bullet-proof cars.. I'd take one.. (if I didn't have this convertible thing going...lol)

gee35coupe · February 2006

I loved that car. It was the little car that could. I once chased down a Maxima at over 120 mph and it still got over 40 mpg on a high speed cruise between Atlanta and Birmingham.

On the same wheels that I'm putting on this Civic no less.

This is actually our third silver 5-speed 96-98 4 door Civic EX. Not to mention the 2 2000 Si's and the 1997 Civic LX 4 door. They've all been documented here and there on Edmunds forums. You can't go wrong with a good Civic for basic transportation. We've owned a total of 11 Civics and another 4 Integras which are pretty much just gussied up Civics.

anonymousposts · February 2006

Point me towards a cheaper one with similar options, mileage, age, etc. We've looked around and $4000 seems fair for the car.

jjtj · February 2006

I'm lovin the 97 DX I picked up a few weeks ago.. fun to drive and gets in the 30's generally back & forth to work. I work for Summit Racing Equip. and we have books full of stuff for this car, which makes it tempting just as something to tinker with. It's kind of like the 69 Camaro of imports, in that you can find about anything for it. I'm not into the neon lit, grapefruit shooter exhaust import stuff, but maybe an AEM cold air kit (for increased MPG's) wouldn't be bad.

growwise · February 2006

You can't go wrong with a good Civic for basic transportation. We've owned a total of 11 Civics and another 4 Integras which are pretty much just gussied up Civics.

I am astounded by people who drive same make and model over and over again. IMO, Life is too short to be driving 15 civics which provides "basic transportation" at best. Why not try something different? variety is after all spice of the life.

Personally, I'd rather buy a luxury car and keep it for longer time.. BTW, reliability is not an issue nowadays.. most cars if maintained well will run upto 200k and beyond.

guss · February 2006

especially if you are only holding onto it for a short period of time.

For ten months why not roll the dice on a Golf GTI,Chevy Camaro,Jeep Wrangler or something of that ilk. Chances are something will not go wrong in that short of time, and you might love the car and want to hang on to it as a winter beater

jaserb · February 2006

Reliability is also not an issue if you never keep a car for more than 4 months :P

-Jason

gee35coupe · February 2006

There has been a MR2 Turbo, 300ZX Twin Turbo, 2 RX7's, an LS400, GS300, etc thrown in there. And I used to transport cars for Carmax so I used to drive a different car every day for a while there. Anony is one promotion away from getting a demo too. Our CCB fix is about to get REAL cheap. We're gonna be able to drive any car in her store's inventory soon. We're gonna save tons O' money. That's one of the reasons I decided to forgo my new Civic and buy another old one.

nippononly · February 2006

one of the things that is bound to be pretty important if you turn over cars that frequently is depreciation, unless you are buying more than 5 years old. Less than that, and Honda is the best bet for the smallest loss when you sell again.

If I knew I could afford a small loss and was definitely keeping the car six months or less, I would try out a 3-year-old GTI. Used VWs can be hard to sell though - their abysmal reliability rep precedes them these days.

corvette · February 2006

VW...their abysmal reliability rep precedes them these days.

Their rep is very well-deserved... Glad I didn't talk myself into an Audi A3.

qbrozen · February 2006

It might not be too much for THAT car. But, like I said, I never met a used Civic I thought was worth the $$. I don't have a problem with them at all, I just think there are more interesting ways to spend $4k. But that's me. I don't typically look for just "transportation."

zodiac2004 · February 2006

Point me towards a cheaper one with similar options, mileage, age, etc. We've looked around and $4000 seems fair for the car.

There was this person in another thread (a Toyota dealer, no less) who was saying 10 y/o Accords were worth 1500.

I challenged him to find me one - and got my hand slapped for soliciting.

zodiac2004 · February 2006

4 Integras which are pretty much just gussied up Civics

C'mon. The Civic is an awesome car I agree, but it's no match for a >94 5-sp Integra. The 1.8 liter (even non-vtec) is just so sweet, and was obviously not put in any Civic.

andre1969 · February 2006

that currently has a 1996 Accord for sale...came in the local screamer ads that get stuffed in with the local Pennysaver. $1995. I can't find it on their website though, so I have no idea of the stats on it.

The cheapest car I see on their website is a 2000 Hyundai Elantra GLS, automatic, with 112,940 miles on it. And "Your Price" is a low, low $4,095. So COME ON DOWN!! :P

fintail · February 2006

That 1996 Accord for $1995 has a broken timing belt or a bad tranny.

andre1969 · February 2006

and did a search for Honda Accords 1996 and newer, and $5000 or less. Believe it or not, it turned up TWENTY SIX of them within a 50 mile radius!!

Okay, now it's time for the truth. The reason that so many popped up was because many of them had "See Dealer" for the price, which AutoBytel equates to be Zero Dollars.

As for the few legit cars that popped up, they were priced around $4300-4800, and had 100-198,000 miles on them. The best deal of them all, I'd say, was a 1997 Accord LX sedan with 107K miles for $4800. It has an automatic, cruise, power locks/antenna/windows and a sunroof. And it's a pretty green color.

kyfdx · February 2006

200K miles and an interior that looks like it has spent time in Baghdad...

nippononly · February 2006

what people will ask for Hondas with 200K+ miles on them? I mean, I know they can still be good for a few more years at this age, but I recently saw an Accord advertised at $4995 with 218K miles! It had high miles for the year, so it wasn't 100 years old, but still - $4995????

How about $1995, and you throw in a set of tires? :-)

I REALLY hope there isn't a buyer out there sucker enough to pay that much for a car like that.

guss · February 2006

challenge to Autotrader and came up with one Civic within 300 miles with under 200K for under $4000. It was a pristine '95 with only 198K miles.

Civic's used seem way overpriced.Must be why I never have owned one.

andre1969 · February 2006

is that a car with 200K miles is something that you give away, simply to get it off your hands. Unless it's had some major work put into it. For instance, my '68 Dart had 253,000 miles on it when I bought it. I paid $1700 for it back in 1992. It had a rebuilt 318 with only 11,000 miles on it though, and a used, but newer tranny and rear end. And a killer sound system! :shades:

I paid $250 for my '79 Newport, which I bought from the junkyard. I thought it only had 130,000 miles on it, but it was more like 230,000!

My Mom gave me her '86 Monte Carlo with 179,000 miles on it. When it got totaled, with 192K on it, the insurance company gave me around $2200 for it.

Interestingly I did another Autobytel search and found a 1996 Lumina LS sedan for sale for $4999, with around 96,000 miles on it. So if you just go by asking prices, sometimes the domestics and Japanese don't seem that far off in price. But then I'm sure those Accords I found will get snatched up, while that '96 Lumina will just sit at that price, and ultimately get sold for $2-3K, at best.

kyfdx · February 2006

I think that Civics generally are overpriced... Comparatively, the one that Anony found seems like a very good deal...

Kirstie_H · February 2006

OK, CCBA-ers, surely this group has some car photos to upload & share with the rest of us??

Create your page at http://www.carspace.com and add a photo album or two. Look us up when you get there... I'll be your friend if you be mine (and kyfdx will be friends with anyone... trust me

)

andre1969 · February 2006

at http://photobucket.com/albums/v247/jgandrew/ of various things. Pics taken of some of my cars, pics I've taken at various car shows and swap meets, pics of my as-of-yet-unifinished garage in progress, etc...

fintail · February 2006

I'd love to see the salesman who can get almost $5K for a 10 year old Lumina, no matter the mileage. He's the best car salesman on the planet.

I got 5K for a 182K mile 1989 MB, and the buyer wanted the car before I was ready to sell.

I have my fintail and the 126 on this page, but no C43 yet, I've been lazy. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/416201

corvette · February 2006

I already have MySpace and Facebook, if I sign up for another one of these things I'm going to have to drop out of school...

So, I'll try to upload some photos tonight! :P

kyfdx · February 2006

If you drop out, would it give you time to work on my CarSpace, also? If so, write that letter to the Dean now, please....

zodiac2004 · February 2006

200K miles and an interior that looks like it has spent time in Baghdad

And - to quote Terry - an exterior that looks like it was used by the Taliban for target practice.

andre1969 · February 2006

...a picture of my Intrepid.

bumpy · February 2006

Might give people the wrong idea.

andre1969 · February 2006

...with my '85 Silverado, but I just found this '03 GMC Sierra at a local dealership. It's essentially what I want in a truck...8 foot bed, regular cab, fairly basic. This one's priced at $11,891 and has 41,008 miles on it.

I'm almost tempted!

nippononly · February 2006

is true of that post! :-P

nippononly · February 2006

I thought you could get a brand new Silverado for around $13,000? Is that the short bed? Then how much more is the long bed?

I am just thinking that I would DEFINITELY go the extra $1500 for brand new vs 41K miles...

anonymousposts · February 2006

To us it seems like a good deal. Drives great. Cosmetically you can tell it's 10 years old. It has a few dings and scratches. But the engine runs great, AC works, all electricals work, and it hasn't been in an accident. Drove 50 miles today and the gas hand barely moved. I think it will serve us well for the next few months. Gee is outside playing in it right now.

We did get an e-mail from our credit union's auto buying service today. They can get us the Civic + NAV in May for a drive out price of $22,000 with our accessories added. Might be something to think about but it still seems a bit high.

corvette · February 2006

Those titles remind me of things Tobias would say on Arrested Development (don't know if anyone else here watches the show).

Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

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