Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous (Archived)

berri

Yep Stever, when I was a young single guy I always rented a furnished apartment and carried everything else I needed crammed into my car when moving around. Marriage and time equal a lot of excess crapola!

kyfdx

A Fit holds a lot of stuff!

suydam

You also have to have full insurance on a new car. And car payments vs. none. Also with a lease you don't own the car. With a used car you don't sweat the dings that will show up as a consequence of living in a college environment. There are pros and cons to both new and used.

qbrozen

shifty, I have been finding absolutely no shortage of Protege, Protege5, and mazda3 all well within your target requirements. You've also seen some of the Subarus I've posted in that range, too. Those would all be my go-to suggestions for a cheap, reliable car for a kid. If I'm not mistaken, the 2.2 subarus are better off than the 2.5. (??)

rayainsw

For those anxiously awaiting....

http://wot.motortrend.com/1408_2015_chevrolet_corvette_z06_pricing_announced.html

= Ray

My 2007 was a bargain .........

oldfarmer50

@rayainsw said:
For those anxiously awaiting....

http://wot.motortrend.com/1408_2015_chevrolet_corvette_z06_pricing_announced.html

= Ray

My 2007 was a bargain .........

Only $80k for a stripper model? I might buy two.

Seriously, the car has beautiful lines. Would be nice just to have it sitting in your driveway.

What I really want to know is which one of you guys paid a million dollars for the first one?

nyccarguy

So if a Fit is $200 per month on a lease, then an Impreza 2.0i 5 door can't be that much more. Say that's an extra $25 per month? That's a set of snow shoes ($1000) for the Fit.

Stop it

nyccarguy

I just made my final BMW lease payment which also included the previous year's Personal Property Tax ($498). Starting 9/22 I'll be putting money into the kitchen renno fund! wish me luck!

Michaell

@nyccarguy said:
I just made my final BMW lease payment which also included the previous year's Personal Property Tax ($498). Starting 9/22 I'll be putting money into the kitchen renno fund! wish me luck!

When does it go back? Don't forget to update your signature block...

nyccarguy

Goes back officially on 9/22. I'll update my signature block and do a short wrap up.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh that's one I hadn't thought of....Mazda...I'll pass that along to his dad asap...thanks!

@qbrozen said:
shifty, I have been finding absolutely no shortage of Protege, Protege5, and mazda3 all well within your target requirements. You've also seen some of the Subarus I've posted in that range, too. Those would all be my go-to suggestions for a cheap, reliable car for a kid. If I'm not mistaken, the 2.2 subarus are better off than the 2.5. (??)

xwesx

@oldfarmer50 said:
Seriously, the car has beautiful lines. Would be nice just to have it sitting in your driveway.

Agreed! Beautiful car. I like the one in the photos on the article, color and all. I'd take it just like that.

Wait.... was than an auto tranny in there?! On second thought...

qbrozen

Either something is really wrong with this or its not really still for sale.

Pics lead me to believe its not really for sale by owner. I emailed the seller. Guess I'll know soon enough.

xwesx

Yeah, wow! Looks nice at first glance. It is 11 years old, but, still, seems that it is priced low. The window writing said $3,990 vs. $3,900 in the ad, but maybe an omission? shrugs

I could get rid of my Fiesta and buy that with the resulting cash on hand. Hmm....

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
Either something is really wrong with this or its not really still for sale.

Pics lead me to believe its not really for sale by owner. I emailed the seller. Guess I'll know soon enough.

Pretty cheap. I've seen similar on CL for about $5k. Probably just needs a $20 part.

Pictures? Oh yeah, that row of cars behind it with no plates. But would a used car dealer misrepresent himself? Hard to believe.

ab348

That is from the generation that had pretty severe rust on the rear quarters/wheel opening and hatch. Check carefully.

kyfdx

@suydam said:
You also have to have full insurance on a new car. And car payments vs. none. Also with a lease you don't own the car. With a used car you don't sweat the dings that will show up as a consequence of living in a college environment. There are pros and cons to both new and used.

I still say it's cheaper than buying a $6K-$8K car (which you still need full insurance on, in most cases). $7200 in payments is the same as $7200 out of your pocket.

I have a college student, and we just purchased a used car for $8200. Mainly because he would consider driving a Toyota Yaris for three years to be cruel and unusual punishment (don't know where he gets that from). But, I have no doubt that the $200/mo. lease would be much, much cheaper over the next three years than this used car..

Sandman6472

Drove a Ford Explorer and then a Cadillac SRX at work today...the Caddy was very nice but reminded me of a Buick to be honest. There really is no need for Buick and Cadillac anymore but that's just a personal opinion. Best thing about my job is I never know what I'm going to drive each day, the lead driver hands out the keys and tells us where to take it which is a much better system than the long distance driving where we get to choose our own from the lined up vehicles. The last couple of times, the new guys would actually run to get a vehicle they wanted and I got pushed away from a vehicle so decided to take a break from that gig for awhile. Hoping to go back on a limited basis once season starts again but if that kind of nonsense continues, I just will say no thanks and move on.
Right now, the long distance moving of rentals is pretty quiet, just like it is every summer from what I've been told. I know last summer, July through mid October were pretty slow months, think I drove maybe 20 days that whole time. Luckily, our company had the short term contract with the Hertz location I'm at now which is how I got to become an employee there. Word of mouth, my phone calls and letters and finally the help of a nice co-worker got me the gig and I really love the job. As long as my spine behaves, this is something I could stay with until I officially retire again in about 5 years from this fall.

The Sandman

stickguy

After driving from Philly to North Carolina, on these nasty roads and traffic, if my daughter brings a car next year it will be new or very close. A1 year old CPO or cheap lease. The lease for 3 years also dovetails nicely with her remaining college time.

oldfarmer50

@nyccarguy said:
I just made my final BMW lease payment which also included the previous year's Personal Property Tax ($498). Starting 9/22 I'll be putting money into the kitchen renno fund! wish me luck!

Is that PPT in addition to sales tax in CT. Never understood states that keep knicking you years after you buy. NY cuts your throat when you buy but then leaves you alone for the most part.

How do they figure the tax?

nyccarguy

Yes the Personal Property Tax is paid yearly in addition to sales tax which I pay monthly. It is called a "Mill Rate" and is based on a percentage of a "book value" and does go down every year for the most part. Each city has a different "Mill Rate." It is annoying, but the government has to get its money some how. My property taxes are less than $9K on an acre. If I were in Westchester (ny) it would be more than double.

corvette

Wow... My property tax, including fire dues, is less than 1% of the assessed value of the property. It would be roughly double if I lived within city limits, though.

qbrozen

Hmmm...a 2010 Elantra Blue 5-spd with 48k miles advertised for $6k at a Lexus dealer. I'm very curious about it. Worth consideration? I'm a bit afraid I'd get bored of it, but the ad price is just about auction value, so the financial damage would be minimized at least.

qbrozen

A new one that popped up today is an '03 passat gls 5-spd with 72k miles at the dealer i bought my mustang from. Also advertised for $6k but I wouldnt pay more than $4k.

oldfarmer50

@nyccarguy said:
Yes the Personal Property Tax is paid yearly in addition to sales tax which I pay monthly. It is called a "Mill Rate" and is based on a percentage of a "book value" and does go down every year for the most part. Each city has a different "Mill Rate." It is annoying, but the government has to get its money some how. My property taxes are less than $9K on an acre. If I were in Westchester (ny) it would be more than double.

Westchester is the most expensive county in the country IIRC. Everything looks good by comparison. My 7 acres and house upstate are taxed under $5k total and I get about a third of that rebated as a farm tax credit. At $18k I'd be in a homeless shelter.

Then where would I park my fleet?

oldfarmer50

@qbrozen said:
Hmmm...a 2010 Elantra Blue 5-spd with 48k miles advertised for $6k at a Lexus dealer. I'm very curious about it. Worth consideration? I'm a bit afraid I'd get bored of it, but the ad price is just about auction value, so the financial damage would be minimized at least.

Tough to let those bargains go by. I must buy a dozen cars a day in my head. Lucky there's lots of empty space in there.

qbrozen

It is tough to let it go, but I keep coming back to really wanting a wagon. Can't tell you how many times the kids realize they want something that I've put in the trunk while we are on the highway.
The seller of the cheap protege5 has not responded to my email.

rayainsw

" I must buy a dozen cars a day in my head. Lucky there's lots of empty space in there"

LOL

Michaell

Busy day yesterday .. wife had to teach up in the big city so I drove her up there in the Hyundai, then took my car to the dealer for the 15K service (after 9 months!).

I got an Elantra Limited sedan as my loaner vehicle. The major differences in features were leather seats and steering wheel, touchscreen audio, backup camera, 17" wheels and tires, push-to-start technology and a sunroof.

I liked those features a lot and wish I had gotten my E-GT with them. I still like the hatchback body style - better ingress and egress.

While waiting, I stopped by the Volvo dealer to look at the V60 in person. They had a FWD Drive-E in the showroom - handsome vehicle. But, wow, do the options stack up. That car had an MSRP in the mid 40's, and this wasn't even the AWD version that wifey wants. More room behind the rear seats than pictures would lead you to believe.

After picking up the wife, we spotted a new XC70 that had both a Colorado temp tag in the rear window but a Euro license plate as well. When we got behind it, the license plate frame referenced the European Delivery Center in Sweden.

Which gave me a great opportunity to explain to my wife how ED works - the Euro plate was, I'm sure, the temp registration that allowed the owners to drive the car in Europe after delivery. Then, after being shipped back to the states, the dealer prepped it (they put their dealership logo sticker on the car) and delivered it to the customer.

Wife liked the looks of the XC70 as well - a bit more rugged looking with the black plastic cladding.

Told her she'd have to look at both and drive both before making a decision - which will be a couple of years from now.

Hoping that Volvo is still around in the US at that time.

Mr_Shiftright

Volvo needs new product desperately, and lots of it, or they're toast in the USA.

kyfdx

That V-60 wagon is a good place to start. Great looks! We passed one in SC, while on vacation.. took a second look, and realized it was an Enterprise rental!

Mr_Shiftright

It's hard to say where Volvo should put its money in product development. The trends are away from luxury coupes and away from wagons. I guess you'd call the V-60 a CUV these days. Also, in the luxury class, the trend is away from small SUVs----gigantic is in now.

Michaell

@Mr_Shiftright said:
It's hard to say where Volvo should put its money in product development. The trends are away from luxury coupes and away from wagons. I guess you'd call the V-60 a CUV these days. Also, in the entry luxury class, the trend is away from small SUVs----gigantic is in now.

I beg to differ.

Lexus NX.

Audi Q3

BMW X1

MB GLA

These are gigantic?

Mr_Shiftright

Okay---first off, I think the Audi and Lexus are CUVs.

As for "compact SUVs"---Ah, well, I didn't mean to type "entry" level SUV--I meant that if you're competing on the high end, THEN you have to deliver size if you are going to charge big bucks --that was my rather clumsy point. A pricey 'compact SUV' is not going to be that easy to sell for Volvo. They're better off in the CUV market (still very stiff competition).

Michaell

@Mr_Shiftright said:
Okay---first off, I think the Audi and Lexus are CUVs.

As for "compact SUVs"---Ah, well, I didn't mean to type "entry" level SUV--I meant that if you're competing on the high end, THEN you have to deliver size if you are going to charge big bucks --that was my rather clumsy point. A pricey 'compact SUV' is not going to be that easy to sell for Volvo. They're better off in the CUV market (still very stiff competition).

Ah, OK.

I think all the models I listed above are meant to compete with one another - CUV, SUV, whatever.

I don't know that Volvo has enough development money to have a full range of offerings. New XC90 due soon, I believe.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes you are absolutely right--Volvo does not have enough capital to field a full range against competitors---which is why I was thinking about how carefully they need to make their decisions.

qbrozen

well, for one thing, I think they are trying to compete in the wrong price market. 3-series (touring) money for what is more like a TSX wagon competitor is a bad idea. Being the most expensive FWD wagon (or any model for that matter) on the market is not a good place for them.

graphicguy

@Mr_Shiftright said:
Yes you are absolutely right--Volvo does not have enough capital to field a full range against competitors---which is why I was thinking about how carefully they need to make their decisions.

Couldnt agree more! I kind of think I'm their target market. I actually like their cars...just not enough to drop any coin on them. That's been true over my last 3 purchases. Frankly, I've never set foot in a Volvo dealership. I have ridden/driven others' Vovlvos, which I liked, again not enough to own, though.

stickguy

OK, I am back on the get a new car plan here. sadly there has been a turn for the worse back at the old homestead, so I expect to be making a lot of trips from Philly to NY for the foreseeable future. That is about 110 miles each way, often at undesirable times (well, for those of you familiar with the NJ turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, there is no desirable time to be on them) and after discussing with the wife, just don't want to be doing the trip that often in the TL with over 175K on it, and I really don't want to put the needed money into the Volvo, or drive it that much once I do!

so, that leaves 2 options. Keep piling up miles on the RDX (that poor thing is gasping for breath lately!) while leaving her for days at a time with the old fleet, or get something new(er) for me. I was planning to sell the Volvo anyway. Only real change to the plan is to replace it now instead of waiting until next year.

so, what to do, what to do. The real problem here being budget (as in, not much of one!), plus the possibility that in a year my daughter might inherit it to use at school (and over the summers). She wants a CX5, but might "settle" for a nice 6, or new style 3 sedan. Sadly, not sure any fall into the price range.

not married to new. Would consider a few year old CPO type (or even non-CPO if under warranty for a while). Say 2012+, 30K or below. And if new, could buy or lease (not sure if lease would get miles blown out early!).

Since payment will be an issue, the lease idea helps there, but if the right deal came along, say 0% or .9%, I might just run out to 60-72 months. That would end up being close to "free" (if not actually free) money, and about the same monthly nut as a lease, and at least some point in the future I would own it, or possibly give to daughter at graduation (along with payment book!)

TBC

stickguy

Continuing the discussion, that leaves the really tough question: what to get? especially since it has to be something OK for the kid to drive (still leaving out sticks sadly). Minimum basics are not too big, good safety (active and passive), respectable to good MPG. Not too small. Small CUV or a sedan (sedan probably makes more sense).

Really want a power seat. A backup cam is pretty much a must. Bluetooth and phone connectivity of course. XM would be nice, but not crucial. Ditto with Nav. Would love a moonroof but that might be a pipe dream given the budget.

for the deals out there, the Camry might be the best $ fit. really need to try one out to see how it is. Just didn't like the Altima when I tried it out again. maybe a left over mazda 6 or a CPO, I know those are nice! An Accord EX would be perfect, but that will blow a budget. Didn't like the old Sonata, but have not tried a new one. I really like the new Legacy but that is going to be pricey.

About the only car in the compact class I like is the mazda 3. and don't think I want another Jetta in the family.

Would like to keep the OTD cost at about 20K if at all possible, though with 0% long-term could go a smidge over. So in theory used is better, but dang, have to go real old to save enough to make it noticeable. Lease, say $250mo all-in (little or nothing up front) or less.

So, feel free to suggest away! But I do have the wife on board, and now that we are fully, officially empty nesters, we have time to spend next weekend car shopping! Woo Hoo!

stickguy

oh, for anyone interested, I managed to get the overstuffed RDX to NC safely without burying my daughter in an avalanche. Surprised how much I got in there, and those space bags they advertise on TV really do work! Lots of highway, quite a bit local and back roads (avoided 95 coming home, it was a mess from Richmond to Baltimore, so went through Norfolk and the CBBT). About 1K total, and overall average MPG was right about at 28. Car is a nice highway machine, but does need a bigger gas tank!

oldfarmer50

Stick,

Don't know if this will work for you but my BIL sometimes comes up from Washington through PA to Binghamton and then takes I-88 to the Albany area.

As to what you'll drive, I haven't a clue. A Mazda might be a good choice out of the used cars you mention. A Camry would be too pricy used IMHO.

stickguy

81 to 88 works for upstate, but for me loops way out of the way, plus I then have to route through Philly, so not fun.

Camry's IMO are always better to buy new.

qbrozen

I could be wrong, but with all the options you listed, I think that pushes a new mazda out of the price range, does it not? Heck, I think it pushes most cars out of the pricerange once you get into "backup cam" territory.

Looks like you can get an Elantra SE with backup cam for about $17k.

nyccarguy

@stickguy‌

Have you considered a Prius III? $1,500 Lease Cash plus a 60% residual value and a money factor of .00001 makes it extremely attractive (looking around). Not that I'm back in the market or anything

Or an Accord EX-CVT with $1500 Trunk Money, $850 Lease Cash, a 57% Residual Value, & a .00026 Money Factor (looking around). Not that I'm back in the market or anything

Edit. $850 Lease Cash no longer available

rayainsw

Elantra made the recent '10 best end of summer' list from CR:

Hyundai Elantra

Stylish and well-discounted, the Elantra sedan is a well-rounded competitor that ranks near the top of our small-sedan Ratings and even out-points strong competitors such as the Ford Focus and Honda Civic. Easy to live with, the Elantra combines nimble handling with a comfortable, well-controlled ride and a neatly laid out, well-equipped interior. Coupelike styling, with a beltline that swoops up toward the rear, can impede the view to the rear quarters. The 148-hp, four-cylinder engine delivers solid performance and very good fuel economy. The cabin is well finished and the rear seat is relatively roomy. The 2014 model brings updates to the engine, dashboard, and suspension. The Elantra provides a compelling combination of style, features, and practicality—all for a bargain price.

Michaell

@rayainsw said:
Elantra made the recent '10 best end of summer' list from CR:

Hyundai Elantra

Stylish and well-discounted, the Elantra sedan is a well-rounded competitor that ranks near the top of our small-sedan Ratings and even out-points strong competitors such as the Ford Focus and Honda Civic. Easy to live with, the Elantra combines nimble handling with a comfortable, well-controlled ride and a neatly laid out, well-equipped interior. Coupelike styling, with a beltline that swoops up toward the rear, can impede the view to the rear quarters. The 148-hp, four-cylinder engine delivers solid performance and very good fuel economy. The cabin is well finished and the rear seat is relatively roomy. The 2014 model brings updates to the engine, dashboard, and suspension. The Elantra provides a compelling combination of style, features, and practicality—all for a bargain price.

I drove an Elantra sedan over the weekend .. I like my hatchback style better. And, my local dealer is offering over $5K off E-GT's at the moment ... $23K MSRP for around $17K and change.

stickguy

Maybe I shall look at the élantra again.

Bradd, most new unless a total blow out could be $ problem, at least with mid size and CUV types. Hence the slightly used idea. Or, I justvspend more than I want to (which is how we ended up with an RDX vs a crv.

qbrozen

Benz finished its first week on ebay without too much hoopla. Had something like 200 views with 9 people watching and received 1 offer ($3k) than I simply let expire because it was from someone who never asked any questions or came to see the car. I've relisted with a slightly lower BIN. I think if nothing happens this week, I might just take it off the market. If I go that route, I may even put some money into redoing the suspension to suit my personal taste better (if that's even possible with that car).

breld

Stick - seems like there could be some good used options for you out there. As has been suggested, Hyundais are going to offer some good values - not only the Elantra, but perhaps a Sonata as well. I was impressed with the Elantra sedan I had as a rental a few years ago, and really like the GT model like Michael's. I noticed those same ads for discounts on the Elantra GT over the weekend.

How about a slightly used Legacy? Those have always seemed to be strong values - probably more so now with the new model coming out.

The requirement for a back-up camera may push you into a new model though - lot of cars starting to come standard with that, but just with the 2013 and 2014 models. A new Civic EX stickers for under $22k - would think you could get a bit under $20k for real-world pricing. That's probably a little higher than your target OTD, but it would get you a lot of nice features, including a sunroof!

This current generation of Civic got off to such a bad start for the 2012 debut, but they sure have been aggressive with the improvements for 2013 and 2014. A friend of mine bought a 2013 EX-L w/Nav and my wife and I are very impressed with the features it offers.