how does the 6 speed drive? I was very impressed with the Cersa (sedan too) at the Phola auto show. Amazing rear seat room, and comfy seats, at a great price. Even my 15yo son loked it (he wanted one fo rhis first car next summer, fat chance on that!
If I had to replace my Accord tomorrow, I would give it serious consideration. Along with everything else on the market!
Oh, and I finally made it over 1 year just before Xmas, after buying a new car in Dec 05 and 04, plus a used one in Nov 04.
Barring an accident, the next purchase will be an older car for my son to learn to drive on. Should be fun, I haven't shopped on the bottom end of the market for a while!
SO far, so good... I'm geting used to the gearshift being "down" when I'm in top gear and reverse is hidden over on the left and up instead of on the right and down :P
And yes, the interior room is almost amazing. Atleast 4" more leg room for me in the driver's seat compared to my Altima, and with the seat all the way back, my6'+ daughter cansit in the back seat with room in front of her knees.
I'll be taking the first long trip this weekend down to the Philly Show, so I'll have some mileage and comfort impressions soon!
Well I believe I suffer from CCB. My theory is that people's cars tell a lot about their personality. My car right now doesn't fit my personality so I am planning on getting a new one. The Car I have now ( 2003 Sante fe ) is a great car but it bothers me that so many other people have the exact same car as me. When I leave a store and go out into the parking lot I can't even tell which one is mine, because there are four of the same ones. I really want a Scion XB, solar yellow, so that when I go out into a parking lot it will take me no longer than 2 seconds to spot my car. I know that is a weird reason to buy another car, but then again I have heard worse.
I had that problem in college (every 20th car was a red B12 Sentra), so I put a bunch of bumper stickers on the back of mine. It's also a good excuse to get personalized license plates.
In California in the 90s, it was advantageous to have the same car as everyone else. I just jumped in whatever Honda Accord was closest to the door and left. Okay, maybe it didn't work quite like that, but peers might have eluded moving violations by ducking into a sea of identical cars.
Sounds like it could have worked like that...saw this yesterday:
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) - A college student who reported that his car was stolen got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it - using her key.
Kate Anderson of Athens became an accidental car thief when she went to pick up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the nickel-gray Toyota Camry and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home- without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car, made in the mid-1980s, had been towed, but when police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
"I thought it was very, very bizarre," he said.
Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said key technology wasn't as sophisticated two decades ago, and there were only so many ways to cut a key, making it possible for such a mix-up to occur. He said the company now has a microchip embedded in the keys for 90 percent of its vehicles that allows them to start only with the correct key.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the Web site for the university in this southeast Ohio city.
When Anderson told Vansant the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real fishy at first, like maybe she wanted to hold the thing for ransom," Vansant said.
He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to a police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity." Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief.""Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition as well- so high-five for Toyota, I guess," he said.
happened to my dad right after WWII. He got out and bought a new Chevy with some of his Army pay. He and a buddy drove to New Orleans. After they've parked the car and gone out and did whatever they were doing they hop in the car and just as he's starting it dad looks and says "this isn't my car." There was just enough different for him to see it wasn't right. His buddy was arguing the case but dad said he knew it was a different car and, sure enough, there was his car a hundred feet back.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
So...... who was the one advising me against getting the Benz here
Uh, me, but of course I wish the car had been less troublesome for you. The problems seem kind of extreme, all taken together esp. Can you get out of the car w/o losing too much? I've learned from this board that it's no use trying to figure out someone else's car fetishes (let alone my own!), but it seems like way too much grief & expense to go thru to own a C-Class.
If you sold it, I'm guessing there'd be no shortage of 100K mile C-Classes FS that need a lot of work, in the future, should you decide you can't live w/o one.....
I am not the haggling type but I was put off by the whole car buying business. Latest iteration is with a mitsu dealer for an 07 outlander xls. Its loaded minus the dvd screen and navigation/hard drive. It had the usual accoutrements for top of the line model such as leather, heated seats, sunroof etc.. but what was neat tho are
1. magnesium paddle shifters on manumatic - had fun looking at what gear I was in and how at the flick of a finger, I was downshifting from 6th to 3rd etc.. No need to mash the pedal and wait for it to act or row the gear. 2. 650 watt rockford fosgate sound system 3. third row kids seat which stows neatly and a flap fold tail gate. 4. 4 wheel drive that can be switched off to 2wd 5. blue tooth and FAST key (no need to stick the key in ignition)
www.outeverything.com
Nice package overall proportion wise. But alas, the dealer and me were a grand apart which doesnt seem much. But I made a very fair offer and dealer figured he can do more as he has a hot model on his hands for now. 07s are just trickling in and there is some traffic in the showroom finally. And no, its not for galants which has a busload of cash on its hood. We'll see how long this will last.
Just made a deal on a new redesigned 07 outlander XLS. Went to another dealer and process was ultrasmooth and buying experience was great. Got what I wanted for trade-in as well. Pending credit approval, I shall be a proud owner of a black on black top of the line outlander. Ofcourse, they have to locate one and might take 2-3 weeks after approval. Check out the 100 features tab at the bottom
Wow, they look much nicer than the old Outlanders. I noticed at the Philly Auto show Mitsubishi's display was larger than last year. So, hopefully they are here to stay.
Did you get the price you were looking to get at the first dealer?
This morning the shady sales guy from first dealer called. He was stunned that I went and bought from their competitor one day after I did negotiations with them. I guess playing hard ball didnt pay off for him. He expected me to call him yesterday. But I didnt. I knew he was going to call me today. But too bad.
I'm glad I got it at the other dealer since the buying experience was awesome. Frankly, it was not about money solely. Its the feeling you need to get to be satisfied at the second stage of the process. First stage is obviously the vehicle. I was treated well and deal was fair. No wrangling and the guy was a jolly good fella. :shades:
I got 3 grand for my trade-in and 1250 off the msrp. They also threw in a free oil change and couple t-shirts. So, net gain was 1250 bucks over the first dealer. Ofcourse add 15% tax in the saving as well. The 15% is a canadian thing.. Statesides, it was 6% sales tax the last I checked.
Anyways, these are fresh off the boat from Japan and the supply seems to be tight. So, its going to take couple weeks. As soon as the vehicle hits vancouver, the dealer needs to grab it and put it on a train to toronto and unload it from a truck. So the freight charge of 1600 which is outrageous in Canada is atleast justified.
Can't do much down here at the Jersey shore in that we lost our nearby Mitsubishi dealer for the second time a while back. Had one that was connected to the Toyota dealership but they replaced it with Scion, and later the local megadealer added Mitsubishi but has since abandoned that. I think it would be better than an hour to get to the nearest dealer.
Enjoy!
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I did couple of final last minute changes 1. Changed the color from black to silver (for winters sake) 2. Cancelled 3M film dealer option I checked earliar.
Still I gotta wait. Dealer doesnt have the model/color. In about a week, I should be driving my toy.. :shades:
Both '04 Ltd. 4x4 V8's. They're among the best priced Limiteds on cars.com. The blue one ("no sale" blue, but I like it---reminds me of my Range Rover), is at a Ford dealer nearby; miles are not esp. low. The white one has NAV & JBL. I could save $$thousands buying a SR5 instead of a LTD, but I'm too addicted to leather & bunwarmers, etc.
2004 Toyota 4Runner Limited - $24,775 Mileage: 38,188 Engine: 4.7L V8 Drivetrain: 4X4 Exterior Color: Blue
The Edmunds TMV thingie puts the blue one at $22,853 trade-in, $24,522 Private Party--I assume the white one is a bit higher with less miles & more options. Any observations?
I'm considering picking up an SUV as a run around vehicle so I'm not packing on the miles with the new truck (it'll get plenty this summer pulling the horse trailer). Ran across this one:
1993 Ford Explorer Limited, 4-dr, V6/Auto/4WD, color is dark cranberry according to the touch up paint in the glove box. Paint is shiny, grey leather in really good shape. Truck has about 110k on it, nothing really wrong with it, runs and drives, also has new michelin tires. I can pick it up for $600 and drive it home.
Now the catch, it is a salvage title, it was totalled over a rear bumper which is still bent. It also has a minor dent in the door, no affect on the door at all. Its been sitting in the same spot for quite some time and there's no signs of any leaks.
I'm thinking $600, drive it for the summer if its a good little bugger then put winter tires on it and keep driving it. Otherwise at PFD time drop it in the paper for $2k obo and kick it loose for 1.2k-1.5k.
I think at the $600 price point, a salvage title is essentially meaningless.. I mean...when you get ready to sell it.. salvage is about all it will be good for..
I think at the $600 price point, a salvage title is essentially meaningless.. I mean...when you get ready to sell it.. salvage is about all it will be good for..
You'd be surprised what these old Explorers bring up here. They rarely drop below $1500 no matter what the miles are, they have a loyal following. I'll know tomorrow if its worth buying, my little brother is going to test it out. Oh and yes, I'm shopping at the junkyard again, lol.
Buy it, if you can get 10k to 20k miles out of it without any major repairs it would be a steal. Those are miles you can keep off the Ram and keep it under warranty.
My only concerns at that price would be is if the frame is straight and if the airbag(I think that year only had one) is still there.
My only concerns at that price would be is if the frame is straight and if the airbag(I think that year only had one) is still there.
Frame is straight, only damage was the bumper, that's what totalled it. My little brother has been all over this truck and its fine. No airbag that year and no front end damage at all. The only damage on the entire truck is a dent in the door and the dented rear bumper.
On Friday, I was meeting my wife for lunch and had an hour or so to kill, so I stopped by both the Nissan and Mazda dealer to check things out. Other than a $4K 'regional' adjustment for the MazdaSpeed3 (which took the asking price to north of $30K!), I didn't see too much that surprised me.
Over the weekend, the wife give me the go ahead to get a new car if I wanted ... we'd been thinking about a new house, but have put that off for now.
At lunch today, I drove a Subaru Outback with a 5 speed. Nice car, lots of features, decent power for a 4 cylinder.
Asking price is $24K, I suspect $22K is doable and I've got about $4K in equity in my Saturn.
I really don't know if I want to get back onto the payment carousel .. I've only got 8-9 payments left on the Saturn.
OK......so, you actually expect me to be consistant in my car opinions or shopping obsessions for more than a day or 2 at a time? :-) My ex-G/F tried to pull that on me after I'd been car shopping for a couple of years & had a different car idea every week (some ideas were re-cycled of course).
Actually, I don't see that many 4runners around here. More Highlanders & mini-vans & such. Maybe 4runners are too truck-y or big for surbanites who can get better mileage with a Highlander or Sienna.....(?)
Outback wagon? (I guess all Outbacks are wagons)? A base model, or? AWD? Seems like an awd Subaru would be a really good idea in CO......& $22K is not exactly going nuts for a new car.....
This would be the Outback 2.5i wagon, which, I've learned, is different from the 2.5i "Basic", which does not have heated seats and a couple of other little things.
As mentioned, all Subarus have AWD standard. This is a 5-speed manual model with an MSRP of $24,6xx.
Edmunds shows a TMV price of $22,xxx after the $750 rebate.
The family already has one AWD vehicle (Saturn VUE), so it's not like I need it. I just like the looks of the Subaru and the Legacy doesn't seem to come with a stick unless you want to spend $30K or more for the GT.
And, while $22K may not be going nuts in your neck of the woods, it's a fair piece of change for me -- I've got two other car payments and a kid in college, and, as mentioned above, I've only got 8 or 9 more payments on my Saturn.
While I'm a total gearhead and love the idea of a new car, the mature, responsible side of me says that the car I've got works just fine.
Not that I expect to get anyone to talk me off the ledge in this forum, however.
edit: speaking of the SUS, I know of two people that I work with who drive them.
I have had nothing but good experiences with a '05 Legacy 2.5i wagon 5spd. The main driver didn't like the higher up feeling from the Outback (good thing she doesn't need a minivan). I think if it was mine, I would've gone for the "limited" package which is leather, heated seats/mirrors/wipers and a sunroof and frilly stereo (think Honda EX) but that no longer is available as a manual.
I know what you mean about the consistency. I think next time I'll either get the next-gen Pilot or a Pontiac Solstice.
I've driven the A4 a few times in the snow--only once when the roads were really slushy. After I backed out of my driveway, I hit the gas fairly hard to get a feel for how slick the road was, and the car just took off without even activating the traction control. I still took it really slow after that, but I see how the AWD and its ability to get you moving could give someone a feeling of invincibility.
I never had a problem with the styling. They're relatively uncommon in this part of the country, and the turbo models are very fun to drive. The Tribeca, on the other hand, has a face only a mother could love...
Way back when, I had a buddy that was into Ford trucks, and he always used to tell me that the electronic 4WD (in the '90-'95 Explorers) was renowned for creating big problems. It can not only break so that you don't have 4WD (which would probably be acceptable in a $600 truck) but can also break in a way that disables the truck. And the repair requires expensive parts you can only get from Ford, we are talking a 4-digit price tag for P&L here. Just a thought. As long as you will never stray too far from familiar routes, it's probably no big deal with a $600 asking price.
And for $600, who cares about salvage titles? I am with everyone else on that.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Way back when, I had a buddy that was into Ford trucks, and he always used to tell me that the electronic 4WD (in the '90-'95 Explorers) was renowned for creating big problems. It can not only break so that you don't have 4WD (which would probably be acceptable in a $600 truck) but can also break in a way that disables the truck. And the repair requires expensive parts you can only get from Ford, we are talking a 4-digit price tag for P&L here. Just a thought. As long as you will never stray too far from familiar routes, it's probably no big deal with a $600 asking price.
And for $600, who cares about salvage titles? I am with everyone else on that.
I had a 94 Mazda Navajo (2-dr explorer) years ago and it had a quirky 4WD. I'm not too worried about it, I have a little brother who's a mechanic and a junkyard of parts to choose from. I can get just about anything there close to cost and then labor is free, lol.
Our 97 F-250 is with him right now getting a Dana 60 front end to replace its 2nd bad Dana 50! Should get it back later this week. I'll know about the Explorer probably today.
Doesn't sound like fun at all. Last thing i would drive around is a car with "quirks". But then I wouldn't do that here in the temperate southeast either.
Doesn't sound like fun at all. Last thing i would drive around is a car with "quirks". But then I wouldn't do that here in the temperate southeast either.
The only time I've been left on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere I was driving a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 V8 and the tranny went. Truck had 12k on it. Other than that whatever happens is usually in my driveway or in fairbanks. We did have a car hauler trailer until about 2 weeks go, but we can get to it pretty easily, the guy said we can use it if we need it.
Having a mechanic for a brother is the only way I'll drive older vehicles at all.
A reporter is interested in talking with "baby boomers" about their relationships with the cars they have owned over the course of their lifetimes so far. Did you love or hate your first car? Did you do something especially fun with or in your car? Did you buy a modern Edsel you were later embarassed to admit you ever owned? How did your cars define your lifestyle and/or your personal image at a point in time? This is an opportunity to share your favorite car stories, boomers! Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than February 21, 2007 with your daytime contact information and a brief summary of the memory you care to share.
while $22K may not be going nuts in your neck of the woods, it's a fair piece of change for me
Well, w/in the realm of new car prices, it's at the low-to-moderate range, I'd say. My thinking is: Subarus have pretty good resale, & pretty good reliability. It sounds like a very "sensible" purchase, probably, & might last you for a long time.
And Subies have better resale & reliability than a Saturn (I think???). Keeping an older car is not "always" more cost efficient, IMO. How would your payments change, & how much more warranty would you have on a new Subie? Just curious because I usually have a Subaru somewhere on my "list" of potential cars for myself......
And Subies have better resale & reliability than a Saturn (I think???). Keeping an older car is not "always" more cost efficient. (Or, I could just be trying to enable you to buy a new car)....
I don't think I'll argue that point.
Here in CO, used Subarus go for some pretty stupid money. The '92 Legacy I inherited from my FIL last year could be sold - easily, I suspect - for $2500-3000. And that's with almost 140K on the odometer.
The Saturn is probably worth about $8K on trade, which is 1/3 of the original purchase price 4 years ago. The good news is that I owe about $4500.
The Saturn only has 56K on it at the moment, so I've got my fingers crossed that nothing major will go wrong anytime soon. I dropped about $2K into it last year on repairs; if I have to repeat that, I don't know what I'd do.
Like I said earlier, I don't expect folks here to try and talk me out of a new car.
The Saturn only has 56K on it at the moment, so I've got my fingers crossed that nothing major will go wrong anytime soon. I dropped about $2K into it last year on repairs
At the risk of sounding overbearing with my opinions, here goes: The Saturn has no warranty (?), & has already cost you $2K in repairs at only 56K miles (??). If it was an expensive Euro-car I could understand that, but it's supposed to be an economy car.
It's not a good track record for repairs for the Saturn, & it's barely out of warranty. Getting $8k for it towards a brand new Subie w/warranty at around $22K sounds like a No Brainer to me......often people here try to justify wacky reasons to trade cars, that make no economic sense.....IMHO you're actually talking yourself out of a very sensible trade.....
No, I don't think that you are being overbearing. It's nice to get some feedback.
However, with regards to your statement:
If it was an expensive Euro-car I could understand that
Well, the L-series is a cousin to both the Cadillac Catera as well as the Vauxhall/Opel Vectra, so it has some Euro-roots. 54-degree V6, for one. Euro-style brakes, for another.
That was a big chunk of the $2K last year .. redid the brakes completely .. pads, rotors and calipers. Rotors couldn't be turned, since they are too soft.
The other big issue was the BCM, which, I've learned, is a big failure point on the L-series.
The issues that I haven't yet run into are the fuel pump (also known to be bad on the L) and the inevitable timing belt replacement. (Ironically, on the 4-cyl versions of the L, it uses a timing chain and lasts much longer).
The car is out of warranty, so starting fresh with 3/36 bumper to bumper and 5/60 on the powertrain (standard Subartu warranty) would be nice.
But, with only 8 or 9 more payments left, I'm very torn. I really don't want to start up with 4 or 5 years of payments, but, as you point out, I don't really want to be nickeled and dimed to death, either.
Going in a completely different direction, I've also considered a Honda Accord Coupe, EX trim level. Invoice on those is also around $22K, and I know they aren't exactly flying off the lots either.
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want another sedan.
I cut my cars loose after the first major repair. $2k and it would definitely be gone if it were mine. You know there is a new Accord Coupe in the wings, right?
Well, the L-series is a cousin to both the Cadillac Catera...
I knew it was an Opel platform, but didn't realize it was similar to the Catera. Based on what I've heard about Cateras, you got off easy with your $2k repair bill last year! :P
I'm sure you can get a screaming deal on an Accord right now. I think the LX V6 models now have nice wheels and a sunroof with cloth seats (so they're actually closer to the EX I4 models in specification). Might be hard to find in a coupe.
Comments
Hey, I even got it under Edmunds TMV price :P
If I had to replace my Accord tomorrow, I would give it serious consideration. Along with everything else on the market!
Oh, and I finally made it over 1 year just before Xmas, after buying a new car in Dec 05 and 04, plus a used one in Nov 04.
Barring an accident, the next purchase will be an older car for my son to learn to drive on. Should be fun, I haven't shopped on the bottom end of the market for a while!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I'll see if something else comes in for cheap.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
And yes, the interior room is almost amazing. Atleast 4" more leg room for me in the driver's seat compared to my Altima, and with the seat all the way back, my6'+ daughter cansit in the back seat with room in front of her knees.
I'll be taking the first long trip this weekend down to the Philly Show, so I'll have some mileage and comfort impressions soon!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Okay, maybe it didn't work quite like that, but peers might have eluded moving violations by ducking into a sea of identical cars.
ATHENS, Ohio (AP) - A college student who reported that his car was stolen got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it - using her key.
Kate Anderson of Athens became an accidental car thief when she went to pick up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the nickel-gray Toyota Camry and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home- without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car, made in the mid-1980s, had been towed, but when police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
"I thought it was very, very bizarre," he said.
Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said key technology wasn't as sophisticated two decades ago, and there were only so many ways to cut a key, making it possible for such a mix-up to occur. He said the company now has a microchip embedded in the keys for 90 percent of its vehicles that allows them to start only with the correct key.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the Web site for the university in this southeast Ohio city.
When Anderson told Vansant the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real fishy at first, like maybe she wanted to hold the thing for ransom," Vansant said.
He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to a police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity." Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief.""Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition as well- so high-five for Toyota, I guess," he said.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Uh, me, but of course I wish the car had been less troublesome for you. The problems seem kind of extreme, all taken together esp. Can you get out of the car w/o losing too much? I've learned from this board that it's no use trying to figure out someone else's car fetishes (let alone my own!), but it seems like way too much grief & expense to go thru to own a C-Class.
If you sold it, I'm guessing there'd be no shortage of 100K mile C-Classes FS that need a lot of work, in the future, should you decide you can't live w/o one.....
"after they did whatever they were doing", LOL. I'm guessing your dad & his buddy drove to New Orleans to attend Church Services..... :P
1. magnesium paddle shifters on manumatic - had fun looking at what gear I was in and how at the flick of a finger, I was downshifting from 6th to 3rd etc.. No need to mash the pedal and wait for it to act or row the gear.
2. 650 watt rockford fosgate sound system
3. third row kids seat which stows neatly and a flap fold tail gate.
4. 4 wheel drive that can be switched off to 2wd
5. blue tooth and FAST key (no need to stick the key in ignition)
www.outeverything.com
Nice package overall proportion wise. But alas, the dealer and me were a grand apart which doesnt seem much. But I made a very fair offer and dealer figured he can do more as he has a hot model on his hands for now. 07s are just trickling in and there is some traffic in the showroom finally. And no, its not for galants which has a busload of cash on its hood. We'll see how long this will last.
No doubt. He was a young single dude at the time....
Whatever he was up to doesn't seem to have hurt him any. He's 89 and still around.
Check out the 100 features tab at the bottom
Did you get the price you were looking to get at the first dealer?
I'm glad I got it at the other dealer since the buying experience was awesome. Frankly, it was not about money solely. Its the feeling you need to get to be satisfied at the second stage of the process. First stage is obviously the vehicle. I was treated well and deal was fair. No wrangling and the guy was a jolly good fella. :shades:
I got 3 grand for my trade-in and 1250 off the msrp. They also threw in a free oil change and couple t-shirts. So, net gain was 1250 bucks over the first dealer. Ofcourse add 15% tax in the saving as well. The 15% is a canadian thing.. Statesides, it was 6% sales tax the last I checked.
Anyways, these are fresh off the boat from Japan and the supply seems to be tight. So, its going to take couple weeks. As soon as the vehicle hits vancouver, the dealer needs to grab it and put it on a train to toronto and unload it from a truck. So the freight charge of 1600 which is outrageous in Canada is atleast justified.
Can't do much down here at the Jersey shore in that we lost our nearby Mitsubishi dealer for the second time a while back. Had one that was connected to the Toyota dealership but they replaced it with Scion, and later the local megadealer added Mitsubishi but has since abandoned that. I think it would be better than an hour to get to the nearest dealer.
Enjoy!
I did couple of final last minute changes
1. Changed the color from black to silver (for winters sake)
2. Cancelled 3M film dealer option I checked earliar.
Still I gotta wait. Dealer doesnt have the model/color. In about a week, I should be driving my toy.. :shades:
2004 Toyota 4Runner Limited - $24,775 Mileage: 38,188 Engine: 4.7L V8 Drivetrain: 4X4 Exterior Color: Blue
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum- - - ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfie- - - ld=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_47_%7CD-_422_%7CN-- - - N%7CR-75%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-02421&aff=national&paId=2- - - 07701916&recnum=46&leadExists=true
2004 Toyota 4Runner Limited V8 - $26,900 (obo) Mileage: 29,000 Drivetrain: 4WD Exterior Color: White Jbl Premium Sound System, Navigation System
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum- - - ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=descending&sortfie- - - ld=PRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_47_%7CD-_422_%7CN-- - - N%7CR-75%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-02421&aff=national&paId=2- - - 12227722&recnum=26&leadExists=true
The Edmunds TMV thingie puts the blue one at $22,853 trade-in, $24,522 Private Party--I assume the white one is a bit higher with less miles & more options. Any observations?
Private seller probably with records gets my vote. JBL, Nav, less mileage.. whats not to like? Perhaps the lack of warranty may be.
1993 Ford Explorer Limited, 4-dr, V6/Auto/4WD, color is dark cranberry according to the touch up paint in the glove box. Paint is shiny, grey leather in really good shape. Truck has about 110k on it, nothing really wrong with it, runs and drives, also has new michelin tires. I can pick it up for $600 and drive it home.
Now the catch, it is a salvage title, it was totalled over a rear bumper which is still bent. It also has a minor dent in the door, no affect on the door at all. Its been sitting in the same spot for quite some time and there's no signs of any leaks.
I'm thinking $600, drive it for the summer if its a good little bugger then put winter tires on it and keep driving it. Otherwise at PFD time drop it in the paper for $2k obo and kick it loose for 1.2k-1.5k.
Am I nuts? LOL WAIT, don't answer that!!!
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You'd be surprised what these old Explorers bring up here. They rarely drop below $1500 no matter what the miles are, they have a loyal following. I'll know tomorrow if its worth buying, my little brother is going to test it out. Oh and yes, I'm shopping at the junkyard again, lol.
My only concerns at that price would be is if the frame is straight and if the airbag(I think that year only had one) is still there.
Frame is straight, only damage was the bumper, that's what totalled it. My little brother has been all over this truck and its fine. No airbag that year and no front end damage at all. The only damage on the entire truck is a dent in the door and the dented rear bumper.
On Friday, I was meeting my wife for lunch and had an hour or so to kill, so I stopped by both the Nissan and Mazda dealer to check things out. Other than a $4K 'regional' adjustment for the MazdaSpeed3 (which took the asking price to north of $30K!), I didn't see too much that surprised me.
Over the weekend, the wife give me the go ahead to get a new car if I wanted ... we'd been thinking about a new house, but have put that off for now.
At lunch today, I drove a Subaru Outback with a 5 speed. Nice car, lots of features, decent power for a 4 cylinder.
Asking price is $24K, I suspect $22K is doable and I've got about $4K in equity in my Saturn.
I really don't know if I want to get back onto the payment carousel .. I've only got 8-9 payments left on the Saturn.
Actually, I don't see that many 4runners around here. More Highlanders & mini-vans & such. Maybe 4runners are too truck-y or big for surbanites who can get better mileage with a Highlander or Sienna.....(?)
PS how's the audi? Any snow useage yet?
SUS.. Sport Utility Sedan..
A truly homely vehicle..
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This would be the Outback 2.5i wagon, which, I've learned, is different from the 2.5i "Basic", which does not have heated seats and a couple of other little things.
As mentioned, all Subarus have AWD standard. This is a 5-speed manual model with an MSRP of $24,6xx.
Edmunds shows a TMV price of $22,xxx after the $750 rebate.
The family already has one AWD vehicle (Saturn VUE), so it's not like I need it. I just like the looks of the Subaru and the Legacy doesn't seem to come with a stick unless you want to spend $30K or more for the GT.
And, while $22K may not be going nuts in your neck of the woods, it's a fair piece of change for me -- I've got two other car payments and a kid in college, and, as mentioned above, I've only got 8 or 9 more payments on my Saturn.
While I'm a total gearhead and love the idea of a new car, the mature, responsible side of me says that the car I've got works just fine.
Not that I expect to get anyone to talk me off the ledge in this forum, however.
edit: speaking of the SUS, I know of two people that I work with who drive them.
One is burgundy, the other white.
I've driven the A4 a few times in the snow--only once when the roads were really slushy. After I backed out of my driveway, I hit the gas fairly hard to get a feel for how slick the road was, and the car just took off without even activating the traction control. I still took it really slow after that, but I see how the AWD and its ability to get you moving could give someone a feeling of invincibility.
I never had a problem with the styling. They're relatively uncommon in this part of the country, and the turbo models are very fun to drive. The Tribeca, on the other hand, has a face only a mother could love...
And for $600, who cares about salvage titles? I am with everyone else on that.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
And for $600, who cares about salvage titles? I am with everyone else on that.
I had a 94 Mazda Navajo (2-dr explorer) years ago and it had a quirky 4WD. I'm not too worried about it, I have a little brother who's a mechanic and a junkyard of parts to choose from. I can get just about anything there close to cost and then labor is free, lol.
Our 97 F-250 is with him right now getting a Dana 60 front end to replace its 2nd bad Dana 50! Should get it back later this week. I'll know about the Explorer probably today.
The only time I've been left on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere I was driving a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 V8 and the tranny went. Truck had 12k on it. Other than that whatever happens is usually in my driveway or in fairbanks. We did have a car hauler trailer until about 2 weeks go, but we can get to it pretty easily, the guy said we can use it if we need it.
Having a mechanic for a brother is the only way I'll drive older vehicles at all.
Well, w/in the realm of new car prices, it's at the low-to-moderate range, I'd say. My thinking is: Subarus have pretty good resale, & pretty good reliability. It sounds like a very "sensible" purchase, probably, & might last you for a long time.
And Subies have better resale & reliability than a Saturn (I think???). Keeping an older car is not "always" more cost efficient, IMO. How would your payments change, & how much more warranty would you have on a new Subie? Just curious because I usually have a Subaru somewhere on my "list" of potential cars for myself......
I don't think I'll argue that point.
Here in CO, used Subarus go for some pretty stupid money. The '92 Legacy I inherited from my FIL last year could be sold - easily, I suspect - for $2500-3000. And that's with almost 140K on the odometer.
The Saturn is probably worth about $8K on trade, which is 1/3 of the original purchase price 4 years ago. The good news is that I owe about $4500.
The Saturn only has 56K on it at the moment, so I've got my fingers crossed that nothing major will go wrong anytime soon. I dropped about $2K into it last year on repairs; if I have to repeat that, I don't know what I'd do.
Like I said earlier, I don't expect folks here to try and talk me out of a new car.
At the risk of sounding overbearing with my opinions, here goes: The Saturn has no warranty (?), & has already cost you $2K in repairs at only 56K miles (??). If it was an expensive Euro-car I could understand that, but it's supposed to be an economy car.
It's not a good track record for repairs for the Saturn, & it's barely out of warranty. Getting $8k for it towards a brand new Subie w/warranty at around $22K sounds like a No Brainer to me......often people here try to justify wacky reasons to trade cars, that make no economic sense.....IMHO you're actually talking yourself out of a very sensible trade.....
Just my 2 cents, cheers, woody
However, with regards to your statement:
If it was an expensive Euro-car I could understand that
Well, the L-series is a cousin to both the Cadillac Catera as well as the Vauxhall/Opel Vectra, so it has some Euro-roots. 54-degree V6, for one. Euro-style brakes, for another.
That was a big chunk of the $2K last year .. redid the brakes completely .. pads, rotors and calipers. Rotors couldn't be turned, since they are too soft.
The other big issue was the BCM, which, I've learned, is a big failure point on the L-series.
The issues that I haven't yet run into are the fuel pump (also known to be bad on the L) and the inevitable timing belt replacement. (Ironically, on the 4-cyl versions of the L, it uses a timing chain and lasts much longer).
The car is out of warranty, so starting fresh with 3/36 bumper to bumper and 5/60 on the powertrain (standard Subartu warranty) would be nice.
But, with only 8 or 9 more payments left, I'm very torn. I really don't want to start up with 4 or 5 years of payments, but, as you point out, I don't really want to be nickeled and dimed to death, either.
Anybody else want to offer a thought or two?
I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want another sedan.
I knew it was an Opel platform, but didn't realize it was similar to the Catera. Based on what I've heard about Cateras, you got off easy with your $2k repair bill last year! :P
I'm sure you can get a screaming deal on an Accord right now. I think the LX V6 models now have nice wheels and a sunroof with cloth seats (so they're actually closer to the EX I4 models in specification). Might be hard to find in a coupe.