She's not a bad person to want to do something for her grandson, and perhaps at her age, besides the roar of the Mercedes, she is hearing that winged chariot drawing near.
With luck, maybe she's got a good lawyer who could help her set up a trust for sonny boy or something like that. Then she could know that yes, she's helping him, and also know that she's giving him some time to mature first, regardless of what might happen to her before he comes of age.
I'm more inclined to drive a car to its death door (frame). I suppose I got that from my dad. My 11 year old Buick Regal, that I've owned since March of 2004 has been a very good car (knock on wood). The only thing I've replaced in 6 years, other than routine maintence items, has been a oxygen sensor.
So, I have two desires battling it out from my very soul. The desire to have a brand new car with all the haggling, dealerships lots, and gold adorned salesmen that come with it. And the desire to remain true to my calling (see username).
My wife has seized upon the opportunity, seeing that my two inner forces have been battling to a draw, and has taken advantage to promote her own cause. To the victory goes the spoils I say. :P
jipster....on the other hand, you gotta look at the positive side of things. First, you make your wife happy. Just for emphasis, let me repeat that so the importance of that fact sinks in...
YOU'LL MAKE YOUR WIFE HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secondly, those Mazda 5s are nice little....what? Station wagons, I guess. I actually like them. They're cute. They're practical. And, from all I've heard, they're good reliable cars.
yup you are in the curmudgeon camp. i like to give my kids a some slack on the rope and see if they can do any worse than i did. my kids don't pay for anything. if they pay for gas, it is because we already put the money in their account. i have a lot of confidence in them, and so far, they are doing great. lots of people think that you have to impose strict rules on kids to get them to perform. my experience is not completely that.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I'd also blame Mom or Dad.. but, of course, maybe they live with a sense of entitlement from grannie, as well...
I couldn’t agree with you more but I’ve seen the reverse one time. All the others have been disasters.
Son #2 grew up with a kid that was given everything and I mean everything. A new car when he turned 16 was expected by everyone and no one was surprised when he got it. This kid did well in school, sports and life in general. They have remained friends to this day. In fact I met this kid and his wife and young son at the birthday party of grandson #3 in January. It’s almost unbelievable how down to earth this kid is.
I’ve met this kids parents numerous times over the years and they are marvelous people. The father owns a small family business and had his son work for him through the years before college during the summer. That has to be what did it. Now the kid runs the company and hasn’t run it into the ground like so many of that generation have when handed over the reigns of a well oiled family biz.
This kid is a freak of nature.
Some things have fooled me in life but nothing more than this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
jipster....on the other hand, you gotta look at the positive side of things. First, you make your wife happy
Thanks. My wife has a very difficult job, helping the veterans of America, in her government job. She is often quite mentally and physically exhausted when she comes home from work. So, I really wouldn't mind if she got a new car first. Because as you said, it would make her really HAPPY!!!!!!!! :shades:
I can probably see myself taking the MPV as my daily driver, and letting her pick out a Mazda 5... or a small to midsize SUV. I'd at least like to wait a year before doing so though.
Secondly, those Mazda 5s are nice little....what?
I think they are built on the Mazda 6 platform, can't recall the "creative" label Mazda put on it. But, yeah, it's basically a 3 row station wagon/mini minivan (2 seats each row) with minivan second row sliding doors. Gets pretty good gas mileage. I asked her if she wanted to go look at some the other day, so who knows.
edited:Mazda calls the car a "Multi Activity Vehicle". :P
jipster....your wife sounds like an angel. Treat her well (I'm sure you do).
I do like those Mazda 5s. I didn't know they came with 3 row seating. I've only seen them from the outside, never seen inside, though. But, Mazda typically does their interiors well.
I had a Mazda 3 rental a couple of weeks ago when I traveled to Dallas. While I understand that rentals are usually "base" cars, this one drove nice and had a lot of nice little touches for a base car. Really sporty drive, considering it's considered an economy car.
I can only imagine the Mazda 5 would be that much better since it's built on the well regarded Mazda 6.
Good luck.
You certainly don't need any "car shipping" advice from any of us here. :shades:
Oh, man! I get these calls all the time from some collection agency looking for "Bobby McLaren!" There has never been a Bobby McLaren at this address! The former owner of my house was an 85 year-old Latvian with an almost unpronouncable last name.
I can only imagine the Mazda 5 would be that much better since it's built on the well regarded Mazda 6.
Actually, it is in fact built on the Mazda3 platform.
Couple of cool benefits of that, IMHO. It keeps the weight down and it allows the use of most performance parts for the 3, such as suspension upgrades.
'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
The mazda5 is due for a significant makeover for 2011. The new ford grand c max will be a close relative. New 2010 sports are advertised for 17k. Should be able to find a nice used one for 12-13k.
I can probably see myself taking the MPV as my daily driver, and letting her pick out a Mazda 5... or a small to midsize SUV.
Talks cheap! Report back to us when you are a successful buyer.
I'd at least like to wait a year before doing so though.
What you’d like has nothing to do with this and you know it. So maybe my comment above about talk doesn’t apply right? :confuse:
I’m the only one around here that always gets what he wants. And before you go running for a pan for ‘you know who’ to use on me, remember this is a direct quote from Mrs. j. She says it all the time. I’m almost a believer.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Actually, it is in fact built on the Mazda3 platform
Thanks for correcting that... typo.
Been doing a little research on the 5, interesting that it is not available with stability control. The new 2011 is suppose to have it. Not a deal breaker, but would prefer to have it.
Has 5 years on the powertrain, 3 bumper to bumper... was 4 years bumper to bumper on the MPV. No rebates that I saw, though does have $500 customer loyalty cash.
I read the first review I came to, which was on the 2009. So, I guess now there's not a good reason I can give my wife to wait a year to buy.... thanks a lot.
It's been 6 years since I've even been able to talk seriously about getting a new car. So you'll have to settle for talk... for the time being. How about a daily report on my car buying progress for say... the next year. Hey! I can see another book in my future.
And before you go running for a pan for ‘you know who’ to use on me,
I think your wife belongs to the same "Pan of the Month Club" that mine belongs to. So no need for that. :sick:
I'm curious to hear from both the regular folks posting here and from the salesguys - how often do you buy a new car in your family? Salesfolks, what's the average age/mileage of the cars you take in trades?
We kept our Maxima for 10 years, 120,000 miles, and probably would have kept it even longer if some bozo hadn't run into the back of it while it was parked. We got $3,000 for it in trade, so at least it was still worth something. No question it went right to auction; it wasn't something the dealer was going to sell on their own lot.
I also have a 2005 350Z, bought in early 2006, very low miles - about 20,000 - because it's mainly a summer car and a local car, not the one we use for long vacation trips. To me it's still "a new car" even though it's going on 5 years old, judging by date of origin.
Is it better to trade a car in around the 6 or 7 year mark, when it still has a reasonable value, or better to keep it 10 or more years, until such time as mileage or condition just lets you know it's time to give it up? Just curious what most folks do.
So here`s a follow up to the 2009 Toyota Camry XLE that I purchased online on Ebay. I was in NY this week looking for apts and could not post earlier. It`s a Florida car and I had shipped to Texas. I sent the seller a cashier`s check for the total amount including shipping. I received the car within a week. Boy--what a great car,like new with only 4000 miles--mint condition ,barely driven and even the plastic covers were intact,the new car smell still present.Savings of almost 7k compared to a new Camry.And very impressed with the Camry.So the tradition continues-- it is much upgraded from the 03 Camry that I had which is now driven by my brother.
I got the title by Fedex just 2 days after the seller got my check and before the car arrived. So this is the new age of car buying. This is my 3rd online Ebay car purchase and both the previous cars were flawless.A lot of folks will not buy a car unseen but for me personally,I feel this is safer and more convenient. You get the car with the options you want with detailed photos. Always check the seller`s feedback.This is very crucial.Check his feedback and ratings and the cars he has sold previously.I can never again buy from a dealer after getting used to the comfort of buying a car online from the comfort of my living room without even having to get up. :shades:
So I will call this- King "Del`s" method of car buying : Surf Ebay from your house,decide what you want and how much you want to pay,check the listings,read the detailed car description and view the photos, then check the Carfax and seller`s feedback/ratings/review and that`s it--you bid and buy it in auction or with a buy it now/best offer price option. No negotiating ,no back and forth to the manager,no haggling ,nada,nothing - you win the auction,pay a deposit by credit card/paypal,pay the balance including shipping by cashier's check/wire transfer and wait for the car to be delivered right to your doorstep like a king !! :P
By the way the King Del wanted the 08 Avalon but the Queen wanted the 09 Camry as she was the primary driver. And guess what -the Queen always wins!!The King always has to accept the Queen`s choice .Otherwise,even if the car gets wet in the rain-it`s the king's fault !!
Also just a note on the 09 Camry -- lot of folks complain about it`s lack of steering feedback or driving dynamics--but compared to the 02-06 Camry the newer Camry doesn`t have that much overboosted steering or lack of steering feedback. It is relatively tauter than the older model. But the basics are still strong-very quiet,comfy,plushy ride ,with bumps soaked up really well and the fit and finish and materials top notch !!
The seller feedback is equivalent to the survey that a new car dealer sends. And the seller got 5/5 positive feedback and review from me for a great deal and communication and follow up !! Internet rules !!
As I had said previously, I will be in NYC for about 7-8 months due to work related issues and I have decided to buy a used car to drive in NYC. I will be moving in May last week.The insurance is not expensive -about 290 for 6 months .Dont like traveling by Subway . Also I will be working midnight shifts frequently-so a car is better. And I will park it on the road and drive to work for only about 2 miles one way. Hence, I decided to buy a cheap used car for these 8 months and then selling it off to Carmax there. :shades:
I thought about a short term lease -but in a lease -the car has to be maintained well with no exterior cosmetic damage like dings/scratches/dents etc.. And if you have any of these ,you will be charged an arm and a leg. And in NYC,no way to avoid dents/dings/minor fender benders especially if you park on the road in Queens[I am staying in the Forest Hills/Rego Park area]
So here in my Texas hometown,I found a private seller selling an 04 Oldmobile Alero 4dr sedan with 89k miles and an asking price of $2.9k.It was parked before Target with the seller # and sale price. The car appeared very clean from outside and well maintained--new tires and no rust or cosmetic damage/no major dents or dings. I called the seller and he informed me it has a clear title,is paid off and runs good and was well maintained. :P
If it is good ,then I plan to buy it and ship it to NY for 650. I am going tomorrow to test drive and check it out. He said I could take it to the dealer to get it inspected. So what do you folks think ?? A discontinued 04 Oldsmobile-89k miles-$2.9k?? If it checks out good,do I go for it?? How much do I offer as my final price as it is an all cash transaction ? :confuse:
And worse come worse, if the tranny/engine fail the 2nd day I buy it-- I am prepared for that risk as I will be needing the car for only 8 months . I am think it is a calculated gamble/acceptable risk !! Not that high mileage--should be OK for atleast another 10k miles. If so,then the purpose is served. If not--then my bad--so be it. So what do you folks say ?? Should I go for it--yes or no ??
My question is who else was bidding? I looked at the bid run on the EBay posting. The last bid by someone else was $18000 with a name of o***n and 4 transactions on Ebay.
Someone else went from $17,900 to $19,700 with initials o***a. The bid by o***n came 5 hours after the o***a bid for $18000. Someone o***n bid $18000 5 days before o***a bid $18000. Who else was bidding?
I have never understood and therefore haven't trusted EBay's bidding structure... even though I have bid and bought some small items. I feel better with the Buy Now price method.
Anyone explain how the bidding went here?
The aspect of getting a nice car like this one, is you have to win the bidding.
imid....I've only sold and bought a few items on ebay....mostly home theater electronics.
But, only the seller can actually see who the bidders actually are. The bidders get the cryptic "bidders names" you highlighted. It may be the same person, or someone different. But, they don't post the actual bidders for the other bidders to see.
delthe....congrats. Looks like a very nice car. Glad you're happy with it.
Me? I dunno. A car bought on ebay, without driving it first? Seeing it first? I may change my mind. But, I probably couldn't pull the trigger on that.
I must be in the minority, though. It seems a lot of business is transacted for cars on ebay motors.
Ebay has a system that incrementally ups your bid as others bid against you. The current bid may not be the maximum bid by the current high bidder. Say you bid on something and you feel its worth $100 (but the current bid is $50 and that is what is displayed). Someone else likes the same item and feels its worth $75 and bids. Well, Ebay will now place the bid at $76 on your behalf.
This is why some people say if there is something you want on Ebay simply put in the maximum amount you will pay for it and sit back and watch the bidding. You will always have some "snipers" at the end of the auction, but that's the chance you take.
I have done very well puchasing electronics on Ebay. My personal favorite was the brand new Yamaha RX-V1 ($3200 new) I got for $1300. Maybe it was a refurb, but if it was I certainly couldn't tell.
I understand that EBay codes the bidder name by using the letter***letter pattern to represent each unique bidder. But there aren't any other bidders other than the one at $18,000 who was the first bidder.
I always recognize there was a reserve price involved as well. I just don't trust the sellers and their friends and I don't trust the bidding system on EBay.
I won a few auctions using a snipe site to bid for me.
always recognize there was a reserve price involved as well. I just don't trust the sellers and their friends and I don't trust the bidding system on EBay.
If you only bid what the item is worth to you, you can't get hurt no matter what the seller and his friends do. If they outbid you, they bought it!
I always bid what it's worth to me in the last few seconds (sniping), which leaves no one else time to bid any higher than they already have. I don't always win because often someone will place a higher value on an item than I will, but I've never paid more than I thought the item was worth........and most things are worth a lot less in my eyes than they are to others! :P
I see 2004 Aleros with more mileage selling for $6, 7 8 up to 10K. If you just check the first sight I came to, $2.5 or even $2.9 sounds very good.
These prices sound very high to me, but check out these comparables: Alero
Also, I think you have a great plan. Just buy it and sell it after. It can probably be a business expense too, so it will actually cost you even less. You might even like the car so much you might want to keep it, might be better than the Camry.
Someone else likes the same item and feels its worth $75 and bids. Well, Ebay will now place the bid at $76 on your behalf.
Thanks for the explanations on how the bidding works. That was very interesting.
I don't think I could do it, but it is fascinating. Should work well, cuts out the dealer so the buyer and seller should come out ahead, theoretically. But, like GG, I like to try the car out etc., but if it works for you then go for it.
"I'm curious to hear from both the regular folks posting here and from the salesguys
I think I heard people are keeping their cars for 10 years now. That seems like a long time for an average. I like to trade in our 2 cars about every 4 or 5 years maximum. The BMW warranty is up then, and there's probably lots of new safety and comfort items available. IMO there is a point of diminishing returns in keeping a car too long, unless you don't mind being late for things, or inconvenienced with getting your car to a garage all the time. I've been there and done that enough in my lifetime.
That is a long list!! Did you always trade the preceding car? In other words, when you bought the Impala in '71, did you trade in the '68 Volvo, and so on down the line?
My list:
Two Pintos (God help me...) in the '70s. Bought the first one used in '72 - think it was a 1970 model. Sold it in '75 to get money to travel in Europe for 2 1/2 months.
Stupidly bought another used one in '76, sold in '80.
Bought first new car, Datsun 310, in 1980. Sold in '83. Nissan Stanza '84, sold in '92. Toyota Camry, '92 - '97. Jeep Grand Cherokee, '98 - 2000 Nissan Maxima - 2000 - 2010 Nissan 350Z - '05 car bought new in early '06, still have Volvo V70 - just bought, hope to keep for 8 to 10 years
or inconvenienced with getting your car to a garage all the time.
In my experience (very limited as compared to some), if anything was likely to go wrong, it went wrong early. The car I owned the longest was the Maxima. We had to change the ignition coils fairly early on - 4 years maybe? - but after that was trouble-free.
Seems to me the depreciation curve levels out at about 5 years. If we have kept a car that long and it's still in good automotive health it's likely to continue being in good health, given regular maintenance etc.
But we don't put a lot of miles on our cars. That would make a big difference, of course.
Forgot the 1990 grand prix, -- the camaro was a 92. Also forgot the 86 Aerostar and the 88 Astro. Sold the gp but traded in the rest. Had a few used cars along the way -- 71 galaxie 500 -- 89 impala.
I usually plan to keep a long time, but something always seems to "come up".
But, we have had our Odyssey since 12/04, so 5.5 years, and my Accord since 12/05. 4.5 years is pretty good for me. I am interested in something new, just new dfeasiblie at the momment (unless I end up downscaling).
ALso have a TL which we got in 12/08 (something about Christmas season makes me like to buy cars!), But that is nominally my sons, at least when he is home from college.
My usualy plan was 6 years and gone, but for my car (when I was only doing about 7.5K/year) was get a deal on a 3 YO one, and sell when it hit 6 years, so 3 with me.
The family truckster (aka the wifes car) I always got new, and plan to keep as lng as possible. Possible ends up being when something goes wrong and she wants out 9such as becoming torublesome). But, we normally only do about 10K/year on that car, so no rush.
Right now, I would get something beside the van. I don't trust it to age well over the next few years, and vans tend to get very rattling as they age.
Imid, That o***a bidder was me. Ebay does not list the identities of bidders publicly.Only the seller knows the identity. The other bidder o***n puts in a price [his max limit,say 18500]. Ebay automatically just posts the highest bid. So if bidding starts at 18000 ,ebay posts the highest bid as 18100-it will not list what the bidder has as his maximum. So ,then I bid 18200 ,Ebay then automatically bids 18300 saying I was outbid and asks me to bid higher. It will go on this way till the other bidder`s 18500 is reached. :shades:
Then if I bid 19000,obviously I am the highest bidder, but I wont know until Ebay informs me. So ebay automatically bids at 18600 ,more than the previous bidder`s 18500 and informs me I am the highest bidder. People usually bid in the last hr of the transaction.Also the seller sometimes has what is called a reserve--meaning a fixed price below which he will not sell the car. Once the reserve is reached the highest bidder gets the car. Here in my case the sale price was 19900. In the last min of the transaction, I bid upto 19800 as my max amount. Since reserve was 19700 and I was the highest bidder, I get the car for 19700 and not my max bid amount 19900. :P
It is confusing the first time.Even I was confused before my 1st ebay car purchase, but they have a detailed explanation of how it works on their website along with FAQ`s. That will make it clearer. Also b`cos cars are big ticket items--if the seller has a car listed as a buy it now option with no bidding involved, you can just send in a best offer price for that car. If he accepts fine, otherwise no problem.. For me Ebay works like a charm-- b`cos I get a wide range of cars with preferred options,colors,price etc ... For me personally,it`s tough to be buying cars traditionally unless of course Ebay motors shuts shop !!
1983 Olds 88 1985 Olds 88 1989 Caprice 1989 Corsica 1989 Olds Cutlass 1989 Cavalier Station wagon 1993 Toyota Previa 1995 Toyota Camry 1996 Toyota Camry 1998 Toyota Camry 1999 Olds Aurora 1999 Chev Trailblazer 2000 Toyota Camry 2002 Toyota Tacoma 2006 Toyota Corolla 2008 Toyota Camry 2008 Ford F150
All cars are driven around 30 to 50000 miles per year. Usually keep them 3 years or so. The Previa is still on the road. I sold it with the balance of the 6 year, unlimited mileage warranty and the buyer still has it.
Thanks Isell for the reply. I am planning to take it to the Chevy or Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealer , most probably the Chevy dealer b`cos it is a part of a Corporate chain that owns Toyota,Hyundai,Chevy and Honda stores in my city. And I have always had fantastic service at their Toyota dealer for the past 8 or 9 years. The Honda and Toyota dealers are #1 and 2 in my city followed by BMW. Worst as usual- Nissan and Dodge. :shades:
Just a side note- I have a friend who travels a lot and so has bought cars in different states- and he said that Seattle new car dealers were the best he ever encountered. Very professional,courteous, prompt and knowledgeable.He said even their internet responses were very detailed and informative and obviously they took the time to respond and not use a generic email. So if and when his car buying time comes,he tries to buy it from Seattle as much as he can. Folks up there must be doing something right !! :P And he said he had the worst car buying experiences in NY and California !!
The car shipping company comes right outside my door and delivers it to me and takes my signature!! And the shipping rate was pretty good too-$650 all the way from South Florida to way out West Texas !! :P
Comments
With luck, maybe she's got a good lawyer who could help her set up a trust for sonny boy or something like that. Then she could know that yes, she's helping him, and also know that she's giving him some time to mature first, regardless of what might happen to her before he comes of age.
I absolutely agree. She was probably spoiled rotten as well. She knows no better.
People who have to work for stuff think differently. Most of them live in the red states or the red counties of the blue states.
So, I have two desires battling it out from my very soul. The desire to have a brand new car with all the haggling, dealerships lots, and gold adorned salesmen that come with it. And the desire to remain true to my calling (see username).
My wife has seized upon the opportunity, seeing that my two inner forces have been battling to a draw, and has taken advantage to promote her own cause. To the victory goes the spoils I say. :P
YOU'LL MAKE YOUR WIFE HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Secondly, those Mazda 5s are nice little....what? Station wagons, I guess. I actually like them. They're cute. They're practical. And, from all I've heard, they're good reliable cars.
i like to give my kids a some slack on the rope and see if they can do any worse than i did. my kids don't pay for anything. if they pay for gas, it is because we already put the money in their account.
i have a lot of confidence in them, and so far, they are doing great.
lots of people think that you have to impose strict rules on kids to get them to perform.
my experience is not completely that.
You talkin to me? :surprise:
Please note...I've still not bought a new dining room set but I do love that new kitchen, stainless appliances and all. :P
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I'd also blame Mom or Dad.. but, of course, maybe they live with a sense of entitlement from grannie, as well...
I couldn’t agree with you more but I’ve seen the reverse one time. All the others have been disasters.
Son #2 grew up with a kid that was given everything and I mean everything. A new car when he turned 16 was expected by everyone and no one was surprised when he got it. This kid did well in school, sports and life in general. They have remained friends to this day. In fact I met this kid and his wife and young son at the birthday party of grandson #3 in January. It’s almost unbelievable how down to earth this kid is.
I’ve met this kids parents numerous times over the years and they are marvelous people. The father owns a small family business and had his son work for him through the years before college during the summer. That has to be what did it. Now the kid runs the company and hasn’t run it into the ground like so many of that generation have when handed over the reigns of a well oiled family biz.
This kid is a freak of nature.
Some things have fooled me in life but nothing more than this.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Thanks. My wife has a very difficult job, helping the veterans of America, in her government job. She is often quite mentally and physically exhausted when she comes home from work. So, I really wouldn't mind if she got a new car first. Because as you said, it would make her really HAPPY!!!!!!!! :shades:
I can probably see myself taking the MPV as my daily driver, and letting her pick out a Mazda 5... or a small to midsize SUV. I'd at least like to wait a year before doing so though.
Secondly, those Mazda 5s are nice little....what?
I think they are built on the Mazda 6 platform, can't recall the "creative" label Mazda put on it. But, yeah, it's basically a 3 row station wagon/mini minivan (2 seats each row) with minivan second row sliding doors. Gets pretty good gas mileage. I asked her if she wanted to go look at some the other day, so who knows.
edited:Mazda calls the car a "Multi Activity Vehicle". :P
I do like those Mazda 5s. I didn't know they came with 3 row seating. I've only seen them from the outside, never seen inside, though. But, Mazda typically does their interiors well.
I had a Mazda 3 rental a couple of weeks ago when I traveled to Dallas. While I understand that rentals are usually "base" cars, this one drove nice and had a lot of nice little touches for a base car. Really sporty drive, considering it's considered an economy car.
I can only imagine the Mazda 5 would be that much better since it's built on the well regarded Mazda 6.
Good luck.
You certainly don't need any "car shipping" advice from any of us here. :shades:
Actually, it is in fact built on the Mazda3 platform.
Couple of cool benefits of that, IMHO. It keeps the weight down and it allows the use of most performance parts for the 3, such as suspension upgrades.
'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
Uh, C&D actually tried this, thinking that it would be a fairly simple swap.
It wasn't.
Talks cheap! Report back to us when you are a successful buyer.
I'd at least like to wait a year before doing so though.
What you’d like has nothing to do with this and you know it. So maybe my comment above about talk doesn’t apply right? :confuse:
I’m the only one around here that always gets what he wants. And before you go running for a pan for ‘you know who’ to use on me, remember this is a direct quote from Mrs. j. She says it all the time. I’m almost a believer.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Thanks for correcting that... typo.
Been doing a little research on the 5, interesting that it is not available with stability control. The new 2011 is suppose to have it. Not a deal breaker, but would prefer to have it.
Has 5 years on the powertrain, 3 bumper to bumper... was 4 years bumper to bumper on the MPV. No rebates that I saw, though does have $500 customer loyalty cash.
crap... that's two "typos" in one day. :sick:
I read the first review I came to, which was on the 2009. So, I guess now there's not a good reason I can give my wife to wait a year to buy.... thanks a lot.
Well, come on. Look who you're talking to. :P
It's been 6 years since I've even been able to talk seriously about getting a new car.
So you'll have to settle for talk... for the time being. How about a daily report on my car buying progress for say... the next year. Hey! I can see another book in my future.
And before you go running for a pan for ‘you know who’ to use on me,
I think your wife belongs to the same "Pan of the Month Club" that mine belongs to. So no need for that. :sick:
I'm curious to hear from both the regular folks posting here and from the salesguys - how often do you buy a new car in your family? Salesfolks, what's the average age/mileage of the cars you take in trades?
We kept our Maxima for 10 years, 120,000 miles, and probably would have kept it even longer if some bozo hadn't run into the back of it while it was parked. We got $3,000 for it in trade, so at least it was still worth something. No question it went right to auction; it wasn't something the dealer was going to sell on their own lot.
I also have a 2005 350Z, bought in early 2006, very low miles - about 20,000 - because it's mainly a summer car and a local car, not the one we use for long vacation trips. To me it's still "a new car" even though it's going on 5 years old, judging by date of origin.
Is it better to trade a car in around the 6 or 7 year mark, when it still has a reasonable value, or better to keep it 10 or more years, until such time as mileage or condition just lets you know it's time to give it up? Just curious what most folks do.
I'd be more concerned if I didn't make ANY typos in a day - or even in an hour!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
It`s a Florida car and I had shipped to Texas. I sent the seller a cashier`s check for the total amount including shipping. I received the car within a week. Boy--what a great car,like new with only 4000 miles--mint condition ,barely driven and even the plastic covers were intact,the new car smell still present.Savings of almost 7k compared to a new Camry.And very impressed with the Camry.So the tradition continues-- it is much upgraded from the 03 Camry that I had which is now driven by my brother.
Here`s the link to the car that I bought -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230453882967&ssPag- eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
I got the title by Fedex just 2 days after the seller got my check and before the car arrived. So this is the new age of car buying. This is my 3rd online Ebay car purchase and both the previous cars were flawless.A lot of folks will not buy a car unseen but for me personally,I feel this is safer and more convenient. You get the car with the options you want with detailed photos. Always check the seller`s feedback.This is very crucial.Check his feedback and ratings and the cars he has sold previously.I can never again buy from a dealer after getting used to the comfort of buying a car online from the comfort of my living room without even having to get up. :shades:
So I will call this- King "Del`s" method of car buying : Surf Ebay from your house,decide what you want and how much you want to pay,check the listings,read the detailed car description and view the photos, then check the Carfax and seller`s feedback/ratings/review and that`s it--you bid and buy it in auction or with a buy it now/best offer price option. No negotiating ,no back and forth to the manager,no haggling ,nada,nothing - you win the auction,pay a deposit by credit card/paypal,pay the balance including shipping by cashier's check/wire transfer and wait for the car to be delivered right to your doorstep like a king !! :P
By the way the King Del wanted the 08 Avalon but the Queen wanted the 09 Camry as she was the primary driver. And guess what -the Queen always wins!!The King always has to accept the Queen`s choice .Otherwise,even if the car gets wet in the rain-it`s the king's fault !!
Also just a note on the 09 Camry -- lot of folks complain about it`s lack of steering feedback or driving dynamics--but compared to the 02-06 Camry the newer Camry doesn`t have that much overboosted steering or lack of steering feedback. It is relatively tauter than the older model. But the basics are still strong-very quiet,comfy,plushy ride ,with bumps soaked up really well and the fit and finish and materials top notch !!
The seller feedback is equivalent to the survey that a new car dealer sends. And the seller got 5/5 positive feedback and review from me for a great deal and communication and follow up !! Internet rules !!
I thought about a short term lease -but in a lease -the car has to be maintained well with no exterior cosmetic damage like dings/scratches/dents etc.. And if you have any of these ,you will be charged an arm and a leg. And in NYC,no way to avoid dents/dings/minor fender benders especially if you park on the road in Queens[I am staying in the Forest Hills/Rego Park area]
So here in my Texas hometown,I found a private seller selling an 04 Oldmobile Alero 4dr sedan with 89k miles and an asking price of $2.9k.It was parked before Target with the seller # and sale price. The car appeared very clean from outside and well maintained--new tires and no rust or cosmetic damage/no major dents or dings. I called the seller and he informed me it has a clear title,is paid off and runs good and was well maintained. :P
If it is good ,then I plan to buy it and ship it to NY for 650. I am going tomorrow to test drive and check it out. He said I could take it to the dealer to get it inspected. So what do you folks think ?? A discontinued 04 Oldsmobile-89k miles-$2.9k?? If it checks out good,do I go for it?? How much do I offer as my final price as it is an all cash transaction ? :confuse:
And worse come worse, if the tranny/engine fail the 2nd day I buy it-- I am prepared for that risk as I will be needing the car for only 8 months
Someone else went from $17,900 to $19,700 with initials o***a. The bid by o***n came 5 hours after the o***a bid for $18000. Someone o***n bid $18000 5 days before o***a bid $18000. Who else was bidding?
I have never understood and therefore haven't trusted EBay's bidding structure... even though I have bid and bought some small items. I feel better with the Buy Now price method.
Anyone explain how the bidding went here?
The aspect of getting a nice car like this one, is you have to win the bidding.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But, only the seller can actually see who the bidders actually are. The bidders get the cryptic "bidders names" you highlighted. It may be the same person, or someone different. But, they don't post the actual bidders for the other bidders to see.
delthe....congrats. Looks like a very nice car. Glad you're happy with it.
Me? I dunno. A car bought on ebay, without driving it first? Seeing it first? I may change my mind. But, I probably couldn't pull the trigger on that.
I must be in the minority, though. It seems a lot of business is transacted for cars on ebay motors.
This is why some people say if there is something you want on Ebay simply put in the maximum amount you will pay for it and sit back and watch the bidding. You will always have some "snipers" at the end of the auction, but that's the chance you take.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I have done very well puchasing electronics on Ebay. My personal favorite was the brand new Yamaha RX-V1 ($3200 new) I got for $1300. Maybe it was a refurb, but if it was I certainly couldn't tell.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Oldsmobile folded their tent several years ago making that Alero an "orphan".
They do share mechanical parts with other "cookie cutter" GM cars so that shouldn't be a problem.
These weren't bad cars by any means. Have a shop give it looking over and if you can buy it for 2500.00 you shouldn't get hurt.
Probably a good choice for the money.
I always recognize there was a reserve price involved as well. I just don't trust the sellers and their friends and I don't trust the bidding system on EBay.
I won a few auctions using a snipe site to bid for me.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If you only bid what the item is worth to you, you can't get hurt no matter what the seller and his friends do.
If they outbid you, they bought it!
I always bid what it's worth to me in the last few seconds (sniping), which leaves no one else time to bid any higher than they already have.
I don't always win because often someone will place a higher value on an item than I will, but I've never paid more than I thought the item was worth........and most things are worth a lot less in my eyes than they are to others! :P
1975 2002A- bought used 10/08
1995 318ti Club Sport- bought new 11/95
1999 Wrangler Sahara- Bought used 5/02
2004 X3 2.5- bought used(CPO) 12/05
2007 Mazdaspeed 3- bought new 7/07
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
These prices sound very high to me, but check out these comparables:
Alero
Also, I think you have a great plan. Just buy it and sell it after. It can probably be a business expense too, so it will actually cost you even less. You might even like the car so much you might want to keep it, might be better than the Camry.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Curious, how do they actually deliver the car to your door?
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Thanks for the explanations on how the bidding works. That was very interesting.
I don't think I could do it, but it is fascinating. Should work well, cuts out the dealer so the buyer and seller should come out ahead, theoretically. But, like GG, I like to try the car out etc., but if it works for you then go for it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
68 volvo 142
71 impala
71 nova
75 rabbit
79 rabbit
81 datsun 510 wagon
85 dodge colt
86 isuzu imark
89 vw golf
90 camaro rs [t-tops]
92 plymouth compact [ the red turd]
96 chevy silverado
02 chrysler concorde ltd
03 pontiac vibe
03 jeep liberty [hated the vibe]
09 nissan murano
Buying used next car -- testoserone levels depleted.
I think I heard people are keeping their cars for 10 years now. That seems like a long time for an average. I like to trade in our 2 cars about every 4 or 5 years maximum. The BMW warranty is up then, and there's probably lots of new safety and comfort items available. IMO there is a point of diminishing returns in keeping a car too long, unless you don't mind being late for things, or inconvenienced with getting your car to a garage all the time. I've been there and done that enough in my lifetime.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
90 camaro rs [t-tops]
92 plymouth compact [ the red turd]
96 chevy silverado
02 chrysler concorde ltd
03 pontiac vibe
Talk about being all over the map. Sounds like there is a good story in there about a 92 Plymouth.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
My list:
Two Pintos (God help me...) in the '70s. Bought the first one used in '72 - think it was a 1970 model. Sold it in '75 to get money to travel in Europe for 2 1/2 months.
Stupidly bought another used one in '76, sold in '80.
Bought first new car, Datsun 310, in 1980. Sold in '83.
Nissan Stanza '84, sold in '92.
Toyota Camry, '92 - '97.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, '98 - 2000
Nissan Maxima - 2000 - 2010
Nissan 350Z - '05 car bought new in early '06, still have
Volvo V70 - just bought, hope to keep for 8 to 10 years
In my experience (very limited as compared to some), if anything was likely to go wrong, it went wrong early. The car I owned the longest was the Maxima. We had to change the ignition coils fairly early on - 4 years maybe? - but after that was trouble-free.
Seems to me the depreciation curve levels out at about 5 years. If we have kept a car that long and it's still in good automotive health it's likely to continue being in good health, given regular maintenance etc.
But we don't put a lot of miles on our cars. That would make a big difference, of course.
Since 1995
1989 Grand Marquis (7/95)
1993 Taurus (8/97)
1998 Olds 88 New (1/99) LEMON!
1979 Continental (5/99)
2000 Solara New (12/99)
1989 Town Car (11/2000) (wish i still had)
2003 Avalon New (3/2003)
2006 Avalon New (3/2006)
1999 S10 (3/2007) (still have)
2009 Genesis (5/2009) (still have)
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
But, we have had our Odyssey since 12/04, so 5.5 years, and my Accord since 12/05. 4.5 years is pretty good for me. I am interested in something new, just new dfeasiblie at the momment (unless I end up downscaling).
ALso have a TL which we got in 12/08 (something about Christmas season makes me like to buy cars!), But that is nominally my sons, at least when he is home from college.
My usualy plan was 6 years and gone, but for my car (when I was only doing about 7.5K/year) was get a deal on a 3 YO one, and sell when it hit 6 years, so 3 with me.
The family truckster (aka the wifes car) I always got new, and plan to keep as lng as possible. Possible ends up being when something goes wrong and she wants out 9such as becoming torublesome). But, we normally only do about 10K/year on that car, so no rush.
Right now, I would get something beside the van. I don't trust it to age well over the next few years, and vans tend to get very rattling as they age.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
That o***a bidder was me. Ebay does not list the identities of bidders publicly.Only the seller knows the identity. The other bidder o***n puts in a price [his max limit,say 18500]. Ebay automatically just posts the highest bid. So if bidding starts at 18000 ,ebay posts the highest bid as 18100-it will not list what the bidder has as his maximum. So ,then I bid 18200 ,Ebay then automatically bids 18300 saying I was outbid and asks me to bid higher. It will go on this way till the other bidder`s 18500 is reached. :shades:
Then if I bid 19000,obviously I am the highest bidder, but I wont know until Ebay informs me. So ebay automatically bids at 18600 ,more than the previous bidder`s 18500 and informs me I am the highest bidder. People usually bid in the last hr of the transaction.Also the seller sometimes has what is called a reserve--meaning a fixed price below which he will not sell the car. Once the reserve is reached the highest bidder gets the car. Here in my case the sale price was 19900. In the last min of the transaction, I bid upto 19800 as my max amount. Since reserve was 19700 and I was the highest bidder, I get the car for 19700 and not my max bid amount 19900. :P
It is confusing the first time.Even I was confused before my 1st ebay car purchase, but they have a detailed explanation of how it works on their website along with FAQ`s. That will make it clearer. Also b`cos cars are big ticket items--if the seller has a car listed as a buy it now option with no bidding involved, you can just send in a best offer price for that car. If he accepts fine, otherwise no problem.. For me Ebay works like a charm-- b`cos I get a wide range of cars with preferred options,colors,price etc ... For me personally,it`s tough to be buying cars traditionally unless of course Ebay motors shuts shop !!
1985 Olds 88
1989 Caprice
1989 Corsica
1989 Olds Cutlass
1989 Cavalier Station wagon
1993 Toyota Previa
1995 Toyota Camry
1996 Toyota Camry
1998 Toyota Camry
1999 Olds Aurora
1999 Chev Trailblazer
2000 Toyota Camry
2002 Toyota Tacoma
2006 Toyota Corolla
2008 Toyota Camry
2008 Ford F150
All cars are driven around 30 to 50000 miles per year. Usually keep them 3 years or so. The Previa is still on the road. I sold it with the balance of the 6 year, unlimited mileage warranty and the buyer still has it.
Just a side note- I have a friend who travels a lot and so has bought cars in different states- and he said that Seattle new car dealers were the best he ever encountered. Very professional,courteous, prompt and knowledgeable.He said even their internet responses were very detailed and informative and obviously they took the time to respond and not use a generic email. So if and when his car buying time comes,he tries to buy it from Seattle as much as he can. Folks up there must be doing something right !! :P And he said he had the worst car buying experiences in NY and California !!