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If I was looking for something used, I'd at least step to to a used sporty or luxury car. Why compromise with yet another commuter box? Shoot, for that much money, you can get a 1999 S500 - just to put it into perspective how far your dollar can go in the used market these days.
my two cents, of course...
-thene
I personally would not want a "sporty" or "luxury" car with a toddler, knowing they will probably throw up, spill juice and cookies, etc.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
However, repairs past 100K miles on both cars will be significantly more than repairs on a Honda Accord, so you should take that into consideration.
But the Accord EX-L is an excellent choice, but you pay a significant premium to get one, as used Accords are in high demand, and a lot of people keep them for more than 3-4 years.
For both the S60 and 9-5, I would try to get a Certified one if possible, and if not I would get one that is still well within the factory warranty.
I also recommend taking a look at perhaps a Honda CR-V LX, if possible.
****Quote from their website****
SPECIAL LEASE OFFER* ON 07 IMPREZA 2.5i SEDAN (manual transmission 7JA)
Now through July 31, 2007 - $169 per month for 42 months with $1,594 due at lease signing. $0 security deposit. Tax, title and registration fees extra. Other leases available on other models. Cannot be combined with any other incentives.
OR
SIGN & DRIVE SPECIAL LEASE OFFER* ON 07 IMPREZA 2.5i SEDAN (manual transmission 7JA)
Now through July 31, 2007 - $209 per month for 42 months with $0 down payment, $0 security deposit and $0 due at lease signing. Tax, title and registration fees extra. Other leases available on other models. Cannot be combined with any other incentives.
****
(the latter one is $2 more per month) Other trims are a few dollars more.
Or just buy it outright.
It's only a good deal if the warranty covers the car for the whole period -- has Subaru increased the B2B, or do they extend it for leases?
I would dread the end-of-lease inspection if I were on the hook for *everything*.
-Mathias
1. All "up front fees" are lost money, and you can divide your total upfront fees by the number of months, and add that to your total monthly cost. So that offer of $219 per month for 42 months with $1,999 due is really something like $255 per month already.
2. Mileage restrictions might be very tight on these leases. They do not mention annual mileage limitations at all!. Overage can be costly. If it's a 10K lease, they'll charge you at least .15 cents a mile overage. They don't mention overage fees either.
3. You cannot modify a lease car, and of course you are responsible for damage. Also you don't own it, you are only renting.
4. Leases are very tough to get out of. If your situation changes, or you don't like the car, you're stuck with it in most cases. If it breaks after warranty, tough luck. You can't sell it at 36 months, you'll have to sweat the next 6 months until lease is over at 42 months.
5. These leases are only for highly qualified buyers in terms of credit score. You may not qualify for this offer.
I have never leased before, and I keep my cars for a while, so buying normally makes sense, and I like going for the cut rate financing.
(Note: I would not buy a Hyundai of early years - now, yes, but not older ones.)
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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2001-2003 Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra
Both are excellent, reliable automobiles. However, the Elantra had poor IIHS scores before the facelift, so I would be a little wary of that.
The Mazdas are also a good choice, but I wouldn't go with the Contour.
I would also recommend a 1999 Honda Civic or a late 90's Subaru Outback. The Outback will have AWD, but the Civic is cheaper to run (better fuel economy)
a Buick LeSabre
a Mazda 626
Both were great and very reliable. Well, we'll never know how reliable the first Buick would have been because it was totalled after 3 weeks! But the second one lasted for years!
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
a Buick LeSabre
a Mazda 626
The Mazda 626 I testdrove a few weeks ago took only PREMIUM gas ... if that is a consideration.
These are a lot of Buick Centuries out there.
The Contour is an expensive car to maintain.
the stick is fine, as is the 6cyl auto.
or so i've heard...
The Contour is a decent car. I'd recommend the Taurus and stay away from the high-priced used Honda/Toyota/Subarau vehicles.
-Mathias
The SVT models would be ok but they all get abused. I have never seen one that wasn't trashed.
As an admittedly biased Honda owner (2 Accords, a '96 and an '06), I'd have to agree. Hondas are actually better deals when purchased new. They depreiciate very little. It also makes them less of a bargain on the used market, with many certified used Hondas costing within a couple of thousand dollars of a brand new one!
Heck, my 1996 Accord LX 4-cylinder is still worth over $3,500, and its got 174k miles on it.
Here's the copy from Kelley Blue Book's site on my car:
Excellent
$4,190
Good
$3,735
Fair
$3,180
Vehicle Highlights
Mileage: 174,000
Engine: 4-Cyl. 2.2 Liter
Transmission: Automatic
Drivetrain: FWD
Selected Equipment Change Equipment
Standard
Air Conditioning Power Door Locks AM/FM Stereo
Power Steering Tilt Wheel Dual Front Air Bags
Power Windows Cruise Control
Optional
Single Compact Disc
I must say, that I wouldn't pay $4,000 for a car with 175k miles on it, but knowing what a good car mine has been (and who has owned it and how well it has been cared for), I feel it is worth that to me. I have a hard time reccommending others spend that for a car as old and with as many miles as mine.
Go domestic, you'll get much more car for your used-car dollar.
Neither would most other people.
I wouldn't expect KBB to be too accurate on a vehicle with that many miles and that many years old.
You have to buy something that will last and not break every week. Fords break a lot, yes i've owned them and won't again. My ex had a beat to death Accord form the 1980's so many miles on it before the odometer broke and lots of dents. She got rid of it when the frame rotted through due to the salt on the roads. Rust is a big issue if you live in a snowy area. The way they repair rust is awful! Just patch it and that's it.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
If we presume that statisticians are correct that the useful life of the average vehicle is about 175,000 miles, then such cars are, statistically at least....worthless.
Of course, you can't get them for free, but I wouldn't pay more than $1,000 for an old car with 175K on it. Why? Because that's about all I can afford to lose in Las Vegas or in the stock market.
But he also needs something with 4 cylinders to keep gas at a bare minimum. I suggest he find an old Japanese 4x4 from the mid 90s.(4-Runner is a good example). They hold their value well in addition if they have 4x4.
Other than that, a Volvo 1993 240. The electricals will be in sorry shape, but the entire car can be taken apart with a socket set and a couple of screwdrivers. The last of the no-tech cars made - and silly cheap to keep running.
Oh - manual of course, because that requires him to keep focused on driving, plus it's a good skill to learn. He has to listen to the engine, know how fast he's going without looking at the gauges, and can't yak on the cellphone while going through gears. Plus, old manuals cost a few hundred for a clutch job. Nothing ruined my semester in college faster than an automatic going out - I had to walk for nearly three months once, as I had no way to get $1200 together for one(and that was then - now they can run $3000+)
http://www.top4runners.com/ja/runhist21990.html
Get a 4 cylinder model from this generation. A 94 or 95. Stickshift with manual transfer case. These are the last of the smaller fuel-efficient models. The 1996+ are heavy bloated things that barely move with the 4 and the 6 is gas hungry.(plus they honestly aren't nearly as good off-road)
http://www.edmunds.com/used/1995/toyota/4runner/index.html
These are typical asking prices - expect private party to be a thousand or so less, or right in your son's price range. Obviously the limited is better than the SR5. 1994 had a lot of minor changes like automatically turning the lights off when you removed the key and side protection in the doors.
Oh - the thing is also super easy to modify. My older gen beater still is running at 345K miles and registration is $55 this year. :P
A manual transmission has many advantages, chief being that most other kids can't drive it, but it also has disadvantages too especially if you sell them later. I had to sell both sons' cars (the Buick and the Mazda) eventually (one son had military deployment, the other moved to Europe after college). The aged Buick sold in 2 days; the MT Mazda took over a month to sell.
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
What happens if your kid is out driving and drinks a bit too much?? ( I know that NEVER happens.) Who is going to drive him home?
That happened to me ONCE. Never again.
The day the A/C goes out though, is the day I put a "FOR SALE" sign in it. It's currently 91 degrees and fairly muggy here in Birmingham!
I feel like my '96 Accord's life expectancy may be longer than average due to how it spent the first six years of its life. It was my grandmother's car, and out of her 70 mile per day commute, 64 of it was 70 MPH interstate. So, it lived the easy life for 120k miles. Heck, the OEM front brake pads didn't need replacing until 131k, if that gives you an idea of just how little stop and go it did early on in its life (I still have the original shoes on the rear at 174k).
'24 Chevy Blazer EV 2LT
But by 2000 lbs, that also means the trailer, which is 1/3-1/2 of that right there.(typical U-Haul trailer). Nothing unibody will handle that these days. I remember driving from L.A. to college almost 500 miles away with a tiny U-Haul trailer filled with stuff. I weighed myself at a weighing station for fun and the total was about 1800lbs, cargo and trailer.
As for driving drunk, all the better. He can't drive it - so he calls a taxi or sleeps at the friend's house. And as for selling it, yes, if it's a bare-bones econobox, it's hard to sell. But my Volvo, my Mercedes, and my 4Runner(when I sell it) all sold immediately, because that's what people really want in luxury cars and for off-road/etc. There is a small crowd that will shop for hundreds of miles to find one.
Trust me - a manual BMW or Mercedes sells in a couple of days, tops. Conversely, an automatic Wrangler or Porsche is a total lot anchor.
Plus, that 4Runner has ABS, airbags, and all of the goodies in a 4000lb package. Safe in a crash is an understatement.
I am a 40 year old male with a wife and two kids, 14 and 16.
I am in the market for a new vehicle, but there are too many vehicles on the market right now!!!!
I don't have many needs in a car, I only have a 25 minute commute to work and my 16 year old already has a car, so rear seat room isn't a thing we're really looking for.
I am on the market for a sedan, because we already have a large SUV/CUV (2002 Buick Rendezvous)
Budget is $36,000
If anyone can help me i would appreciate it !
I am in the market for a new vehicle, but there are too many vehicles on the market right now!!!!
I don't have many needs in a car, I only have a 25 minute commute to work and my 16 year old already has a car, so rear seat room isn't a thing we're really looking for.
I am on the market for a sedan, because we already have a large SUV/CUV (2002 Buick Rendezvous)
Budget is $36,000
If anyone can help me i would appreciate it !
Simple BMW 135i
It will be released sometime in October after the Auto show.
For that price point I will seriously consider one. My wife can drive a Fit or a Subaru :shades:
The BMW 1 forum has a lot of info and pics. It's a nice looking coupe!
Lots and lots of choices up to that price range.
Answering the above questions might give us a good place to start.
You said new car but does it have to be new or just new to YOU?