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What I'm finding, as I scour my local area for Civics and Mazda3's and Corollas and Focuses (Foci?), is that no one carries manual transmissions anymore. In some cases (Corolla), I can't even find one to test drive - let alone one with the other stuff I want.
What's the deal? Do I live in the wrong area (Indianapolis) or is this a nationwide thing? How do I get what I want when I can't even get close to what I want without putting money down to get the dealer to bring one in from out-of-state?
I have 9 days and counting until I purchase my vehicle. Given that I had my last one for 10 years, I'd hate to compromise and drive something I don't like for the next 10. Any suggestions on where to look for stick shifts?
J
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I guess, as a follow-up to this, I'd like to know if there's a way to search the same database(s) that the dealers use. I wouldn't mind going to the Cincinnati area, for instance, if I knew I'd have my pick of manuals there.
You can browse through the topics in Honda Civic or Mazda3 for example.
I am wondering, however, why there is such a rigid date for purchasing your next car?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Also, I have not been focused on one particular make. I'd be starting the same thread in a dozen different forums if I went that route. My problem is the same, whether it's a Civic or a Corolla or an Impreza or a Jetta... there just aren't any manual transmissions for sale. One Hyundai lot had one Elantra that I was able to test drive yesterday. Similarly, one Mazda lot had one Mazda3. I haven't found any of the others yet. And in both of those cases, I'm either severely limited in my choices on other options, or forced to order one in from out-of-state, which means putting money down ahead of time, something that really affects the negotiating process.
Make sense?
Now, to bring the original question back... how do you be a Smart Shopper, when you want a manual transmission?
J
Kings Mazda Cincinnati has 26 manual-shift Mazda3s..
Good luck!
kyfdx
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Now, how did you come across that? Are you in the Cincinnati area, or is there some crystal ball that you're not sharing with me?
J
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Thanks.
J
My question is, is there a way around this? The plan we had was to roll the rest of the eight payments into the financing of our new car, thinking that this would at least save us the miles overage payment. Now that we know we're going to be paying for the miles regardless of when we turn it in, we kind of feel our only option is to take the car through the lease, pay the overages then, and move on to financing.
Any advice as to how we can avoid the above scenario?
I'd call VW and find out what the current buyout would be on your passat; the amount they would need to release the title to you. Once you have that number, treat it as if that's a loan payoff, see what you could get as a trade in, or see if you could sell it for at least that amount. Mileage penalties won't apply because you won't be giving the car back to VW. Even if you trade in and owe a little more than the buyout, it might still be a better deal than rolling in 8 lease payments and paying mileage fees.
2) When you walk on the lot don't act surprised that a salesmen is asking if you need assistance. It's their job. And if you object to salesmen then come out to the dealer on Sunday (in illinois we are closed on Sunday). You will have all the time in the world to "look" at cars. Or better yet...you could always go to the mall and check out cars there. It's a perfect place, great selection, no salespeople etc etc.
3) Only 3 test drives per person. No exceptions. And if you want to drive 3 on a saturday then you gotta buy something.
4) So you didn't buy a vehicle and you think it's OK to not respond to the salesperson when he calls to follow up.That's a no-no. You drove 4 cars on a busy saturday and asked about different trim levels, accessories, and a wide variety of buying questions. You didn't buy and that's OK...I can live with it. But when I call you back you think it's cute to NOT respond. It's not cute. I don't care if you don't want to buy but TELL ME so I can take you off my list.
These are just a couple of tips I wanted to share as a sales person. I will come back later and share some more.
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ee9c367/
This particular discussion is only for suggesting new topics.
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tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Let us know how that works. We could set up a dedicated discussion if that response is inadequate.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I've been reading about the current situation where the new car dealers, and manufacturers of course, are offering new cars cheaper than a one-year-old car of the same make and model. This is so dumb it makes my teeth hurt!
Come on folks. There are thousands of dealerships who make more money on their used cars than they do on the new ones. There are tens or hundreds of thousands of folks for whatever reason want or really need to sell their used vehicles. You may be certain that most of these people will figure out that they have to lower the price of their used cars in order to sell them against new vehicle prices. They will do this in a big hurry. There just is no choice. It will be price lower or don't sell, well, except to really dumb buyers. Indeed, it is likely that used prices are already falling.
The falling price of the '08 models will bump the '07 model price down and right on down the line. Just hang on 30 to 60 days and you will see a big fall in used prices. The fun part is that we will then discover that this entire scam was developed and executed by new car dealers to attract attention to the big discounts on new '08s and '09s.
Oh, I have this terrific ocean front lot for sale in Nevada.
Fasbird
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
:shades:
Yes, it is a bit redundant isn't it. I though many would not know what I was talking about if I just wrote CVT.
But, I did get the answer I was looking for on that link tidester provided. The CVT can't be rebuilt, the whole thing needs to be replaced to the tune of 5 or 6 thousand. I had asked in several other forums for the cost to rebuild. I thought it would be minimal, just replacing a couple belts or something. Really dampens my enthusiasm a bit in buying a NIssan Altima with the "CVT transmission". :shades:
Can I still make monthly payments until it is pay off when after the lease is up?
Whoever have SMARTBUY, (it should be on your monthly bill or statement) can you tell more about this SMARTBUY program?
Post your question there and, with a little luck, a knowledgable person will come along and provide the information you need. Good luck!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
My question is whether it is better to buy a used car from a dealer or from a broker?
I am trying to buy a used Infiniti M35, but I have a specific set of options/colors I want. Unfortunately, I could not find a car that meets all of my requirements at local dealerships. However, I noticed some ads for "used car brokers". They buy cars directly from the auctions, and thus have a much higher selection to choose from. Has anyone gotten a used car from a broker? What was the experience like?
If I buy a car from a dealership, I can inspect it and test drive it. Also, I assume the dealerships do a mechanical inspection of the cars they sell. I also have the option to get a certified pre-owned car which gets me an extended warranty. However, since the dealers near me don't have the exact car I want I would either have to wait or find a far-away dealer or relax my requirements. I feel that if I go to a broker, I would get the exact specs I want, but I am worried about getting a lemon. Have anyone been faced with a similar problem? Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Valentin
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Best of luck!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
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Is this still a current practice ???
Is there a website (or websites) that has these type of charts / listings / matchups ?
Thank you !!!!
Tooky
Yes, it is still done - you might have better luck asking in one of the existing discussions here, like Questions for a Car Dealer. Pontiac Vibe = Toyota Matrix, right off the top of my head.
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What's my best bet given these restraints?
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tidester, host
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Sales Tax, Title, License Fee, Registration Fee, $799 Dealer Fee, Finance Charges, Compliance Fees and RECONDITIONING COST OR CERTIFICATION FEES are additional to the advertised price???
I understand what the title, tag and sales tax are but I am sorry if this is a dumb question but can someone explain what the others are please? Thanks.
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