Purchasing Strategies - Questions & Success Stories

snakeweasel · May 2006

well if you drive any car for at least 10 years its not going to be worth bupkus.

bobst · May 2006

Tell that to my son-in-law who sold his 1995 Accord for $3K last year. It only cost $16K when it was new.

jlawrence01 · May 2006

well if you drive any car for at least 10 years its not going to be worth bupkus.

The $6M question is whether the car will LAST for 10 years. In the case of Camry (as with most domestics), the answer is yes.

snakeweasel · May 2006

Almost any car should last 10 years if properly maintained and not driven in excess.

geo9 · May 2006

I got stuck with a Kia (because I stupidly co-signed for it)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The sister wouldn't take my advise and buy something
else. After NUMEROUS problems she walked away from it !

Paid $ 10k new OTD....6 months later worth 6k as a trade!
6 months after that worth $2000 as a trade!
Sat for 1 year trying to sell it myself. Later sold it for $1500 cash.........................

Then my dumb cousin buys a new sportage suv because it was
a good deal (to him) and had a 10 yr warranty. (ha-ha powertrain only). Having lots of issues !!!! Now at 30k miles it needs some kind of rear suspension repair ($1000) that is not covered by ANY warranty...........

kia buyer beware !!!!!!!!!!!!! :lemon:

BTW: Whats funny is these folks wouldn't even consider
buying a GM car (which we get the big employee discounts)
because they think GM vehicles are junk ! :sick:

snakeweasel · May 2006

Doesn't Kia have a 5 year 60K mile bumper to bumper warranty? If so why doesn't that cover the rear suspension? Was it in an accident or did he do something to void the warranty?

pburiak · May 2006

I'm aware that ordering info and build dates are available for 2007 GM vehicles now, but I would like any insight as to when the 2007 prices would be available. I am debating whether to pull the trigger on a 2006 Impala. It has the exact equipment/trim I prefer at a very good price. However, the exterior colors are not great in my opinion. The dull "sport red" color is the best of a stodgy bunch, but I'm aware that Chevy has a couple of brighter reds coming for 2007. I'm torn as to whether the potential price increase would be worth the difference in appearance.
Thanks for any information in advance.

tsgeisel · May 2006

You're right - it does. If something was done to it that wasn't covered by the warranty, I wouldn't expect to be able to get much out of it - no matter who the manufacturer is.

snakeweasel · May 2006

Yep, you see these people all the time, young kids who modify their cars then whine when the manufacturer won't honor their warranty on s suspension that was hacked up.

bobst · May 2006

I agree, Snake.

I have an Acura RSX and I read postings in the clubrsx DG. It appears that most of the owners are young people and they seem to do the silliest modifications to their cars.

Of course, I guess many of us old people think a lot of things young people do are silly. However, I see a lot of young people working very hard and overall I think they are a better generation then we were in the 60's, when all we knew was "if it feels good, do it".

graphicguy · May 2006

pb.....can't comment on what (if any) color changes Chevy will offer in '07 that are different than the '06 models.

I suppose it's a role of the dice on whether you'd be able to duplicate the deal you have on the '06 when '07 Impalas role around.

At worst, you may have to wait a couple of months when the '07 Impalas hit the street. Maybe a few months after that to see what "deals" Chevy will offer on them.

BTW....I have a neighbor that bought an Impala when the new body style came out (as a 2nd car, no less). I think it was a couple of years ago. This is a guy that also has a Cayenne in his garage. He said, hands down, the Impala is a better built car than the Porsche. Take that for what it's worth.

graphicguy · May 2006

Sounds like the consensus is......buy a KIA only if you have to.....especially, if there are other alternatives available to you (like Toyotas or GMs).

geo9 · May 2006

This "car" is owned by a 50 yo. teacher. Never off
road and treated quite well. Dealer is giving him
a million excuses of why its not covered ie: wear &
tear, maint. item, yada, yada...........
Same deal I went thru with the Sephia I got stuck
with and it had problems...........

He usually buys toyotas but being a teacher hes quite
thrifty and didn't want to spend the extra $$ for a
rav4 or a matrix. He even could of bought a Pontiac
Vibe (a matrix twin) with our GM family discount.

The kia dealer won't budge on this repair.
Sad but true...................

snakeweasel · May 2006

Have you tried another dealer or contacting Kia?

graphicguy · May 2006

I'm with snake on this one. I'd take it to another dealer's service dept AND contact Kia's representative. Having that long warranty doesn't mean much if they won't honor it.

Aside from the horrendous resale value Kia's have, at the very least, they should honor the warranty.

snakeweasel · May 2006

My experience with Hyundai is that they are standing by their cars. They started having issues with the manifolds of the Elantras around the year mine was made so they extended the warranty on them to 10 years unlimited miles. Well at 131K my exhaust manifold cracked and they replaced it under warranty without hesitation or any questions.

I would expect Kia to be the same.

geo9 · May 2006

The next closest kia dealer is 50 miles away...........

I went round and round with this dealer when I had
problems. But yet again I am quite "forcefull" but
totally calm. Cause ya know you catch more flys with
honey than vinegar !
BBB and kia could care less and he is told its too late
for a buy back lemon law deal............

If it was ME tho. I would be rocking their world!!!!........The best they offered is to
put him in a new sportage with rebates, low interest,
and get this a kia owner loyalty rebate !!!!!!!!!!!!

Either way he loses his shirt.......... :sick:

snakeweasel · May 2006

Its not an issue of invoking the lemon law but of getting your warranty honored. Giving Kia a call could light the fire under the dealer to honor the warranty. Plus you never know that 50 mile drive could solve the problem with nothing more than the time and gas to get there.

Its just that something just doesn't sit right. There has to be a reason Kia (or more correctly the dealer) is not honoring the warranty, do you know why?

If they are offering him a new sportage as the best they can do it seems like the dealer is playing games to get a new sale. My guess is that the issue is covered under warranty and the dealer is playing games. Document everything and report everything to Kia, the BBB, your States Attorney, and the newspapers. This dealer seems crooked.

dino001 · May 2006

I always wonder if those guys aren't try to double dip - collect money from both the manufacturer and the customer. I'm sure there are safeguards in the records, but there is no other logical explanation for lack of cooperation with the customer. Other of course than the customer is nuts and is making the stuff up.

snakeweasel · May 2006

Other of course than the customer is nuts and is making the stuff up.

Thats a distinct possibility not to be overlooked. We are only hearing one side of the story here. One can only wonder what the dealer would say about this.

dino001 · May 2006

I'm sure it is. If people expect to buy a car at invoice minus holdback minus all cash rebates plus zero percent APR plus free oil change for life (and be genuinly outraged if they don't get such a deal), they might as well make stuff up about their car trouble stories. That's for sure.

audia8q · May 2006

I can't address the current posters situation without knowing more facts ....but let me give an example, we had a guy who went on a crusade about his warranty claim getting declined by the mfg.. He posted, in multiple places, that we were out to get him, the carmaker was crooked, etc....The part of the story he failed to post was the car had gone for a swim and water was found in the engine. Oddly enough our area had just cleaned up from some serious flooding (last fall)....some further investigation also found some water in the spare tire wheel area and other areas of the car.....so instead of calling his insurance company he decided that driving thru a flood causing serious engine damage was the carmakers fault.

geo9 · May 2006

I have suggested we take it to the kia dealer in Watertown
NY and let them have a go at it. Hes pretty stubborn
and thinks the local dealer should take care of it.

To me it would be worth a shot.............

bobst · May 2006

Maybe the sales person told him the car would float.

audia8q · May 2006

Sombody on edmunds told the guy he had the submarine option.

lcw1 · May 2006

Well thank you all for the input. Your ideas were terrific and helped me make the right decision.
I purchased a 2005 Malibu Maxx with little over 10,000 miles for $14,700 out the door (1/2 way between 14 and 17,5). The car is like new with plenty of warranty remaining. 6 cylinders and an estimated gas mileage of 24/32 plus all the imaginable options found in a mid size car. Not to mention the car drives like a dream and looks very nice. I hope I am now set for at least 10 years and feel proud I purchased an American made car.

staceyk27 · May 2006

Hi,
I'm thinking of trading in my 2003 VW Jetta (bought new) for a 2003 VW Passat. The main reason is I like the body style of the 2003 Passat better than the newer models. The price of the Passat I'm looking at is around $14,000. Is this a stupid idea? :confuse:

Any feedback is appreciated! Thanks!

biancar · May 2006

Well done! Sounds like you got a great deal and a great car. The car writer for the Washington Post, Warren Brown, often recommends the Maxx in his on-line discussion. He thinks very highly of it.

I think that was a good choice in getting a newer car. It should serve you for many, many years to come.

biancar · May 2006

Do you still owe money on the Jetta? Would you be getting in over your head financially on the Passat?

If it's no financial strain, and you don't have to go through all sorts of hoops to make the numbers come out right, it isn't necessarily a bad idea. The Passat is certainly a step up from the Jetta, and if that's what you want, can't fault you for it.

snakeweasel · May 2006

Didn't James Bond have a Lotus with that?

seeko · May 2006

i've asked this question a couple months back and never got any replies so i'll try again. on the navigation system when verbally speaking the house number into the nav system it hardly ever repeats it the way you spokeit into the system? the manual says speak the numbers one at a time clearly and it still doesn't do it. its so very frustrating.every thing else in the navigation system seems to work fairly well except when you try and pronounce the house#. does any other toyota person with navigation ever have this problem?? or am i doing something wrong that i don't know about? thanks pete :confuse:

mikefm58 · May 2006

" or am i doing something wrong that i don't know about? "

Yeah, you're in the wrong forum...

staceyk27 · May 2006

I do still owe on the Jetta but it's worth about double what I owe so I'd come out ahead trade-in wise. Thanks for your reply!

sky23213 · May 2006

Wasn't there a commercial a few months ago showing a Jeep SUV (can't remember which one) driving out of the ocean?
I wonder how many "enthusiasts" tried that...

seeko · May 2006

sorry i was in the wrong forum. i'm just a country boy. thank you for telling me.

pete

grandtotal · May 2006

I never believe anything I read on Edmunds, unless I wrote it. And even then I take it with a pinch of salt.

geo9 · May 2006

ME TOO !!!!!!!!!

All the posts around here on the GM v-8 csk issues,
The troublesome new camry automatics that are being
recalled, the toyota engine sludge issues of past,
nissans nagging problems with the new titan, armanda,
and the Q suvs.
Fords composite intake manifold issues, not to mention
the Firestone tire issues on the Exploders are NOT to
be believed !!!!!!!

All LIES and a conspiracy to discredit all auto makers
and dealers and are posted on these many forums just
for fun or the hate factor of buyers remorse........ :sick:

grabowsky · May 2006

Why do so many dealers still tie balloons to the cars on their lot? To me it makes everything look cheap. :confuse:

snakeweasel · May 2006

Its because the lift from the helium makes the car lighter and there for gets better gas mileage.

dino001 · May 2006

:surprise: LOL

tsgeisel · May 2006

I'm not sure about Bond, but it was standard on the Mach 5.

snakeweasel · May 2006

Yep he had one.

mikespez · June 2006

Hey everyone.

I'm looking to lease a new Honda Accord from my local dealer and trade in my 2000 Camry for a down payment. KBB puts the value around $5,000.

The problem is that about a year or so back, I had a run in (literally) with a pillar in a parking garage. There are some scratches on my front bumper, on the left corner, but no dents. The estimate I have for repairs is $500. My question is if I should repair the car at my own expense before I go to trade it in, or should I let the dealer handle it?

I have a feeling I'm going to be shelling out the green myself, but I wanted to check here with the experts first.

dino001 · June 2006

DO NOT put 5 grand downpayment on lease!!! It gives you absolutely nothing other than reducing principal portion of the payment. Unlike loans, lease downpayments do not reduce finance charges, as those are determined by MSRP and residual. Moreover, if you happen to total the car in the first few months all that down will be lost (bank will never give that money back to you, perhaps a very small portion). Keep the money (get a check from a dealer or sell the car by yourself), put it in the bank and pay higher per month - makes more sense.

If you buy that Accord, that's a different story - then money down makes perfect sense, as finance charges will go down together with principal payments.

Regarding fixing the car - I think it may be worth in that price range. It is still a 6-year old car and $500 repair may "cost" you $1000-1500 at the trade-in, as it gives them a great excuse to try harder to "steal" the car from you. If it were 2-3 grand car, I would let it slide, probably.

socala4 · June 2006

Dino is right -- if you lease, do NOT try to maximize the size of the down payment, security deposit, or anything else.

Remember, leasing is a fundamentally different transaction from ownership. A lease is a form of rent, with the lease payment based upon an interest rate ("money factor") applied to an amount of depreciation over a period of time. That means that you should ideally seek:

-The lowest interest rate possible

-The lowest purchase price possible (depreciation is calculated based upon the diference between the purchase price and the projected residual value, so a lower purchase price reduces the amount of depreciation that you'll need to pay for)

-As little money upfront out of your pocket as possible (minimal or no down, security, etc.)

rroyce10 · June 2006

.... **collect money from both the manufacturer and the customer. I'm sure there are safeguards in the records, but there is no other logical explanation for lack of cooperation with the customer...**

Warranty work is approved by the manufacturer, not the dealer ... it's impossible for a dealer to collect $$ from both unless they can "forge" the computer records, the service manager and everyone involved ..... and why would they.? ... they make $$ off warranty work.

The best thing a customer can do is get with the Zone Rep from the manufacturer and step-up the pace.

Terry.

dino001 · June 2006

I think as an ongoing recommendation people should stay clear from lease if they don't understand how it works. Anybody who starts their question with "I want to put down X thousands down on lease to keep my payment low" is a good candidate for such a recommendation.

Lease can be a good thing, especially the ones that are subsidized by the manufacturers on cars with high/inflated residuals, but customers need to be really well informed in that area to avoid really dangerous pitfalls and plain abuses as the lease is somewhat more complicated and easier to trick uneducated.

dino001 · June 2006

and why would they.? ... they make $$ off warranty work

Well, how about making more money on the same work by collecting payment twice? Sounds like a winner to me

I do realize that many of the customers tales are exactly that - tales. They rant about denied warranty on that blown engine "forgetting" to mention some crucial details like kerosene in fuel tank etc.

I have had no problems with my warranty work so far (and had couple of claims) so some of those tales seem almost impossible. However, I also know couple of really reasonable people who went through hell with their claims being denied basically on bogus grounds. It is possible that certain manufacturers are less then cooperative in their warranty works in general, but it made me wonder if there was some dealer "participation" in those denials and attempts of "double dipping". I realize it is illegal and probably not so easy to forge the records - yet I find it hard to believe that it is impossible and nobody tried that.

grandtotal · June 2006

Unlike loans, lease downpayments do not reduce finance charges, as those are determined by MSRP and residual.

That's not quite right. Lease downpayments do reduce finance charges. Those payments depend on the "capital cost" (which is reduced by a downpayment) and residual, not MSRP and residual.

dino001 · June 2006

That's not what I heard/read. I may be wrong, though or it may depend on the finance company. Perhaps specialists could say something about that?

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