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My 08 Accord has a handy oil-life sensor, that tells you when your estimated oil life is 30%, 10% (ie change it), whatever. Do most new cars these days have that? Does a vw?
As I said test deive an Infiniti G.
Carsditect has a manual infinit G with all the doo das for 33K in 92626 zip code. A much better choice compared to TSX.
And if you want to be in 20's then sonnata seems to be a good bet
Just my 2 cents.
"2010 Infiniti M35
MSRP: $46,665
Savings from MSRP: $10,414 without options"
10k off msrp! sounds like a great price on an amazing car.
But yes, maybe 30k and up is too rich for my blood. Hard to face car payments of more than 500 as far as the eye can see..
Maybe I should look back at Accord and Sonata...
Why can't you find an A3 with a stick?
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Thanks so much everyone for your help and advice. It's now done.
Probably could have found an A3 stick for near 30k, but after looking at a TSX for c.32k my wife sent me to studying the numbers. Yes, we could afford a car like that, but it would be a stretch, and did we really need to do that...?
In today's paper I found something different, but which met--in a way--our needs. There was an ad for a 2010 Mazda5 Sport with the 5 speed manual for $14,900--marked off c. $3800 from the pretty reasonable list price.
This was the base model, but it's fairly well equipped for what it is--alloy wheels, abs, stability, brake assist, 5 star crash rating, etc. Of course it also has an ok stereo, climate control, etc.
The dealer threw in the so called "Pro-Pack" that it had been set up with--cargo net, all weather mats, carpet mats, window tint, emergency kit, aftermarket Motorola bluetooth, etc. with a dealer list--admittedly inflated--of $1200, for free. The original dealer list of the car was $20k flat. So, if you believe in that (and I don't) we got 5k off. Still, the stuff in the pro pak is useful and nice. The emergency kit has a flashlight, reflectors, poncho, flare, tire guage, etc. It's cute.
They offered us $3800 for our 8 year old Accord with the manual and some issues. After hearing here what they might offer, I didn't look the gift horse in the mouth and just took it. Might have sold it myself for 1k more, but it would have been a hassle, and I would have pointed out every flaw and potential problem which probably would have killed the sale anyway.
Bottom line was 14.9k minus 3.8k for the trade +ttl and fees put us at 12,400. I politely refused the extended warranty several times until finally he came down to $800 for an 8 year/70,000 mi bumper to bumper, and then I decided what the heck and took it--and I threw in for him a genuine compliment on his nice tie. Everyone was happy as can be and we left all smiles and first names.
So--$13,200 was the final deal with trade for the puppy. So, not only less than 30k, or 20k, less than 15k otd with trade...!
I'll just have to keep saving and working for a real dream car of something like an Acura, Audi, or the like....Maybe the next car.
But for now, it does seem like a pretty good car for the money. And a lot of car. The thing weighs 3400lbs, can hold 6 people (if they're not big and you squeeze a bit), and with the seats folded it can hold a lot of stuff. Love the Honda Fit, but this is significantly bigger (and of course gets less mpg) and was less money than a comparable Fit.
So, the saga is over for me.
Again, many thanks to all for your thoughts. The helpful tips and positive spirit really helped. As did my 8 year old daughter who was there for the whole 3 hour buying process advising me and boosting my spirits. She likes the new car. As does the wife...
Sorry this is so long. I'll shut up now.
To answer your oil-change questions...Honda and GM are the only non-luxury brands I'm aware of that use the oil maintenance minder. GM actually "invented" it and I believe 1999 was the first year it was put in use. Honda uses the same technology and we also have that in our '05 Odyssey. I did an oil analysis on the Honda at 20% (about 5,500 miles for us) and the oil was in very good shape so I have no reason to question the system.
It doesn't seem to have an oil monitor. Too bad. I like that feature on my Honda. And it's good to hear your oil analysis confirmed that the thing works well and cautiously.
Mazda seems to throw in 2 years of maintenance on its cars. Or maybe it was just the dealer? Anyway, they've already scheduled our first free oil change for 3 months from now. Good deal.
Our Mazda5 came with aftermarket tinted windows. They seem a bit dark to me. I guess I'd rather not have tints like that. The dealer assured me the tints could be removed and that if we wanted that they'd do that for free. But how would they do that? Do they put a chemical on it or something? Does that work well? Are there downsides to removing tints? Maybe we'll get used to it...
Mazdas are very good and I am sire it will be a keeper for you
Didnt know it came in manual.
Sanjay
It's got fully independent multi-link rear suspension....but I know it's a long way from anything like an infiniti
What color did you get?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
And I love that the CC is much better than average and it is the same exact vehicle as the Passat (except for the sheet metal), which is only average.
Good example of why I find CR to be completely useless garbage.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I agree though, I've had several of CR's blackballed vehicles that were terrific. Generally though, almost all of my vehicles have been reliable which IMHO is the norm these days. But these companies have to keep themselves relevant so regardless of the delta....one is going to be better than the other I suppose.
The slowest vehicle I ever remember driving - even slower than my 69 Volvo - was a 63 bug. We'd get passed by pedestrians.
As you know, you can fold the two rows of seats flat the create a pretty nice cargo space. Our kids were thrilled when they saw this, and had us leave them in there as a kids play room for a while.
I think the acceleration is fine. Maybe with all the people and their luggage its sluggish, but it's peppy enough, esp. with the manual. Just keep it third and floor it and you have plenty of power for getting on the expressway.
Do you have any accessories gbrozen? Today I just bought (but have not yet had installed) a mazda roof rack, bike rack, and 15 cu foot lockable luggage box....With those things you should be able to take 6 people and their stuff without much problem...
Thought maybe you read that and took it to heart.
Ours is black. Not our first choice, but it was a used 2009 model we bought back in October. It is a Sport. Sounds like you paid for a new one about what we paid for the used one, to be honest. We did get them to install a moonroof for the price, though. Oh, and ours is an auto, so there's that, too.
As you'll see in that previous post I linked, I have NO problem with power in this car. Although, if it were a stick, I could see getting caught in the wrong gear. I do find the gears spaced pretty far apart, so you have to wind it out to make it move. Especially 1st to 2nd. If you shift too quick (when I'm using manual mode), its like the torque just dropped off a cliff.
The only Mazda accessory I got is the rear bumper protector. For aftermarket stuff, I've installed DVD with twin headrest monitors, iPod interface, and Sirius radio. I also have a set of black/chrome wheels sitting in the wings waiting for me to get motivated and buy new tires.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
"Yup. As a matter of fact, I just suggested one to someone on this board a couple of weeks ago.
Thought maybe you read that and took it to heart..."
Yes, you wrote that just before my first post here. I think I did take it to heart, but just not on a fully conscious level. I'd actually been looking over the few Mazda5s I've come across for a few years now. About 6 months ago I saw one our Kroger parking lot, and I thought something like, wow, that's a nice wagon. Weird, but nice. Then I read your post, but didn't fully absorb it somehow, and went off in the direction of Acura, Audi, mini, etc. But right after my wife brought me back to earth I saw that ad for a 5 for 14.9, and thought that it was a really low price. I was even thinking I might be able to live with an auto for that price, but when I looked it up on the dealer's web page I found out it was a manual. A few checks around showed that the 5 was recommended by some publications, including Edmunds, and so I gave it a look and we got it. But I bet your suggestion to someone else is a big part of what planted it in my mind...So--thanks!
Since my convertible doesn't convert anymore I am toying with the market again. I may still get teh top fixed. We'll see.
But thanks for the thanks.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
The Celica doesn't convert? What's wrong? Is that a power top? Is that just an electric motor or one of them there hi-drawl-ick doohickeys?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Am hoping someone will give me something to make it go away and getting something to replace it. What a shame Toyota never made manual Solaras.
How big is the backseat in that thing?
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
gbrozen: have you gotten used to that blind spot? I guess if you look carefully there's no way a car could hide there without you knowing it...
It took me a long time to figure out what people were referring to with this method because I had a very hard time finding a clear explanation. For example, this one on cartalk makes no sense to me. How far you lean will depend completely on the size of the car, the size of the person, etc, etc. It is inexact.
Here is my explanation, which was easily understood by my wife, so it MUST be easy for everyone. (LOL. yeah, yeah, boo hiss)
It is simple. For safety, do this while not moving. Set the rearview. Then, while looking at each sideview, set them so they are picking up the scenery right where the rearview ends.
In other words, when a car is coming up on your right, at one point, the car's left headlight will be in the far right of your rearview while its right headlight is in the far left of your sideview. This way, there is never a time a car is NOT in a mirror until it is right next to you, easily visible out your front side windows.
It takes a little getting used to, but after just a few miles of this on a highway, you'll wonder why you never had them set this way before.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'm a nut on mirrors. I will grant that not having much of a functioning left eye adds to it but, yeah, you ought to be able to completely trust your mirrors to see all around the car. Driving a convertible makes it a little trickier. Sharing a vehicle makes it nuts. Maybe I need to look more at that Volvo with memory for 3 drivers....
Whatever method you use, you can check if they are properly adjusted by looking in your mirrors and seeing if you can always see a car in one mirror or another as it is passing you, as the pictures here demonstrate: http://www.linquist.net/motorsports/tech/mirrors/
I like the way this one shows correct, too wide, and too narrow:
http://www.smartmotorist.com/car-accessories-fuel-and-maintenance/adjusting-your- -mirrors-correctly.html
My thought is the reason for the head leaning method is there may be times you will want to be able to see the side of your car and to do that you can just lean your head. I do this when backing around cars in my driveway just about every day.
We're going to try it out...
The last year for the older, better (for off-road use) model was in 2004, which is also the sweet spot in terms of used prices. They also don't have any of the parts involved in the Toyota recalls.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=275199809
This is a typical example. It's big, safe, and has plenty of space for kids. Just get some sliders and an internal roll cage put in and you're good to go.
What's my best bet given these restraints?
The 4cyl pickup idea is ok, but you're only going to get a reg cab with that engine and that's miserable in my book, even without passengers. Could be an option though.
I have similar needs. I drive about 30 miles on two-lane state routes, and then sometimes have to go back into mining/quarry roads that are very rough. Most drive real trucks or SUV's (with frames) otherwise they get destoryed quickly. I went with a Pathfinder this time (had a Tundra before) and overall it works out great. I average about 20mpg which isn't bad in my book, but if you want to do better you'll have to go with something more car-based.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
If you are willing to look older, I would recommend the previous generation Nissan Pathfinder/Infiniti QX4. They seem to be pretty refined yet also pretty tough off road.
A Toyota 4Runner of some sort might also be an option, but I'm not sure how well they ride as they seem to be less refined than the Pathfinder/QX4 duo.
The big downside is that the fuel economy, even with the V6, is terrible. But it is the best SUV currently made in terms of how it drives on the road and off the road.
That said, almost nothing with 4wd will get better than about 25mpg. A Tacoma 4x4 or say, an Isuzu or Mitsubishi or similar small 4x4 truck with a 4 cylinder engine might just get 25mpg, but not much more. That's why I recommended it. And the majority of them are almost the size of a full-size pickup from 20 years ago now. So they fare very well in terms of interior space, comfort, and most of all, crash-tests. Certainly nothing like the little nasty trucks of the late 90s.(GM aside - the Canyon is still a tiny piece of junk that a Tacoma towers over)
Note - there is another possible option that is overlooked, and that is the Jeep Patriot. It's rated at 27 highway and actually can get 30 on long highway drives. But check this review - it actually can handle off-roading:
http://www.expeditionwest.com/equipment/reviews/patriot/index.htm
It's the only thing that I can think of that will be good for commuting, get almost 30 mpg, and actually can do well off-road. Why? because it has a part-time 4x4 system, so it's 2wd most of the time. But unlike 95% of the small SUV competition, it's not an active 4x4(AWD) type system. That is, it doesn't try to out-think you or do its own thing. Unless you select it and manually lock the system into 4x4 mode. Then it stays there just like a real 4x4 or say, a Subaru(all wheels are always receiving power).
note - IIRC, the Rav-4 also has a locking transfer case option on one model. Without this, it's pretty much useless off-road.
Should I buy a Large SUV that will comfortably fit 7 (Sequoia, Expedition etc) or a Sedan (Accord, Altima etc) and a Mini Van (older model) for those occassional times when all of us need to go somewhere? I personally like SUVs and have a relatively short commute so Gas prices are not a barrier. I am consdering used vehicles.
Suggestions?
Now, which one, that's a harder question. I personally loathe front wheel drive, but you might not care. That said, you can get CPO large sedans for pennies on the dollar lately.(same with used large SUVs). If you must have cargo space, get a wagon.
The best wagon in terms of CPO price and performance is the CTS. Everything else is bland(Volvo/etc), uninspiring(Flex), too small(TSX/etc), or has terrible reliability(BMW/Audi/etc). It's fantastic as a daily driver. The only ones that are close to it are the Mercedes and BMW wagons, but they will eat you alive in repairs and upkeep. The rest are simply boxes made for 4 people plus some cargo.
Large sedans, though, are easier to shop - I just thought that I'd get the one decent wagon out of the way.
My short list would be:
- Any of the larger Cadillac or Buick sedans. Get the largest engine you can, though - a V6 is NG with a car this heavy. I especially like the Lucerne CXS(V8). Reminded my of a Mercedes S420 from the late 90s, which is amazing for GM to pull off. The Cadillac DTS is under-appreciated but depreciates quickly. Yet, it's a nice vehicle. The new STS is even better.
- The Ford Taurus or a Mercury Grand Marquis - Big cars are really nice. The trunk space is immense in both. The Marquis has the same trunk space as the cargo area of a Fit(!). But sure to get one that hasn't been used in a fleet/as a taxi/limo/etc. This is only 5-10% of the entire sales, so you might have to search a bit, though it's well worth it, IMO.
- Lexus ES/GS/Acura TL. These are also nice, but you might be looking at 5+ years old for something that's affordable. A bit un-inspiring. Also consider the Toyota Avalon, though it's as bland as white undies.
- Infiniti M35. It's big, it's luxurious. It's the most reliable luxury sedan currently, slightly beating out Lexus. But CPO, there's a huge difference in price. Like the Volvo S80, it's off of most people's radar, so it can be a great deal a couple of years used.
- Hyundai also makes a nice full-size sedan. It didn't drive better than most of the others, though - just inexpensive and decent enough.(reminded me of the Lexus, honestly - a bit plain and needing some more soul.
My top CPO picks out of that are the CTS/STS and the Lucerne (V8). Second place goes to the Grand Marquis as you can get one 1-2 years old for about 20K. I'm driving one now as a daily driver and even at 11 years old, everything still works. It's essentially as tough as a SUV. Repairs are half the cost of most other vehicles as well.