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Comments
Won't work for cpo but there is a used car dealer I know who will look for a particular car that I want and buy it at auction - pass on all the fees + transportation and detailing to me then add on a reasonable profit for his efforts. May check that out as well. Don't if thats risky but he knows cars and has gotten folks good deal in the past. Lots of cars for sale with auction carfaxes so I suppose nothing out of the ordinary. Any thoughts?
thanks again.
My wife runs a 2004 X3 2.5. In 88k miles it's needed one warranty repair- a passenger seat SRS sensor. It needed tires at 45k and pads and rotors on all four wheels at 60k. Right now maintenance and repair costs are averaging a bit under 3 cents per mile. We're going to pass it on to my son in a couple of years, at which point my wife wants either an X1 or a Clubman.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
The buy at auction option is a good idea, since frnakly, that's where whatever used car the dealer sells you probably came from, but with way more mark up. Just make sure the guy doing the buying knows what he is looking at, and is picky.
That, and stay with something with enough BtoB warranty left that any issues that crop up will be taken care of.
I know a guy that does this with Volvos. Flat auction cost, plus ~$1,200 mark up, but he does a full inspection, service and detail, and he is extremely picky. And if you want it CPO'd, he can get that done for basically dealer cost of the warranty.
So, same car the volvo dealer will be happy to sell you can be bought for thousands less this way.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I kid you not, I passed one of those on the interstate today, and it was pulling an open-top U-Haul trailer. The rear end of the car was sagging way, way down, and it was moving very slowly.
Peace and love to all.
See, a CPO car is nice, but the spread between wholesale and retail can approach $5k, you DO get a fully reconditioned car and you DO get a warranty, but you pay for all that.
I used to charge about $800+/- depending on the customer to do it.
Also, I like the reasoning when discussing the M3 vs the Honda Civic. There doesn't seem to be a good case for chasing the MPG gains from a pure dollar standpoint and maybe more importantly (would be for me) factoring in the pleasure of sliding into the M in the morning versus the chore of climbing into the Civic. And then there's the driving.
Regards, DQ
May as well get that over the Civic. At least you'd have real savings in fuel costs.
The auto isn't bad, it's just that the Mazda's replacement will be my track rat and that makes a stick mandatory. Speaking of which, I found a 2007 328xi coupe today- Space Gray/Coral Red. Gorgeous. Priced right. But an automatic.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I'm definitely looking at a used Civic 07-08 or so. I owe $5k on my car and will most likely get the used Civic and pay it off out right. So in a addition to my fuel savings I'll also be dropping a $250 per month car payment and hopefully some additional insurance costs as well.
I did consider continuing to run my car down but with fuel costs rising and my car being out of warranty I don't want to run the risk of being hit with higher variable costs down the road.
Thanks again, I do appreciate your input everyone!
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
If you owe only $5,000 on the curent ride, and you can buy the Civic outright, why not just pay it off and keep it? The fuel savings will take a VERY long time to add up to the depriciation that you are taking on the Infinity.
You already know the service history of the Infinity, and you have taken the hit on the depriciation, might as well enjoy it until the wheels fall off.
And if you drive the Infinity the way you will be drving the Civic (gentle acceleration, lots of coasting, cruising to a stop rather than racing from light to light) you may even achieve similar gas mileage. However, if you are planning on driving the Civic aggresively, be prepared to never achieve the EPA estimated fuel economy. Winding the small engine to the redline to get every little bit of performance will cost in increased fuel use, probably matching that of the Infinity, without the thrill of the convertible.
A neat trick to get better fuel economy is to skip gears, i.e. shift 1-3-5 instead of going through all the gears. This way the throttle stays wide open longer, but the RPMs are low due to the taller gearing...
Keep the infiniti. Financially it might be a wash
but you will regret going from M to Civic... specially when you WILL figure out that you have not saved much.
Also you have only 5K left on the car... either pay it off and you have no recurring payment or keep the loan as you have paid most of the interest already.
Infiniti M is one of the most reliable cars out there... you know the history.
If for any reason you do decide to go with civic please check with civic maint. forums. 4 or 5 year old civics & CRV's are known to have air conditioning problems.
In my opinion,this would be a very very bad choice. You are not saving anything. the Infiniti will be good for another 5 years-then you can spend 17k at that time- and newer models and more fuel efficient models would be there... Just my opinion though.I personally absolutely would never trade the Infiniti and buy the Civic.. CR has good reliability ratings for Infiniti..
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
OTOH,used Civics are poor deals used.. A 1 or2 yr Civic is not that cheaper than a new one..But if fuel saving is top priority and badge is not a problem then a 1 yr old used Hyundai can be a very good bargain..I would also look at a used Prius.The Prius battery has proven to be very very reliable.. His choice though... If he likes the driving dynamics of the Civic then he should go for it !!
After trade in he will have 15K...that will buy him 2007 civic
After 5 years and his high mile driving Infiniti M and Civic probably be worth the same
Not much savings...
As you said used Hyundai makes more sense. Used Honda's attract stupid money
I personally would NOT be happy driving a Civic that much, or, truthfully, at all. But then I am used to driving Luxury cars and the extra expenses related to driving them are worth every penny to me.
OTOH, that M35 is not worth anywhere near $20,200, if the dealer is ACVing the car for that, it does sway things I suppose.
But you pays your money.......
This deal whether it's at $13k or less for the Civic will ultimately give me back some money out the door plus a paid off Civic.
I also understand the pain of giving up the M, but this is temporary. I want to get a convertible next year. The Civic will be my work horse to get back and forth to work, while the convertible is for the weekends.
thanks in advance.
And a used Civic even with 100k miles can get you atleast 3k private party plus it is very reliable and fuel efficient.So savings everywhere ! :P ...
white with grey cloth interior, not overly worn but have had two dogs in there frequently
~120,000 miles
standard features for EX (moonroof, power locks/windows, cruise, automatic, 4 cylinder)
running fine - regular maintenance; plugs/wires 1 year; battery & brakes(pads & rotors) & michelin tires 1.5 years; struts/exhaust/fuelpump/belts/fluids/all that good stuff at around 80K
no accidents but it was stolen about 5 years ago & they took some random things like hood hinges, a tire, speakers, etc. Insurance covered repairs.
aftermarket sony XM/cd radio and polk speakers
body has minor scratches, no rust that i have seen, small chip in windshield from years ago on passenger side
in Columbus Ohio
i want/need to get a slightly larger car or i'd probably hang onto it for a while longer. Looking at a CR-V or Outback, new.
Can you give me estimates on trade & private party values please? thanks
thanks,
Lisa
2007 Honda Civic EX Coupe
Auto
17000 miles
galaxy gray exterior/gray interior
no damage
Louisville, KY area
Thank you.
Reality is.. $2k as a trade, you might get $2200-2300 on a real push, but that's basically a $2k car wholesale.
Bill
They'll do that across the auction block... CR-Vs are "Shipper cars" and exporters often don't care about the odometer readings it seems.
2007 Mazdaspeed3
Wagon
2.3 Turbo Four/Six Speed Manual
FWD
52,000 miles
Blue Gray Mica/Black
Grand Touring Package(Includes leather, xenons, Bose stereo w/six disc changer), Wheel locks
Excellent condition, no dings or chips Factory powertrain warranty to 60K miles.
Tires need to be replaced within the next 1,000 miles
Brakes 90% worn
Maintenance current(5K mile synthetic oil changes + all Mazda recommended service)
Trade and retail on these two:
In Louisville:
2008 BMW 128i
Coupe
3.0 liter I6 manual
RWD
17,700
Sedona Red/Tan w'Gloss Black trim
Sunroof, Premium sound, Comfort Access, Xenons
Excellent shape, BMW CPO
In Cincinnati:
2003 BMW M3
Coupe
I6 manual
RWD
72,558
Imola Red/Black w/Aluminum trim
Sunroof, Harman-Kardon, Cold Weather Package, Premium Package, Xenons, folding rear seats
Excellent shape, service history
Many thanks!!!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
This may not be the right forum, but it surely is the right crowd here. I would like some advice on what to buy as a long-distance car.
I've had lots of cars in my checkered past; most of them at the low end of the spectrum, most of them used, and most of those very used indeed. I've never had any use for a truly "nice" car as my commute is 5 miles round-trip, half of it takes place on a college campus -- some years back, I got rearended twice in one semester -- and i bike 90% of the time anyway. So any car will do for "transportation."
But at some point in the middle distance, might not be until the fall, I'd like to buy a good 'vacation' car. Something that is comfortable, high quality, quiet, handles well, and eats up the miles. Classy looks would help, but no bling, please. No SUVs. Budget: $5,000 to $12,000. "Old" doesn't scare me in a quality car if parts are available. I know a good mechanic or two.
What I'm shooting for is a something like a newer incarnation of the W124 Benz, or even the corresponding S class before they got ridiculous. You know what I mean: Solid, not flashy, well put together and there's a way to make them last a quarter century with proper maintenance schedule. I know this works with Benzes cause I see them when I visit the old country.
One candidate is the Acura RL through '04. I like the looks, and their values drop like a brick.
There's of course the 5-series BMW, but I don't like the baggage that comes with the roundel. Audi A6 maybe, but Oy! the pain and suffering. Infiti Q or M I know almost nothing about. I'm not after power, but I don't want a barge.... Toyota Avalon is an idea, but handling is cheesy.
Anyway, I think y'all get the flavor. Advice? Opinions?
Thanks in advance,
-Mathias
What about a Camry SE? From what I've read, the SE model with the sport suspension is a different animal than the more pedestrian versions.
You might look at the Volvo S60 and V70. They are one of the few European cars in that price range that are recommended by Consumer Reports. I'd avoid the early models with the five-speed automatic if possible (check with a Volvo expert for specific years). The early ones have transmission issues. From most accounts, the 2.5 turbo and non-turbo engines are tough-as-nails reliable.
For you, the early S0s might be a better bet. Qbrozen just bought a 2001, the first year of the remodel (bringing with it the 5 speed AT), and they did have a few glitches (likely remidied by now I would guess).
A 2000 S0 SE might be perfect. Solid, reliable, loaded, pretty bullet proof, and cheap enough. ANd, you can get it as a wagon if you want.
Newer? A Mazda 3 is probably too small for your criteria.
If you want to get real adventerous, there is always SAAB.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The RL is a depreciation nightmare, so that might be worth a look too. The swedes do have great seats which makes them good distance cars. I have a friend with a 04 Saab 9-3 aero he bought new and now has 180k on...it has been rock solid reliable. It has to be a fluke. And if you're looking at the Avalon, the Hyundai Azera might be worth a look. Shoot, I recently saw a low mile Mercury Marauder for 12k...there 's something you don't see too often, and its handling was rated better than you'd expect by the media at the time. Anyhow, lots of options out there...have fun. :shades:
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Mazda3- around 9k and then deduct for brakes and tires--so around 8.5k
BMW 1 - around 20k trade: CPO costs about 1.5k-2k per vehicle but since it is a very new car not sure too much was invested in the CPO process,so retail around 24-25k asking.
BMW 3 - around 8k trade,so retail 10k-11k asking. Also a BMW with high mileage can be a money pit as they age poorly and have lots of reliability problems.
The folks in the car biz can give you a more accurate "estimate" and not just a " Guesstimate" :P
We've been down that road before; my personal experience with nine BMWs over 25 years doesn't reflect that. In any event, keep repeating it. It keeps the prices down for the cognoscenti.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Now back to the original topic...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive