# Advice on buying a car … yes now … groan **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 18, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164 "2022-11-18T19:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/21 "2022-11-19T21:17:50Z")
The Scion _Toaster_ is the absolute champ on interior space vs exterior footprint. The only other thing even close IME is the > **[Mercedes-Benz G-Class](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class)** > > The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, sometimes colloquially called the G-Wagen (as an abbreviation of Geländewagen) is a four-wheel drive automobile manufactured by Magna Steyr (formerly Steyr-Daimler-Puch) in Austria and sold by Mercedes-Benz. Originally developed as a military off-roader, later more luxurious models were added to the line. In certain markets, it has been sold under the Puch name as Puch G until 2000. > The G-Wagen is characterised by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction. It use... The OP might be surprised at how cheap an older one is. Lots of glitzy features to fail, but the basic machine is pretty darn stout & long-lived. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/22 "2022-11-19T23:05:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The Scion _Toaster_ is the absolute champ on interior space vs exterior footprint. It’s a brilliant design. I don’t know why no one else has started making it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/23 "2022-11-19T23:12:34Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’m curious why you would choose a minivan. We owned minivans when we had a small child, and it was awesome for getting the kid in and out of the car seat. The big sliding door is useful for getting people into the third row seats as well. > > Other than that, a compact SUV had it beat in every way. More fuel efficient, smaller, easier to park, better handling, better in winter, etc. After we no longer needed the child seat, we got rid of the minivan as soon as we could. > > I see minivans as niche vehicles for big families or special purposes. Outside of that they are a compromise. In my experience, anyway. To me, a minivan is much more practical than an SUV. First, I find the seats more comfortable. Second, it’s easier to get in and out of. If I’m hauling stuff, it’s easier to load and unload. I don’t believe SUVs are more fuel efficient than minivans; just the opposite, I think. They’re also more safe, both for the passengers and the people you hit. SUVs do much more damage to pedestrians than minivans (I was hit by a minivan once, mostly unscathed after a night in the hospital and a week of limping around). Mnivan manufacturing also has a smaller environmental footprint than SUV manufacturing. I don’t drive offroad and I rarely am going to be driving in severe winter weather, so I don’t need an SUV’s superior handling. The one thing might be that SUVs are easier to park, but that might be just a marginal advantage, especially with modern rear camera technology, etc. And I’ve rented both SUVs and minivans in the past couple of years. I had a much better experience with minivans. I don’t care that they have a “soccer mom” reputation. That’s all superficial nonsense. I’m not going trolling for dates in my car anyway. (And if I were: Much more comfortable inside!) If I could, I’d get a Ford Econoline or Volkswagen Minibus type thing, but I don’t think they really make those any more. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/24 "2022-11-19T23:15:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The OP might be surprised at how cheap an older one is. Lots of glitzy features to fail, but the basic machine is pretty darn stout & long-lived. My credit union won’t finance something that’s too old. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/25 "2022-11-19T23:16:49Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Of course if you’re interested in a minivan you might as well look at the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna, too. And Kia makes a minivan that I can’t remember the name of at the moment. I’ll definitely look into those. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/26 "2022-11-19T23:50:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The OP might be surprised at how cheap an older one is. Lots of glitzy features to fail, but the basic machine is pretty darn stout & long-lived. Like airplanes, cheap old luxury cars are cheap because they are a fortune to maintain. A G Wagon is also really expensive to insure. According to CarEdge, you can expect to pay about $16,500 on maintenance in the first ten years of the vehicle’s life, and it goes up to about $3,000 per year after that. And that assumes no major failures like engine or transmission. A transmission replacement can cost $8,000. Four rotors and brake pads can run $3000, or $7,000 for the AMG, > **[Mercedes-Benz G-Class Maintenance Schedule and Costs](https://caredge.com/mercedes-benz/g-class/maintenance)** > > Maintenance for a Mercedes-Benz G-Class will cost about $16,561 after 10 years. View Mercedes-Benz recommended scheduled maintenance for the G-Class. The same is true for a lot of old expensive cars. There are used supercars out there that you can buy for a few tens of thousands, but the first time you need a brake job you’ll understand why. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2022, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/27 "2022-11-19T23:57:08Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t care that they have a “soccer mom” reputation. That’s all superficial nonsense. I’m not going trolling for dates in my car anyway. (And if I were: Much more comfortable inside!) > > If I could, I’d get a Ford Econoline or Volkswagen Minibus type thing, but I don’t think they really make those any more. There’s nothing wrong with a minivan if it fits your personal use dases better. And I don’t care about the ‘soccer mom’ label either. I don’t define myself by the car I drive. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/28 "2022-11-20T03:14:28Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The same is true for a lot of old expensive cars. There are used supercars out there that you can buy for a few tens of thousands, but the first time you need a brake job you’ll understand why. Agreed. There are ways to keep them alive more cheaply if you’re willing to wrench some yourself & scrounge parts, but you have to look at the car as semi-disposable. If it shits a transmission, you’re not going to replace the tranny; you’re going to sell the now non-running car as used parts to somebody who works on that model and get a different car. You can own an older semi-supercar relatively (!) cheaply by buying it well down the depreciation curve, running it a couple years and selling it a bit farther down the flat part of the depreciation curve before your luck runs out. Lather rinse repeat. Until your luck runs out. Definitely not a game for fat-cats who don’t need to play it nor for folks looking for basic transportation to their basic job who can’t afford to play it. But there is a group in the middle who can have some fun with it while it lasts. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2022, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/29 "2022-11-20T12:17:16Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Mazda CX-5. Mine is a 2016 and I have no complaints at 225 pounds. I’m a pretty big (though not tall) guy and I find my '20 Mazda CX-5 pretty much perfect. I had a list of six vehicles I intended to test drive before coming to a decision. the CX-5 was the first one I drove. It turned out to be the only one I drove. It also ranks very high in safety features, which I have come to appreciate. mmm ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/30 "2022-11-21T04:05:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t drive offroad and I rarely am going to be driving in severe winter weather, so I don’t need an SUV’s superior handling. It sounds like you’re thinking of SUVs from ~20 years ago. “Crossovers” would probably be a more accurate term to describe most of the vehicles people are calling “SUVs” in this thread. Apart from their taller stance, they’re really more like a modern version of the station wagon. They have much more car-like ride and handling than the trucky SUVs of old. And although I haven’t looked it up, more car like fuel economy, I believe. While many have all wheel drive available as an option, for most of them the standard model is front wheel drive. They don’t really have any off road capability to speak of, nor do they claim to. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/31 "2022-11-21T13:10:51Z")
The current batch of compact pickups are very good, very practical, and my Colorado gets real-world 24mpg (to be fair, my commute NEVER puts me in traffic and is pretty much a perfect constant 50mph). Colorado/Canyon; Ranger; Tacoma would be the ones I’d look at. Get the crew cab and short bed and they aren’t overly large but have lots of space inside (mine is a small cab with long bed, but carrying lumber and dirt/stone was important to me). Don’t count them out because you don’t see yourself as a truck person. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2022, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164/32 "2022-11-21T19:39:18Z")
Has anyone been new car shopping recently and can comment on whether there’s still a shortage of vehicles with what’s available selling for over list price? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-buying-a-car-yes-now-groan/975164.md?page=1)