What car should I buy?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Sneevil,

A Ford Contour is a Ford Mondeo in Europe, and it’s a big hit. However, it is associated with the “wrong” kind of people mostly, especially the stationwagons. Especially in the UK, where the Mondeo is a good replacement for what one seemed to keep “Sierra Man” happy :smiley:

The Focus is in the Top 3 of best selling cars in Europe, together with the Opel/Vauxhall Astra and the VW Golf. None of them would be my choice, but as said, the Focus is reliable and corners extremely well. The styling is a “love it” or “hate it” thing, I suppose.

22

I scavanged the usual used car websites - limiting it to dealers, as I need financing and getting a bank loan when buying the car from the guy down the street is near impossible - and got a list of cars that met or were close to my criteria.

I submit it HERE for your approval.

Now, I positively did not waver when it came to needing automatic transmission (I can drive a stick, but why?) and air conditioning (even though I don’t use it a ton, when I need it, I need it!) and price (I’ll pay a bit more for a new car, but a used car better be cheaper plus the financing is often better for new vehicles, so my monthy payments would be the same either way).

However, cruise control and ABS are simply nice things to have for me, but I’d take a car that is a better value without them if it feels right. In addition, a few cars edged over 50,000 miles, but seemed like good deals.

The “Value” heading is the book value for selling the car from the Edmonds website, and the (+/-) column is how much more or less the book value is. A high number means good deal, whereas a negative number means to bargain with them! :smiley:

Drain Bead, who helped me with my search and offered opinions, absolutely LOVES the 1996 Mercury Sable there, and I am inclined to agree! It’s a beautiful car…

Check it out at the Yahoo Ad, or the ad at getauto.com. It does look really nice, and it’s also listed over two grand under book value and comes with all of the options I want.

I’m sure because I like the car, it is bound to be sold already… But unless someone tells me that this car is a death trap, I am putting it at the top of my list!

Anyway, as you can tell, I am at least doing my homeework…

Yer pal,
Satan

[sub]TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Three months, four weeks, 21 hours, 37 minutes and 47 seconds.
4796 cigarettes not smoked, saving $599.50.
Life saved: 2 weeks, 2 days, 15 hours, 40 minutes.[/sub]

"Satan is not an unattractive person."-Drain Bead
[sub]Thanks for the ringing endoresement, honey!*[/sub]

23

Ummm be sure to get the Consumer Reports car issue. Boy, are those loaded with information you’d like.

If you can rent the car you’d like from a rental place first, you should. That way you can get a feel to see if you like it. Rental car places often sell them once they have about 20,000 miles on them. They are a great buy.

I think that priceline.com sells cars too but I think that way might be a little too quick.

24

  1. don’t buy any car from a Toyota sales office, unless you are prepared to be savagely ripped off. Trust me on this dude, I know where-of I speak. Nissan is next and Honda aint so good either.

  2. If you buy new, buy the Saturn. If you can afford it, get the SL2.

  3. Yes, get the ABS brakes: how much is your life worth? But go out and practice stopping a few times with them.

  4. Used cars: either from a new car dealer, or, better- from an individual. The best buys are those cars being sold because the dude can’t handle the payments any more. Used car lots buy a lot of "bad’ used cars, and they don’t give a shit. A new car dealer got theirs in a trade-in, and wants you to come back someday and buy new. Again: no Toyota dealers. Run, don’t walk.

25

Satan, a couple of things to remember:

USED CAR finance loan…anywhere from 12-16 %.
NEW CAR loan…average about 8%, some of them are offering as low as 2.9%. And some are offering “Cash back” deals. All translate into money

USED CAR warranty… 10,000 miles or more, maybe up to two years warranty.
NEW CAR Warranty …3 years and for about 3-5 bucks a month added to your payment you can purchase up to 3 more years on your warranty giving you as much as 5-6 years of care free driving. ( also something to keep in mind when buying a used car.)

My Nissan frontier crew cab has 7 years bumper to bumper wrap around warranty.

If you are floating a loan for your car have your tax title and license figured in with it…it will save you the out of pocket expense at the moment and will only add a small amount of change to the monthly payment. ( in most states)

Walk on a lot if you so desire…just tell the salesman you want to deal with the finance officer for the dealership and that it is nothing personal.

Also some dealerships get a rebate from the factory up to 1000 bucks for each car sold over a certain number… so they can afford to sell yours to you at or under factory invoice.

If your credit is triple A then be ruthless. Dealerships sell cars to people all the time that have less than good credit. The difference is that those folks pay twice as much for a car than those with good credit.

There you go then…no charge. :slight_smile:

26

Try http://www.autotrader.com.

You input your zip code, and what you are looking for, and how far you are willing to go to get it. Then it pops up appropriate ads. I think it’s for used cars only.

[I am feeling favorably inclined towards autotrader at the moment. I found my dream vehicle there tonight. Assuming the mechanic’s inspection and the NJ State inspection (f*** you, Christie!) go okay tomorrow, then it’s all mine. I’ll tell you what it is once I own it. I don’t wanna jinx anything!]

27

I have a Mirage, which was originally sold here as a Dodge Colt (also an Eagle by some other american co). My first car was a Dodge Colt. I’ve gotten good service from these two cars, and my ex only buys these cars and has gotten very good service from them. (One he put 250,000 miles on before it got ruined in a flood; however, he had also replaced then engine on that one at about 200,000 miles, the next one was totaled in a wreck.)

28

Green Bean said, “We wanted to purchase a Subaru Outback in 1998.”

Woo hoo!! A Subaru Outback owner!!

mr. obfusciatrist and I are saving money to buy an Outback stationwagon. By our calculations it’ll take another couple of years to save the money, but we’d rather do that than get auto financing. By then we’re hoping Subaru releases the six-cylinder stick shift version in the US. Not cheap by any means, but as you noticed, these cars hold tremendous resale value. Nobody wants to sell them!!

29

I’d go Japanese, their engineers (BTW, I have an engineering degree) are amazing and IMO the best in the world. You would like a reliable car right? For $9,000 I’d go with a 3-4 year used Honda Accord (Civic is okay). Take great care of it and it will go to 300,000 miles with only minor problems along the way. And they hold their value well too (i.e. don’t depreciate fast). Of course search around because you want to get a car that has been well taken care of by the previous owner. Unless you have a lot of money I would stray away from a new off-the-lot car. I wouldn’t go Euro (sorry Coldie) because they’re not as reliable as the Jap. cars, and MUCH more expensive to fix.

30

Don’t you know the jingle?

Eight out of ten say DeSoto Again

That’s a pretty reliable car!

31

cheezit: I understand that the costs to repair imports - at least in the class of car I am looking at (i.e. smaller and cheaper economy models) - is pretty much the same as with the domestic cars of the same creed.

Blue Twylight: I’m glad you commented that 15 grand was closer to your price… I was about to storm into my Saturn dealer and ask him about how you got that car so cheap! Of course, I doubt I can afford a car in that neighborhood, and the best the dealer could do on a model would be in the 13-14 grand figure, which pushes me as well. Unless I get approved for some super financing (the kind that usually only home owners get), I don’t think I can afford anything but a bare-bones SL, and that defeats the purpose. :frowning:

Green Bean: It seems that Toyota Corollas - those that have what I need on it - are too much cash unless they have a shit-load of miles on them, and then it defeats the purpose, IMHO.

Doug Bowe: I already went into dealerships, but have no worry. Since I was able to show them my list with their competition and their invoice prices - and since I know that they are trying to get rid of the 2000’s right now - and since my credit is decent, and since Ii know exactly what I am looking at, I can more than hold my own with any car salesperson right now. The used research I did gives me even more strength.

In fact, after I test drove a car, spending most of the time doing the talking myself about the engine’s HP, size and other things - the guy said, “Do you want a job?” and I don’t think he was kidding! :slight_smile:

Sneevil: You seem to be urging me to “Buy American!” Don’t you know that all American makers use German engineering, buy parts from Japan and assemble them in mexico? :wink:

Ultimately, my research into this tells me that there is no “American vs. Import” argument that makes sense anymore. However, the Korean cars (Daewoo, Kia) are on the bottom of my list due to relative newness in this market (The US).

beatle: While I realize that a decent car used can make more financial sense than a new car, I would rather get new for the reassurance that for at least five years/100,000 miles, if I maintain the car properly (and I do), I will be able to jump into my car and know that it will start and get me to my destination is important to me. Especially after many years of cheap junkers which were always a crap-shoot.

Now, due to finances, I am not against getting a used car - you can see what I limited it to. But I cannot buy from an individual because I need financing and getting independent financing - unless you are a home owner (which I am not) is almost impossible.

Also, I am not a huge “name” person with cars. Oh, there are some makes and models which I know are “evil,” and I approach them with appropriate caution. However, if I do have a preference, it is with Ford since I learned how to drive on a 1970 Maverick (with a "three on the tree!) and my last Escort was reliable and cheap, and the dealership here gave me a great experience with the Escort.

If I was a bit more mechanically inclined and had the money to get the appropriate tools, I would be more likely to get a car with some more miles on it as well.

But ultimately, I see cars as having finite life-spans before they start nickel-and-diming you to death and/or have some major engine or trainy problem that costs you a grand and a half to fix. While some may be closer to 200,000 than 100,000 miles for this rule of thumb, the fact is that if a car is not taken care of it takes away that life, and every mile on a used car that I did not witness could have very well been not-as maintained or in an accident or SOMETHING which hurts me no matter how well I run with the baton.

handy: Consumer Reports, while… Um… handy, costs money to subscribe on their website, and since they do not take any advertisements in print or there, I do not begrudge them this. I also do not wish to pay for it, especially since I have a wealth of other sources to draw my conclusions on. (Including all of the Teeming Millions! :))

You are correct that many cars used to be rental cars, especially in the class I am currently looking. In fact, I signed up for the service at http:/www,carfax.com where you can track the mileage and tiitles issued and the Escort I was driving started out its life as a rental for a major rental company in Norfolk, VA! :cool:

Danielinthewolvesden: Had a bad experience with a Toyota dealer, eh?

But yes, you’re right, the Saturn is high on my list. But I don’t know if I can swing it. The dealer knows my limitations, so the ball is in his court to make it work financially for me.

ABS is on my list since I got into my accident, but I know I cannot afford a new car with them. We will see…

Yes, you’re right, I can get a better deal buying the car from Bob in the classifieds, but who will finance me? :eek: As such, I am sticking with the large dealerships who handle used vehicles. They also are (recently) really stepping up how they prep the cars for you - 100+ point inspections of cars (even those not their own), good warranty extensions which only tack on a couple of bucks a month to a payment - so you feel like you are getting a “new” car even though you’re not. (My Escort had 40,000 miles on it and was a dream).

aha: You are a paragon of information, all of which I concur with! :slight_smile: Yes, everything you said is EXACTLY why I would take a more expensive new car even if it’s from a manufacturer that has a better car that’s a step up which I could afford only with 30,000 miles on it (such as Honda with the new Civic vs. older Accord debate that someone alluded to earlier).

Yes, a more advantageous car loan means everything here. Ultimately, I don’t much care what the final amount of money I pay on the car is - whether it’s a $7,000 used one or a $13,000 new one. What I care bout is keeping my payments in the $225-250 range (I was paying $2525 on the Escort).

Green Bean: I not only tried Auto Trader online, I also bought the book for my local area! :slight_smile: Many of the cars are from private sellers, which precludes me from being able to purchase them (again, the financing).

Also, the search engine blows there. You have to check my make and model, which - while great for someone like beatle who wants a Beemer and nothing else - stinks for someone whose criteria is based on price, mileage and anemities.

So I checked it for all of the makes and models that I found elsewhere only, which means I might have missed a good deal on a car I wouldn’t have thought within my price range. Oh well…

Yer pal,
Satan

[sub]TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Three months, four weeks, one day, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 18 seconds.
4811 cigarettes not smoked, saving $601.47.
Life saved: 2 weeks, 2 days, 16 hours, 55 minutes.[/sub]

"Satan is not an unattractive person."-Drain Bead
[sub]Thanks for the ringing endorsement, honey!*[/sub]

32

Satan

It depends a lot also on just what it is you’re looking for in a car. I’ve had so many lemons that, this last time, my primary criterion was dependability and service. If that happens to be yours as well, I promise you that you can do no better than a Saturn.

I’ll share a coupla stories:

[ul]
[li]It is the only place I’ve ever seen where you can stay in the garage with your car while it’s being serviced, watch everything they do with your car, and ask questions (and have them answered!).[/li][li]My mechanic is a farmer, and brings me fresh produce whenever I schedule in season service. No one at Ford ever did that for me.[/li][li]He once came to get my car when it was inconvenient for me to take it in. When he brought it back, he took me out to lunch.[/li][li]They once found a spot on the carpet under the seat and replaced the entire carpet at no charge.[/li][li]The first time I ever took my car in for its 3,000 mile service, I was standing at a window drinking a Pepsi. Some guy walked up to me and asked if I bought the Pepsi from the drink machine down the hall. I said yes. He pulled a dollar out of his pocket and gave it to me. “Our guests don’t buy drinks,” he explained.[/li][/ul]

One more thing: If you do any mountain driving, the car has an incredibly accurate and smooth automatic transmission, never needlessly changing gears. You can just keep it in “D” for all but the steepest mountains.

33

A few months ago after researching and test-driving cars, I ended up buying a Focus ZX3. Bottom line: It’s not bad.

One car I missed test driving was the new Nissa Sentra. A couple of months later my SO ended up buying one, and let me just say I’m jealous. The Sentra’s not quite as cool looking as the ZX3, but it’s very effective for the money.

34

I leased a 2000 Nissan Sentra GXE. It’s awesome!!!
Sticker price $14,900. Standard it comes loaded!
Cruise control, air cond, power locks/windows, airbags, cd player, thingy on keychain that locks doors and opens trucks.

It rides smooth and has an awesome interior. I also test drove the Suzuki Esteem which is just a tad cheaper. I felt it was definitely worth the extra cash for the Nissan as a Esteem with the same options would be more expensive. I’ve only had the NIssan for the weekend, but so far I LOVE IT!!!

Test drive one! I highly recommend it
BTW, my payment is only $220 w/ tax. That’s about as low as it gets for a new car.

35

Satan;

You realize Click & Clack lean heavily toward buying used cars. The depreciation involved in driving a new car off the lot is significant; you generally get more car for the money with a used car. If you decide to go “used”, check out a Subaru. I’ve got a Legacy, and I love it. As the ad says, the beauty of All-Wheel Drive, and they’re very reliable. Both the Legacy and the Impreza are recommended by Consumer Reports. Well built, reliable, practicle, & fun to drive. The big snow strom that paralyzed Our Fair State last winter? I got around fine the day after the storm thanks to the AWD.

When I got mine (used), it seems Subarus were a bit of an unknown in these parts, and I stole it - '94, bought it in '95, 15K miles, AWD, ABS, Turbo, got it for about $15,000, blue book was around $19,000. Times may have changed, but it may be worth a look.

My Legacy is a bit long in the tooth, but if you want to see how a '94 with ~100K on it drives, you’re welcome to check it out sometime. Just let me know, and we can hook up.

Shaky Jake

36

  1. Don’t buy first year production models.

  2. Buy from the factory if you are near one [dunno if you can but it would seem the best route].

  3. bestoffer.com has used cars with full warrenties.

37

Be careful about telling the dealership what you want to pay a month for your car. Approach it from the total cost of the car.

An example. You go a dealership and say “That’s the EXACT car I want and I don’t want to pay more than 250.00 a month for it.” Then when you get to the financing part, you find out that they have met your demand but instead of financing for 36 months they have stretched the payments to 60 months in order to meet your 250.00 a month limit. By then they hope that you have “emotionally comitted” to owning that car and will go through with the deal. Of course that translates into more interest payed and adds greatly to the overall price of the car.

Go in there and tell them this:

I don’t want my payments to be over 250.00 month for three years. That fixes the price of the car right there. Once you get that straight you can start gouging them a bit by asking them to include TT&L on the price of the car or giving you more for your car on trade in.

If you are trading a car make sure they tell you what they are giving you for your old car. Don’t let them say shit like…well we can’t find a buyer for your car so it’s nearly worthless. That is pure BS.

Then irritate the shit out of them by asking for free oil changes, mats, free tank of gas, etc etc

Hell buying a car should be fun!

Sorry if I have offered too much info. :smiley:

38

Satan, I haven’t seen this question covered so I have to ask. Why are you buying used? 50% of the time people trade in their car because there is something wrong with it they don’t want to deal with. When buying new, you aren’t buying someone else’s problem. If you can afford a $9000 used car, I would think you could afford a new $20,000 car if you financed it for 5 years. I bought my current car new in 1994 and it is still such a sweet running car.

39

I purchased a pre-owned 1997 Totota Corolla!

It has only 22,000 miles on it, they are going to install both Cruise Control and my newly purchased CD player (which fits in the dash in addition to the tape player, which means I can play both). Buying at the Toyota dealership allowed this, as well as the superior warranty.

I have bumper-to-bumper coverage on the car for 6 years/100,000 miles with a $50 deductable which cost an additional $12 a month, making my payments an affordable $266.80 a month.

I checked the VIN at http://www.carfax.com and it came up clean, beginning its life as a leased vehicle (which accounts for the low mileage). Thec ars price was less than book value by several hundred dollars before the installation of add-ons.

It’s purple!! Not that Dodge Neon don’t-nead-headlights-because-it-glows purple, but a refined purple. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!)

Anyway, I am quite happy with the outcome of my search.

I only hope my insurance payments are not insane after the accident… :eek:

Yer pal,
Satan

[sub]TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Three months, four weeks, two days, 4 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds.
4847 cigarettes not smoked, saving $605.94.
Life saved: 2 weeks, 2 days, 19 hours, 55 minutes.[/sub]

"Satan is not an unattractive person."-Drain Bead
[sub]Thanks for the ringing endorsement, honey!*[/sub]

40

Blech… a Toyota :wink:

Congratulations, Brian! Albeit slightly boring (“IMHO” and all that), Toyotas are the most reliable cars on the planet, together with Subarus. 22,000 miles is nothing for a 3 year old car. Sounds like a good deal!

BTW Satan, is this the model and colour you’re talking about?