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Smart Shopper Used Vehicles Best Values
948 messages, Last post on Aug 11, 2009 at 11:51 AM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
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Replying to: steff1 (Jun 25, 2009 6:53 pm) That would likely not be it. Do you have an age range or mileage constraints? Are any features manditory? You might be interested in anti-lock brakes, stability control systems, and various air bags to help young drivers stay out of trouble and mitigate injury should it be necessary. Does it need to be a sedan? Automatic or manual? Do you have a target fuel economy in mind? Does it snow where you live?
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jun 25, 2009 7:22 pm) Nothing's going to be more reliable and provide a "European" type feel that's just right for the average driver. I't's the only car in the last 5 years or more that I drove and it reminded me of the old 1990s Volvos. Tight, controlled, and a great car to drive. The IS250 is underpowered and pricey for what it is. The IS350 is more of a muscle car - it doesn't have the same light on its feet feel as the older IS300.(plus is hugely expensive, even used) http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=262303550 Good example. Built to last 15-20 years, so 7-8 years old isn't a problem at all. |
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Replying to: steff1 (Jun 25, 2009 6:53 pm) Huh. Ummmm..... huh. Sooo... when you say "sporty" you obviously have a very different definition than me. Can you be more specific?
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Replying to: qbrozen (Jun 26, 2009 10:38 am) I have a soon to be licensed driver who I may be buying for. Right now my plan is for her and I to split two cars - our Ody van and my Celica convertible. If I could find a cheap Mazda 3 or some such thing maybe I'll yield... |
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Replying to: steff1 (Jun 25, 2009 6:53 pm) |
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Unlike buying new cars, how would you find out if the dealer's price for a CPO car is just right and is not inflated? For new cars, there's Edmunds to find out the TMV and a bunch of other sites where you could find out the invoice price. How about for used cars? Besides KBB, how and where would you start negotiation? It would be impossible to compare the same models because the trim level is not always disclosed. As an example, we're trying to buy a 08 RX350 CPO starting at 31,999. To start, should I undercut this price by 3K?
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Replying to: soylentgreen (Jul 03, 2009 9:33 am) If you offer 3K less than 32K for this used RX350, the salesman would set the hook and you would have paid about the same for a used vehicle as for a brand new one. The way people drive today and abuse their vehicles with jackrabbit starts and hard braking, used vehicles are only worth the risk if they are very cheap. Every used car cost the dealer something different and you have no idea what that is. Unless you are a professional negotiator by trade, you will be at a significant disadvantage. I would take 3 days minimum to negotiate for this car and would not pay more than 22-23K with the known risk of walking and allowing it to become a lot queen. Are there no new ones around you? The incentives are listed as expiring 7/6/09 which is monday. There is no way of knowing if they will be extended. The salesmen don't know either, so the playing field is level.
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Replying to: morin2 (Jul 03, 2009 8:30 pm)
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Replying to: steff1 (Jun 25, 2009 6:53 pm) In considering the advice you receive here remember that when you say "sporty" to the mostly male members of this board, they think in terms of performance and handling, not looks. So a sporty car for guys might be pug ugly to your daughter. I must admit a bias in favor of Chryslers. They do have a lot going for them in the looks department. Reliability is as good as any domestic and in my experience somewhat cheaper to fix.. I have owned several including a Cirrus which was later re-named Sebring in the four-door version. For 2004 you have 3 Sebring choices. The sedan which is a newer version of my Cirrus. Reliable transportation. You also have the Sebring convertible which I don't think is sporty looking but young people like those drop tops. Finally you have the Sebring coupe which I think is the most sporty looking of the three. The coupe is based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse and most of the mechanical parts are identical. None of the Sebrings is a "sports" car but should be able to provide safe, reliable transportation with good looks. Good luck shopping and please come back and tell us how everything goes. 
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Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jun 25, 2009 7:22 pm) For 2-doors, I'd look at the Honda Civic Coupe and Toyota Celica. Even a well-maintained 2002-2003 Acura RSX would be a very good choice. |
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